CBS Tries Its Hand At 'The Office'

Tired of playing second fiddle with its terrible ideas, CBS is grabbing the concept for The Office and putting their own spin on it.  David Spade will replace Steve Carell as the zany office manager, with various other, minor, changes in characters.

"The budding romance between Jen and Tom is really the foundation of the show," said director Howard Gatson, who has made their connection "more believable" by casting more traditionally attractive actors in the roles. "People are going to tune in every week to see if Jen will ever leave her fiancé to be with Tom. And they'll be so relieved when she finally does in episode three."

Dwayne will play a more stern, grizzled Iraq war veteran that will lend more credibility to his authority.  CBS is also making various format changes to suit their viewers, mostly making the show less confusing.

The faux-documentary format has been dropped in favor of a traditional three-camera setup, and a laugh track has been added to fill in any painful, awkward pauses in dialogue that might slow down the show.

Removing disorienting camera angles and telling viewers when to laugh should go a long way in enticing typical CBS audiences to stick around.  Of course there are critics that say thowing the same concept with different actors won't automatically produce a hit show, but CBS remains optimistic and is venturing forward with near reckless abandon.

They have already commissioned two 12-episode seasons of the reworked sitcom, tentatively titled The Office, and slotted the show for their most competitive time slot, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.

• CBS To Release Own Version Of NBC's The Office | America's Finest News Source