NBC’s new Americanization of a British series is a Triumph. Like that classy vintage sports car, it’s almost always in need of repairs.

Created by writer/star Ricky Gervais, the BBC series “The Office” presented a documentary-style look at white-collar life in a dreary office in the nondescript city of Slough, England.

Gervais’ character, manager David Brent, is the center of that show. He thinks he’s a comedian and his employees’ best friend, but he’s really an incompetent who can’t help saying the wrong thing all of the time.

In the American version of “The Office” (8:30 p.m., NBC), the action moves to Scranton, Pa., where Steve Carell of “The Daily Show” plays Michael Scott, the inept boss. Although not without laughs, the new “Office” loses much in translation. And that’s hard to do, given that tonight’s episode is a word-for-word reenactment of the pilot of the British series. Subsequent episodes will follow original, American scripts.

While consistently thoughtless and self-deluded, Gervais’ Brent was never hateful. There was a wounded, needy quality at the core of his odd behavior. In contrast, Carell’s Scott is shriller, louder and more insistent, and he often comes off as an obtuse jerk.

Comedy fans who have tired of the three-camera, laugh-track-driven sitcom approach should definitely check out “The Office.” For all of its flaws it’s a vast improvement over recent comedies, from “Committed” to “Life on a Stick.”

Tonight’s other highlights

• The NCAA Basketball tournament (7 p.m., CBS) continues.
• A visitor from Chino on “The O.C.” (7 p.m., Fox).
• Home improvement on “The Apprentice” (7:30 p.m., NBC).
• New homeowners consult host Kenneth Brown for ways to construct a stylish kitchen on a tight budget on “reDesign” (7:30 p.m., HGTV).
• Things heat up on “Point Pleasant” (8 p.m., Fox).
• The war in Iraq comes home on “ER” (9 p.m., NBC).