10 TV Shows That Pissed You Off Straight Away
2. Season 1 Is TOO Faithful To The UK Series - The Office (U.S.)
There is surely no better example of a great TV show that had a horrible first season than the U.S. version of The Office.
The pilot episode was about as predictable and cynical as a state-side rehash of the beloved Brit sitcom could've been, almost directly adapting the UK pilot with extreme awkwardness because that self-deprecating style of humour didn't suit the American setting at all.
The first season in general was a bit of a slog, but never more than in its pilot, which suggested a dim future for the series and Steve Carell, whose Michael Scott felt like a pale imitation of Ricky Gervais' David Brent.
"Why bother?" was the sentiment from many fans of the original series, but thankfully the cast and crew regrouped for the massively improved second season.
Season two made Michael far more palatable for American audiences, dialled in to a more soft-edged American sense of humour, and focused more on the massive ensemble cast.
And like that, a comedy phenom was born, the U.S. show using its expanded canvas to explore the office's employees with a depth that the UK original simply never could.