Why is there a US-version of "The Office"?

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Yeah, that's it. Some thing about UK Tim made me indentify with him immediately. US Jim just seems too well adjusted so far.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:00 (nineteen years ago) link

If I don't like the new Tim and Dawn, I don't see the point. Carell's boss as the focal point will get old VERY quickly.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:03 (nineteen years ago) link

If you guys had never seen the original, you'd be falling all over yourselves praising this show.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

I agree, it's very good on it's own.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:53 (nineteen years ago) link

If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass a-hoppin'.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:53 (nineteen years ago) link

This discussion is crackling like a hickory fire.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 25 March 2005 18:57 (nineteen years ago) link

Life's too short to watch shows I would like if I hadn't seen other shows.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Maybe that's why next week's preview seemed so much funnier than last night's episode. It's a new script.

I'd really like to see a German version of "WKRP in Cincinnati".

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:13 (nineteen years ago) link

guys I really didn't even think the preview was funny. I'll watch the next few episodes but I'm not holding out any hopes.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:18 (nineteen years ago) link

aaron you are such a doubting thomas!!

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:25 (nineteen years ago) link

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:31 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't understand why no one thinks the receptionist can act; I thought she was the most realistic person in the whole ensemble. She exudes the same type of easy sincerity as Maura Tierney IMO. (Also she kind of looks like Maura Tierney.) (I am certain the fact that I am totally gay for Maura Tierney has nothing to do with my opinion on this actress.) (Maura Tierney ROWR but Parminder Nagra ROWROOOOOOOOOOO) (I seem to have lost my point.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:47 (nineteen years ago) link

she gives you a boner /= she can act

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Acting aside, The simple fact that Pam said "You're a jerk!" where Dawn said "You're a sad little man." seems to indicate that the Pam character will be less interesting in the long run. Dawn had a quiet dignity in that situation, Pam just came off as a crybaby wimp.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes, because it's very likely the average Scranton receptionist would choose to call someone a "sad little man" in a moment of extreme emotional distress rather than a "jerk". Are you perhaps forgetting that the characters aren't British?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:56 (nineteen years ago) link

No no no it was the way she said it.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:58 (nineteen years ago) link

According to Maura and Joe it won its ratings slot -- saw the end of the episode here and...eh. Dan's right about how seeing the original colors this, no matter what else.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:58 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't think it's equivalent either. I didn't expect it to be the same line, but "you're a jerk" didn't have the same resonance.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:02 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm not sure if i would like this if i'd not seen the original... maybe i would think it was kinda interesting but i don't think i'd be falling all over myself. it wasn't very funny. really felt like they were just going through the motions. also carrell is pretty bad here, although i usually like him.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:02 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah i gotta agree with aaron, the moment, the whole scene really, didn't work/came off wrong. it got hella promoted, local news afterwards made a note of it (memo from network); new timeslot new fate though probably, not that thursday's the prime real estate it once was.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:04 (nineteen years ago) link

Carell's whole "you've been punked he was my accomplice blah blah". This man is painfully "unfunny" and not in a funny way like Gervais.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:05 (nineteen years ago) link

haha:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/board/nest/17009614

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah, it's funny carell popped up on a daily show rerun from earlier in the week and was much much funnier.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:11 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm now wondering if I've been watching the same British "The Office" as the rest of you because Ricky Gervais is basically on full tilt painful I-don't-know-if-I-should-laugh-or-scream-sto-it-you-gigantic-douchebage mode throughout the entire series, much like Carell is in the American version.

(xpost: That is possibly the best troll ever! Hahahaha!)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:13 (nineteen years ago) link

i just think gervais pulls it off a lot better!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:17 (nineteen years ago) link

yes, gervais/brent wasn't at ALL a sympathetic character until the final, final episode (the christmas one).

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:18 (nineteen years ago) link

carrell just seems too... i dunno, capable? or self-conscious?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:19 (nineteen years ago) link

self-conscious. that's the crux of it.

― AS AN ACTUAL MODERN DAY SAMURAI I AM DISSOPOINTED IN THIS BURGER I HAD JUST (Aar, Friday, 25 March 2005 20:21 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah, it's funny carell popped up on a daily show rerun from earlier in the week and was much much funnier.

