The Office (US Version)

[another]

i loved the original office - ricky gervais is so funny!

 

[ckashie]

I love the Office! My dad and I are so obsessed with it I love the ending of the Christmas Specials too, so beautiful, awww! I hated the American version. The character interaction on the British version is awesome, especially between Gareth and Tim, David and Gareth/Dawn/Tim, Keith and everyone. I love the scenes with Gareth and Tim, like when he puts Gareth's stapler in jelly, and how Dawn and Tim always wind Gareth up about the army!

OT but I didn't realise until someone told me that Gareth is the pirate with the wooden eye from Pirates of the Caribbean... and Tim was a doctor in the first episode of Black Books (he was also awesome in Love Actually)!

Free love, on the freelove freeway...

Ricky Gervais seems really sleazy and not nice in real life though... I thought he'd be really different to his character but he isn't

 

[Boots & Perfume]

never saw the original version but i can guarantee the American one is gonna be crap and they'll end up taking it off the air in less than a year just like they did with Coupling. There's something about British sense of humor that is only hilarious when it's done by British people and just plain pathetic when done by Americans.

The original was fantastic! At first i didn't see the point, but then i realised how brilliant it was. They showed the US version here for 2 weeks before pulling it- how long did it last in the US? I thought it was crap.

Was there a US version of coupling as well? I love the British version! I just bought the dvds

 

[em 692]

moving to Thursdays...

 

[laurlaur]

I love this show. I didn't watch the UK version, but if people gave it a chance they would probably love it. Each of the characters is so funny in a realistic and sometimes sad way.

 

[laurlaur]

The season finale was tonight and I think I almost died. I can't wait until that long to find out what happens!

 

[Josephine]

like when he puts Gareth's stapler in jelly

oh that was a classic

 

[coq*]

Love the brit´ version but don´t think the US is as good! Have both first and second season on DVD.

 

[Pastry]

^ i agree with the jell-o bit! it was beautiful, and what got me into this amazing series!

 

[erin_k]

i LOVE the american version! i didn't get a chance to see the orginal but if you give this a chance you'll love it! I bypass every big thursday show to watch The Office. Can't wait for all the dvds!!

 

[daisyDuck]

I love both versions, but of course all the credit for the "original" version I own the 2 seasons and the Christmas specials and it's so amazing, I can always watch them again and again and never get bored. Mr. Keenan has to be my favourite? Will there ever be a boy that can swim faster than a shark?


I love US version as well, they have really funny supporting characters like Creed, Meredith and so on. The 3rd season premiere was hilaaarious, but I guess Oscar is going to be away for awhile now
and of course I would be crazy if I wasn't rooting for Jim/Pam But I hope they won't end up together too soon, that would be just boring since there wouldn't be any surprises left then

 

[cestmagique]

I can't believe there was so much fuss when the Office premiered here in the US... especially since Gervais was behind both of them. Fans of the original were so offended by the start of the second version that I wonder if it was really given a chance.

Nonetheless, it has to be said that Gervais is a real comedic genius. He took one great idea and made two distinct and very funny (and even at times quite poignant) shows from it.

 

[erin_k]

That's cool that he's behind both versions! He does a very good job of putting an american spin on the nbc show. like when jim is at his new office and puts his coworkers calculator in jello, instead of that being just a ha-ha moment, the coworker goes nuts and gets violent. pure genius!

 

[cestmagique]

^ I liked the one where they put Dwight's stuff in the vending machine and buy it so that he can't take it back.

 

[erin_k]

HAHA! how on earth did i miss that?!?! youtube...here i come...

 

[cestmagique]

^ It's worth it. I've loved every episode, especially Booze Cruise!

 

[Party_Vixen]

I love this show! It's hilarious. One of my favs . The new season is great.

 

[shoexgal]

this show is sooo funny. I watch it when I'm having a bad day and I totally laugh. I really love how they use silences to make you laugh. People are just shocked into silence at what their co-workers do on the show. They just look at each other so funny

 

[erin_k]

The episode "Branch Closing" is by far one of my favorites...

 

[LoveMyBoots]

^ Same here!

I can't believe how much my opinion of the show has changed since the beginning. Reading my earlier posts, I now feel the exact opposite. IMO, "The Office" is the now only comedy worth watching on television. The show has really come into its own with the second season. There are so many standout episodes: "The Dundies," "Casino Night," "The Secret." In the beginning, it was relying to much on the original version and the dynamic between the BBC characters. Now in the third season, they are definitely changing it up a bit. They're still following the BBC version's merging of the two branches into one. Hence, the episode called "Branch Closing."

The character of Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell), is just as uncomforable and awkward as his counterpart David Brent in the original. But, he's a lot more likable and capable than Brent. The addition of Ed Helms (from The Daily Show) has been nothing but good. Plus, the relationship between Jim and Dwight is just as funny Tim and Gareth's. And if I might say, the pranks are even funnier. Just watch the following videos

Spoken Pranks - http://youtube.com/watch?v=G6JsljkbMwI
Gaydar - http://youtube.com/watch?v=UZOQQnv3fVA&mode=related&search=
Future Dwight - http://youtube.com/watch?v=DCEDh-Vo_jk

Nonetheless, it has to be said that Gervais is a real comedic genius. He took one great idea and made two distinct and very funny (and even at times quite poignant) shows from it.

Actually, Ricky Gervais has very little to do with the concept/concepts of the American version except writing the pilot, which is just a copy of one of the episodes of the British version.... Though, he and his writing partner (I forget his name) are writing a future episode of "the office."