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From today's Metro:

He is embarrassing, obnoxious and talks rubbish but David Brent is set to make it big in the US.

American TV bosses are in talks to buy the rights to BBC2's The Office, starring Ricky Gervais as 'boss from hell' Brent.

The award-winning comedy, set in a Slough paper merchant, has the makings of a cult TV show, according to Universal Television.

Chairman Michael Jackson said he could envisage the show - a work of 'sheer genius' - being transferred to Manhattan. The deal could make millions for the show's creators, Stephen Merchant and Gervais.

But changes might be needed to crack the notoriously difficult US audience.

Conor Dignam, editor of Broadcast magazine, said: 'They may have to change it so much that it is not the same comedy.'

Other British hits, such as Men Behaving Badly and Cold Feet, failed in the US. Mr Jackson is also working on an American version of another BBC2 hit, Coupling.

The Office was one of BBC2's biggest hits of the year, pulling in 4.4 million - one in five of those watching TV - for the closing episode of the second series.

Viewing figures for the opening episode touched 5 million.

Brent tries to impress his staff with motivational management talks, dancing and offensive jokes about black and disabled employees.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Brent tries to impress his staff with motivational management talks, dancing and offensive jokes about black and disabled employees.

Metro, how I dee love thee...

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Why do British shows have to be remade for American audiences, whereas British TV companies buy American shows as they are?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

because british shows are rubbish

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think this is impossible considering The Office does lean pretty heavily on The Larry Sanders Show and the US make pretty good mockumentaries (at least Chris Guest does).

We have remade American shows anyway. Days Like These (That 70's Show) and Brighton Belles (The Golden Girls) initially spring to mind.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:00 (twenty-three years ago)

2.4 children = roseanne
coupling = friends
pint of lager and a packet of crisps = cheers
beast = frazier

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:01 (twenty-three years ago)

the american fawlty towers, where they got rid of the basil fawlty character and were nice to manuel *zzzz*

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:03 (twenty-three years ago)

So if Mr Jackson is also working on Coupling, are we just selling Friends back to them like wot the we did with R&B in the sixties?

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:04 (twenty-three years ago)

exactly

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Marcello are u talking about "Newhart"? Cause that show was fantastic.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

"a puppet show!!"

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

My first thought was "Wasn't 'Coupling' a saucier reworking of 'Friends'?" I love BBC America.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:36 (twenty-three years ago)

they have to remake them for americans because they have no sense of humour

― Fuzzy Wuzzy (Madam Plinky), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Am I supposed to laugh here?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:45 (twenty-three years ago)

American Fawlty Towers = Payne.

ITV used to show it. It was shit.

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:30 (twenty-three years ago)

similarites between coupling and friends:
1)main characters comprise 3 men and 3 women
2)...
3)er
4)that's it

I like coupling

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:43 (twenty-three years ago)

i thought cold feet was the uk friends?

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

they like coupling = they are mad

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:49 (twenty-three years ago)

they swap partners, they get into scrapes, the welsh one = joey, they all meet in a favourite bar, the sulky one = monica, the one who isn't the welsh one or the this life one's only expression is borrowed off chandler

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

note how we are all avoiding the d.perry-esque "like coupling" joke

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I was just thinking that, Mark!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

nah coupling is based on buffy of course. welsh one is xander, willow is the bird who was in that dennis potter play, etc. (nb, this doesn't make sense). There have been fewer horrific murders after arguing about coupling though.

I really liked Moffat's earlier sitcom "Joking Apart" -- I don't know why it wasn't more successful. The chris rea theme tune might have had something to do with it i spose

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:13 (twenty-three years ago)

(Joking Apart = classic. Chalk = mostly dud.)

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

fewer horrific murders = everyone agrees about it = [fish/barrel/fire!!]

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Press Gang = Ace

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:31 (twenty-three years ago)

no, press gang=rubbish

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

whatever happened to the Press Gang Reunion thing they were going to do, or was that another Baran LIE???

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:43 (twenty-three years ago)

gareth has since been removed from his role as official tv reviewer for ILX.

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I think that if the Americans do their usual thing, i.e. make the characters better looking and nicer (Brent and Gareth mainly, obv), and airbrush out their faults, they will be left with something very strange indeed.

But crap, obviously.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

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