Did you tell Pam about the alliance? or The Office US thread

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im completely in love with this show, but ive never seen the british version. i hear its a lot better, is it really worth the money ill have to pay to buy the series on DVD? and does anyone prefer the US version?

― JD from CDepot, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

Why is there a US-version of "The Office"?

there's another one too i think. i don't think anyone prefers the us version, but some do like it. i only saw the first two - first one perfunctory and a bit stiff, second one very funny. i keep meaning and then forgetting to watch it.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 02:56 (twenty years ago)

buy the british one. so much better.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

last night's episode was pretty funny.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

credit where credit is due, last night's was the only episode I've laughed at. I felt it was the only one where the boss charcter came close to matching David Brent in terms of funniness.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

I feel really bad for the people involved with the US version of The Office cos they do a pretty good show but everyone who ought to like it trashes it cos it's not as good as the UK original. But that's what they get, I suppose. They would've been better off distancing themselves as much as possible, but eh. It's a funny show, though, considerably better than the overwhelming majority of American sitcoms.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

See, I disagree with that Matthew. I just don't think it's that good at all.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

The best reason to watch the US Office is Rainn Wilson. He's very inspired. If the show gets renewed, they would be wise to shift the focus of the show to him, similar to how The Simpsons was originally more focused on Bart but became more Homer-centric as the show progressed.

What's your frame of reference, Miss Misery? They do some good jokes. That's all I'm asking for, really. It's considerably better than Office Space, which is the only American cultural product that's similar aside from those Burger King ads.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

i like it a lot.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

I noticed that last night's episode was directed by Amy Heckerling.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

Who is Rainn Wilson?

I just don't find the characters that believable where I think the strength of this show's premise is how it is recognizable from the viewer's own office experience.

I actually find myself laughing more at the hospital show that comes on before it.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

That hospital show is gawd-awful.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

Scrubs???? You can't be serious, PP.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

scrubs is the best sitcom on television that isn't arrested development

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

I am serious. It gets more laughs out of me than the Office does. Didn't say it was my fave television show though. Simpsons, yo. (duh)

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

Um. I was talking to P(leasant)P(lains) with that post.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

oh, ok. my mind was puzzling over the PP part.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

I think the strength of the American Office is the opposite of the UK version - the cartoonishness of Steve Carrell and Rainn Wilson is pretty appealing to me.

Rainn Wilson = the Gareth analog. He played Arthur on Six Feet Under.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:37 (twenty years ago)

That said, this is not Steve Carell's best work by any stretch. He was much better on The Daily Show and in Anchorman. I'm sure that his movie with Judd Apatow will be way better than this too. He's too busy trying to be Ricky Gervais and I don't think anyone on earth can really be like Ricky Gervais.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

i think michael scott and david brent are completely different people.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Rainn Wilson = the Gareth analog. He played Arthur on Six Feet Under.

aw damn. he sure did.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

and i think dwight is ridiculously funny. funnier than gareth.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

Last night's episode was the first one that made me as uncomfortable and cringing as the UK Office did from ep 1. Which is good b/c I laughed too, esp at Dwight and his purse with the plastic still on the straps.

Scrubs continues to be great. I'm glad they're doing more with Janitor.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

xpost. . .

yes they are. which is one of the reasons I don't think the US version is as funny. David Brent was completely cringeworthy. The US boss is only an idiot in a very "meh" sort of way.

dwight seems more buffonish while gareth struck me as more genuine office kiss-ass moron which is more enjoyable to make fun of.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Cutty OTM. The writers just need to purge the little David Brent-y details and make him his own thing. The whole "I want to be a comedian" thing really should be abandoned, that's such a Gervais-specific thing. He should still embarass himself trying to be funny, though.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Dwight is more disturbed-weirdo than buffoon.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

the drakkar noir rite-aid thing was fucking hilarious.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

yeah, gareth had his military fascination, but dwight is got completely different mental problems.

"the shrutes make thirsty babies."

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

HAS.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

I think I'll always kinda resent this show a bit because I suspect that Arthur was written out of Six Feet Under prematurely due to Wilson getting this gig. I really loved Arthur; it's really too bad they didn't keep him around and explore him some more.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

hahaha, omfg, that Dwight line was awesomely disturbing.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

i doubt it. people have been on HBO sitcoms and NBC shows concurrently forever.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

switch shows/sitcoms.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

The cut in last night's "Office" of Pam looking at Jim as Roy's driving her out of the parking lot was very much like something you would've seen out the UK version. There were lots of good lines in that episode. "Not for me, but for my children" and the Ya-ya sisterhood lines cracked me up.

I've caught "Scrubs" while waiting for the new office, and I just don't like it. It's trying to hard. Every episode I've seen has had its storylines wrapped up in a cutsey bow. The show's about as funny as that Wendy's commercial where the girl screams at her boyfriend, slams the door, and returns for her cheeseburger. Haha haha.

I really don't like the John C. McGinley character. And the old man who won't give the liposuction WELL WELL WELL WE ALL LEARNED A LIFE LESSON NOW DIDN'T WE?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

Cutty, who are you speaking of aside from Drea DeMatteo? (Who actually barely counts.)

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

And maybe Wanda Sykes.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

chris meloni from oz is one that comes to mind...

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

michael imperioli is on law and order now as well.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

yeah but wasn't christopher killed off from the Sopranos?

