The Office Part 2: Ain't No Party Like a Scranton Party

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Status
Not open for further replies.
I loved Michael during the deposition. Give me some "that's what she said" jokes and unnatural hatred toward Toby and I'm set for the rest of the week.

Dwight listing ping-pong champions also killed me.
 
The ping pong story line bored me to tears with the exception of Dwight.

The deposition was great, though, especially with the repeated section about going to the bathroom.

And Toby cracking up when they mentioned all the references to "a Ryan" killed me.
 
Oh, I would have given ANYTHING for Ryan to be in the room when the part in Michael's diary about him was being read aloud.

I can't believe there aren't going to be any new episodes for months and months! I'm glad they didn't end on a huge cliffhanger. It makes the wait at least a little more bearable.
 
Just bought series one of the British series, just to compare it. First of all, the pilots are exactly the same. Same gags, everything. It was unbelievable! But I have to say I much prefer the US series. I don't know if it's because I saw the American version first, but it's just better. The British version I found annoying, in particular David Brent. Steve Carrell brings this really likeable quality to Michael Scott, where even though all the awkward and other things he does are there, you can like him. Didn't find this with Ricky's character. Their equivalent of Dwight is also crap. Dwight is the same as Michael, there's something about him that you really like. And the whole military thing more believable because Dwight is not a stick insect like Gareth is. The only character I did like was their equivalent to Kevin... especially when he's talknig to Tim about watching 'Peak Practice'. That was gold. Overall, the characters on the US version are just so much more likeable, all of them, and that's the difference for me.
 
Well, the US pilot was intentionally a 22-minute version of the 29-minute pilot by the British series.

I haven't seen enough of the British series to make a comparison.
 
I saw the British version first, but can't really compare it to the American version. Sure, the general outline of the show is the same, but the sensibilities are different enough (more sexual jokes in the Brit one, for sure) to like them as two separate entities. That being said, you have to like David Brent to enjoy the British series, and he's probably one of my favorite TV characters of all-time, so I enjoy it.
 
LemonMacPhisto said:
That being said, you have to like David Brent to enjoy the British series, and he's probably one of my favorite TV characters of all-time, so I enjoy it.
Click to expand...

Just like you have to like Michael Scott to enjoy the American version.
 
You're probably right, but the length of this series (45+ episodes of material) vs. the Brit series (12 episodes + 2 hour-long specials) means more characters are fleshed out in the US series. The only characters you really get into in the Brit series are David, Tim (Jim), Dawn (Pam), Gareth (Dwight), and possibly Lee (Roy) and Keith (Kevin).

There are too many parentheticals in that last bit, but you know what I mean.
 
LemonMacPhisto said:
You're probably right, but the length of this series (45+ episodes of material) vs. the Brit series (12 episodes + 2 hour-long specials) means more characters are fleshed out in the US series. The only characters you really get into in the Brit series are David, Tim (Jim), Dawn (Pam), Gareth (Dwight), and possibly Lee (Roy) and Keith (Kevin).

There are too many parentheticals in that last bit, but you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

I think that's the main difference right there. :up: The BBC version was intended as a short run with little room for character development (at least in the way that North American viewers think of development), with no neat, happy endings*. The main point was to show how soul-crushing it is to work in an environment like that, and the little things people do in order to cope in that sort of environment. Given the short run, we don't really have to like, or to form any attachment to the characters at all. Unlike some of you, I didn't particularly like David Brent, he made me cringe, but I did enjoy the series for what it was. With the US version, they pretty much had to make the characters quirky but likable, to hold our interest for the long term.


*I read recently that the specials weren't part of the original plan, they were sort of tacked on due to viewer demand. For those of you who have seen them, the main plot conclusion of the specials, Gervais didn't want it to end that way, he intended the last episode of the second series to be the ending.
 
Those of you who liked the BBC version, have any of you seen the subsequent Gervais/Merchant series Extras? I love it even more than the BBC Office. Many, many laugh out loud scenes, and some of the guest appearances are priceless!

Like The Office, it was two series, each 6 episodes long. It ran in 05 and 06, and there's a special that will be airing this holiday season. I believe it aired on HBO in the US. If you haven't seen it, run out and get the dvds, like, right this second. :up:
 
One thing I did like about the BBC series is that it did end. It was a complete story. US TV tends to drag shows out and let them die long, boring deaths. I like how the BBC one told it's story and was done. Like a movie, ie "film".

I didn't know that about the specials. That ending would have sucked. I like the specials - especially the "If You Don't Know My By Now" video - I laugh just thinking about it. And David Brent does make you cringe, but I think it also makes him more real. Like you ever been sitting next to someone, like say, in a bar, and they say something and you're just like, "Ugggghhh....dude."? That's David Brent.
 
"I want to be married and have a hundred kids so I can have a hundred friends and no one can say no to being my friend."


Michael defined.
 
Ricky Gervais and his woman friend are extras on major films, all while Gervais is trying to get his series script out with little help from his terrible agent. Some of the best guest appearances ever on TV have been on here. It's on HBO if you want to check it out.
 
how long has the US version been on the air now?

Everytime I see the clip where the stapler's in the jello I can't help but laugh hysterically....and then get depressed because if I were to do that to anyone in my office....I'd actually just be doing it to my own stuff. My assistant uses my stuff because she doesnt have a desk, and same with the other girl here. :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

MrsSpringsteen
Billie Eilish Thought U2 Was From Scranton
Replies
1
Views
730
lazarus
lazarus
cobl04
Kiss the Future documentary
Replies
11
Views
3K
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen
N
NBA 2023-24 Thread
11 12 13
Replies
363
Views
10K
Hewson
Hewson
N
  • Locked
NBA 2022-23 Thread
46 47 48
Replies
1K
Views
45K
U2inUtah
U2inUtah
MrsSpringsteen
Police Brutality Against 73 Year Old Woman With Dementia
Replies
4
Views
572
dazzledbylight
dazzledbylight

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom