5905 replies to this topic

[crazy_girl]

Thanks to Glark we have a new thread for The Office (US)!

Recently on USA Today:

http://www.usatoday....lots-main_x.htm

Although the article is about a bunch of new pilots, it has a shot of what I believe is the cast of the American NBC The Office.

Hopefully this show will avoid being dipped in the NBC vat of piping hot suckage.

Edited by crazy_girl, Mar 23, 2004 @ 12:47 PM.

[Gulftastic]

I'm guessing (left to right) that it's Gareth, Tim, Dawn, Brent.

Although Gareth and Tim might be reversed. The seated one isn't cute enough to be the US version of our Tim.

[iMissEthan]

Damn, what did they do to Steve Carrel's hair? I'll be giving it a try, only because of him. There's no way they'll get close to the brilliance of the UK original.

[Jaegs]

I'm thinking your second guess, Gulftastic. The leftmost guy seems more Martin Freemanish to me, the seated guy with glasses more weird/intense (a la Gareth).

[ChinkyGirl]

The intense guy seated is definitely Gareth. It was said awhile ago that the guy who played Arthur on "Six Feet Under" would be the new Gareth and I recognize him. Looks awful, doesn't he?

[Promethea]

If that guy seated is Gareth, isn't he, well, much, much too old? He looks older than the guy playing David Brent. Also, he doesn't have that look of being in the TA/army reserves/whatever you call it there. The Tim guy is cute enough and I like that they haven't gone for an obviously Hollywood stunner for Dawn, just a nice-looking girl.

Martin Freeman is on Steve Wright's show on BBC Radio 2 in about ten minutes: http://www.bbc.co.uk...2/shows/wright/

[ChinkyGirl]

Why does looking at that picture give me a feeling of dread?

If anything, the show will translate horribly for US TV and people will learn their lesson from it and just stop remaking British shows. I don't know where they get these ideas from..

[Pulpbomb]

Poor Steve Carell. The man is a riot and deserves nothing but success. My fingers are crossed that this won't suck, but I'm not holding out much hope. Stupid network execs.

[iMissEthan]

Arthur from Six Feet Under is the right age to be Gareth. At least his character on Six Feet Under is the right age, I don't know how old the actor is. I didn't recognize him though. Maybe Ruth sucked the life from him & left him a hollow shell of a man.

[tothemax]

Maybe Ruth sucked the life from him & left him a hollow shell of a man.

As I recall, Ruth didn't get a chance to suck anything out of him. Ew.

Anywho, why is NBC trying yet another remake of a British show? WHY?!! Khaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn!!!!!

[Goofy Lookin' Nerd]

Can we please try and CHEER for this show to be good? There are a lot of people who haven't seen the show on BBC America and this will be their first exposure to something that has been incredibly hyped up. If they come to this board and just keep reading how much it sucks, and how it isn't as good because of X, Y, and Z, then we'll be partially responsible for turning people off to a potentially great show. Why wouldn't we want it to be funny and to succeed?

They're saying that the first episode will be based on the original pilot script. I'm going to reserve judgment until the original episodes air. I loved Office Space, and I have faith that Greg Daniels will not stray too far away from that mood.

From The Onion interview with Ricky G.:

O: Do you have any fears about the U.S. version of the show?

RG: Uh... [Laughs.] No, I don't have any fears, because I didn't do it. [Laughs.] From what I've seen, it looks really good. I didn't make it, but they used our script for the first episode that I've seen, and the cast are really good.

I think that the picture looks great; the way that Steve Carell's hair was made to look like it's plugged is awesome. And U.S. "Gareth" looks just as creepy as our dear Mackenzie's version!

Edited by Goofy Lookin' Nerd, Apr 23, 2004 @ 11:26 AM.

[mariposa]

? There are a lot of people who haven't seen the show on BBC America and this will be their first exposure to something that has been incredibly hyped up.

Then they should do what I did (I don't get BBC America) and watch the DVDs.

