The Office

[Matt_V]

Does anyone else here like watching The Office? There is a new episode on in 15 minutes, and I'm very excited.

[vanpaun]

yup, watching what ever is before it.

[vanpaun]

snip snap snip snap snip snap!

[Matt_V]

awe man i was really hoping it would be an hour long. it was really funny though

[hungry4uni]

I love The Office.

I feel sad for Toby though :(

[captainkrunk61]

Wow. I love the office. I was disappointed by tonight's episode. but I read that it was the original script written before the strik and chronologically takes place right after the last one, which was in, what like November? Anyway, I went back and watched that episode then watched the new one again, and now I love it. It was a great episode.

The next episode is going to take place about a month after this one (in Office time) according to Greg Daniels blog.

[catinabag1]

i love the office but it's on right in the middle of my jiu jitsu so i miss it every time, and i don't have tivo.

[kington99]

the American office is atrocious, it captures nothing of the humour of the original show. How many series have their been in the US? The last one aired here in 2003.

[catinabag1]

the American office is atrocious, it captures nothing of the humour of the original show. How many series have their been in the US? The last one aired here in 2003.
the office is only like 3 seasons old. i think you are thinking of another show. there have been more than one offices

[1-wheeled-grape]

there must be more, because there was one over here, i never watched it but its old. you must have a different one in america

[vanpaun]

you can watch the brittish version on bbc on demand. its not funny

[habbywall]

That seems to be the consensus of most americans as to the british version and vis-versa.

[Hazmat]

:D Yeah, the office is an awesome show. (http://www.tvjab.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/theoffice.jpg) :D

[kington99]

the office is only like 3 seasons old. i think you are thinking of another show. there have been more than one offices

The Office was a british TV show made by Ricky Gervais around 2000, which ran for 2 seaosns plus xmas specials. It was later remade for the American market. Same premis, same rough charatcers although different names, some same plot lines but none of the humour.

[catinabag1]

The Office was a british TV show made by Ricky Gervais around 2000, which ran for 2 seaosns plus xmas specials. It was later remade for the American market. Same premis, same rough charatcers although different names, some same plot lines but none of the humour.
i don't know. american and british humor is different. it's an uber popular show here. it even won an emmy or something like that. and might i add it's freakin hilarious!!!:D

[kington99]

american and british humor is different.

yes i never realised quite how much this is true until they started airing the US office in the UK. Despite the popularity of the original (Golden globe, BAFTA, british comedy award, emmy nominated) the US version sank without trace

[BluntRM]

yes i never realised quite how much this is true until they started airing the US office in the UK. Despite the popularity of the original (Golden globe, BAFTA, british comedy award, emmy nominated) the US version sank without trace

That's what she said.

[The.Mars.Volta]

The british one is way better even though though are both written by gervias, im pretty sure.

[SqueakyOnion]

The Office is by far my favorite TV show. I have all the episodes I can get saved on TiVO. My roomates and I watch probably 20-30 episodes a week, and there's about 30 episodes on our TiVO. We can't get enough.

I've seen both the British Office and American Office. I've seen a handful of episodes of the British Office and honestly, I'm not a big fan. I really prefer the American Office, though the British version is certainly entertaining.

I think it just really boils down to slight cultural differences in what we each see as humorous. I don't really think a sense of humor can be right or wrong.

I even have a Dunder Mifflin t-shirt :)

After I work this summer, I'm going to buy all the episodes of the office on DVD.

[siafirede]

the American office is atrocious, it captures nothing of the humour of the original show. How many series have their been in the US? The last one aired here in 2003.

I watched the original show a while before the American one came out. The original Office (British) is one of my favorite TV series. I also love Extras, Ricky Gervais is a comedic genius.

I later saw the American Office, and the first season was horrible. The first few episodes were carbon copies of the British ones but 99% less funny. The later seasons of the American Office started getting a little funnier though when they took their own direction, and it is actually a good show(now).

