The Office

Yeah, I went hunting once. Shot a deer in the leg. Had to kill it with a shovel. Took about an hour. Why do you ask?” – Michael Scott, The Office. It has become a great point of high contention, with many different views and opinions, on the continued success of the American adaptation of British mockumentary, The Office; which version is the better one? While I could easily discuss why the American version is the obvious answer, this is not the point I am trying to make. Whether or not someone gets a joke is determined by their interpretation, and this is greatly influenced by culture. How funny one may find something depends on many factors including age, sex, race, personal experience, education and especially geographical location. Therefore humor is not something that is always transferrable in another country. What somebody from one area may find hilarious may not be funny or downright disrespectful to someone in another area. To try and shed a little light this, I will provide an analysis of the differences between the two very different – but both undeniably hilarious – versions of The Office.

The original UK version of The Office was a show about the daily lives of office employees working under an outrageous boss at a paper company, filmed in the form of a fake documentary. The show was great at turning cringe worthy embarrassment into comedy gold. The brazen, self-important arrogance with which the UK versions title character, Ricky Gervais’ Brent carried himself created some of the decade’s most watchable cringe-worthy TV, while the uniformly excellent supporting cast, like Mackenzie Crook as slimy “Assistant to the Regional Manager” Gareth Keenan and Martin Freeman as his foil, Tim Canterbury, helped Brent bring to l...

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...lobe), and the humour fits their bleak outlook better – while the U.S. one is more attuned to American sensibilities. The danger that the American adaptation has faced is “jumping the shark” which it has flirted with on the basis of some of the more implausible, wacky plotlines, particularly Michael’s affair with tasty superior Jan Levinson and the indictment of fast-rising temp Ryan, a challenge made more difficult by its continuing length and the fact that Carell has left the show. Both, however, are excellent, and it’s been encouraging to see the American adaptation mature after a less than spectacular, carbon copy first season. I just hope they tie it up soon because though the supporting players provide plenty of raucous fun, Carell is the show’s heart and soul, and a final-season derailment would put the debate over which show is best to bed once and for all.