I read a casting sheet (or whatever they're called) a while ago for the U.S. version (here). The characters' names were changed; I remember the Gareth stand-in is supposed to be a part-time cop and not an Army reservist.

It's gonna suck, and I'm gonna watch.

Edited by mariposa, Apr 27, 2004 @ 5:07 PM.

[HappilyEvrAftr]

So, when does it start?

[Hoi Polloi]

I remember the Gareth stand-in is supposed to be a part-time cop and not an Army reservist.

I'm American so I probably have this wrong....but I don't believe our reserves are looked on with the same type of disdain as the Territorial Army is in England. I'm not sure we have an equivalent to the TA here.

It's gonna suck, and I'm gonna watch.

It is scary to think how awful it will be by comparison. Part of what makes The Office so special is the English flavor. But, I'll be watching too.

[tonyorlando]

AICN posted a negative review of the pilot. Yuck.

Edited by tonyorlando, Apr 29, 2004 @ 12:24 PM.

[iMissEthan]

The bizarre thing is that network execs don't seem to ever learn their lessons. Didn't Coupling teach them anything? That show was all about sex and it managed to fail spectacularly, and it was only last season. This is about humdrum office life. I adore Steve Carrel as much as the next Daily Show devotee, but I have no high hopes for this show.

Edited by iMissEthan, Apr 29, 2004 @ 2:17 PM.

[crazy_girl]

this was featured on imdb.com today:

American Version of 'The Office' a Let-down

The American version of the Golden Globe-winning British comedy hit The Office has hit a major snag - an early screening of the show proved a painful experience for TV chiefs. Preview audiences greeted the American show with an icy silence after the pilot episode was screened at a 'testing facility' in Hollywood. One reviewer explains, "I don't think many of the test group I sat with was as familiar with the original British series as I was. Still, it was painfully clear that nobody was liking it. The lady next to me said she found it depressing." In the American version, funnyman Steve Carrell steps into Ricky Gervais' shoes as the boss of the office. But the reviewer believes Carrell's take on the role doesn't compare to the original character: "The acting lacks masterful underplaying of Gervais and company. A guy tries to fill Ricky's shoes and can't."

I haven't read the bad review that tonyorlando posted but I don't know what to think about this paragraph. I don't want this to suck at all but I also feel like it would have to be better than great for anyone to give it a chance after the Coupling experiment.

It also depends on the people in the focus group. You could make my mom watch the original office and she'd find it depressing.

[Ungatodiablo]

Yeah, if you grabbed one hundred random americans from the nearest mall or Walmart and showed them the first episode of the BBC 'The Office'--i would guess that the majority of them would dislike it..alot. So it doesn't surprise me in the least that a poor american imitation of it would also be scorned. Of course, now the american tv execs will 'tweak' the show to get it to appeal to the american masses. Bleh. I am staying far away from the american version in fear that it will somehow taint my love for the original. It looks like it's going to die a quick death anyway, so no loss.
And one more quick thought--what if the american version became successful and ran like 9 seasons? What kind of plotlines would they be trotting out by then? You just know the Tim--Dawn characters would be doing the whole Ross--Rachel get together/break up thing like 20 times, while the Gareth character would win the lotto or something equally as stupid. Part of the appeal of the original is it's brevity--it ran just long enough to give us some full character arcs without having to rehash stuff or come up with fanciful plotlines.

[crazy_girl]

I agree about the brevity. I really wish that NBC had just decided to air the original UK version in that timeslot. That would have rocked. And been much cheaper for the network.

[Irlandesa]

I've always felt that there are people in the US who could do a decent The Office adaptation. The only question remains is if these are the people who are actually doing it. Isn't the same guy who redid Coupling doing this production as well?

There was a blurb in the TV Guide about the show. It quotes Ricky as saying he's happy they decided to remain true to the tone of the show with an exception being the US David focuses more on trying to be funny and less on philosophy. I can believe that American audiences would find it depressing. I admit that I often find it depressing. It's almost too real.