I think it boils down to this...if you like the American show better you either don't know any better or don't appreciate the original comedy masterpiece. :D

[The.Mars.Volta]

Correct.

[asthian]

The American version of the Office does have some funny moments, but it really doesn't have the same awkward hilarity that Ricky Gervais brought to the UK original, although Steve Carell was a really good choice as the lead for the show.

[swarbrim]

yes i never realised quite how much this is true until they started airing the US office in the UK. Despite the popularity of the original (Golden globe, BAFTA, british comedy award, emmy nominated) the US version sank without trace

*Sigh* Dave, I fear you may be wasting your time. The British show was simply brilliant, the awkward humor and timing were key.

Cheers.

[jamessd]

It is a shame that some of you USA guys (hope it's not offensive to call you that...) don't appreciate that the English Office was the original, and when I watch the American version it just doesn't do anything for me, it's not the same at all (as much as they try to copy...).

The Office, and anything Alan Partridge are what I swear by.

[BluntRM]

Only 2 seasons? Seems to be an esoteric appreciation...

[SqueakyOnion]

It is a shame that some of you USA guys (hope it's not offensive to call you that...) don't appreciate that the English Office was the original,


So what if it was the original? That in and of itself doesn't make it better.

and when I watch the American version it just doesn't do anything for me, it's not the same at all (as much as they try to copy...).

Should it be the same? No. Similar? Yes, which it is.



I later saw the American Office, and the first season was horrible. The first few episodes were carbon copies of the British ones but 99% less funny. The later seasons of the American Office started getting a little funnier though when they took their own direction, and it is actually a good show(now).

I beg to differ. I found the first few episodes of the American Office to be quite funny. I actually saw the British Office before I ever saw the American version, and still liked the American Office better. Again, I think it really comes down to cultural differences.


I think it boils down to this...if you like the American show better you either don't know any better or don't appreciate the original comedy masterpiece.


Sorry, but that sounds pretty arrogant. Because we have different senses of humor, I either "don't know any better" or can't "appreciate" the original. Your favorite color isn't everyone else's.

Additionally, I think that after watching one version or the other, the viewer tends to "get to know" the characters and when he/she watches the other version, it seems foreign. Because the characters have not been well characterized for the viewer watching his non-"home" version, it is harder for the viewer to associate with and appreciate the humor from the characters in the non-"home" version. Be it American or British, I think this applies both ways.


I think this thread would be better served talking about both versions of The Office, not arguing over which is better because really, the answer is neither and both. It's up to personal interpretation.


Personally, what I love about the American Office is the absurdity of Michael's behavior (like when he drove his car into a lake because he thought his navigation system said so). It seems that at the end of every scene, he just steps over that line into hilarious absurdity. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoy the reactions of Pam and Jim. I also really like that the other office workers are starting to become very well characterized, and have small sub-stories of their own. Dwight is also great source of absurd comedy. They newer episodes with psychotic Jan also keep me coming back time and time again.

This series is definitely something I want to own, all episodes, of both versions. This series is a real keeper. For life.

[siafirede]

I was trying to be arrogant, but was not entirely serious. It is obvious that not everyone has the same sense of humor, doesn't have the same favorite color, and doesn't spell colour the same way.

It is a messageboard, I am just engaging in a friendly argument (hence the smiley).

You are also saying pretty much the same thing as I was in "Should it be the same? No. Similar? Yes, which it is.". You are right that it should not be the same, because when they tried that (first season) it was horrible.

I will talk about both versions:

The British one only had 12 episodes and a Christmas special. At first I thought this was a rather short run, but after watching it all I realized how smart it was to end the show. When the two main characters get together...they ended it. The tension between Tim and Dawn was such a large part of the show.

The American one is playing the show for all it is worth and continuing the show after Jim and Pam get together. I do not like how American TV shows do this sort of thing...beat the show into the ground until they run out of ideas and different character relationships.

With that said...I do appreciate the fact that I can understand 100% of the cultural references in the American show, whereas with the British one there are certain things that just wouldn't make sense to me. The dvd does do a nice job listing key terms and cultural references though for the international consumer.

