TV Serieseseses
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Finished the 2 seasons of The Office (UK) which I did like, but I reckon if I'd watched this first, I'd not have bothered with the US version, which was, IMO much better.
There are alot of similarities, but also where they have exaggerated (or softened) some characters
For me, the main reason is David Brent, he is a fluffybunny! Michael Scott is silly and naive, Brent is just a prick, who you just cringe at everything, whereas Scott usually means well, he just has no clue.
The Gareth/Dwight, for me, the latter is a much better character, seems to have a personality disorder that makes him act and behave the way he does, and is good at heart, whereas Gareth is just a bit of a tool...Gareth is a bit more of a lad, whereas Dwight is a bit quieter, but much more successful with the ladies.
Tim/Jim are fairly similar.
The US version focuses more on the whole office, whereas the UK one is more Brent, Gareth, Tim and a bit of Dawn and then the others.
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@taniwharugby said in TV Serieseseses:
Finished the 2 seasons of The Office (UK) which I did like, but I reckon if I'd watched this first, I'd not have bothered with the US version, which was, IMO much better.
There are alot of similarities, but also where they have exaggerated (or softened) some characters
For me, the main reason is David Brent, he is a fluffybunny! Michael Scott is silly and naive, Brent is just a prick, who you just cringe at everything, whereas Scott usually means well, he just has no clue.
The Gareth/Dwight, for me, the latter is a much better character, seems to have a personality disorder that makes him act and behave the way he does, and is good at heart, whereas Gareth is just a bit of a tool...Gareth is a bit more of a lad, whereas Dwight is a bit quieter, but much more successful with the ladies.
Tim/Jim are fairly similar.
The US version focuses more on the whole office, whereas the UK one is more Brent, Gareth, Tim and a bit of Dawn and then the others.
Tbf the UK office was only 2 seasons of 7 episodes. When renewed the US one had like 20 per season over 9 seasons.
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@rancid-schnitzel yeah appreciate that gave more scope to get to know more characters, but just in terms of Brent and Gareth in particular, it'd take more of a shift to make them more likeable.
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@taniwharugby said in TV Serieseseses:
@rancid-schnitzel yeah appreciate that gave more scope to get to know more characters, but just in terms of Brent and Gareth in particular, it'd take more of a shift to make them more likeable.
You're not supposed to like Brent, he's the archetypal piston wristed gibbon boss. Plays it so well
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@machpants I realise that, but in comparison to Michael Scott who is based on Brent, he is a much better character, and I guess with Brent on the writing team for the US version maybe he thought a different approach would be better?
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Everything about the UK version is darker, more cringey - the US is a much lighter version.
I loved them both.
Did you also watch the UK Christmas special @taniwharugby? I'm not ashamed to admit that I welled up a little...
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The US version was too watered down for me, missed the point to imo. I think they knew the US couldn't handle anything apart from standard comedy, and they decided to make muchos cash from it. I don't blame them, fuck artistic integrity compared to the millions Brent made! I think if I hadn't watched the UK version first, I would've enjoyed the US one. Reminds me a bit like the end of Dodgeball, don't blame them for changing that, either.
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dont forget season 1 michael scott is much more of an arse, more like brent......and then they realised if they tweaked him into a likeable buffoon they could get 9 seasons out of it
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@kiwiwomble he was still not as much of a fluffybunny, but I think if they went on with more seasons of the UK one we may have gotten to know people more and some become more likeable, or at least know why they are douche bags.
Although I must say that I never used to like Ricky Gervais, and I now know part of that was due to David Brent, only warmed to him in his Netflix stand up, Humanity and the series, Afterlife, tried a couple of other things he was involved in and not a fan.
Think I mentioned when I first watched the US series, first few were ok, but I felt it got better as it went along.
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@taniwharugby said in TV Serieseseses:
Think I mentioned when I first watched the US series, first few were ok, but I felt it got better as it went along.
I think thats a pretty common opinion, the first season and then the latter couple really are a drop in quality from the middle several
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It's been years since I watched the US Office - wondering if you guys who have seen it more recently think that kids in the 10-13 age group would enjoy it? We are almost through Modern Family which followed Friends, they love both
Would they get the humour?
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@voodoo im sure some would, there is definitely some stuff that hasn't aged well
There were a couple of episodes around race or being gay that we got as actual satire of people with those kinds of prejudices as well as made in a "different time", strange to say about something 15 years old
some might look on them differently though, it hasn't been "cancelled" yet so maybe they managed to walk the tightrope successfully
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@kiwiwomble I have watched some Fawlty Towers recently, and that is def from a different era, in fact, probably a few back haha.
Some funny bits, but largely not IMO.
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@taniwharugby i get it, you very much have to be able to put yourself in the mindset of when it was made. some people cant do that, some people think you shouldn't have too and everything should be always acceptable or it never was....and some like myself will just choose to remember it as a funny series and possibly never rewatch
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@kiwiwomble said in TV Serieseseses:
@taniwharugby i get it, you very much have to be able to put yourself in the mindset of when it was made. some people cant do that, some people think you shouldn't have too and everything should be always acceptable or it never was....and some like myself will just choose to remember it as a funny series and possibly never rewatch
Basil certainly abused the foreign help that’s for sure.
I remember it holding up really well, this scene always amused me, a Waldorf Salad sounds fucken disgusting, who the fuck would eat that shit ?
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@taniwharugby interesting, watched the whole lot again last year while on holiday with the in laws in tow as our evening viewing and we all thought it was still awesome.
