The Office: BBC or NBC??

[BWebb]

Dids,

I tend to agree, but there are some shows/movies such as the Office and Holy Grail that are so good they transend culture, IMO. I don't think the US version is more than an above average show while UK is a top 5 of mine. Also, maybe I would appreciate the US version more if I knew it was original. It just seems like I'm watching something that has been done before, but better. Plus, Gervais>>>Carrell.

Who knows, I'm starting to say bladdered and swamp donkey so maybe I'm a kindred British spirit. You seem cool so maybe my initial statement was too harsh, but I do not think they are very close in terms of quality.

[troymclur]

[ QUOTE ]
David Brent: Look at this - "Dutch girls must be punished for having big boobs". Now you do not punish a girl, Dutch or otherwise, for having big boobs.
Gareth: If anything they should be rewarded.
David Brent: No, they should be equal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same episode:

[a pornographic picture with Brent's head superimposed on is discovered on someone's email]

David Brent: Who else has seen this filth?

[everyone puts their hand up, including Joan the cleaning lady]

David Brent: You haven't even got email, Joan.
Joan: Someone printed it out for me.
David Brent: Who printed this out for Joan?

[everyone puts their hand up again]

David Brent: Well. I'm angry. And not because I'm in it, but because it degrades women, which I hate. And the culprit, whoever he is, is in this room. Or she, it could be a woman. Women are as filthy as men. Not naming any names - I don't know any - but women... are... dirty.

[rvg72]

The NBC version gets more and more funny especially in season 2 - I really like it and it is probably my favorite show on tv right now. That being said, the BBC version was better.

rvg

[BeaucoupFish]

I hated the first couple of episodes on NBC. It seemed like sacrilege to copy one of the best shows on the BBC. It has definitely grown on me, but it is basically a soap version of the BBC's.

Ricky Gervais perfected the fly-on-the-wall documentary style, this does not come over as well on NBC's version.

[T-God]

BBC was better but if the NBC one lasts for a while and remains good it'll surpass it. 12 episodes plus a christmas special for such a good show is just not enough.

[diebitter]

1 prop for the NBC one. 'Diversity Day' (or whatever it's called) in season 1 has some mad-funny bits in. Especially when he accosts the Indian lady.

(But it's never gonna beat Keith's Self-Appraisal interview, is it? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

[72off]

David: If they loved me why are they throwing stuff? Throwing water, plastic bottles, underpants?! One bloke threw a pair of y-fronts, hit me in the face, and I knew it was nutella or marmite he’d smudged on the gusset. But it was still him going "that’s what we think of you mate. You’re sh*t.”

Peter: Where did he get the marmite from? He must of prepared that from home cos he knew you were on.”

David: Well that doesn’t make me feel any better? Why say that?

[Nicholasp27]

bbc rules, but by the end of the season, nbc was getting very close; MUCH better than early season shows

we'll need a 2nd season before we can decide which is better overall

so far bbc is winning tho, but nbc has the potential to be better

[aheravi]

I consider it apples and oranges. BBC is so straight-forward, I can actually believe that's an ACTUAL office. F-ing hilarious.

US is hilarious, but "sitcom" hilarious. Do you think an actual manager would do a company review with U2's "With or Without You" in the background?

[Madtown]

I was in the camp that thought the US version was funny but not close the UK version until about half-way through season 2 this year. They've really stepped it up, and only the first couple eps of the first season had adaptations of the UK version's scripts. Now that it's original stuff, it's really getting quite good. I'd put them pretty even right now. Depending where they go in the next couple seasons, it could either bomb or transcend the UK version.

And I don't really get the soap-opera-y Jim/Pam complaints. It's been more overt than the UK version but until the finale this year it was still a very subtle and well-done unrequited love story.

And, given the finale (no spoilers, just in case), I think what they do with Jim/Pam next year will make/break the show as I mentioned earlier. Hopefully they handle it well.