The Office

[Heath]

I'm amazed The Office is still going in the US. In the UK The Office lasted two seasons and two specials which rounded the series off nicely. Gotta hate the Americans and their need to suck franchises dry constantly. That's not say it's a bad show per say (though the episodes I've seen pale in comparison to the originals), it's just the basis of it shouldn't last as long as it has.

You're entitled to your opinion, but my opinion is that you are soooooo wrong.

I've watched both seasons of The Office, ALL THE WAY THROUGH. And I've watched all the seasons of the US Office and there is absolutely no comparison.

US Office >>>>>>>>>>> UK Office.

Shlup's right. One of the greatest things about the US Office is that pretty much every. single. character on the show is fabulous. You love them all. UK Office had like... 2 characters you could love. A couple more you kinda like. Maybe. With the US Office, you should want to steal all of the characters and put them in your pocket.

And Ricky Gervais may be brilliant, but in the lovable department, Steve Carrell kicks Gervais' ass. So hard. UK Office, you want to punch David. US version, you want to punch Michael and then give him a big ol' hug. <3

The real time thing, sounds absolutely stupid and somehow I don't really believe that's something they would do. =/

The fact that a lot of the characters weren't likeable was one of the things I liked about the British version. The characters don't need to be - and aren't meant to be - liked. Brent is supposed to come across as an utter berk. Like how in the Christmas special when he's trying online dating and when he tells a woman over the phone he was in The Office (the documentary) she says something along the lines of "oh, you weren't that really awful boss were you?". It's supposed to be realistic and funny and that every character should be likeable and nice simply isn't true to life. Hence the lack of a laugh track, the whole premise of a documentary and so on and so forth.

I found the US version paled compared to the British, but I attribute that mainly to differing tastes. Aside from cartoons (Simpsons, Futurama, South Park, Family Guy as a guilty pleasure), Police Squad! and the odd episode of Frasier/Cheers, I don't find American comedies to be that great. And of those, only the animated ones and Police Squad! are the only ones really worth bothering with.

Edit: I tell a lie, Dawn and Tim are probably supposed to come across as likeable. Brent, Gareth and the rest are mostly either background and not liked by the majority or simply unlikeable. Except Keith who - naturally - was brilliant.