As far as characters are concerned, I actually think I like Pam more than Dawn, but that might just be because Pam has a larger speaking role in the American show than Dawn did in the British one.

Garreth is much funnier than Dwight though. Dwight is alright (rhymes) but he really can't capture what Garreth had going in the British show.

[Triball]

I just finished watching the last episode. Man, they keep getting better:D
I feel sorry for Toby inwell.:)

[BillyTheMountain]

I don't get to watch the show too much, but I like it. That main guy is SO WEIRD, and even kinda creep at times.

Congrats on making a thread about a TV show go more than a page!

Billy

[Matt_V]

I'm really surprised that this thread is lasting so long.

I've seen a bit of the UK version and i didn't find it very funny at all. Maybe I just haven't watched it enough. The cast for the US version is perfect and it is defently one of the funniest shows i've seen.

I'm gonna watch some more of the UK version.

[kington99]

With that said...I do appreciate the fact that I can understand 100% of the cultural references in the American show, whereas with the British one there are certain things that just wouldn't make sense to me. The dvd does do a nice job listing key terms and cultural references though for the international consumer.


Could you possibly give a couple of examples of this, just for my interest? The UK show doesn't, to my mind, contain that many cultural references but maybe they're so implicit to me that they pass by without registering. I find the main problem with shows like family guy (just as an example) is that they make endless reference to minor US celebrtities who I've never heard of, let alone know the minutiae of their life to suitable detail to understand the gag.

I must admit I've only seen episodes from series 1 of the US show, which were apparently somewhat sub-par. The comedy just seems so obvious and wacky. the point of the UK office was that it had experiences everyone could relate to, any single scene could have occured in real life, to someone you know. Do you actually know anyone who has driven their car in to a lake? I'm not trying to argue which is better, it would just be interesting to know what people think the main draw of the US series is.

[jamessd]

...

''who is wrong and who is right... yellow brown black or white... spaceman he answered I no longer mind... I've opened your eyes, you're now colour blind - racial - so...''

:p

[captainkrunk61]

The british one is way better even though though are both written by gervias, im pretty sure.
Nope. The Office is mainly written by Greg Daniels, known for The Simpson and King of the Hill. Although Gervais co-wrote the Season 3 episode "The Convict". Daniels routinely has a team of other writers do work for episodes. Some of them include: B.J. Novak (Ryan on the show), Mindy Kaling (Kelly), Paul Lieberstein (Toby), and Steve Carell (Michael).

[captainkrunk61]

I must admit I've only seen episodes from series 1 of the US show, which were apparently somewhat sub-par.
Yes, they are far different from the other 3 seasons. In the early stages they were just starting out, and hadn't taken their own direction until later in Season 2.

[ThisGuyIKnow]

The American Office I've found has become too sitcomy and ridiculous. I say that the American Office jumped the shark when Andy was brought to Scranton. For now I'll still watch but I wouldn't mind terribly if this were the last season.

[captainkrunk61]

It wont be, NBC has already ordered a full 5th and 6th season, as well as a spin-off. So, don't get your hopes up. :p

[jamessd]

For any English Office fans I recommend the site www.wernhamhogg.co.uk , if you haven't already been there.

[phlegm]

the point of the UK office was that it had experiences everyone could relate to, any single scene could have occured in real life, to someone you know. Do you actually know anyone who has driven their car in to a lake? I'm not trying to argue which is better, it would just be interesting to know what people think the main draw of the US series is.

The absurdity of driving a car into a lake because the GPS directions say so is what made it funny. Don't people relate to GPS directions being weird?

For me, the main draw of The Office (US) is that it makes me laugh. That's it, really. Laughter is quite possibly the best thing in the world.

I tried watching one of the episodes of the UK one, and I didn't get it.

[siafirede]

Could you possibly give a couple of examples of this, just for my interest? The UK show doesn't, to my mind, contain that many cultural references but maybe they're so implicit to me that they pass by without registering. I find the main problem with shows like family guy (just as an example) is that they make endless reference to minor US celebrtities who I've never heard of, let alone know the minutiae of their life to suitable detail to understand the gag.



