The Office

[MrMastodonFarm]

Well I must say, after the weak second episode they came back strong with great 3rd and 4th episodes. Episode 3 was downright hilarious, it got alot of big laughs from me, and was funny throughout. I think it stands up as a classic along with Episode 4 of series 1 from the British series.. They are making this thing work.

It is also nice that the American characters are starting to find there own character.. instead of just copying the British one.

Anyone else love the 3rd episode as much as I did?

[calf]

Originally posted by MrMastodonFarm@Apr 14 2005, 01:29 PM
Well I must say, after the weak second episode they came back strong with great 3rd and 4th episodes. Episode 3 was downright hilarious, it got alot of big laughs from me, and was funny throughout. I think it stands up as a classic along with Episode 4 of series 1 from the British series.. They are making this thing work.

It is also nice that the American characters are starting to find there own character.. instead of just copying the British one.

Anyone else love the 3rd episode as much as I did?

Both were gold. I thought the Alliance one was funnier, but "work space" was downright funny too.

I like all of the characters - Pam, Dwight, Jim are all great...except Michael for some reason...the guy's annoying. Which is the point I guess.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by calf@Apr 14 2005, 01:47 PM
Both were gold. I thought the Alliance one was funnier, but "work space" was downright funny too.

I like all of the characters - Pam, Dwight, Jim are all great...except Michael for some reason...the guy's annoying. Which is the point I guess.

Ya, Michael is annoying, but that is the point. In last nights show when Dwight was trying to give Michael ideas for a funny card, and Michael just "oh god, Dwight, come on" it was funny banter.

Michael was hilarious with the whole suprise thing in #3.. eating the ice cream sandwhiches in his office was great, as well as the entire "ride" in the coal mine... I laughed so hard at that.

[Ro]

I'm finding it very difficult not to compare the two versions.

As clever as the NBC version has been, the thing that made the BBCv tick was Ricky Gervais. He was simply brilliant as David Brent, managing to keep him human and a little sympathetic at times, while effortlessly playing the annoying, awkward, socially inept card to perfection.

I am just guessing here, but I think part of the reason he was so successful is because he improvised quite abit, keeping everyone off guard. You got real reactions, and even Ricky didn't know what was going to happen some of the time.

I think Steve Carroll has been the weak link for the NBCv so far. The writing is great, the Jim character is great, and Dwight is at least on par with Gareth, which says a lot. Obviously, the writing has been good, and the doc mock filimg has also been very well done.

I just can't seem to enjoy Michael. I know I'm not supposed to like him, but there was something intangible about Ricky Gervais that kept you engaged. Carroll has been very bland and predictable, and when he tries too hard for laughs (the Chris Rock bit, the convenience store face slap), instead of half cringing and half belly laughing at the almost unwatchable situations (but of course, you kept watching with one eye open to see the results...) it comes off very unfunny and forced, IMO.

To me, the boss character is the key to the whole show, and I don't think Steve Carroll has been very good at all. Not that anybody could ever top Ricky Gervais, but they need the guy to come close.

Thoughts? Disagree? Agree?

[MrMastodonFarm]

I just can't seem to enjoy Michael. I know I'm not supposed to like him, but there was something intangible about Ricky Gervais that kept you engaged. Carroll has been very bland and predictable, and when he tries too hard for laughs (the Chris Rock bit, the convenience store face slap), instead of half cringing and half belly laughing at the almost unwatchable situations (but of course, you kept watching with one eye open to see the results...) it comes off very unfunny and forced, IMO.

Carrell is a great comedian, and right now he is starting off as being Ricky Gervais, but he is slowly starting to find his own character. Episode one and two were David Brent ripoffs in terms of the Micheal character, but the last two Carrell has been finding his own character pretty well.

To me, the boss character is the key to the whole show, and I don't think Steve Carroll has been very good at all. Not that anybody could ever top Ricky Gervais, but they need the guy to come close.

Thoughts? Disagree? Agree?

I can't agree, or disgaree with you. Trying to top what Ricky Gervais did with David Brent would be impossible. But Carrell is doing a good job with the Michael character so far.. I think once he starts to break away from David Brent more and more you will like/hate him more and more.

