| The British sitcom The Office has the most devoted following this side of Monty Python, so an American remake seemed doomed. Amazingly, the remake actually finds its own enjoyable version of the original's uncanny comedy of embarrassment. Office manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell, The Daily Show, The 40 Year-Old Virgin) believes he's the beloved leader of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of a paper products company--but his relentless and painfully forced efforts at comedy creep out everyone around him, including paranoid Dwight (Rainn Wilson, who had a memorable recurring role on Six Feet Under), nervous receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer, LolliLove), and aimless salesman Jim (John Krasinski, A New Wave), who's smitten with the already engaged Pam. The pilot episode suffers from closely replicating the British pilot, but after that The Office finds its own footing, turning diversity training, an office birthday party, and a basketball game into excruciating yet hypnotically funny rituals of humiliation. Carell, though clearly talented, can't match Ricky Gervais' unique performance as the aggressively needy British manager (it's hard to imagine that anyone could); as a result, the supporting roles become more prominent, and Wilson, Fischer, and Krasinski quickly create a rapport that matches and may even exceed that of their British counterparts. Be sure to watch the deleted scenes; remarkably, they're as good as the material that made it on the air in this six-episode season. --Bret Fetzer |
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 Comedy is Reborn |
| Review Date: October 13, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Mr. Bey, Riverside, CT United States |
I love this show and I think NBC actually made one good decison this year by renewing it. Steve Carrell is genious as Michael Scott the manager with a little too much enthusiasm. The supporting cast is great and I'm glad that the bonus features are good because a 6 episode season of a half hour show is hardly worth twenty-two dollars but it's worth it. I didn't think the pilot was great but I tuned in again and I'm glad I did. I hope that if you don't watch this show that you decide to try it out because it is brillant. A lot of people say it isn't as good as the British version but it comes close. Check out Diversity Day it's the best in the set.
The Episodes
1. Pilot
2. Diversity Day
3. Healthcare
4. The Alliance
5. Basketball
6. Hot Girl
The bonus features include deleted scenes and audio commetaries. Even though it may seem pricey you'll probably get as much enjoyment out of it as you would any other show. |
Finally, a US production worthy of its UK predecessor
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| Review Date: August 18, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Michael T. Rognlien, Chicago, IL USA |
I am and always have been a huge fan of British comedy. The wry sense of humor and the intelligent wit has always held far greater appeal to me than the cheap/obvious laughs that many American sitcoms tend to go for. Sadly, many copies (or attempted copies) of British comedies have been overadapted for the American audience (Coupling is a perfect example) and the result is a weak translation that loses all or most of what made the series so funny/original in the UK.
Fortunately, this version of the original UK show is absolutely hilarious, perhaps because the producers are tied closely and stay faithful to the original version. There was no dumbing down of the comedy - the irony, the facial expressions, the unbelievable audacity of the characters - for the sake of easier/louder laughs. The fact that there is no studio audience here makes it even funnier - the viewers are left to laugh on their own, without canned tracks or cues from a studio audience.
While there are certainly things that would cause you to think "There's no way a manager would say/do/get away with anywhere near that bad of behavior" I can say that in 6+ years in leadership development that I've seen all this and more.. and we all know that one person who just has absolutely no clue how little others think of him/her.
This is truly brilliant comedy, but subtle and atypical when compared to other sitcoms on TV (with the exception of Seinfeld reruns and Scrubs). You won't be disappointed! |
Give it a chance!
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| Review Date: November 8, 2005 |
| Reviewer: M. Goodwin, Virginia, USA |
| Yes, everyone here is comparing this to the British version of The Office (a great show). I was horrified to hear the US was going to copy it. I was curious and watched the first episode and wasn't crazy about it. I almost gave up but kept watching. The show really grows on you. DO NOT compare this to the British version! They look the same on the surface, but the shows are totally differnet. Its so refreshing to see an original show like this on TV. I've actually laughed so hard I cried. The best part is that the 2nd season is even better. Don't forget, Seinfeld and Friends were BOTH nothing shows their first season. Give it a chance...and try not to compare it to the British version. |
MUST WATCH THIS SHOW
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| Review Date: November 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Keith, NEW YORK |
| This show is by far one of the funniest comedies on tv. Steve Carell is a comic genious. He single-handedly takes this show to new dimensions of comedy - I have never laughed so hard watching an actor on tv make such a spectacle of himself, in a setting where such behavior is so obviously out of place. And this is precisely what makes this show so hilarious - the awkward moments coupled with the hilarious behavior of Steve Carell's character. Plus, the show takes place in an office, which is a very relatable setting to many of us. Office politics have never been funnier. You must watch this show. |
A Great Mirror
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| Review Date: September 1, 2005 |
| Reviewer: James Hiller, Beaverton, OR |
Ricky Gervais' "The Office" is one of my favorite television series. Nothing beats the deadpan British humor offered in the original series; extremely funny and brilliant writing. When NBC picked up the show, I grimaced, thinking back to horrible mistakes such as Coupling. But, thanks to a quick DVD release, Entertainment Weekly's glowing review, and Steve Carrell's hilarious turn in "The 40 Year Old Virgin", I gave it a shot, and found myself laughing hysterically.
Steve Carell plays Michael Scott, boss extrodinaire of "The Office". He is clueless, brainless, sexist, homophobic, racist, all under a disguise of political correctedness that has gone astray. He prides himself the office comedian, but fails to understand that his role as boss should supercede this role; therein lies the genus of the comedy. Carell does an admirable job in the Gervais role, and probably is the only actor that would be daring enough to step in those big shoes, and clomp around the office in them just as funnily. He doesn't attempt to impersonate Gervais, but makes Scott his own.
The other office mates, from Jenna Fischer's charming Pam, the office secretary, to Rainn Wilson's role as Dwight Shrute (a name that deserves to be said aloud), all turn in great performances to accompany Carrell. The interaction between Shrute and office stud Jim (played by John Krasinski) is a gold mine of comedy, the two actors play off each other brilliant, and unlike the precessor, Shrute is occasionally allowed to win, even though he's the office buffoon.
This comedy is quite, yet rich. If you've ever had a boss in your career that is clueless, and you wonder how on earth that person ever got to where they were (who hasn't?), you can relate to the hijinx and comedy of NBC's "The Office". If I were NBC, I'd be making sure this stay on my lineup, and perhaps, even reduce the number of episodes per season, allowing this fine troupe of performers the ability to produce the high quality of shows that these wonderful six are! |
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