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

"Scrubs" is horrible, but it forces me to write whilst waiting for "The Office" (of which I am no longer frightened) to come on

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

xpost, oh no that was his girlfriend. been awhile since I had cable.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:56 (twenty years ago)

Scrubs is genius, and I will not miss The Office one bit when it is inevitably cancelled.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Christopher is still on The Sopranos and will likely remain so til the last few episodes, he's the third most crucial character in the series behind Tony and Carmella.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

I will go so far as to extend the scorched-earth Peter Principle non-genius of Zach Braff to include "Garden State" under the sucky umbrella. that wasn't even a sentence, but it is indicative of how much I don't like "Scrubs"

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

I hated Garden State but still enjoy the wackiness of Scrubs. I mean, like I said I don't have cable and like to watch TV while I sew and stuff so my options are limited.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

I, personally, can't wait until every actor from Oz shows up on SVU.

Also, I like "Scrubs" AND "Garden State".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Maybe if every actor from "Oz" showed up on "Scrubs" it wouldn't suck

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

yes dan OTM. every OZ person is on a law & order show in some capacity. albeit, oz is cancelled now, but this was going on before it was cancelled.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah, I forgot about Trial By Jury!!! Hah!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

My mom was watching one of the Law & Orders recently and I noticed that the guy who plays Lester Freamon from The Wire was guest starring. I got really excited and watched the show a bit, but was just reminded of how much I dislike Law & Order and love The Wire.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

I want Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay make perfect crime-fighting babies.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:05 (twenty years ago)

So the US Office is deviating from the UK?
I had only just finally watched the first series of the UK version the same week as the US version debuted, and the first episode was a note-for-note recreation of the first UK episode, and I couldn't be objective so I abandoned it. But if it's finding a voice of its own, I could be brought back...

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

I have a man crush on Zach Braff. DONNA YOU HURT ME IN MY HEART.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

I missed the first couple of eps of the US version.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

huk: nothing past the first episode has been a facsimile of the UK version.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

I haven't seen the British version, but I like the US Office. It's so mean! (And yet I feel guilty watching SVU.)

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

I don't mean to (XXXpost)- it's just my nature, sigh

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

Yes, all of the episodes after the pilot are original stories written for the US version.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

(And yet I feel guilty watching SVU.)

haha The Office may be mean, but it's not "rape of the week" mean!

― happy fun ball (kenan), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

The wife gets to hear my rousing version of "Handbags & Gladrags" at the end of each US "Office". Shame that the NBC version didn't preserve the music.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

i think the US theme music fits appropriately.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

"Handbags & Gladrags" >>> Appropriate

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

I was all set to hate the US Office, but I'm finding that I like it a lot. I'm slightly disturbed by Jim, though, only because the actor playing him seems to have studied Tim's mannerisms so, so closely and has them down PAT and it gives me the creeps a little. I suppose the possibility exists that this guy is just the perfect American version of the guy who played Tim, but I'd like to see him make the character his own a little more. Also, I don't like that they named him "Jim."

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

jim is a little more confident than tim. i don't tim would have asked that girl out.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

Didn't Tim ask out that blonde? I haven't seen it in a while, and I do remember the blonde being exceptionally flirtatious, so maybe I'm mistaken.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

No, no, no. Jim asked the purse lady out. Tim's proposition to Dawn was more like Dwight's proposition to the purse lady.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

no, i think he means the girl tim dated in the second season?

but--tim was working with her. dating people in an office environment is a lot easier than walking up to a girl you have just met and getting her to go on a date with you...

i mean i could do it, but...

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

I'm a girl! And yes, I meant the girl in the second season, not Dawn. And you're right, I do think Jim is more confident than Tim, and I hadn't really thought about that. I was thinking more about his facial expressions and his awkward silences and stuff, especially in those one-on-one scenes with the camera. Anyway, I suppose it doesn't really matter.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Tim asked out Rachel in the second season, but I don't think it was that similar to Jim asking out the Purse Girl.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

See, I think that if there's any one place that the US version just is horrible in comparison to the UK version, it's with the US version of Tim Canterbury. I don't think the guy who plays Jim is even close to being as great as Martin Freeman, and the chemistry between Jim and Pam is really lacking in comparison to Tim and Dawn.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

At least Rainn Wilson dodges the bullet of not being Mackenzie Crook by not trying to be anything remotely like him.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

i think the pam/dawn divide is great also.

at first, pam seemed one-dimensional to me, but she has grown on me. i like when she smiles.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

Yes, that's the problem. I feel like this guy is just imitating Tim, rather than being Jim. He's not nearly as cute as Tim (or Martin Freeman, I guess), either.
I feel cheesy now. I am going to stop.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

The girl who plays Pam looks like she could be Maura "Abby from ER and Lisa from Newsradio" Tierney's sister.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

The best thing they've done with Pam is when she responds to the Keith-y guy saying that the purse girl is better looking than her by saying "That was a very rude thing to say, _______" (can't remember his name.)

She sounded so calm but also so disappointed and slighted, as though he was a little kid.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

i agree!

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

dawn would have not said anything in that circumstance.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

"Kevin"

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

I really loved Arthur; it's really too bad they didn't keep him around and explore him some more.

you are the only person who feels this way

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

the US version won me over last night with the 5 second scene of pam surreptitiously applying lipstick, not after her fiancee said katie was hot but after jim asked katie out. the first heartbreaking moment.

― katharine (katharine), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

One of my favorite lines from last night came from Katie, "It was nice meeting some of you!"

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Thursday, 28 April 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

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