The Office - An American Workplace: Complete Season 1 [DVD]

Okay, so the US version of The Office has taken a lot of knocks from many sources, rather undeservedly. Yes, it is a remake of a UK show, but to kick it just for that is to be woefully ignorant of an excellent, surprisingly well written comedy.

The first episode is painful and the only direct copy (other shows in this season borrow a few ideas but never as much as the first episode) and as such, it is the weakest - this is a problem as many will judge the show based on this and watch no further. Mistake.

What started as a remake that had the hallmarks for a typical overseas mess up of an innovative idea has grown swiftly into a great show. It surpasses the tag 'remake' and becomes it's own entity, finding it's feet more as the first season progresses and bursting into life in the second season.

The characters are very loosely based on their British counterparts but with differences that become more obvious over time and the gulf between the two shows widens. Michael Scott is a very different character than David Brent, so to compare the two and dismiss the US show on that basis is crazy - Scott is never meant to be Brent, he is his own sad, flawed character and is all the better for it.

Michael Scott is a more tragic character, portrayed beautifully as sad, lonely, and desperately needy on a level that Brent never was. Brent was pathetic at times, even pitiable but there is an air of pathos about Michael Scott that invokes more emotion than Brent ever could. Brent was intelligent in a limited way, but more wilful and strong and arrogant. Scott is bright, but his arrogance is more based in self delusion and an often touching oblivion. He is more childlike than Brent and where Brent would get angry and hurt by criticism, often lashing out verbally, Scott goes into almost desperate denial, trowelling polyfiller over the cracks in his personality to hide the hurt that is often uncomfortably visible in his eyes.

The character's brief flashes of genius are few and far between but just enough to give the character an interesting depth, belying the superficial, arrogant idiot that he appears on the surface. Similar in a way to some of the redeeming moments for Brent where we suddenly get a glimmer that he isn't really that stupid/bad.

Jim and Pam's relationship is closer and more engaging and Dwight is delightfully toady with a creepiness tempered with a devious, calculating nature that makes him fascinating to watch. Rather like a horrible insect. The supporting characters are all strong and engaging and become more than just pale sudo copies of the UK show.

The UK series is more realistic, more of the innovative documentary style that it was meant to be, underplayed, etc...whereas the US show is more comedy and varied situations but with less grit, although it is still intelligent, clever and charming. You get more laugh out loud moments in the US show because it isn't played as gritty-real as the UK one, but it is no bad thing. It only emphasises the widening gulf between the shows as the US one stands on it's own and blossoms.

I would recommend this completely, although don't be put off by the first episode. Season 2 is outstanding and far better than this season, but it is an early treasure. Give it a chance, get them all and prepare to bury your face in your hands and cringe and laugh and hit rewind to make sure you really did hear that. :)

Remaking The Office in the States sounded like a recipe for disaster. How many american versions of british series have actually worked in the past? However, by having Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant supervise the production and by choosing a nice, talented cast (Steve Carrell is, currently, the funniest man in America), the series really works. The american team starts - wisely - by playing it safe and making a pilot which is a direct and very faithful remake of the british 1st episode. This allows them to find their own tone and experiment with the format. After that, The Office US earns its wings and delights us with its own brand of perfectely honed embarassment comedy. There will always be the fundamentalists, who burned this remake in the flames of Hell even before watching a single episode, but open your mind: this is actually one of the best american sitcoms of recent years.

Firstly I want to say that I am British and a HUGE fan of the original
Office (British version). secondly I want to say that it annoys the
hell out of me when British people review the American version of the
Office and just compare it to the original and write it off as a bad
idea.... Get a Life people.

The American Office is hilarious and has to be watched with no
comparisons to the British version, just treat it as an individual
comedy. Also please remember that David Brent (who wrote the British
version) wanted the Americans to go with the "Office" sitcom idea and
run with it and he personally loves it, so its not like the USA have
stolen the idea.

There are lots of similarities but so what ? If you sat down and
actually watched this comedy it is really funny and I was chuckling to
myself on every episode I viewed.

I have to be honest and say it is not as good as the British version
but it is almost right up there and its a huge hit in the States so it
cant be all that bad. The British Office wouldn't go down so well in
the USA as its British humour, like wise with the American version over
here but I have to say I love them both.

It just annoys me when narrow minded Brits cant see past the end of
their noses and don't give it a chance. I love both versions of the
office and find them both excellent. You just need to treat the
American Office version as a completely different entity from the
original.

Broaden your minds people and enjoy the ride. Quality show !