The Office - An American Workplace: Season One (DVD)

I used to enjoy 'The Office' when it was first made for British television with Ricky Gervais as the boss of the office. The only made two series but they were very funny. However I got into the American version of the Office a while back now and haven't looked back. I actually do prefer it now to the English version. It started slowly but has taken off and they have made alot of these episodes now. The Office charts the story of the internal affairs of a fictional Pennsylvania paper company called Dunder-Mifflin and portrays office life within that company. The show is very funny and Steve Carrell plays boss Michael Scott brilliantly and ...  Read the complete review

Few expected that the American remake of Ricky Gervais's acclaimed show The Office would be any good; if anything, it would probably lack the cruel can't-stop-looking awkward embarassment of the UK version, resorting to cheap laughs and sight gags. This turns out not to be true, but this first season, which aims to be too faithful to the original vision, is awkward and not terribly funny. The show branched out a lot in its second season and became worth watching, but after this undoubtedly shaky introduction, I am quite surprised that it survived. The series opens with an introduction of the office, where we meet Dunder Mifflin boss Michael Scott (Steve ...  Read the complete review

Watching this American version of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's 2001 creation was not something I had an urge to do if I am honest. The British version had me enthralled and I loved it. And after the Yanks failed with Red Dwarf (miserably!) I expected much of the same. Save for a few achievements ( Dear John is one that comes to mind) they just could not seem to turn a successful British comedy into a successful American comedy. So imagine my surprise when I ended up really enjoying this American version of The Office! As with the British version, The Office: An American Work Place is basically a 'mockumentary' of life in an office, this one being ...  Read the complete review

To say I was dubious about the US version of The Office is an understatement. I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais' original, and was sceptical about how the show would translate to a US format. By the time I was a few seasons in, I was no longer dubious: the US version is better, by far, than the original (there, I said it), but this first seasons doesn't compare. This first season is a carbon copy of series 1 of the UK show. It copies characters and plot, relationships and attitudes. For fans of the original, it becomes very weird. If, like me, you're one of those people who knows the office inside out, then you'll squirm at the new Americanisms, and spend much ...  Read the complete review

I personally was unsure about the US remake of Ricky Gervais' UK hit series 'the Office' . The UK series had earned rave reviews and I was unsure of the US series capability to match up to this standard. However, any fears I had were immediately quelled. Steve Carrell's performance as 'Michael Scott', the regional manger of Scranton's branch of Dunder Mifflen's paper distribution company, is a delight to behold and I know prefer his character to Ricky Gervais' original one. What makes this series so special is undoubtedly the range of diverse and unique characters on offer. Jim is an average worker who the viewer can empathise with, while Dwight is so strange ...  Read the complete review