Things that had to be listed on the DVD:

Adam and the ants
alain delon
Ali G (when I first saw the office years ago I actually didn't know much about Ali G as he was not that big in the US yet)
Bandy about
ben elton
benny
bent
biro
blag
blockbusters (I had no idea what this was but you can get the context that it was a game show of sorts)
blotto'd
blue peter
bob holness
brain jail
charlie dimmock
chichester
ciro citterio
countdown
daley thompson
dam busters
debenhams
dixon of dock green
eastenders
esther rantzen
everett
experminate (doctor who)
Fray Bentos
(that is only parts of A-F)

honestly...there are a ton of cultural references in the UK one and I am not going to list all of the ones included in the first 6 episodes of the UK office. Those that may be so implicit to you are completely foreign to us. I know what you are saying about Family Guy, and the office (uk) is obviously not as bad at endless references, but there are definitely a bunch that I did not get until I figured out the context or looked in the DVD reference.

I still enjoy the original British one much more for many reasons, but I cannot say that I 100% follow every reference (at least without looking it up).

Edit: It is also funny how the American Translation reference lists Slough:

Slough : A somewhat depressed, medium sized industrial town outside of London. Slough is to London as Gary, Indiana is to Chicago.

[kington99]

Things that had to be listed on the DVD:

Edit: It is also funny how the American Translation reference lists Slough:

Slough : A somewhat depressed, medium sized industrial town outside of London. Slough is to London as Gary, Indiana is to Chicago.

thanks for that, really interesting that having seen that list I can recall where most of them appear in the show (although a couple of them I don't know myself). Slough is indeed a utter piece of crap, the opening shot of the ofice exteriour is pretty typical of the 60s concrete drabness, although that bit isn't actually shot in Slough. The only time I was in Slough i came across a book in a bookshop entitles "The crappest towns in britain". Slough was number 3.

[peleschramm]

Ive watched several american episodes, and 1 or 2 british episodes, and i must say i found the american one to be much funnier.

I was extremely surprised by this, as i usually prefer british humor. Though i don't know too much british humor, i can say that ive thoroughly enjoyed both little britain and monty pythons flying circus. I love eddie izzards stand up much more than all the american stand up ive seen. My favorite movie, in addition, is probably hot fuzz. British humour is in most cases far superior to american humor.

so whats the deal with the office? Was i expecting too much of the british version? Was i just too used to the american version? Or have i just not seen the british version enough? This was the first time ive looked at something and decided that the american version is better than the british, though i would be lying if i said that ive had a lot of experience with this.

edit: and how could i forget the ali g show? That may just be my favorite show, though i was only just recently introduced to it.

[kington99]

The absurdity of driving a car into a lake because the GPS directions say so is what made it funny. Don't people relate to GPS directions being weird?

For me, the main draw of The Office (US) is that it makes me laugh. That's it, really. Laughter is quite possibly the best thing in the world.

I tried watching one of the episodes of the UK one, and I didn't get it.


I can relate to bad GPS, but not to driving in to a lake. Absurd things happen everyday, in real life, so why go so over the top? Tim putting Gareth's stapler in jelly is absurd, but I can see it happening. US TV always seems to have to make jokes as obvious and dramatic as possible, leaving little to the viewer's imagination.

(and of course when the British version was made GPS wasn't commonly available)

[jamessd]

I get the feeling that the american Office is much more blatently funny and doesn't require much understanding... or that it's not very... circumstantial?, for example the car in the lake. Whereas for the UK we have to understand that Tim has found out about Gareths dislike for jelly, and put his stapler in it. And to top it off Tim sits there eating the Jelly out of a packet denying it was him.

[Triball]

I really like the US Office and I must say I didn't really like the car in the lake bit. They went a bit too far. But what gets me the most is the cast's facial expressions and body language. For example: the part where Andy was trying to impress Michael and just jumped into a conversation between Michael and Pam (you said: "ratatatatu, which is like right on").

