Outsourced

Outsourced seems to me the most deftly realized sitcom of the new season. It is no closer to reality than any of its Thursday night neighbors ( Ken Kwapis, of "The Office" and other good things, developed it and directed the pilot), but it has a top-flight cast, characters who show you who they are rather than telling you, smart writing, sure rhythms and a cheerful attitude.

Fortunately, Rappaport is a fairly effective Everyman, and the wince-inducing aspects of the premise quickly fade into standard workplace comedy deriving a twist from its location.

It's just a little novelty, much like the plastic body fluids its characters are selling.

Call me culturally insensitive, but I wasn't nearly as offended by the stereotyping in Outsourced--which is based on a movie of the same name that I've never seen--as I was by the fact that most of the resulting jokes were so lame.

The show treats this central culture clash with a great deal of tentativeness, a quality that never makes for good comedy, yet despite its scaredy-cat caution, Outsourced still manages to be vaguely insulting and condescending.

[A] cheap, lazy, unfunny mess. Just depressing. Nothing to see here--and hopefully not for long.

In under 10 minutes, Outsourced manages to hit numerous offensive Indian stereotypes, borders on being racist, and not remotely funny.