... this *is* the American version, and I believe it's being shown pretty much simultaneously in the US. It's co-written by David Crane, who also wrote "Friends" and the criminally underrated/unknown/forgotten "Dream On".

This 3rd episode was definitely the best so far, it felt more like characters interacting than just a succession of fish-out-of-water moments. And Matt Leblanc is very good, notwithstanding him playing himself, so not a huge stretch...

episode 2 and now you're telling me it's hitting it's stride. That's pretty unacceptable for a comedy. The Wire, yes, half hour comedy no.

...I decided to give it a last chance and watched it.

It was much better, much better characterisation, and watched the whole half hour. But (and it's a big but) I didn't actually laugh once, although there were a couple of wry smiles and one nod of acknowledgement.

Not really enough for a comedy is it?

I've just watched the first two, erm, you know. Anyway, I thought it was very funny, and there were audible guffaws [I'd had baked beans for breakfast].

The funniest bits for me were Matt LeBlanc's fantastic one-note-guitar-solo repetition of "no", and Tamsin Greig's foul-mouthed tirade at the security guard.

May I add that Daisy Haggard is hysterical? She hardly has any lines, but her grimaces had me chuckling repeatedly.

Then there was John Pankow's marvellously crass network head. The only other thing I've seen him in is To Live & Die in LA, which is just a little different to this. I laughed at his antics during his wife's heart-rending story.

I'm loking forward to more.

I've chortled through all 3 episodes, and think it's brilliant

Mangan and Greig are splendid but Matt LeBlanc is starting to display a subtlety that I didn't think he possessed

I'm usually the guy sat stoney faced whilst all around are wetting themselves at some alleged comedy. For whatever reason, this show does it for me

Sorry - apologies to Stephen Mangan - just can't resist every time I see him.

And, to agree with M. RoastBeef, Daisy Haggard is absolutely brilliant.

Very well written - just on the right side of being too clever. It's a fine line....

There was also a nice explanation of why the Americans change things - a hit UK comedy with 4 seasons of 6 episodes is only the length of a single US season. So they need to keep things much more open otherwise they run out of material.

all that funny but I enjoy it and the main reason for that is Matt LeBlanc. I think he's excellent and gives a performance that actually makes his character the most rounded and sympathetic of them all. He is really a very good character actor of light comedy, one of the more difficult roles to be convincing in as it's easy to stray too far one way into blandness or too far the other way into gurning ham.

but great name, Hoops.Good to see another "One Crazy Summer" fan on here.