Another sitcom to be ruined
Actor Carell set for US Office
US actor Steve Carell is set to star as Ricky Gervais’ character in the American version of The Office.
Admittedly, I know nothing about Steve Carell, but given the frankly dire results that tend to come from American attempts to remake British comedies, I don’t see anything good coming out of an American version of The Office.
Saturday 31 Jan 2004 | Paul | The Pit
I’ve only seen the UK version of The Office once, so I don’t know if it will translate well in the states. That said, Steve Carell is freakin’ hilarious. His mannerisms alone remind me of Rowan Atkinson. You might be able to watch some clips of his work on the Comedy Central website.
To an extent, this is what I’m afraid of.
The Office is so effective because it deliberately avoids any sort of broad humour. It’s uncomfortably funny because of the realism of the characters.
So, as soon as you start putting deliberate jokes into it, the thing that makes it so special is lost.
Perhaps it was that one episode that I saw, but based on that I’d have to disagree with you. The show started out with a lot of deliberate jokes. One fella starts out humming part of the Muppets theme song, and gradually other cast members join in, much to anothers character’s dismay.
I’m not convinced that Carell is the right guy for the part, based on your concern, but there’s always a chance. I’ll make a point to TiVo a few more episodes off BBC America and see if I can’t give a more objective opinion.
I have to admit that I don’t recall hearing the Muppets theme song being used, but with my memory, that doesn’t mean much.
‘Deliberate Jokes’ may be the wrong phrase to use. What I am trying to get at is that The Office deliberately avoids any sort of broad humour.
Instead of having inherently funny characters or an inherently funny situation, it uses very familliar characters - and there are plenty of Gareths and Tims around - in a very familliar situation - the office - and allows the humour to develop naturally.
I’m not sure the above paragraph really sums it up adequately, but it’s the best I can do at the moment.