British Office

Big Ess Fro

Big Ess Fro

250+ Posts
If person A says "I love the Office" and person B says "yeah, I used to watch the UK version before the US version came out", then isn't person B kind of a shitbird? Isn't that a not-so-subtle "I'm cooler than you" comment.

My friend has a T-shirt that says "I like bands that don't even exist yet" Brilliant. And it is that mentality that is behind the comment I described above.
 
I used to say that (because its the truth) until I realized it was impossible to say without looking like a pompous *** - even when I explained the situation. In my case, I have a friend who bought all the DVDs to the British version and I watched all of them. For one reason or another I have never watched the American version. Anyway when the question comes up now I just claim to have never watched it at all because there is no way to say that and not sound like a shitbag.
 
I dunno.

Is it more of a "shitbird" move to say you watched the UK version of the show or to lie?

Now, people who say "I watched the original on BBC-America and it's WAY better than the US version. I don't even watch the US version."

I did watch the UK version and thought it was hilarious. I prefer the US version because there were some UK cultural references in the original that I didn't get.

So, am I a "shitbird"?
 
I also stopped making the comment.

It sounded worse when I said it because I would say that I used to watch the British version when I lived in the UK. Then people really think I am being smug.

So now I acknowledge that I like both, but I omit that I saw one before the other or where I saw it. That keeps me from looking like a shitbird.
 
Say it like this: "Yeah, I love the Office. Are you talking about the US one or the original UK one, they are different. If you have not seen the UK one, check it out. It is hilarious also."

Done.

If y'all like Britcoms check out, The Mighty Boosh and Black Books if you have not done so already.
 
I have only watched the British version and loved it. I have never watched the American version, I'm not sure why. Probably because I did watch the American Iron Chef and the American Robot Wars... At least in these two cases, the American version sucked. I have heard The (American) Office is hilarious and will probably buy the DVDs eventually.

I tend to appreciate originality more than most. Creating something from nothing is much better (in my opinion) than simply copying someone else's creative genius.
 
LOL nothing wrong with comparing the two. The biggest strength of the U.S. Office is the ensemble cast - it encorporates the other office people much more and much more effectively than the British version.

The UK strength is Ricky Gervais. Apologies to Steve Carell fans, but I like Gervais' version MUCH better. With Carrell, it always seems much more like a charicature, just totally beyond belief. But somehow watching Gervais, it just seems more believable. As outlandish as he is, you look at him and say "you know, I've met that guy!"
 
I don't watch either Office version regularly, but believe both are good when I have seen them.

Remember when NBC tried to make an American version of Coupling? That didn't work out well at all. It was awful, and I love the British Coupling.

I do like Iron Chef America. Maybe because of Alton Brown and Jeffrey Steingarten.
 
I actually think the US remake of the pilot was better than the British version.

After that, though, they're both different shows based around the same idea. The US one is funnier because I understand the cultural references better. The UK one is funnier because they have dildos and inflatable penises on TV.

Remember that the UK Office is only 12 episodes, and they range from good to very good. The US office had done 12 good to very good episodes by the middle of season 2. They've done 66 episodes now. At least 30 are as good or better than any UK episode, but at least 15 are just dreck. As time goes on, the chance to produce dreck grows as you have to keep doing something different every week. Dreck tarnishes the star of the US office.
 
Guess I'm a shitbird too, but I do like both versions.

Another UK->US show on tap is The IT Crowd. The UK show is pretty damn funny, but as mentioned above, the network may very well turn it into another Coupling.
 
I never watched the British Office. I really like the NBC show.

Was Stephen Merchant in the British Office? I think he is funnier than Gervais.
 
He was, but only as a cameo apperance. He played Gareth's cousin Oggy, or something; kind of like a British version of Mose except he's funny.
 
I really need to visit Hornfans more often. Not only do I like the British version better, I still say it to people. I also drive an Acura TL. Apparently I have some corrections to make in my life.
 
I forgot about, The IT Crowd! It is hilarious. I am suspect what treatment the US producers will give it but it is a great foundation.
 
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