[jamessd]

Ok... so instead of talking about these scenes let's see some clips...
Some of my favourites:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=q-SdwxP6P44

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmvIxjL3Y4

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=1s7G82ZwxXI

[mscalisi]

Did you know the Brittish version basically ripped off the Japanese version?

http://www.dailymotion.com/country:ca/video/x5gudn_snl-office-japanese-version_shortfilms%20-

[BurnerDave]

What is it with these shows that don't use tripods. By the end of the show my eyes look like Marty Feldman.
Anybody in Hollywood reading this??? Invest in a fews tripods, will ya.

[Eddbmxdude]

The only time I was in Slough i came across a book in a bookshop entitles "The crappest towns in britain". Slough was number 3.

Ha Ha! Is that the same book where Luton is the UK's #1 crap town?

Back on topic, I don't get american humour, its so blatantly obvious and slapstick its just not funny!

[Into the blue]

I am so glad the American version of Spaced got shelved.
That would have been painful to watch.

Anyone seen what they did to Red Dwarf years ago?
Uff.

[jamessd]

What is it with these shows that don't use tripods. By the end of the show my eyes look like Marty Feldman.
Anybody in Hollywood reading this??? Invest in a fews tripods, will ya.
But if they use tripods it's not like a documentry then is it...

[BurnerDave]

But if they use tripods it's not like a documentry then is it...

I just think they over do it! Heck, they're not chasing soldiers across the Mekong Delta, They're in an office.

[BluntRM]

Red Dwarf did it too itself....

[GILD]

the American office is atrocious, it captures nothing of the humour of the original show.

To my mind, nothing quite captures and explains the difference between the two shows quite as well as this article.

When office politics seem a little too polite



The Americans are just so damn clean. And polite! And well produced! All of this is usually fine and dandy and makes for the best TV the world has to offer, which seems only fair as they pioneered the medium and have made it their own personal playground.

But there are some shows for which a little fraying around the edges is mandatory; for which at least a smattering of open pores is required; for which hair that needed washing six to 12 hours ago is essential; and for which a complexion the colour of quick-drying cement is imperative.

And that show is The Office, the American version of which is on Mnet on Tuesdays at 7pm.

Steve Carell plays the office manager based eerily character-for-character and episode-for-episode on Ricky Gervais's and Steven Merchant's original British version, in which Gervais played the manager. The staggering success of the show is the stuff of TV legends, and it was a no-brainer that the American version would be good, possibly brilliant, too.

Americans have a long history of hijacking British sitcoms and, usually, improving them. But The Office was no ordinary sitcom.

Carell is currently the poster-boy for American comedy. He's been a long-time presenter on Saturday Night Live – one of America's edgiest and scathingly satirical comedy shows – he has been celebrated as "the funniest man" on the cover of Life Magazine, and whatever sins he committed in the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin are more than made up for by his performance in Little Miss Sunshine. He also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy this year for his performance in The Office.

So why am I smiling when I watch it, when I should be breathless with equal parts hilarity and horror, determined never to miss an episode but only capable of watching it through hands held over my eyes. Because it's just ever-so-slightly too slick and rehearsed and safe, that's why.

Perhaps there is nowhere in the US that can truly capture the bleakness of a Slough Industrial Estate or a British winter. Or summer.

But even the ugly weirdos in the American Office would be considered a real catch in the UK. The assistant to the manager (who calls himself the assistant manager) in the UK version had protruding, bug eyes that suggested a thyroid problem, an Adam's apple considerably larger than his chin, and a complete lack of socialisation skills which led to an obsession with all things military. His American counterpart is simply a bit of a geek.

The mousy receptionist's boyfriend in the UK version had butt cleavage, bad teeth, greasy hair and one got the sense that after one beer too many he may feel within his rights to slap her around a bit. The American is an average looking man in overalls, made to look loutish by chewing gum.

