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Outsourced

Outsourced

2010–2011Ended1 season22 episodes~30 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

A lone American manages the new call center of an American novelties company in Bombay and must explain American popular culture to his employees as he tries to understand Indian culture.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Outsourced?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Outsourced to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Outsourced?

Outsourced earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Outsourced worth watching?

Outsourced's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all shows, from 13K ratings across 2 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of shows

70th percentile among Comedy70th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)77th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

63rd percentile of all shows

64th percentile among Comedy61st percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

82% liked it

77th percentile of all shows

72nd percentile among Comedy75th percentile among 2010s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

86th percentile

13K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Comedy86th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 9% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A light workplace comedy built on cultural clashes between Americans and Indians in a Mumbai call center.

Fans praised

  • cross-cultural humor with warmth
  • likable, well-rounded ensemble cast
  • fresh workplace setting and premise

Detractors panned

  • stereotypical and poorly researched portrayal of India
  • unfunny, formulaic sitcom tropes
  • tone-deaf to the exploitation of outsourcing

What stands out

Acting78

talented ensemble with comedic timing, some detractors found lead unlikeable

HumorDivisive76

consistent laugh-out-loud moments for fans; detractors find it forced and unfunny

CharactersDivisive75

well-conceived, distinct personalities; detractors call them one-dimensional stereotypes

OriginalityDivisive75

fresh setting but familiar sitcom structure

DialogueDivisive72

clever repartee mixed with crude jokes

AtmosphereDivisive62

conveys cultural immersion, criticized for inauthentic depiction

Plot and storyDivisive60

simple premise, inconsistent episodic quality

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 26 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2010 · 22 episodes

  • S1E1

    Pilot

    Sep 23, 201021 min
  • S1E2

    The Measure of a Manmeet

    Sep 30, 201021 min
  • S1E3

    Party of Five

    Oct 7, 201021 min
  • S1E4

    Jolly Vindaloo Day

    Oct 14, 201021 min
  • S1E5

    Touched by an Anglo

    Oct 21, 201021 min
  • S1E6

    Bolloween

    Oct 28, 201021 min

Watch experience

What is Outsourced like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Resets each episode · 10% of showsSingle-season story
ToneThe show approaches its cultural clashes with affectionate humor and a sincere desire to find common ground, playing the situations straight while maintaining a light, warm register.
The rideThe series maintains a light, upbeat, and consistently warm tone with low emotional volatility across its run.
StructureEach episode follows a standard sitcom reset structure with a three-act arc: setup, complication, and resolution.
Episode formatEach episode presents a self-contained workplace problem that is resolved by the end, with the status quo largely restored.
Season formatThe series ran for one season, telling a complete arc of Todd's adjustment to India and the team's growth.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayA light, feel-good sitcom that leaves you smiling at the end of each episode, with a sense that cultural differences can be bridged with humor and goodwill.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% (this title) · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of errors: Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.

12% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe typical episode follows Todd, an American manager in India, as cultural misunderstandings and workplace mishaps drive the comedy, fitting a comedy of errors structure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% (this title) · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Society

CommunityTradition vs change · 3% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores how a group of Indian and American employees form a workplace community that bridges cultural differences and challenges old ways of thinking.
StanceThe series celebrates the formation of a multicultural community, finding humor and humanity in cultural differences rather than criticizing them.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
PopWorldSupportive music · hybrid
SettingA customer service call center in India, managed by an American expatriate

Content guide

Is Outsourced okay for kids?

TV-14

Outsourced is rated TV-14.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • Brazil12
  • IndiaU
  • ItalyT
  • PortugalNR

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Outsourced have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Outsourced?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Ben Rappaport
as Todd Dempsy
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Anisha Nagarajan
as Madhuri
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Diedrich Bader
as Charlie Davies
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Parvesh Cheena
as Gupta
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Pippa Black
as Tonya
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Rebecca Hazlewood
as Asha
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rizwan Manji
as Rajiv Gidwani
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sacha Dhawan
as Manmeet
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Thushari Jayasekera
as Pinky
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Guru Singh
as Ajeet
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

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What other shows share a tag with Outsourced?

636 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: workplace comedy. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.