The American version of "The Office"

[shiranui]

Anyone else seen the first 2 episodes? I have, and I'm not sure I could take a 3rd.

[Nacho]

From what I hear the first episode was supposed to be an exact remake of the british pilot then it would spin off into it's own story.

I'm guessing it sucks.

[shiranui]

You guess right!

[Nessus]

I never understand why they dont just show the British show here. I find it insulting that tv execs dont think we would get or whatever goes through thier minds. The worst that could happen is it would fail just like this version is going to do.

[thefly]

I like the Office. I didn't watch the American version because I figured the dynamics would not translate. Sounds like I was right.

[Doppelgofer]

oh i've just watched the pilot to see how much they devastated it as i was a BIG fan of the office...and there is so many things that are just awful about it

first of all, i didn't get that cringe feeling you're supposed to get when you watch the office because of a lot of factors...the shots didn't seem as documentary style to me making it a whole lot less believeable, the supporting actors weren't believeable enough either after watching the original actors as they were all TERRIFIC performances...the only good actor is steve carrell which suprises me as ...he is nowhere as near as good as ricky gervais but he manages to pull it off for an american audience...maybe because i like him anyhow, i'm not sure

the shots of people working seem to cut away irrelevantly...it just doesn't flow like the original show did...it seems to cut away awkwardly if you ask me...

i noticed the scene where the boss interviews a woman, which was hysterically funny and cringey in the original was totally missing and her role has gone to a guy for some reason

the joke about the proudest moments of the boss being asked to be a godfather made me nearly die with laughter in the original...just the way ricky gervais delivered 'we had to let him go though...cos he was just rubbish' was just spot on and then it cut away to the ending credits...it just emphasised the laugh...it didn't even end on that joke on the remake which i think was a mistake and the delivery just didn't work for me

the tim/dawn (don't even know their names in the remake i think its jim and....errrrrm dunno) secret love for each other seemed a little bit TOO obvious in the remake...it was much more subtle in the original...

sorry i've gone off on one ...but there was just so much unfunny about the remake and being as how the original version was absolute genius, i'm not going to put myself through the pain and torture of seeing anymore of the remake

[Kronx]

SC is a comic master in the making, but he really doesn't need to be crammed into the sitcom equivalent of a cover band.

[Tedski]

Nessus said:
I never understand why they dont just show the British show here. I find it insulting that tv execs dont think we would get or whatever goes through thier minds. The worst that could happen is it would fail just like this version is going to do.



I don't think I know of a British sitcom off the top of my head that has been remade in the US that has performed well tbh. The best stuff from the US gets shown here in the UK and is successful, why on earth they don't just show it as it is in the US has always bemused me. Maybe it's a hollywood remake syndrome affecting it or something, but the assumption that US audiences need to see their own version is both patronising and pathetic.

[Daveman]

The actor who played David in the original did a wonderful job. Steve Carrel is funny, but from the brief five minutes I saw this week, he created a completely different character.

[IgWannA]

it doesn't make sense to me why americans are so insistant that everything they watch be acted by americans. why can't they accept other cultures and accents and just watch things made in places OTHER than america?? it really pisses me off when they take great shows such as the office and red dwarf and totally f*ck them up. i haven't seen the american office but i'm pretty sure it'll suck since the whole genius of the original show is the actors/comedians. only british folk know how british comedy works - it's wired into our DNA.

you don't see us remaking american shows do you?

[Kronx]

There certainly are British remakes of American shows.

"Who's the Boss" became "The Upper Hand"
"Married with Children" became "Married for Life"
"The Golden Girls"became "Brighton Belles"
"That 70s Show" became "Days Like These"

At least, that's what the Internet told me.

[Tedski]

Kronx said:
There certainly are British remakes of American shows.

"Who's the Boss" became "The Upper Hand"
"Married with Children" became "Married for Life"
"The Golden Girls"became "Brighton Belles"
"That 70s Show" became "Days Like These"

At least, that's what the Internet told me.



I don't recall the first on the list, but all the other shows mentioned were shown firstly 'as is' straight from the US. The popularity of them then led to the 'remake', rather than the other way round, which seems to be the case in the US. These shows were on one of the main 4 terrestrial channels, that everyone can receive in the UK, not tucked away on some obscure satellite or cable network.

[AndOne]

IgWannA said:

you don't see us remaking american shows do you?



I dunno Coupling seemed a lot like a friends IMO. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/redface.gif Or at least the concept of Friends.

[Duoae]

Kronx said:
There certainly are British remakes of American shows.

"Who's the Boss" became "The Upper Hand"
"Married with Children" became "Married for Life"
"The Golden Girls"became "Brighton Belles"
"That 70s Show" became "Days Like These"

At least, that's what the Internet told me.



I heard of "Married with Children" and "That 70's Show" as well as "The Upper hand".. but that's it. The others are complete nothings.

Let's face it..... as consumers of Televisual entertainment, the rest of the world is more acceptant than the US is of "outside" entertainment.... everything good that i've seen inported into the US has been "americanised" before broadcasting..... except for old british shows like "Faulty towers" and "Monty Python"... Why does the US have a stand on the old shows, but not trust the new ones coming from the same comedic pool?

[IgWannA]

Kronx said:
There certainly are British remakes of American shows.

"Who's the Boss" became "The Upper Hand"
"Married with Children" became "Married for Life"
"The Golden Girls"became "Brighton Belles"
"That 70s Show" became "Days Like These"

At least, that's what the Internet told me.



i've never heard of any of those shows on the right. and anyway, if they were total conversions why would they change the name of the show? that doesn't even make sense if you're trying to use the popularity abd brand appeal of the original show to boost ratings for the british version. maybe the british ones just took a lot of ideas from the american ones, i don't know (haven't seen them).

[Gryph]

I saw this and actually think it's funny. It's not as good as the British version but the American version is one of the funniest sitcoms on TV right now (especially since Arrested Development was axed). Maybe I think it's funny because everything else just sucks. They have plenty of time to improve it though, I hope it doesn't get axed too early.

I just wish something as funny as Seinfeld would come along...but it isn't going to happen.

[tony]

I think its very funny too.

[Daveman]

GryphonKlaw said:
Arrested Development was axed



wait WHAT? WHAT?! NO! That's the ONLY reason I watch TV on the weekends. What the hell, Murdoch?

[thefly]

Daveman said:

GryphonKlaw said:
Arrested Development was axed



wait WHAT? WHAT?! NO! That's the ONLY reason I watch TV on the weekends. What the hell, Murdoch?



I have not heard anything official on that. But as always, it doesn't look good. But come on man, "Stacked" is a good replacement, right? http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[Gryph]

Daveman said:

GryphonKlaw said:
Arrested Development was axed



wait WHAT? WHAT?! NO! That's the ONLY reason I watch TV on the weekends. What the hell, Murdoch?


Oh wait no, wrong info. Sorry. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Daveman]

Check your facts next time! http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif