So my brother, concerned, got me the Office dvds for my birthday, the british version. And while the wife was away I popped them and watched with glee.
The show is pretty dang hilarious and its interesting to watch the first episode because the american version was exactly the same. Both first episodes are the same with a few small exceptions. And I found myself getting annoyed in the first episode at the American one for making the pilot basically the same. But as I watched more episodes I realized the American version went in a completely different direction and really the cultures are so different that the jokes that can be made and are made are really different.
For one David Brent is a totally different boss from Michael Scott. Brent is more insecure than Carrell's version and seems to need the affirmation of his employees more. Both think they're hilarious in their own way but Michael 's character seems to be indifferent to the fact that he's not, where as Brent seems to get much more hurt when others don't find him funny.
Also the awkwardness is completely different. The British one capitalizes on the more realistic awkward pauses that we have throughout our day, especially in the workplace. We work with people we really don't know on a deeper level and we try to bridge the gaps of our connections with them with pointless conversation, chit chat and what not but when something is said that is over the line, boring, or just out of left field awkwardness ensues, and the British one capitalizes on it. Brent as well as Gareth (the british dwight) are perfect at saying something completely at the wrong time.
Well i gotta go, basically the british one is hilarious and i love it but I still find the american one funnier. The british one in some ways is more realistic (Gervais is a way more realistic boss than Carrell). Champ is way better than Finchy, Finchy is just obnoxious, whereas Champ is that sales rep everyone knows that they just can't stand won't get fired for some reason.
Both Dwight and Gareth are great and I so know two guys that are those guys in real life but due to that being embarrasing for them I won't say who.
Posted by holtonian at September 1, 2006 08:53 PM | TrackBack