[Simo]

i have seen all of the British version and a few episodes of the US one.

The US one bombed over here. They showed a few episodes during prime time then it got pushed back to late at night and then got taken off air. I watched some of it. It really was not very funny. It might have been okay if i had of watched it before the British version, but it really does not compare.

The British version is hilarious. The actors are much better, they fit the parts better and everyone gels much better than in the US version. You can't beat Ricky Gervais as David Brent.

[Art]

Originally Posted by Simo

i have seen all of the British version and a few episodes of the US one.

The US one bombed over here. They showed a few episodes during prime time then it got pushed back to late at night and then got taken off air. I watched some of it. It really was not very funny. It might have been okay if i had of watched it before the British version, but it really does not compare.

The British version is hilarious. The actors are much better, they fit the parts better and everyone gels much better than in the US version. You can't beat Ricky Gervais as David Brent.

In the US (which is obviously the only country that matters), Steve Carrel is the comedy master.

Really, you can't compare the two (Gervais and Carrel). That part is non-transferrable. They play it completely differently, and, in my opinion, equally beautifully.

As for the actors being much better... overall? Ehhh. I don't see it. I watched the British version a couple of times.

Edit: As in, the entire series, a couple of times through.

[bread man]

I probably will never check out the US version, but I find it really hard to imagine a better cast than the one on the UK version. I think our sense of humour in Australia is just a lot closer to the British one than it is to the US one.

[SallySue]

The Office is the only current show that I follow. I loooove it! My uncle and some friends from school introduced me to it. Steve Carrell is the perfect jerky boss, and all of the other characters such as Dwight, Pam, Phyllis, and Jim are hilarious too. I have never seen the British version, though, so I can't do a comparison.

[Micahb]

I saw the American one for the first time. For thoes of you who havnt seen one or the other there are two main differnces
1) The british is was more ackward. The american version is faster paced with alot less tension which, in my opinion, makes it less funny.
2) Michael and David. In the british version David is an ass. There is no way around it. He is the definition of wanker. Michael on the American version has some of that but he was redemable qualities, so in the end you still love him. Again, I am going with the british version here.

I am way more attached to the characters on the British version tho, because I watched them all in about 3 days. The relations on it are so well done. I didn't get that on the American version, but I have only seen it twice.
Also I am also prone to British humor (Shaun of the Dead, Monty Python, The Office, etc) so there you go.

They are both really good, but I prefer the brits.

[bread man]

I dunno, in the Christmas Specials, I found that I started to feel sorry for David a bit. But yeah, he's still an ass.

I watched a couple of episodes with some friends today. The scene in the first episode where Tim steals Gareth's stapler is possibly the funniest thing on a TV series ever.

[Art]

Originally Posted by bread man

I dunno, in the Christmas Specials, I found that I started to feel sorry for David a bit. But yeah, he's still an ass.

I watched a couple of episodes with some friends today. The scene in the first episode where Tim steals Gareth's stapler is possibly the funniest thing on a TV series ever.

Absolutely agreed on all points. But then, I think the second episode of the American version was just as good, which was the Racial training day.

[Simo]

Originally Posted by Art

In the US (which is obviously the only country that matters), Steve Carrel is the comedy master.

Really, you can't compare the two (Gervais and Carrel). That part is non-transferrable. They play it completely differently, and, in my opinion, equally beautifully.

As for the actors being much better... overall? Ehhh. I don't see it. I watched the British version a couple of times.

Edit: As in, the entire series, a couple of times through.

For me, i think the problem with the American version is that the actors don't seem to fit the parts as well.
Much of the humour of the English version is in Ricky's expressions, his mannerisms and the character he plays. Also i think Gareth plays his part really well, and Tim and Dawn and also Keith. You just can't beat Keith.

[Rach]

What i think you guys don't understand is that each cast, script, joke is geared to the audience it is intended for. The british one is going to be alot funnier to the brits and you aussies because it is intended for you. Some aspects of the British version are going to be funnier to you guys because it has charactheristics that are uniquely British, whereas the American version is going to be funnier to Americans because some of it is going to be very uniquely American. You really cannot compare the two for those reasons. It is that way with alot of British comedies and vise versa. They are a hoot over there but they didn't do so hot across the pond.

[Micahb]

Originally Posted by Simo

Much of the humour of the English version is in Ricky's expressions, his mannerisms and the character he plays. Also i think Gareth plays his part really well, and Tim and Dawn and also Keith. You just can't beat Keith.

I agree, but I havnt given the American version a real chance yet.
The relationships kill me on the English one - Tim and Dawn, Tim and Gareth, Gareth and David, Gareth/David/Finchy crack me up.
When I first heard Kieth say "booyakasha" I almost cried.

[Art]

Originally Posted by Rach

What i think you guys don't understand is that each cast, script, joke is geared to the audience it is intended for. The british one is going to be alot funnier to the brits and you aussies because it is intended for you. Some aspects of the British version are going to be funnier to you guys because it has charactheristics that are uniquely British, whereas the American version is going to be funnier to Americans because some of it is going to be very uniquely American. You really cannot compare the two for those reasons. It is that way with alot of British comedies and vise versa. They are a hoot over there but they didn't do so hot across the pond.

Except with people like me, who have the Brittish comedy gene. I don't know why I have it, but I do...

[Rach]

Yes, but that is not the norm for most americans. I generally cannot stand british comedy.