Any love for the original UK The Office?*

Just finished re-watching The Office for the first time in 10ish years and my god it's even funnier than I remembered. I did really like the American remake by the time it found its own feet but I found the characters to be a lot less believable. I also felt as though they went out of their way to make the characters more likeable at the expense of what made the original so horrifically funny. The original was such a brilliant story arc over the 14 episodes and one of it's greatest attributes is that it ended when this came to it's natural conclusion whereas after a while watching episodes of the remake felt like prodding a dead horse with your toe. The American version never quite managed to capture the really (at the time) innovative documentary style in the same way the original did. Any other fans of David Brent and co here or was the remake more to your liking?

 

I am not sure which one I like better, both are great.

 

Its the only one for me. The original office is a modern classic IMHO. Its up there with the all time best sitcoms
I can't stand the US version. I don't find it funny at all.

 

Love the US version even though it began to slowly decline in quality somewhere during/after Jim & Pam's wedding. I have only seen a handful of the original, and I like it quite a bit, but I still vastly prefer the U.S. ons. Creed, Dwight, & Michael are my favorite things about it. I'll check out more of the U.K. one cause I've heard good things about it, but my favorite U.K. sitcom is definitely Peep Show

 

Oh, no question, the original is the better show.

 

I bailed on the U.S. one after a while. But early on it was great. Both were cringe inducing comedy.

 

Love both but the UK version had the luxury of only being 14 episodes. The US version was dragged out way too long.

 

Love the UK version ! enough said!

sean

 

It's not bad bu Steven Carrel and the other nailed it on the US version, sorry purists

 

that's also true

 

I fell in love with the U.S. office. For me, Steve Carrel made the show, when he left I lost interest. At times it got a bit campy though, it's best when it's focused on stuff that you can relate to if you work in an office; the bureaucratic silliness that goes on and what not...

 

While I totally agree that the U.S. Office was run into the ground, I'll still take that knowing every bit of humor and character development/interaction was exhausted. So much great stuff would've been missed had they stopped after 14 episodes. The first five seasons were great, and there's no law that says you ever have to re-watch the later ones.

 

There were still some great episodes in those later seasons too. Nothing quite on the level of the Dinner Party or the Convict episodes, but still stuff that I'd rather have seen than not

 

I think the U.S. show surpassed the original in certain respects, like the rich supporting cast, and they got at least five good seasons out of the concept before it went downhill, so I wouldn't claim that it was better to only do 14 episodes.

But while Steve Carell was very funny, I don't think Michael Scott compared to the originality and specificity of Gervais's David Brent, one of the great sitcom creations of all time. The American show could never resist the sentimentality of letting us know that Michael was a good person somewhere deep inside all his nonsense (and so were all the other characters) -- Ricky never worried about that, he reveled in how pathetic and desperate Brent was. It's a pitiless sensibility they had to soften for American network TV, though it wasn't gone altogether.

 

I think Michael certainly started out that way, especially since the first season seemed nearly identical to the u.k. one, but as time went on, they really made us sympathize with him. Its made abundantly clear that he is lonely & wants to be loved & truly cares for everyone in the office(minus Toby). Is that sort of what happens in the U.K. one? Do you care about Brent the way you end up doing for Michael?

Also, I loved his cameos on the U.S. version, especially when he interviewed for Michael's position

 

I don't think Brent wanted to be loved in the same way Michael did. He wanted people to "love" him in the sense of thinking he was cool and funny, but he never seemed especially concerned with love in a deeper sense.

Quoting myself from an earlier thread:

To me, the difference between David Brent and Michael Scott is that Brent really thinks he's the coolest, funniest guy in the world, while Michael secretly knows he isn't cool or funny but does everything he can to deny it. And, I feel that when Michael does things like organize a staff workshop on racism, he really thinks that what he is doing is helpful, while Brent would only do something like that for appearance's sake.

Carell's performance didn't work in the first season because he played Michael as a boor. Once he modified it to play Michael as a clueless loser, he found the right tone for it.

I feel he is much more vulnerable than David Brent was. They both lack self-awareness, but Michael can be hurt more easily and has some limited capacity to be empathetic towards other people despite how clueless he is.

 

I loved the US version until about season 6, which is when I stopped watching. Michael and Dwight might be my two favorite TV characters of all time.

Also, Jenna Fischer

 

Has anybody here from the UK seen Ricky's new David Brent movie (which is going to be on Netflix I believe)? I wonder if he has modified the character at all.

 

The episode where he's showing the children of his employees a video of him on that TV show where he says he basically desires to have friends was a real insight into his motives I think. It wasn't until he feel in love with Holly that he finally felt that true embrace & acceptance. His departure from the office is also a stark contrast in how David left, which really shows the difference the shows & the U.S. and U.K. shows in general I think

 

I think this is a weakness of U. S. programs: the need to keep them going as long as possible even when it would be better to end it. One of the best things to come out of the 1970s on U. S. television was the miniseries, where you could tell a story and then end it.

I haven't watched either version of The Office but I'd like to give it a try. I did like the Saturday Night Live appearance by Ricky Gervais where he reveals the original version of The Office...which was from Japan.

 

I loved the original Office so much it kind of spoiled the US version for me. It is the definition of edgy comedy. Dark humor that probably resonates with anyone who has worked in an Office.

We have a "cool" boss here who likes to play you a lick or two on the guitar while you discuss a problem. He also "plays" Sitar! Shades of David Brent. It's both sad and funny. I can barely keep a straight face when I'm forced to meet with him. I wonder if he would even recognize himself if he watched the UK Office?

 

Carell > Gervais

 

I love both versions. I'm partial to the US version, though. Seasons 2-5 are some of the best American TV comedy ever.

 

Interestingly that convict episode was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and I think it's the closest that Michael Scott ever got to David Brent.

 

I prefer the UK version. Brent was one of the most perfect sitcom characters ever created.

Saw the trailer for the new Brent film. Think I will give it a miss. As Brent would say, "Nooo..."