Take a Memo

This American version of "The Office" was filmed with exceeding high expectations and then put on hold once that other American translation with high expectation managed to bomb out after only 4 episodes aired: and that was "Coupling." NBC bosses waited for the right time to showcase their own version of the Ricky Gervais BBC hit, and it was the right thing to do. This show does not need to die out after 4 episodes, it does not need to bomb and become an embarrassment. This show needs to stick around forever and ever and ever. If I'm 80 years old and staggering to reach my Hot Pocket, I still want to see "The Office" on the air. I love the BBC version, and it gets it right for completely different reason than this show does. They both exist in separate worlds and that works all for the better. From the people I have talked to who actually hate this version, it is for no other reason than their devotion to the original. That's not the way to go about this. There are things in this world that are indeed above being remade, but if the original works, it works, and if a remake works, it works. This one works so well and succeeds at its own speed and pace, that you forget it is actually a remake.

The problem with the American version of "Coupling" was that the first 3 episodes were taken directly, almost word for word, from Stephan Moffat's original and brilliant scripts. It was awkward, it didn't translate well, and the actors weren't being characters, they were doing bad impressions. The only time in "The Office" where anything from an original script is used is during "The Pilot" episode. And even then, I'd say about only half of the jokes from that original script are used, and it is padded with some genius new material. When an actor is doing something that is from the BBC version, it is performed with the delivery of their own character, such as the scene where John Krasinski places Rainn Wilson's office items in jello. In the BBC version, Ricky Gervais was almost saddened when the character wouldn't eat it out of the jello. In this version, the great Steve Carell is sarcastically ticked off in a way. Both are absolutely hilarious.

But the key difference that we really have here is that between Gervais' David Brent character and Carell's Michael Scott. Brent was rude and obnoxious, but in a way to where he knew he was being rude and obnoxious. We've all had bosses like that, and despite all the problems he had emotionally, he was almost charming in a way. Michael Scott on the other hand is a terror. A man who does not know he is loathed with a passion around the building. He is so offensive, so smarmy, so cocky, and such the epitomy of all that is evil (and that all works by the way), that I can remember one boss that I had who was like that. He was fired. What Carell does here is quite genius, in how he takes a character who if it were played by a different actor, it would most certainly not work about 90% of the time, and I'm being generous there. I personally cannot see someone else playing Michael Scott as well. Despite all of his faults, he begs you to like him. I easily compare it with Vince Vaughn in "Made." One step over, and the character would be unwatchable. Carell makes sure that that never happens. It's a brilliant performance.

Even the supporting cast works their charms like magic. Rainn Wilson's Dwight is that nightmare co-worker who plots to have every single one of the co-worker's fired in an instant, while proclaiming that he's higher up on the job scale than he actually is. The possible romantic relationship between John Krasinski's Jim and Jenna Fischer's Pam is obviously taken from the BBC version, but is given it's own level of sweetness and realism that it could exist perfectly without even being taken from the original. Jim is the character on the show that we all can relate to: to guy who buys himself a mini bottle of champagne for his big sale, and even though he doesn't win it, he considers that day a good one when Pam falls asleep resting her head on his shoulder. There are many quiet moments like this that make the new "Office" the treasure that it is, and I cannot wait for it to come back next season.

When the show originally aired, it was shown in a high definition widescreen format, much like many other NBC shows are doing. That image and sound quality is also transferred to this DVD and it is absolutely clear as day, and with the Stereo option on your DVD, you can actually play it all at a much higher full blast than you can when watching it on regular TV.

Various deleted scenes are featured on here, and they are one step higher than most deleted scenes that are featured on many DVD's. These actually could have made it on the air. Some of them are just as fresh and funny as the material that we've seen. The show is jam packed with biting satirical comedy and quick cuts, that it's obvious that some would have to be cut to make the show not go over it's running time, so what we have here are a lot of those quick cuts, such as more scenes of office rivalry between Jim and Dwight, plus a lot of inner office phone conversations and water cooler chatter.

Commentary tracks are provided on 4 of the episodes. "The Pilot" gets 2 different tracks featuring different members of the cast and crew. "Diversity Day," "The Alliance," and "Basketball" also feature their own tracks. Carell makes appearances on all except for "The Alliance," though Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski are feature prominantly on this particular commentary, and that's the way to go, seeing how that particular episode revolved mostly around those two characters. This is obviously a series that these people are all proud of. Their level of laughter and willingness to talk about the series on these tracks is clear and there's rarely a low moment without someone mentioning something insightful. A lot of whom actually suggest different ideas in terms of the series writing. BJ Novak who portrays the Intern on the show, was even credited as writer for "Diversity Day."

Last season, the show did phenomenal on it's premiere night, but when NBC moved it to Tuesday's to make way for more schlockfest from Donald Trump, the show didn't score as high. The fault for that could rest on all the websites still proclaiming that the show would still be on Thursday nights. This is a show that deserves to be on Thursday. Steve Carell just opened at #1 at the Box Office with "The 40 Year Old Virgin." I hope to god that gets people interested in this show, which deserves just as much as anything else to succeed. The deal with NBC is that it usually appears as if when they themselves like a show, they throw it all the meat that it needs. I've heard them talk about this show. They dig it, they want it to live, and that's a great thing. In the ratings last season, "Committed" scored higher than "The Office," and "Committed" was canceled. I hope in all honesty NBC continues to dig this show, because I know that I sure as hell do.

The DVD is listed at a low price for a TV show on DVD, and that's because there were only 6 episodes in the 1st season. This is a single disc DVD, and not a box set, but even if this were a DVD listed at about 30 or 40 or even 50 dollars, these 6 episodes made up such great and refreshing television last season, that it would be in everyone's best interest to atleast check it out and give it a chance. Don't be a BBC purist, watch this show with a completely opened mind, and you'll realize that the two series actually are two different series. In the NBC "Coupling," all the characters had the same names as the BBC version. In "The Office," the names here are different. That actually says a lot here.