The Office on NBC

[Pomeraniac]

Pom, I can't believe I'm not agreeing with you.

Holy smokes, I can't believe you're not agreeing with me, either, rose!!

But it's okay that we don't always agree on things and, in fact, it's probably good for us that we don't.

It's okay. I love you enough to let you be wrong every once in a while!!

(Really. I have a good, hopeful feeling that this awful show'll be off the air even before the nausea that it induced in me has dissipated!)

[Duxxy]

they did it.. they ruined it. I hate NBC. :cry

[joeguy]

I got halfway through this and turned it off, It was worse than a grade b movie.

[Tigrazhia]

Well, I went into this with an open mind... I did think there were funny parts, but all in all... I'm not sold.

What bothered me the most is the overacting. This is supposed to be a "documentary" (a mockumentary if you will), and in the British show they were all acting "normal" and I was convinced that it was a documentary. In this NBC version, it was apparent that these were all actors, I did not get that "up close and personal" feeling that I did with the original. The boss in the BBC version was naturally sleezy and silly, in this one it seemed a lot more forced... Same with most of the other characters...overacting.

I had high hopes for this show because it's so funny, I figured they would find a way to taylor it to American audience. I think they should've consulted some of these successful mockumentary filmmakers like Christopher Guest ("Mighty Wind", "Best in show") who has experience in making mockumentaries and who probably could've made it work.

[jacobson00]

i loved it! i loved it!

[Duxxy]

I figured they would find a way to taylor it to American audience.

That's the whole point for me Tigrazhia - there was no need to 'tailor it'. It insults me to know that the brainiacs at NBC think they had to 'dumb it down' and make it more obvious for American audiences. Brits may have a more dry, less obtuse sense of humour but the execs seem to think we don't have any at all - that we can't catch/ won't 'get' it if left to our own devices.
The only thing NBC could do to make things worse in this watered down Americanized version is to put in a laugh track ... because after all - we wouldn't know when to laugh unless the do-hicky with the clicker tells us when something is funny. :rolleyes

[mrdobolina]

I've got to come down on the side of liking this. I'm not totally sold on it either, but it's not like this is a fall down laughing type of comedy either. I like the actor who plays Dwight--he used to play Arthur on Six Feet Under.

It seems less forced that the Americanized version of Coupling, at least.

[cottoncandy]

So far I've seen 1 episode of the British version, and then the same episode (but with differences) of the American version. Plus 2 other American episodes. But so far I'm liking the American version better. Really a funny show, and the only sitcom I have bothered to have set up to record automatically with my DVR.

[Harvest]

I read a review that said the show gets better in later epis, so I gave it a season pass and saw it last night. The lead actor really is good. His spot-on portrayal of the boss is as uncomfortable to watch as the original -- so upbeat, well-meaning, and totally clueless in the face of a depressingly grim existence. The secretary is smarter on the American version, and has an actual rapport with the guy who likes her, making his situation less depressing.

I don't know how long this will stay on the air, however, because no one wants to be reminded of their bleak meaningless jobs. Unlike the UK, the US does not have a safety net for laid off workers. We are all under constant stress of losing our jobs and being permanently shut out of the work force, but there is no culture of "going on the dole." Who wants to be reminded that any catastrophe might leave us homeless? They have already addressed health care and lay offs on the show. Ick.

[Bill]

I think Office has legs. The boss is brilliant, though I will miss him on The Daily Show.

Interesting about Coupling is that I read an article (related to the premiere of Office) where that same question came up, i.e. don't ruin a good show. The British producer of Office noted that Coupling was originally copied from Friends in the US, and thus he was shocked that someone thought it was a good idea to copy a copy of a hit originally from the US.