Heh, I just saw that too! Hilarious stuff -- mind you, this might all be a question of familiarity as has already been clearly noted. (TS: Alfred Hitchcock's The Office vs. Gus Van Sant's)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't think Carell's portrayal is self-aware or sympathetic at all!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:28 (nineteen years ago) link

Alfred Hitchcock's The Office

In which Gareth dresses in old lady drag and kills all the temps.

― AS AN ACTUAL MODERN DAY SAMURAI I AM DISSOPOINTED IN THIS BURGER I HAD JUST HAD., Friday, 25 March 2005 20:29 (nineteen years ago) link

i don't know ned, i wasn't so crazy about van sant's psycho and i've never seen the original. i have seen psycho ii, iii, and iv though so maybe.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:31 (nineteen years ago) link

woah - who said carrell's character was sympathetic? one difference i did note that maybe doomed it last nite but could pay off once they move farther and farther away from script retreads is that carrell's character doesn't act nearly as concerned about being liked as much as david brent. also, and this could turn out to be wrong with future episodes, but it's very clear in the office uk that brent envisioned a life for himself outside of the office whereas this guy seems to be made for management and has no problem with that. i think if the character became less brent needy and more gary cole powertrip only with the badjokes existing as an element of his powertrip it could work with carrell's performance.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Perhaps I misread AKM-47's post?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:39 (nineteen years ago) link

blount otm. I think we're on the same page.

― @@r0n h. z@nd3r$ (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:39 (nineteen years ago) link

more gary cole powertrip

That crossed my mind as well.

― Ned not logged in, Friday, 25 March 2005 20:41 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah, i think the middle management type whose tiny bit of power makes them passive agressive tyrants might yield more gold than just the boss who really wants to be liked. having carrell's character somehow maybe know/suspect he's not funny but not care cuz he's also the boss dammit might make the show darker/more realistic/fresher/and o yeah funnier. also they should maybe play around with improv more??? i don't know, something to make it feel less scripted, i was shocked to find out how tightly scripted the office uk was whereas here, even with the parts that deviated from the uk it still felt very very obviously scripted. o! and one thing i remember from one of the first descriptions of the office uk i ever read was that it was 'a parody of reality tv', this didn't turn out to be true really but maybe the us show could play around more with the conventions of reality tv.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:50 (nineteen years ago) link

also yknow instantly comparing it to the office uk or office space or even the episode of king of the hill where dale gribble has to get an office job is probably not fair but i don't think this was even as good as that fred savage sitcom 'working' and i somewhat suspect it won't be on the air as long either.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:54 (nineteen years ago) link

OMG "Working"!!!! I loved that show!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:55 (nineteen years ago) link

when usa used to show failed nbc sitcoms in the morning it was definitely the best. plus it had a winnie and kevin reunion.

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:57 (nineteen years ago) link

x-post
they could make all the improvements you suggest and it will still get canceled.
I'd say a 1 in 10 chance it won't.

― @@r0n h. z@nd3r$ (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 20:57 (nineteen years ago) link

i was shocked to find out how tightly scripted the office uk was whereas here, even with the parts that deviated from the uk it still felt very very obviously scripted.

otm

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 25 March 2005 21:04 (nineteen years ago) link

I wonder if they will air this in the UK.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 25 March 2005 21:09 (nineteen years ago) link

The BBC has already announced that they'll be showing it on BBC3 later this year.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 25 March 2005 21:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Perhaps I misread AKM-47's post?
yes, I was agreeing with this:

I'm now wondering if I've been watching the same British "The Office" as the rest of you because Ricky Gervais is basically on full tilt painful

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 25 March 2005 21:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Sorry about that! My righteous ire made me stupid (SHOCKAH etc).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 March 2005 22:13 (nineteen years ago) link

I really.. didn't.. think it was that bad!

Is it just me?

I think the second episode will be pretty good.

It took me about three episodes of the UK "Office" to even like it! I thought it was BORING at first!

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 25 March 2005 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I agree with this last. I was too busy cringing to even consider laughing.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 25 March 2005 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link

i am interested in seeing where they go with this, as apparently they start diverging from the original (and it gets better) from the 2nd ep on

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 25 March 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Obviously we can only go by what we saw last night right now. Like I say, I'm willing to give the next few episodes a chance.

― @@r0n h. z@nd3r$ (AaronHz), Friday, 25 March 2005 23:42 (nineteen years ago) link

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