'Inside Comedy': Steve Carell Talks About Remaking 'The Office' (VIDEO)

Many successful British television shows have crossed the pond over the years to be remade for an American audience with variable results. For every "Sanford And Son" or "Shameless," there's a "Free Agents" or "Prime Suspect."

So when plans were first announced for a U.S. version of hit comedy "The Office," many said it was doomed to mediocrity and inevitable failure.

On "Inside Comedy" (Thurs., 11 p.m. EST on Showtime) former "Office" star Steve Carell sat down with David Steinberg to talk about the problems inherent in remaking such an iconic show.

"The odds were really against us and everyone said 'this will never work.' ... We knew we were going to be decimated by critics, fans of the original show wouldn't like it."

But Carell took the view that since the original show was so great, then a new version that was only half as good would still be "a pretty good show."

The U.S. version has thrived, of course, and Season 8 of "The Office" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC. "Inside Comedy" airs Thursdays at 11 p.m. EST on Showtime.

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