Great “The Office” Review
I was going to write a full review of last night’s showing of “The Office” on NBC, but felt the New York Times review really said everything I would have and more.
About two months ago I received a copy of the pilot and it’s slightly different than the episode that showed last night. A couple of different jokes which have been removed, but the show last night had a couple that my version of the pilot didn’t have. Maybe they’ll show up in future episodes.
Overall I rather enjoyed it. I did laugh out loud numerous times. Steve Carell did a great job, slightly tweakig the character Ricky Gervais made famous. I remember reading an interview with Gervais about a year ago when he found his lead man. He said he found the only actor in America who could pull it off and he’s pretty much right.
People like to point to the American version of “Coupling” as an example of how you can’t translate British humor to an American audience. The problem with the American version wasn’t the comedy, but a horribly miscast group of actors. They just didn’t fit their characters in any fashion. That’s not the case with NBC’s “The Office.” I wouldn’t say its perfect casting all around, but they managed to pull things off pretty nicely.
And it would be nice to find one review out there that reviews this show without comparing it to the British original. Review it on its own merits without trying to compare it to the original. Sure, by pretty much recreating the first episode word-for-word, the creators are just asking for it, but it would be nice to see.
