Let me preface my article with this: I have not watched the original British version of The Office on cable’s BBC America channel. Too bad for me or maybe not... I can’t compare NBC’s version to anything else and that’s a good thing because I think this show is a riot. It’s a mockumentary that films the activities and absurdities of a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The creator, Greg Daniels, has kept it faithful in tone to the BBC series; NBC’s Office is an American parody of the tedious minutia that occurs in the workplace.
Loyal fans of the original Office say that Steve Carell as boss Michael Scott is not nearly as good as Ricky Gervais was in the British version. Well, Carell’s not exactly subtle. But we’re not exactly in England either. He doesn’t just stick his foot in his mouth, but his whole leg. Yet he accomplishes what he sets out to do – he makes us laugh. At him, of course.
I rip roar from his unassailable ability to behave inappropriately and insensitively. I just love how he wears his insecurities and makes everybody pay in the process. If you could imagine a pre-schooler running an office, it would be Dunder Mifflin Paper Supply Co., and the toddler: Regional manager Michael Scott. Brilliant ideas are canned if he doesn’t think of them first, delusions of competency cloud his perception and temper tantrums (with full-blown foot stampings) are not out of the question.
Hysterical to watch. Yet, according to Scott, he’s Mr. Coolio, smarter-than-all, your friend, my friend, funny guy. In reality, the employees stick around for one thing and one thing only. The paycheck. Period.
The person who bears the biggest brunt of the boss is the office receptionist, Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). Sweet and cute on the outside, but cunning enough to outwit most other employees and her boss, as well.
I wonder why an intelligent girl like herself sticks around, but that answer would be Jim Halpert, of course. Jim (John Krasinski) is the good-humored, apathetic sales rep who is smitten with Pam (and likewise). The chemistry between them is perfect and both are ten steps ahead of most other Dunderites. Just one problem: Pam happens to be engaged to somebody else. This little roadblock and their constant shenanigans to disturb Dwight makes their “friendship” that much more interesting.
Article comments
1 - Andrew Sloan
Mr Cohen-Schenker, did you actually watch the episodes you're writing about? This artical is factually incorrect and even though writing is subjective - I think you missed alot of the points about the Office - whether British or American they both run along parallel lines. www.amazon.com - buy the DVD, watch it and then write the article.
AS