The Office - US version

[ironcross]

I don't know if any of you are fans of the original Uk version of The Office, but I just sat through an hour of living hell.

If you don't know, The Office was originally a Uk TV show which only made 12 or so episodes. One of the funniest shows in recent history IMO. Now the Americans have decided that they will take the same script, same characters.. and make it American.

I just saw the first two episode on channel 10 and felt like throwing my TV out the windows.

First the dancing frog, and now this! We are entering the end of the world people!!!!

 

[Goreripper]

That was the best show I have ever seen.

 

[The Amazer]

That was painful.

There were *some* funny bits, but for the rest, it was just so painful to see how poor it was in comparison. I mean, god damn. That dude with the glasses was NOTHING on Gareth. That Jim guy didn't show any of the awesomness that the original Tim had, and the receptionist was passable as the receptionist.

Brick didn't do too badly as David Brent, but David Brent was played to absolute perfection originally, so he didn't have a hope in hell to begin with.

Painful television, give me the original any day.

 

[Spiff]

I taped it and shall watch it on the weekend. I'm not expecting it to be anywhere near as good as the original, so at least my expectations will be low and will help me enjoy it.

 

[Winmar]

The first one shown was the pilot episode, and the second half our was the first episode. I avoided the pilot deliberately, but taped the first episode to watch later. I'm not expecting much!

 

[phlogiston]

I agree.

 

[Goreripper]

You guys would be doing yourselves a favour if you did not watch this show.

 

[salty]

Yes. It was fucked to the shithouse.

 

[The Amazer]

highlights:

SPILER
SPILER
SPOIER
SPOILER!!!!

Black sign on head
Chris Rock impersonation

SPOILER END!!!!!!

but that was about it.

 

[Arcane]

I'm glad i skipped it, would be a tragedy to destroy the good work the UK version did.

Here is a tip though, watch House - i think it starts out here on Sunday. It is awesome. There is a period between episodes 4-10 where it feels like they are just rehashing each episode but even that isn't "bad" and the second half of the season is some of the best TV you will ever see

 

[salty]

There's something about the ads for that show that both makes me want to watch it, and makes me think I wont like it. And that's the main guy in it.

For some reason I reckon he looks the part...but should have a british accent...the guy who plays him is british yeah? Maybe it's just that "british person putting on an american accent" thing that i cant seem to stand most of the time.

When the fuck is Ewan MacGregor going to realise he sounds retarded doing a half assed american accent? Seen the trailer for The Island yet? Holy crap...looks like a top movie...but he needs to just talk naturally.

Jason Statham is another one. He rules...but he needs to just stick to his normal accent and not screw around with putting on a seppo one.

 

[phlogiston]

I reckon it's going to be something that I really like, for some reason. The only reservation that I have is the american accent on Hugh Laurie, like Salty says. Not that I've seen the show yet, but from the ads I think the character would have been even better with his proper accent.

 

[Arcane]

The accent doesnt bother me at all, but maybe its because i avoided watching Black Adder recently Still it is a really well written show and i think most people will like it a lot.

 

[Icarus]

Everyone should watch Im alan partridge. It was on last night at 1:30. So thats wednesday nights at 1:30, channel 7. It is damn funny stuff.

 

[Kem]

I thought the same guys re-wrote it, but just for an American audience. Maybe they thought their humour would be too subtle and lost on the sepos.

 

[phlogiston]

It was, and that was the reason. That and there were British references that the Americans probably wouldn't get.

I think the problem is that it's still British humour. The original is funny because you can see poms behaving like that. It just didn't ring true in the US one.

 

[Sydo]

They tried the same thing with Red Dwarf, but it didn't go any further than a pilot episode - which was never screened..

 

[salty]

Thank god

 

[salty]

*american accent* Lister - Come on Kryton its easy just say it!
*american accent* Kryton - I cant sir.
*american accent* Lister - Come on say it...He's a...
*american accent* Kryton - He's a...doooooooooooooooche....baaaaaaaaaaaaag

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

I understand why they make US versions of UK shows (like The Office or when they did It's A Man's World based on Men Behaving Badly, but that one was ok because Rob Schneider is hilarious)... But I don't understand why they bother selling them to Australia.

Americans generally don't understand British humour and even the best British shows don't usually do well in the States, so I can see why they usually have to make American versions for over there if they like the idea of a show...

But Australians do understand and love British humour, so I don't know why they bother selling stuff like the US version of The Office to Australia when 4 out fo every 5 people who watches it is gonna hate it and just wanna watch the UK version anyway.

TV stations here must be stupid to buy it and think that we also only understand American humour and not British, because they are wrong.