The Office - US version

[DeezNuts]

Wow, they did not take ANY creative liberties when translating this show. I am pretty disgusted and turned off. It's an EXACT remake except worse in every possible way.

What could I expect, though?

DN

[pshreck]

When you say exact, you mean word for word from the original shows?

[DeezNuts]

Extremely close. All the same jokes and plot lines, basically.

DN

[pshreck]

[ QUOTE ]
Extremely close. All the same jokes and plot lines, basically.

DN

[/ QUOTE ]

Im torn on whether to be mad about this.

I think its stupid that most Americans simply wont watch a sitcom, because its British, and they dont like the accent. But its true.

Does that mean its stupid for us to "translate" it, and get people to watch something similar here and profit? I think no, but I just dont get whats wrong with this country. The original show and actors should have been picked up for new seasons, 22 episodes long instead of 6, but ofcourse Americans wouldnt watch it so it would bomb. Oh well.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Extremely close. All the same jokes and plot lines, basically.

DN

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it's a pretty direct translation. That did take some of the punch out of it, since I knew what was coming.

My guess is that they'll probably expand it a bit as they go along. And all things considered, my expectations were so low that I didn't think it was too bad at all.

[cjhellm]

From what I've read the pilot is the only episode that parallels a British one. The rest of the episodes should be pretty original. I've never seen the UK version, but I thought it was pretty funny tonight.

[DeezNuts]

[ QUOTE ]

Im torn on whether to be mad about this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm mad because Ricky Gervais was involved and let this travesty happen. I thought they were "going out on top" and leaving it alone, but it looks like they whored themselves for the American market. Also, if they would have put their own spin on it, I would consider it watchable.

I am thoroughly disappointed. The British version is one of the best shows I have ever seen.

DN

[BWebb]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Im torn on whether to be mad about this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm mad because Ricky Gervais was involved and let this travesty happen. I thought they were "going out on top" and leaving it alone, but it looks like they whored themselves for the American market. Also, if they would have put their own spin on it, I would consider it watchable.

I am thoroughly disappointed. The British version is one of the best shows I have ever seen.

DN

[/ QUOTE ]

I tivo'd it but haven't watched it yet. I wonder how much Gervais is actually involved in the show. He might have just got an Executive Producer thread because it was his show, but has nothing really to do with it. I could be wrong, but I would suspect that is what is going on.

[partygirluk]

Just had a U.S. TV critic on.

"If the America revolution was 1-0 to us, this makes it a tie".

Not. Surprised.

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]

Wow, they did not take ANY creative liberties when translating this show. I am pretty disgusted and turned off. It's an EXACT remake except worse in every possible way.

What could I expect, though?


[/ QUOTE ]

And "Coupling," the so-called British version of "Friends," is vastly superior to the American version.

[DeezNuts]

[ QUOTE ]
And "Coupling," the so-called British version of "Friends," is vastly superior to the American version.

[/ QUOTE ]

For some reason I thought Coupling was terrible too. I rented the first few discs of the first season but stopped because the jokes were so trite and the characters boring and stereotypical. Friends is hackneyed but can be entertaining at times. Coupling was not.

I rented it because it was recommended on this board. Ugh.

DN

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
For some reason I thought Coupling was terrible too. I rented the first few discs of the first season but stopped because the jokes were so trite and the characters boring and stereotypical. Friends is hackneyed but can be entertaining at times. Coupling was not.

I rented it because it was recommended on this board. Ugh.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that the characters are rather stereotypical, but I don't think that the jokes are trite. I thought that many of the situations the characters were placed in were, albeit contrived, rather creative and funny.

[DeezNuts]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree that the characters are rather stereotypical, but I don't think that the jokes are trite. I thought that many of the situations the characters were placed in were, albeit contrived, rather creative and funny.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Sorry I just thought it was a typical "I'm a man and just want sex and you're a woman and you must tame me" sitcom. I didn't laugh once in the whole show. And I love British accents, especially for comedy.

