The German one is actually very popular and stands on its own very well. It’s not called “Das Büro”, but “Stromberg”, after the main character. The basic elements of course are there, but like the US Office, it does develop its own style. Here is a clip if you can speak German:
Stromberg on minorites (Quote: “I’m all for the disabled, 100% - I mean, they’re practically people, too. All the minorities - the disabled, gays, women - I’m all for that.”)
One started off as a clever interpretation of daily life in an office, then degenerated into a soap opera love story. The other, well, I haven’t actually seen the US version.
are you having a laugh?
I think that Michael was cruel in the ways that he interacted with Meredith and with Toby. Cruel in a casual, unfeeling way.
According to what Gervais and Merchant have said in interviews, the love story was integral from the beginning.
They* are* TV ugly. But that’s what I loved about it. This regular looking guy head over heels for this regular looking girl, just like the way it is with most of us. It felt more real and relatable. 90% of real people falling in love are TV ugly folks finding each other.
Yeah, that’s what I was trying to say before. For me, at least, it’s easier to relate to “normal”-looking people falling in love than Hollywood-actor-looking people agonizing over their love lives.
It feels deeper than just, ‘Oh, she’s hot.’
I’m surprised you guys feel so strongly about the Office (US) cast being too good looking. When I look at Pam of the first 3 seasons I think she looks pretty much equivalent to Dawn. Look at this website it shows pictures of Pam from various seasons. In seasons 1 and 2, she has a plain hairstyle and her coloring is a bit off. I mean Jenna Fischer is very attractive (as is Lucy Davis, for that matter) but, as portrayed in the show Pam was quite plain.
I don’t see that huge of a difference between Jim and Tim, either. Martin Freeman isn’t an especially ugly guy, and Krasinski is not a traditional heart throb type. Neither are very ugly, but neither drop dead gorgeous, either.
I saw the UK version first and I love it. It took me a while to give the US version a chance, because the pilot was terrible. But, once I got past that I got to see how strong the show is. The UK has the advantage of having longer episodes and shorter seasons. They can pack a lot more story and jokes in each episode, while there is no need for filler episodes. On the other hand, something can be said for longer seasons, while a clunker might be thrown in there, there is a lot more time to build up the characters and learn more about them. While I disagree with some of the choices the Office writers have made in later seasons, if I had to choose, I’d probably go with it. Not only is there more to choose from, but matching best episode to best episode from each version I think it’s a draw.
Tim and Dawn’s relationship was a bit better than Jim and Pam’s, though. Only because, the US version has continued on from the initial love story to marriage and babies and growing up. That’s bound to make things a lot less interesting, then the Christmas episode start of their relationship we got to witness.
And look at the hot chicks he banged. Jenna Fischer, Amy Adams and Rashida Jones? He definately punches above his weight.
I’ve only seen the first 3 or so seasons of the US Office and I like that Scott is a very good salesman. He just happens to be a bad boss. Brendt doesn’ seem to be good at anything. It has been years since I’ve seen either but I agree with liking Tim and Dawn over Jim and Pam.
The UK version was, by design, a story arc documenting the downfall of the David Brent character. He’s unsympathetic but karma gets him by the end.
BTW, the pilot of the US show is almost a line-by-line remake of the UK pilot, including the scene in which David/Michael makes Dawn/Pam cry with the fake accusation of theft. Michael’s character had to be softened because the US version was always intended to run longer than 13 episodes. This also required fleshing out the supporting characters.
To some extent it worked, and the show was pretty good for a couple of years. But like a fading matinee idol, successful sitcoms generally hang out until it becomes kind of sad…
Completely agree.
Nobody on the American version of The Office is so hot you wouldn’t find them in a halfway decent sized office. I think Jim and Pam are well suited physically. I don’t find her any better looking than he is. Amy Adams was above his looks level, but I don’t see Pam or Karen out of his league at all.
Also, you’re so right about the first few seasons with Pam looking rather frumpy. They even did a couple of episodes where they talked about her clothes being too conservative and boring and she commented on her frizzy hair.
I come from the UK, and have worked in offices like that (mercifully very briefly), and believe me, all the characters are so well observed that it is frightening. I’ve only seen the occasional episode of the US office, and wish I had seen more. Must look out for re-runs.
I do find it curious that this made it so well in the US, as in my book, top-notch US comedy is far and away better than UK comedy - for instance, Seinfeld, the Larry Sanders show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and such later offerings as Funny Or Die. In the UK, it is so much formulaic rubbish. Which is not to say the UK office was bad. It was one of the best UK comedies in years, but it stood out in that it had no real competition.
What? Python, BlackAdder, Fawlty Towers?
If you consider that formulaic rubbish, then I gotta say - you must be an alien or something. Those are some of the best comedy ever shown anywhere ever.
Those are on the order of 25 to 45 years old and those are the cream of the crop.
I’m a fan of British comedy myself, but I agree that on the whole, American TV is currently producing better comedy than British TV.
Seinfeld’s claiming an old age pension, too. That was one of the cites, was it not?
For me, current US comedy: BBT is great. The Office lost its way years ago, as did The Simpsons. Otherwise, Friends was the last great US comedy show.
I would say that it was with “Seinfeld” that things tipped across the Atlantic. “The Office” and “The Simpsons” aren’t at their peak, but they’re still pretty good.
And, currently, “Louie,” “Modern Family,” “30 Rock,” “Community,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Bored to Death” (although recently canceled), “Cougar Town,” “Family Guy,” “Futurama,” “The League,” “The Guild,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Archer,” and “How I Met Your Mother” are among the best TV shows ever made, not to mention comedies. American television is experiencing a golden age right now, and I’m not the first to say that.
I do think your drama is great right now. But many of those examples of comedy you cited I can’t agree with.
Maybe there’s a cultural thing there, but a lot of that I see as broad, easy humour.
Drama - you’re doing good. Well, you were. You’re producing a lot of Terra Novas, Flash Forwards, and Alcatraz’s right now. But you have moderately recently done BSG, West Wing, Sopranos, Mad Men, Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones.
I think your drama is much stronger than your comedy.
The way I’d put it is that American drama is even better than American comedy right now.