My New TV Addiction...

[Timo]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Timo, I gotta say, yeah American shows are funny. But so are many Brit shows. Black Books was hysterical. Greenwing had me in stitches. IT Crowd is quintessentially English. The Office was amazing, yeah the American version was funny but to me the English version was much funnier (if a little excruciating). Extras was also a classy number. American comedy is often brilliant. But so is Brit comedy. They offer different perspectives and a slightly different take on the world.

I forgot about Extras, that really had it's moments,
the scene with Ian McKellen was brilliant, "gandalf gandalf gandalf... sir ian!"

I guess i'm forgetting the oldies too, like Dads Army, Only Fools and Horses, Porrige, they were all fanatstic,

oh and the Mighty Boosh I guess (let down by season 3) but yeah, thats alright.

[DanaC]

oof! I forgot the Boosh! Now that's one bizarre motherfucker of a comedy right there. Thos two have truly strange minds. Ever seen Noel Fielding do standup, Timo? Very, very strange man. But funny.

[DanaC]

@ Radar. Actually, with the Office I can see more rationale for making an American version. I can also see why you would prefer the American and I would prefer the brit. The whole point of that show is to make it excruciatingly real. That's where the humour derives from. In order for that humour to work, you need to be able to associate in and recognise that workplace as 'normal'. An English office workplace won't resonate the same with you as it would with me and vice versa.

[Timo]

never seen his stand up no,
but he was brilliant when he filled in for Bill Bailey on Never Mind the Buzzcocks,
outstanding even,

[DanaC]

Did you ever catch Garth Merenghi's Darkplace? Some of the same people as are in IT crowd. Very funny.

Here's the first part of episode one: Keep going to the interviews that's where it starts to get really funny :P

[Timo]

hahah, that was wonderfully offbeat, I can see why they're friendly with the Boosh-crew,

[Radar]

Originally Posted by DanaC

@ Radar. Actually, with the Office I can see more rationale for making an American version. I can also see why you would prefer the American and I would prefer the brit. The whole point of that show is to make it excruciatingly real. That's where the humour derives from. In order for that humour to work, you need to be able to associate in and recognise that workplace as 'normal'. An English office workplace won't resonate the same with you as it would with me and vice versa.

I've worked in very large corporate environments for almost 2 decades. My current job is the smallest company I've worked at for a long time and we've got 5 locations. I'm the I.T. Director for a movie producer right now. That being said, I think the reason I like the American version of the office better is because it's NOT the same kind of environment as we've got in America. The boss and many of the other employees on the show are acting wholly inappropriate. They would be fired within a day in any real office.

The British version seems a bit more subdued to me, and it seems like you could actually get away with some of what they do. To be fair though, I've only seen 1 or 2 episodes of the British one.

[DanaC]

I have worked in an office very like the Brit one. Had a boss a bit like him too. Always trying to be matesy with everyone and thought he was a fucking standup comedian, but rarely hit the mark. Sexist, mildy racist and no idea about disabled issues. I totally recognised that environment. I think that's what I loved about it. As an additional point, my role in that office was to sell typewriter ribbon via telesales....it was a long time ago :P

[melidasaur]

[quote=Timo;435464]I forgot about Extras, that really had it's moments,
the scene with Ian McKellen was brilliant, "gandalf gandalf gandalf... sir ian!"[quote]

That episode had me on the floor, laughing for days... I loved Extras!


I blatantly refuse to watch the American version of The Office. I love the BBC version, have watched it so many times, love it so very much. I felt offended that there was a need for an American version.