DN

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I agree that the characters are rather stereotypical, but I don't think that the jokes are trite. I thought that many of the situations the characters were placed in were, albeit contrived, rather creative and funny.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Sorry I just thought it was a typical "I'm a man and just want sex and you're a woman and you must tame me" sitcom. I didn't laugh once in the whole show. And I love British accents, especially for comedy.

DN

[/ QUOTE ]

I never got coupling neither wasnt that good. If you liked that though you will probably like Game on its a mid ninties show that was quite good. Also had a very nice young lady starring. You also might like "3 pints of lager and a packet of crisps" a more childish comedy all about sex and drinking.

http://eladies.sina.com.cn/2001-12-27/2_8-1-75_2001122718255.jpg

[Lazymeatball]

I wasn't expecting much from this first episode. Borrowing the jokes and plot lines from the British series was probably just the best way to get a pilot done, and that's all this is, a pilot.
The scenes from next weeks episode look original, and I'm assuming that the writers will branch out and follow their own plotlines in future once they establish how the new actors will be playing the characters.
So far I think the biggest problem this show is going to have to overcome in the translation to American tv is the temptation to write a sitcom with one liner punch lines and wacky plots. The beauty of the original show was that much of the dialogue seemed realistic in that it reflected the shallow awkward conversation of banal everyday life, and it did not rely so much on outright jokes as much as the reaction of the other characters to the action.
Also Steve Carell seems to be having a difficult time realizing that the humor from the boss character that he plays comes from the total lack of awareness that he is being a jerk all the time, an not neccesarily the dumb stuff that he does. Carell is just trying to play a clown.
Basically, I might be able to watch this show if I concentrate on forgetting everything about the original series, and completely separating the two from eachother in my mind. I predict it will last 2 seasons.

[astroglide]

i would venture it's possible to enjoy this if you haven't seen the original (i haven't)

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
i would venture it's possible to enjoy this if you haven't seen the original (i haven't)

[/ QUOTE ]

You should remedy this. Netflix it up.

[Voltron87]

Making this into an American version is just a huge mistake. Ricky Gervais is absolutely perfect for the role, and once you have seen him play it you can't see anyone else play it.

The Office wanted to go out on top. They screwed that up by making a crappy American version. Hopefully they'll do two more British seasons to get back on top. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[stantheman]

[ QUOTE ]
i would venture it's possible to enjoy this if you haven't seen the original (i haven't)

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen the original and I found it hysterical. So yes, it is possible.

edit: the above opinion relates to the Office, not Coupling.

[david050173]

The funny part here is that all of these comments pretty much apply to the american version of coupling versus the british one. I expect a similiar fate....

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
The funny part here is that all of these comments pretty much apply to the american version of coupling versus the british one. I expect a similiar fate....

[/ QUOTE ]

I never saw the british coupling, but the american Coupling was unbelievably bad. The americanized Office is much much much better than that piece of crap.

[wayabvpar]

Missed this last night, but I need to chime in and defend Coupling. The British version is hysterical. The American version wasn't very good, but it was no worse than dozens of shitty shows that hit the airwaves (some get renewed even!).

The British Office was the most squirm-inducing, wince-worthy, cover-your-eyes in embarrassment comedy I have ever seen. I really enjoyed it, but I can't say I was ever totally comfortable watching it. David Brent was the role Ricky Gervais was born to play.

[TimTimSalabim]

No Gareth, no funny.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
No Gareth, no funny.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno, I thought the new Gareth will be able to pull the role off well. Being a deputy sheriff was a perfect touch.

I thought the Pam character actress was not good though, her lines sounded so forced.

[Eihli]

i HATED the new garreth

[tipperdog]

This was for the PILOT ONLY. They used the same script for the pilot; future shows are original. They'll use the same characters, but different jokes and plotlines.

Gervais does have an EP credit, but was not especially involved in production.