# Watched the American 'Office' last night.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 21, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253 "2005-06-21T21:54:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/1 "2005-06-21T21:54:06Z")
I have to say it’s a lot better than I thought it would be. When I heard they’d be doing an American version of ‘The Office’ I had visions of an…well… I can’t describe what I had visions of. But they were bad.
But this has everything it needs. It has a sense of realism (albeit exactly like the British version… I have to wonder if American offices are anything like that) It had the embarrasing boss. It has the gareth, the tim, the receptionist.
The problem is… if you’ve seen all of the british version watching the American version will be like watching repeats. The scripts are identical.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/2 "2005-06-21T22:02:25Z")
I read a review at the weekend which came to the same conclusion - that if you haven’t seen the original, it’ll seem wonderful.
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### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/3 "2005-06-21T22:15:31Z")
> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> The scripts are identical.
No. This is true only for the first episode, wich is based off the same script as the first episode of the UK version. In both cases, this was also the worst episode of the lot.
–Cliffy
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/4 "2005-06-21T22:18:19Z")
The reviewer in [this morning’s Age](http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/new-office-job/2005/06/21/1119321730482.html) is pleasantly surprised too, having expected the American version to be a complete stuff-up.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/5 "2005-06-21T22:19:42Z")
> [@Cliffy](#):
>
> No. This is true only for the first episode, wich is based off the same script as the first episode of the UK version. In both cases, this was also the worst episode of the lot.
>
> –Cliffy
The one I saw (the one where the manager fake-fired the receptionist) seemed identical. I’m not saying it wasn’t the first ep. Maybe it was.
So if the others are new scripts and better… wehey! I’ve always loved American TV, but I also love the completely different stuff we produce in Britain. I’m bound to love the best of both worlds. And this might turn out to be that.
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### Author:  [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/6 "2005-06-21T22:26:15Z")
My tv must be broken because I thought it was awful. Not that it wasn’t well done, production- or acting-wise, but that it was excruciating to watch. Maybe if I worked in an office? I didn’t get Dilbert until I’d been teaching for a while.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/7 "2005-06-22T04:41:38Z")
Saw both. They were the same. Didn’t like either.
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### Author:  [@righto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/righto)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/8 "2005-06-22T05:33:32Z")
Only seen the American version; hilarious. One of the funniest shows on TV, thank god it’s coming back with a second season.
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### Author:  [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/9 "2005-06-22T05:52:30Z")
> [@righto](#):
>
> Only seen the American version; hilarious. One of the funniest shows on TV, thank god it’s coming back with a second season.
I have to agree… and it got better, IMO, as the season went on.
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### Author:  [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/10 "2005-06-22T08:50:45Z")
I never really got into the original version (waiting for it be shown again to give it another chance) but I saw episode 2 of the American one yesterday and liked it a lot. Seemed to capture the feel of the original reasonably well, too.
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### Author:  [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/11 "2005-06-22T10:12:35Z")
From what I’ve seen of the American version it was exactly the same programme, just with a few American references and accents. I’m not sure if it was the same script, but all the mannerisms and characters were identical. Looks like they gave the actors DVDs of the original and asked them to impersonate.
I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Just wonder why they bothered if they were going to make such an identical copy.
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/12 "2005-06-22T10:30:33Z")
I liked it a lot. I’ve seen past where BBC3 are up to so haven’t watched it on TV yet but will start following it from episode 6.
I was very pleasantly surprised that they managed to keep the feel of the programme and still cater to the US audience.
Well done to all involved.
I still think the original is the best but how can you beat Ricky’s shit eating grin?
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/13 "2005-06-22T11:28:00Z")
Like others have said, the first script was basically identical to the British one.
If I recall the British programme and the American program correctly, other episodes were similar, and borrowed a lot of the same writing but weren’t scene-for-scene like the first episode.
Like the British one, the “Tim-Dawn” stuff has some nice heartfelt moments. The “New Gareth” has his own quirks and is pretty good.
We had lots of discussion while the show was airing. Some people HATED it with a passion. Some of use really liked it.
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### Author:  [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/14 "2005-06-22T11:30:54Z")
I watched episode 2 last night.
The lines that were similar/same only showed how good the UK cast was and how inept the US cast is (I’m looking at you ‘Gareth’ character - whatever his US equivelent is).
It was embarassing to watch, but not in the good way that the UK one is embarassing to watch.
I won’t be watching again.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/15 "2005-06-22T11:34:46Z")
> [@Ashes](#):
>
> …it was excruciating to watch…
I’ve not seen the American version, but certainly with the UK one, _the whole point_ is that it’s an excruciating study of social awkwardness, bigotry and stupidity; the bits I found hardest to watch were the bits where I saw my own character flaws being played out on screen.
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### Author:  [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/16 "2005-06-22T11:44:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> I’ve not seen the American version, but certainly with the UK one, _the whole point_ is that it’s an excruciating study of social awkwardness, bigotry and stupidity; the bits I found hardest to watch were the bits where I saw my own character flaws being played out on screen.
Absolutely. I caught some of last night’s show, and was impressed to see the racial bigotry angle played out very well (down to sticking the label ‘black’ as a race alongside ‘jewish’ and ‘asian’ on people’s head as part of a game. I thought the US would avoid such issues in case of misinterpretation.
J.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/17 "2005-06-22T11:56:42Z")
First two episodes showed here tonight - I thought they were very good and the feel of the whole thing was just about perfect. Very tasty.
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### Author:  [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watched-the-american-office-last-night/309253/18 "2005-06-22T17:02:55Z")
My favorite episode, IMO, is the basketball one. I believe its the last episode of the season. For those who liked Steve Carroll’s semi-racist boss, it isn’t just a one episode thing ;).