According to NPR, NBC is indeed considering airing the British "The Office."

It's not quite that simple. They are writers-producers, so while they are bound by the strike they are also under contract to come to work to produce the shows. When they wear their producer hats, they have to bear in mind all of the other workers on the show -- cameramen, techies, make-up people, etc. -- who can't afford to go without paychecks. I don't know if they will cross the line or not , but Johnny Carson did in 1988, and so did David Letterman.

didn't the daily show and colbert report already go into reruns?

I've heard that Tina Fey & Jay Leno have both walked the picket line. I'm hoping that David Letterman does, too. Almost every comic does start out writing his/her own material, after all.

I think all of the late night shows have gone into reruns. But if this time mimics 1988 and the strike goes on too long, there well may come a time in a few weeks where Letterman, Leno and others feel like they have to resume production.

They must REALLY be desperate then, because the British one is much better and I think it'd just completely show up the American version...IMO.

I don't know. I like (love) them about the same, and I wonder how much of the British humor in the original might be lost on the average American.

That and also they're accents are really, really, really thick on the British one. Maybe it's just me (I do have a problem understanding people with thick accents) but when I watched the British version I maybe understood every fifth word or so. I felt like I was watching Trainspotting all over again....that movie needed subtitles for those of us who speak American English!

Unfortunately.

*cries*

True, although there's rumors that have gone back and forth about Jon Stewart paying his crew from his production company for the next few weeks. I think it's helping that the writers are picketing shows that are still taping as it will up the ante for the studios to deal with them instead of trying to wait them out. I was really reacting to the idea that Leno and Letterman, etc. should be able to write their own material night after night. It's just not that simple.

I do think that the studios are hoping people will get pissed at the lack of shows and blame the writers, when public opinion really seems to be swaying the writers' way.
I like both, but Ricky Gervais' sense of awkwardness is painful to watch. Same thing with him in Extras. I just want it to stop! I love the US cast now and couldn't give them up. I agree w/ MC that quite a few Americans won't like or get the humor.

Jenna Fischer has a new blog post explaining some things about the strike up.

Maybe the CBC can export some good ol' Canadian classics like Danger Bay, the Beachcombers and Degrassi High...LOL

As much as I support the writers I'd rather watch eighties re-runs that I haven't seen in years then re-runs that aired just a few weeks ago.

Do you think there are writers who aren't at the picket lines and are, instead, chilling at home? Sorry, I'm not a big picket fan, no matter what.

That's the whole point. Steve Carell is just too "cool" in the part for my tastes. But different strokes for different folks.

What the hell does that have to do with it? They aren't at work, so I would not judge what they are doing while on strike. As long as they aren't at work, they are STILL proving a point.

You are against people fighting for what they believe is right? Just wondering. Because, I doubt people on the picket lines are doing it for fun. They are doing it to try and get what they feel they deserve.