A perfect vehicle for Carell's brand of comedy. He was born to play this kind of determined, slightly stiff government official, whom things keep happening to, but who can weather any storm with common sense and a big heart. All the while, tomfoolery arises all around him, courtesy of a ragtag band of oddballs and doubters. None more funny than a pitch perfect John Malkovich. And that's where the show is at his strongest, with comedy that is just the right balancing act between screwball and tongue-in-cheek.
By the middle of the second season though, it's clear that the budget and the ambitions have been downsized a bit. Pity. There was room for many more seasons of high jinx and developing characters.
