http://www.ananova.com/entertainment...377.html?menu=
Ananova:

NBC to make US version of The Office

Ricky Gervais is hoping The Office will prove a hit in America, after the NBC network announced it is producing a remake of the show.

The second series, which is currently airing in the US on BBC America, has won a cult following and rave reviews from the critics.

NBC said the spoof documentary, created by Gervais and Stephen Merchant, will be remade with an American cast if a pilot episode proves a success.

The network's prime time development president Kevin Reilly told the Hollywood Reporter: "Workplace comedies are a staple of TV. Unfortunately, most office comedies have all the reality leeched out of them.

"In The Office, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have created a show that perfectly captures the universal experience of the daily grind. I have no doubt that we will be able to translate this series for an American audience."

But unlike the American remake of British sitcom Coupling - which has been savaged by critics - The Office would get a substantial re-scripting by Ben Silverman's Universal-based production company Reveille.

Mr Silverman said: "These are distinct British stereotypes, and we're going to find our American stereotypes of office life to translate, but we're going to work very closely with Ricky and Stephen."

Gervais would not star in the US version of the show. The Office won best comedy series at the BAFTAs in 2002 and 2003. The New York Post described The Office as possibly "the most-respected sitcom in a generation."

The US version of Coupling, on the other hand, recently lost its prime time NBC spot after disappointing viewer numbers. Newsweek wrote that Coupling "gives sex, comedy and television a bad name".

Daily Variety said "the cast has no likeable characters, motivation for every act is sexual, and the theme of moronic men versus wily women has been played out".

Sounds like someone's got a case of the Mondays...



Hey BDB, haven't seen you on chat thingy... Send me an 'email' with your address, and I'll get that time trial to you. Also, Lance was an hour-long guest on Charlie Rose a couple nights ago. Interesting interview I'll add to the tape if you didn't catch it. Interesting stuff re: the tour, the divorce, the team, etc.

• Quoth Article •<HR SIZE=1>The network's prime time development president Kevin Reilly told the Hollywood Reporter: "Stealing from the Brits is a staple of TV. Unfortunately, most NBC comedies have all the funny leeched out of them."<HR SIZE=1>

Fixed

das

ARRRGHHH!!!! Another one of my favorite Britcoms being bastardized.

The good news is that I don't see how the American version will, in any way, shape or form, resemble the British version, other than being set in an office. 75% of the jokes in the British version come from the boss being bigoted, racist, and primarily sexist, including loads of "sexual harassment" type stuff - something which we know bosses can't get away with here.

• Quoth Numanoid •<HR SIZE=1>The good news is that I don't see how the American version will, in any way, shape or form, resemble the British version, other than being set in an office. 75% of the jokes in the British version come from the boss being bigoted, racist, and primarily sexist, including loads of "sexual harassment" type stuff - something which we know bosses can't get away with here. <HR SIZE=1>

Ah, seeing as how Coupling has been such a "big hit" for the network, this seems just about right. Go NBC.

NBC = National Bizarro Company

Remake another British series? Hmmm... BAD IDEA! Let's do it!

*bangs head against table*

I've figured it out. Monkeys are now running NBC. Pantless, poo-flinging monkeys.

Not the nice das kind of course.

Does this mean they'll abandon the documentary style of filming and tack on a laugh track? It kinda defeats the purpose of the show. Then again, a remake has no purpose in the first place if NBC's Coupling is any indication.

I have never seen the Office. Does it air in sequential order anytime soon?

BBCAmerica is playing Season 2 in sequence (6 episodes) starting a few days ago. Luckily, the first episode will repeat tomorrow and over the weekend. See this thread:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...ghlight=Office

Even better, the DVD of the first season was just released on DVD last week.

• Quoth Jadzia •<HR SIZE=1>Even better, the DVD of the first season was just released on DVD last week. <HR SIZE=1>

Yeah, but is it on DVD?

das

And I ordered the 2nd Season from amazon uk
It is released on Monday the 20th.

This is good news for NBC's bottom line. Now they can fire all their writers and just copy British TV entirely!

I love the BBC Coupling, but dislike the US version. I am not a huge fan of The Office though. I think that it is fairly funny, but it is overrated. Tim is probably my favorite, but most of the other characters are genuinely unlikeable, and that doesn't lend itself to me enjoying watching them. I will admit though, sometimes it is painful to watch David bumble his way through communicating with his employees...

NBC should just get the rights from the British networks to air these shows over here if they like them so much. Why watch a crappy re-make when we can just watch the original?

I would just point out that if you've ever enjoyed All in the Family, Three's Company, or Sanford and Son, then you should know there's nothing wrong with making an American version of an English show. Not that it's gone all that well in recent years.

Yeah, but if you really examine NBC's situation, you have to realize they're in a load of trouble right now:


All they have going for them is the Law and Order franchise,

Frasier and Friends are exiting this year,

and all they have left is importing hit Brit-coms??


Must See TV Thursdays is no more. NBC, you're back to the days of Manimal and third place.

NBC has a golden ticket in Scrubs, I just don't know if they realize yet.

Here's a reason to resurrect this thread.
Meet America's David Brent

for the uninitiated

Meet America's David Brent
Daily Show comic lands Office role
EXCLUSIVE: A relatively unknown comic has been chosen for the role of David Brent in the American version of The Office.

According to well-placed comedy sources, Steve Carell from Comedy Central's The Daily Show has been selected for the role, which could propel him to the same stardom in the States as Ricky Gervais has achieved over here.

Originally from Boston, Carell cut his comedy teeth with the famed Second City improv group of Chicago.

He landed the role of correspondent on Jon Stewart's topical satire show, screened on CNN in Europe, after appearing in a host of short-lived series - and he'll be hoping The Office doesn't join that list.

King Of The Kill creator Greg Daniels is masterminding the translation of the show from Slough's Wernham Hogg paper merchants to a similarly nondescript American location for the NBC remake.

Gervais is currently in the States working on the show - and attending tonight's Golden Globe awards, in which he has been nominated.

Last week, he said: "There is an actor who we are all very excited about but we don't want to say his name yet."

But he added the person chosen would not be well-known. "It was the same here four years ago - no-one had heard of any of us," he said.

January 25 2004

Steve Carell? This could actually be good now.

I like the typo "King of the Kill"

At least they aren't trying to match the original beat for beat. Steve Carell sounds like a great choice, but I can't see him pulling off the same kind of David Brent as Gervais.

Throw in Steven Colbert somewhere and I'm sold.