Crazy_girl, the problem with running the UK version of the show (aside from language problems) is there wouldn't be enough episodes to fill a full season, much less many seasons if the show became a hit.

Edited by Irlandesa, May 4, 2004 @ 9:13 AM.

[ChinkyGirl]

But they could do a sort of summer replacement thing and show both seasons. And wasn't Queer Eye on NBC for a few weeks, but certainly not a whole season? They could easily do that as well.

[qiqa]

Oh, never mind...I found a cached version...Here it is for those who care, the link is the one from up there.

People wonder if NBC's pilot of "The Office" is as bad as last year's bomb "Coupling."

The answer is no ... it's worse. The reason being that the original "Office" is a much better show. There's no way to improve upon it and to Americanize it doesn't do it justice.

Greg Daniels, who co-created the cartoon "King of the Hill," is behind this American version and they should have gotten his partner, Mike Judge, to do this as he clearly had more of a handle on the required low-key style as he showed in "Office Space."

Daniels makes the same mistake that "Coupling" did by basically copying the original so much that you might as well just ignore this and buy the DVDs from BBC Video.

The acting lacks the masterful underplaying of Ricky Gervais and company. A guy from "The Daily Show" tries to fill Ricky's shoes and can't. The American dude comes off as bland, uninteresting and really irritating.

I don't think all that many of the test group I sat with was as familiar with the original British series as I was. Still, it was painfully clear that nobody was liking this much. The lady next to me said she found it "depressing."

Another said it was like a worse version of "Andy Richter Controls The Universe" without the eye candy and dream sequences.

I say leave well enough alone. Since most critics, as well as smart viewers, know the original "Office," the reviews will be scathing.

I hope the American version of "The Office" stays closed.

I am sad for Steve Carell.

[Edited to share the review with y'all]

Edited by qiqa, May 4, 2004 @ 4:24 PM.

[M. Darcy]

Surprisingly enough, this week's TV Guide (with MTM and DVD on the cover) has a pretty positive review of the Office. They actually liked it.

[Bungalow Joy]

I adore Steve Carrel as much as the next Daily Show devotee, but I have no high hopes for this show.

Steve, give up this leaden dream and go back to TDS. It's an election year and the show needs you.

[Lazard000]

Even after reading that review I'm still cautiously optimistic that this can be a good show. I'm a huge fan of Office Space, King of the Hill, and the folks behind them. Also, it seems like the review is based solely on the pilot which I'm assuming is the only episode that will not be using an orignal script. And its hard to predict a show's success based on its first episode. Anyone remember The Seinfeld Chronicles?

[j32master]

Can we please try and CHEER for this show to be good? There are a lot of people who haven't seen the show on BBC America and this will be their first exposure to something that has been incredibly hyped up. If they come to this board and just keep reading how much it sucks, and how it isn't as good because of X, Y, and Z, then we'll be partially responsible for turning people off to a potentially great show. Why wouldn't we want it to be funny and to succeed?

This, in my opinion, is the main reason why US Coupling was dead before it even aired.

Another said it was like a worse version of "Andy Richter Controls The Universe" without the eye candy and dream sequences.

Well, this person certainly gives me an idea of the geniuses who were in that room. Yes, we all watched 'Andy Richter' (well, those of us who DID watch it) solely because of the hot girls and dream sequences. Moron. Always gotta have some kind of gimmick, huh?

[moppet]

Can we please try and CHEER for this show to be good? There are a lot of people who haven't seen the show on BBC America and this will be their first exposure to something that has been incredibly hyped up.

Nope! I know, I'm being all ugly and, you know, "without pity," but a funny, successful version of The Office already exists. I don't feel any automatic love for a clone. If it's great, that would be fine by me but my recommendation to my friends will always be the original. I'm not going to criticize it before I see it, but I don't feel any need to cross my fingers about it, either.

Edited by moppet, May 13, 2004 @ 4:17 PM.