Mostly though, it is Carell himself, as superb a comic actor as he is, that will simply never live up to Gervais.

He is bumbling and moronic and crass, but when he glances at the camera, there is nothing behind the eyes. When Gervais glanced at the camera, one could see disconcerting flashes of the insight he had into his personality; just occasionally you got the dreadful realisation that he knew he was pathetic, and ridiculed, and incompetent. He was a prat and although he hid it well, he let his guard down long enough for us to know that he lived 24/7 with his capacity for failure. It made the show menacing and was the reason I had to watch it chewing antacids.

Carell is simply a blank slate. He does not frighten himself, which doesn't frighten me. Perhaps the show will get better – in that it will get worse and more worrying. Right now, although The Office is good, it is not excellent because it is simply not scary enough.

Which makes it unlike any office I've ever worked in.

Copywright:
The Weekender Travel & Food Journal
A Business Day Publicat (http://www.businessday.co.za)ion



The third last paragraph really 'gets it'.

[GILD]

Sorry, the link for that article.

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/TarkArticle.aspx?ID=2415237

[Triball]

I prefer the "blankness" of Carell's face. It gives the impression that he is more of a "I don't think, I act" kind of guy.

[tobbogonist]

The british one is way better even though though are both written by gervias, im pretty sure.
Nope, an american fellow wrote the American one. He won an award for it. Ricky Praises him in one of his podcasts.

As for English TV series, i would rather black books. The Office is still brilliant though.

[Jkohse]

im a hardcore office fan!

theres so much hate for the american office here. I really cant stand the british office, i do give it some props for starting off the whole thing, but i rented it the other day and theres something just so "low quality" about the whole thing. Plus im not one for british humour, probably because im canadian.

ummm how much hotter is pam by the way? the people on that show are hidious haha.

plus i felt the american one has more of a story and is "more" then just a comedy, sooo many plot twists. But maybe i just havent watched the british one enough.

im not here to diss you if you like the british one, but i will defend the american office as much as i can.


and the pranks between jim and dwight? priceless

[tobbogonist]

I am so glad the American version of Spaced got shelved.
That would have been painful to watch.

Anyone seen what they did to Red Dwarf years ago?
Uff.
American version of spaced...
how horrid.

Loved the episode about men and pretending to shoot each other. Simon Pegg is brilliant.

[Matt_V]

Ive watched the UK version a bit and it just wasn't funny at all. The US version is hilarious, the cast is perfect, and the acting is great.

I missed the 1 hour finale though...

[Jkohse]

www.surfthechannel.com

for all of your program missing needs.....its how i stay in the loop!

[Jedimind]

There's a reason that there are two versions.

Humor is different on the other side of the pond. The American version is geared toward the average American viewer, and the British version is geared toward the average British viewer. For the most part, people will think their country's respective version is better.

[GILD]

i rented it the other day
Thanx for coming here with an informed opinion.

theres something just so "low quality" about the whole thing.
the people on that show are hidious haha.

Yeah, that's pretty much the idea.
It was 'intended' (I'm not claiming to speak for Gervais here, hence the ' ') to come across as a 'bad' documentary and not a polished sit-com.
I think this is the point of seperation between the British and the American versions and why I don't think it should even be considered 'versions' of the same show. The American Office should just indicate that it was 'inspired by'.

[Jkohse]

its deffinatley two different types of humour. and the american is really "american" if you know what i mean.

But i feel some of you are right, it all lands on your sense of humour. You like what like right? we can all agree the we like the show "the office"


i think i might be able to quote every episode at any point, (even the deleted scenes) how horrible is that?

[ThisGuyIKnow]

The main difference is that the British version demands a bit from it's viewers than the American veiwer. The American version is much more polished and decided for the more passive style of American television viewing. It's also written a lot more joke to joke than the British version. It's more one liners rather than funny situations.

I'm still curious about the French version but it's not available with subtitles.

[GILD]

I'm still curious about the French version but it's not available with subtitles.
That (and reading Asterix in the original) might well be enough reason for me to learn French.