The Office...UK or American version?

[Calamity Jane]

...which is your preference?

I am now fully addicted to the UK version (thanks Quicksilver!) but have seen too few clips of the US one to make the call

great Ricky Gervais clip....obviously (mind the language!)

[djmelbatoast]

The US one is good, just not as good as the original. Micheal is just too sympathetic.

[Palms]

UK by a long long long shot

[AD]

UK was better... but the US show is still going, might be easier to get into once you're all caught up. Plus there's simply more of the US version, and there hasn't been any absolutely terrible episodes.

Very strong franchise. Both are very good. UK is done. US is still going.

[Booche]

I have a really hard time comparing them because the humour is so vastly different. My favorite US ones seem to trump my favorite UK ones based on the strength of my laughter alone but I dont know if I can easily say one is better than the other.

[AD]

yeah, you have to know a thing or two about UK humour. and sometimes the dialog is pretty fast for someone not used to the accent.

if you are BitTorrent savvy and want to experience the UK version, go here.

there are characters in both versions that are pretty much carbon copies of people in my office. i think everyone can relate to this, which is brilliant.

[Calamity Jane]

I'm really loving this show!(and mounring the fact that I only have about 4 episodes left to watch...I'm trying to space them out a bit more.)

I've always loved British humour, not to mention the accent, yeah, and so I now find myself thinking and dreaming with a David Brent accent!!!

...also I had no idea it was done in the same vein as TPB...a documentary crew following these folks around for no real apparent reason.

apart from David, Gareth is certainly my favourite cringe-worthy character! But while he's just plain thick, David's neuroses are so well-played. I love his subtle eye movements and changes in body language when he starts to fib or begins to lose control of a/in a situation. Is he a brilliant actor, or is he very similar to this in person? This stand-up clip seems to suggest the Brent persona is not far off the original mark, but I'd really like to see Gervais in a totally different role to see if he can stretch himself

[Jaimoe]

The UK version is one of my favourite comedies in recent memory - same goes with Arrested Development. The US Office is good, but I don't like it nearly as much after watching most of this year and some from last season. Season I is unwatchable if you like the UK version.

I must say that the UK Office comedy is an uneasy laugh where the US is just funny.

[Booche]

I must say that the UK Office comedy is an uneasy laugh where the US is just funny.

That is so damn true. I get so much more uncomfortable from David Brents actions than I do from Michael Scotts but a few recent episodes in the US version seem to indicate they may be starting to expose that side of his character.

Gareth is certainly my favourite cringe-worthy character

Which they do not do at all with Tim in the US version. Gareth fucking kills!

[Jaimoe]

I must say that the UK Office comedy is an uneasy laugh where the US is just funny.

That is so damn true. I get so much more uncomfortable from David Brents actions than I do from Michael Scotts but a few recent episodes in the US version seem to indicate they may be starting to expose that side of his character.

Gareth is certainly my favourite cringe-worthy character

Which they do not do at all with Tim in the US version. Gareth fucking kills!

Michael is definitely going for the cringe this season... and I love it.

I believe you mean Jim in the US version and Dwight is the Gareth character. I actually like the Jim characer' date=' even though he looks exactly like Martin Freeman.

[img']http://www.nndb.com/people/321/000030231/martin-freeman.jpg

Edited March 23, 2007 by Guest

[Booche]

I was an idiot above, doing 4 things at once and not thinking whatsoever. Hell Jaimoe I now know what live can be like for you at times. Thanks for the corrections you beautiful bastard. I had something to say and now I am unsure what it was.

[Jaimoe]

I was an idiot above, doing 4 things at once and not thinking whatsoever. Hell Jaimoe I now know what live can be like for you at times. Thanks for the corrections you beautiful bastard. I had something to say and now I am unsure what it was.

Thanks! I get paid to multi-task, but it's an unforgiving business at times. Who cares? I love The Office.

[Evans]

Nothing beats the UK.

[Paul]

If you love the UK office like I do, you must check out Extras. Ricky is a fuckin genius as he combines all the things that we love on television into one brilliant comedy. Check it.

[SmoothedShredder]

[bouche]

I would have loved for the UK version to go beyond the standard British 2 season 7 episode bullshit as it was a FANTASTIC show. I'm glad the US version picked up and ran with it, but I'd rather BBC for this easily.

The characters are all really quite different. Garteth and Dwight are both unique as are Michael Scott and David Brent.

[backbacon]

I just noticed there is a French verison on tv these days.. maybe it's been mentioned above... no time read right now...

La Job

I wish I knew french.. it looks funny.

[AD]

There are lots of versions, according to the interweb. I did not know this.

The Office is the title of two television situation comedy shows created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The first was the UK version, which was initially broadcast on BBC Two on 9 July 2001 and ran for two series plus a pair of Christmas specials. The show's success prompted NBC to create an American version, which premiered on March 24, 2005. Gervais and Merchant are credited as executive producers of the show along with Ben Silverman, Howard Klein and Greg Daniels. A French adaptation of the series, titled Le Bureau, aired in Spring 2006 on Canal +.[1]. A Québec version of the show, produced by Anne-Marie Losique and called La Job, premiered on January 11th, 2007 (the lead character in this version is called David Gervais, a cross of Ricky Gervais, and his character, David Brent).

The German series Stromberg (first aired in 2004) also used The Office as a basis, but did not secure official rights; the German creators later on were made to add Ricky Gervais in the credits as having "inspired" the series (Ricky Gervais additionally said he "can't go into details but yes there was an agreement reached and we are very happy with it"[1]).

The Norwegian TV comedy series Fremtiden kommer bakfra (literally, The Future Comes from Behind) also resembles The Office in some ways, so much so that it has been described as an unofficial remake. However, few of the series' characters correspond directly to those in other versions.

In July 2006 it was reported in the Hollywood Reporter that BBC Films was considering a feature length version of The Office for cinematic release.[2]