let's talk about how the new american version is 2616268 times funnier than the old bbc version.

discuss

All I know is they have Steve Carrell (sp?). That has to be a move in the right direction.

The new version is a fine adaptation for American audiences. Meaning that the boss character (Michael Scott) is not as intensely dislikeable or complex as Gervais' David Brent. It also means that Martin Freeman's character, now dubbed "Jim" for the Americans, is a floppy locked frat dude. John Krasinski does not convey the every man sarcasm anywhere close to Martin Freeman. Rainn Wilson's "Dwight" is absolutely hilarious and I'm glad that they went with an actor who doesn't resemble Makenzie Crook in the slightest.

The American version is funny. It's bold for an American TV show (but no where near as bold as "Arrested Development") and captures the drone of office life well. It still does not offer up as complex characters as the UK version. I can't see anyone getting worked up over the Jim/Pam relationship like the Tim/Dawn one of the UK one. All the characters seem to be fairly one-note at this point. If the writers can pull out some more complexities to the American counterparts, it'll be a step in the right direction.

I watch it. I laugh. It's nowhere near as good as the absolutely brilliant UK version, which is the most revolutionary and hilarious comedy to exist in the past five years, without which the sitcom would be absolutely dead. Only time, and NBC, can tell if the US version can match it in terms of complexity.

But the US version is funny, just not that much more.

I have never seen the British version of the show, but everyone and their mother have told me four times apiece that it's the best television show ever. I recently saw an episode of the American version and thought it was very funny. I'd like to see more, but I'm not good at keeping up with specific shows these days.

You know what else I saw for the first time recently? It was another one of these shows that seemingly everyone is hooked on - CSI. I was very underwhelmed. Give me Law & Order any day.

Also greatly over-rated, in my opinion: Arrested Development. I think alot of people just like this one because David Cross is on it.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 11:31 pm on Apr. 18, 2005)

I hate "CSI." I hate shows that have no ongoing storylines and the acting just sucks sometimes. I've never been interested to watch more than the few episodes I have.

"Arrested Development" over-rated? I don't know about that. I guess it depends on what you call over-rated. It sure isn't over-rated in the ratings since it's facing cancellation for the second time in two seasons. It may be over-rated by the critics, but I think the show deserves it for being so daring and over-the-top for a US network show. But since it's an ongoing comedy, you have to have seen a lot of previous episodes to get the jokes, especially on the second season finaleon Sunday night. Most of the jokes were previously established in other episodes and wouldn't be funny to new viewers. This may be why the show has a hard time attracting new viewers. And David Cross is one of my least favorite characters on the show. Give me Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, or the man I can only call "Buster" any day.

"The Office" comes on tonight at 8:30 on NBC (that's Channel 4).

Dang. I won't be home. Maybe I should look into that TiVo. Or just wait til it comes out on DVD.

just talked to rollum - he had a "dawn" sighting at pizza express in manchester yesterday. thought i'd let everyone know since 'the office' had been brought up again.

You've let me down, JC.

I love it beacuse 1) like Digsy said, it has an ongoing, self-referencing plot 2) also like Digsy said, characters like JOB and Buster are consistently amazing and 3) the way each separate story combines in each episode is very Seinfeldian. Few shows on TV make me laugh out loud like this one.

Of course, these days I'm more in the mood for Contender-- which is a great freakin' show, too.

I admit it...I like this show mostly for the David Cross moments...I don't think I've laughed as hard on any show as I did on the first couple of episodes. I re-wound "excuuuse meee" and "we're having a fire sale" multiple times. Some episodes are funnier than others, but in their prime, every character has been hilarious at one point in time.

And that is why the UK is so much cooler than the US.

dawn is ugly and i can't be sympathetic to her character.

Heh.

I didn't find Dawn attractive at first, but after watching the Christmas specials, she became very desireable. I like Pam from the US version. I think she's the right mix of attractiveness and averageness for the character.

have you guys been watching meet the barkers?

I am so confused-is that little girl their little girl? Hers from a previous relationship? What is up with the little girl???

i would say hers from a previous relationship. i think it's weird how they didn't really explain, too. both of those kids are really adorable though.

what about pimp my ride? have you guys been following that?

I like that show.

I only like the end of the show when they show how the car now has three TVs, a river, and a giant dragon on the hood. Or something to that effect.

I've been addicted to this season of "Project Greenlight." Bravo has hit gold with both Projects "Runway" and "Greenlight."

well put. and i completely agree.

i'm only thru 6 episodes of the first season, so i haven't a comment on the christmas specials as of yet.

i love the bbc version thus far, but i still think the new one is way funnier. especially with the addition of the black guy.

Last nite's episode of "The Office" was funny but it totally validated my problem with Jim. He plays basketball. Well. I don't know...it was just weird seeing the Tim character shoot hoops with confidence.

I did like how the basketball game made Jim and Roy's competition for Pam a real competitoin. That was cool to watch. I had my doubts about the Jim/Pam relationship at first; I thought it was being handled too bluntly at first. Now I'm starting to pick up on the nuances of the flirtations, it's nice.

My main complaint is that if you weren't aware that the show is a mockumentary from the BBC series, you would not get that by watching the show. The camera angles are all too 3-camera Sitcomy (with cutaways and reaction shots). The show looks like a sitcom and not a mockumentary. "Arrested Development" is filmed more like a mockumentary (a camera person fell or wiped something off the camera in a recent episode) and it isn't even a mockumentary.

Has she always been kinda chunky or is it in my imagination that she seems bigger in the later episodes?

I think she looked the same throughout...

I feel like I'm in some sort of alternate universe.



(Edited by Token at 10:24 am on Apr. 22, 2005)

She was never meant to be a frikkin' model. She's a receptionist in a crappy paper merchants in Slough. She's just meant to be the kinda attractive girl you could meet in your office, but not someone who gets hit on by every man she sees.

The Tim/Dawn relationship really doesn't have much to do with the relative attractiveness of the actors, but the degree to which they find solace in one another whilst continuing on in an environment that they both detest, but cannot break free of.

So there.

And that's why it's the best romance on TV ever. Period.

I think she's pretty hot.

ugly is ugly, dude. get over it. and yeah, if she was meant to be the "kinda attractive girl" they got it completely wrong.

Very, very cute.

Tim was way cuter than Jim.

I like the BBC one better, but I had seen every episode several times before the US one aired, and could pick up some funny little reaction every time - and it ended when it should.

The thing about the American one, if it is successful, where will the storyline go? I mean - work is boring....if they can't make the relationships develop any further, then the show will get crappy. It's OK right now. A bit more laugh-out-loud funny in spots. I don't know.

ok, i have now watched the first and second seasons and all the outtakes and deleted scenes - all that shit - of the bbc version 90843 times. and the christmas special.

season two finally got me feeling bad for david brent which i never thought would happen. pam is still ugly and i realized it may have alot to do with her resemblance to baby spice. tim is so not hot and doesn't come close to jim. the only hottie in both the bbc and the us version is jennifer from the bbc version. very hott. rick is so freaking hilarious.

but the us version is funnier thus far. this 'the us isn't ready for this kind of show' shit has been played out to the max. so ignorant.

in the comic relief episode where keith dresses up like ali g, chloe said he looked like carl "if carl was big."

Because Chloe said it, I'm not even going to take that bait.