The last two episodes have been great, really on par with some of the stuff done in the British version. Dwight has been great, I agree with that. The dynamic between Pam and Jim is improving and getting much better. Although to be honest I hope they don't do the love triangle thing like in the British version, something new woudl be nice. The guy playing the mean boyfriend just isn't up to par with the other guy.

The backround characters are great too, very real it seems.

By the way two of the main writers were writers on King of the Hill, so you know I gotta love this show! :P

[MrMastodonFarm]

By the way again.. good news for those who loved the British Office. Co-Creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are teaming up again to make this comedy..Extra's

"Extras" is about an out-of-work actor (Gervais) who struggles for work when he keeps losing his parts to stars like DeNiro. However, he insists that they're "just lucky".

[Ro]

Originally posted by MrMastodonFarm@Apr 14 2005, 04:52 PM
By the way again.. good news for those who loved the British Office. Co-Creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are teaming up again to make this comedy..Extra's

Awesome!!!

Found more info here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/extras/

and here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/t...dio/4201783.stm

--

And back on topic, you make some good points MMF. If Carroll makes the role his own, then fine. I'm all for that. And while I agree with you that he's on his way, I just hope it's a lot funnier, because I'm finding him more annoying-blah than annoying-hilarious.

Edit- DID YOU WATCH THAT EASTER EGG YET!!!!???

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Ro@Apr 14 2005, 05:59 PM
Edit- DID YOU WATCH THAT EASTER EGG YET!!!!???

Tried to when you told me about it, but it isn't on my DVD set.. sad. I have the all in one DVD set.. Series one, series two and the Christmas special all in one neat little black package.. no easter egg for me.

I can't stop watching, or listening to the studio version of Freelove Freeway though, I actually like that song.
..cause one of them were you
Tim - What, you?
Brent - No, the girl
Tim - oh, cause it sounded ga..
Brent.. its not gay..

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally posted by Igottago@Mar 30 2005, 01:15 AM
British version is simply amazing...this one...meh...

why can't they just show the british one? are american's that self-centered? its not like england has british versions of seinfeld or the simpsons...

i'll stick to the vastly superior british version

There was a British version of "Who's the Boss?" though which took the episodes and pretty much spit them out word-for-word.

[Hack&Lube]

For some everyday Britcom you can catch on TV, check out YTV @ 12:30 AM each week night.

It's the hilarious "My Family"
YTV also used to play really old Britcoms like "Are You Being Served" and that truely is classic and some of the funniest things I have ever watched simply because of British sensibilities.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Another hilarious episode of the Office last night.. season finale next week. I hope to god NBC picks this up for another season. One of the funniest shows on tv in the last little while.

[calf]

I agree. Tuesday night is now my favorite TV night. Scrubs, then the Office...can't be beat.

[Mike F]

I was dissapointed with tonight's Office.

Way too much time spent on the game. Alright, some guys are good, some suck, some are competitive, etc. No need to drive it home over and over and over and over and...

[Calgary Flames]

Funniest show since Sienfeld... simple as that.

[Jiggy_12]

"We'll need you come baseball season....Or if we Box"

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Calgary Flames@Apr 20 2005, 11:27 AM
Funniest show since Sienfeld... simple as that.

It certainly has major potential, I just hope NBC doesn't look at the ratings and look for a new reality show to replace it. Malcolm in the Middle, King of the Hill, That 70's show are some of the funnier programs to come out in the last little while.. King being the best. One of the main writers for the Office -- Greg Daniels -- was a writer on SNL in the early 90's, wrote for Sienfeld, and wrote for the Simpsons for during the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th seasons. So they certainly got a great writer for the show.

Oh yuck! That's even worse then you playing...

[Calgary Flames]

The timeslot is ######ed aswell... Tuesday night going against the 2nd half of Amazing Race??? Are the execs at NBC idiots?

Thankfully I have a PVR and more than 1 TV otherwise I would've missed it.

[Hakan]

"He's thrown a kettle over a pub. What have you done?"

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Hakan@Apr 20 2005, 12:01 PM
"He's thrown a kettle over a pub. What have you done?"

Gareth: My dad, for example, he's not as cosmopolitan or as educated as me and it can be embarrasing you know. He doesn't understand all the new trendy words - like he'll say "poofs" instead of "gays", "birds" instead of "women", "darkies" instead of.. "coloureds".

[KevanGuy]

CNBC is playing all 4 episodes in a row tonight starting at 10pm.