Critics honour Gervais import

It's already won just about every TV comedy award on this side of the Atlantic, and now The Office is setting its sights on the American gongs, too.

Ricky Gervais's sitcom has been shortlisted as best comedy in the annual TV Critics Association Awards, despite being screened on the relatively small cable channel BBC America.

It is the only non-American show to be nominated in any category.

The other comedy nominees are Curb Your Enthusiasm, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Daily Show and Andy Richer Controls The Universe.

Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David, also one of the masterminds behind Seinfeld, is also in the running for the individual comedy achievement award.

Fellow nominees include Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show that scored the rare double of also being nominated for outstanding news and information programme.

The awards will be handed out in Hollywood on Saturday July 19.

Gervais has been in talks with American studios about making a US version of the show, set in Los Angeles, that could net him and co-writer Stephen Merchant millions.

Published: 5 Jun 2003