Unlike a lot of justifiably
weary consumers of popular entertainment, the idea of remakes doesn’t
necessarily bother me. So long as there
is something new to be done with the preexisting work, why not tackle it again? However, that doesn’t mean I don’t get a
little anxious when something I love is remade.
Case in point: the UK version of The Office. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time,
and like most British shows, short-lived: the entire run is just about 7 ½
hours. How was a US remake going to fare,
stretching that out over nine seasons?
For better or worse, the US version is a great example of an adaptation
for taking the initial template, and making finding its voice from it.
Its beginnings were humble:
they were only given a six episode first season, which was harshly criticized
for aping the original show a little too closely (the pilots for both are
nearly identical). It didn’t help that
this was shortly after another NBC attempt to remake a popular British show,
Coupling, failed spectacularly. Its
second season was touch and go with new episodes being ordered a couple at a
time. Things looked pretty grim. Then, like a lot of shows eventually do, the
cast and writers found the grooves that worked.
Classic episodes like “The Dundies”, “Booze Cruise” and “Casino Night” flowed,
fanning the flames among a passionate fanbase.
It became one of the first success stories of iTunes’ TV store, where it
was a massive hit online, and it’s easy to see why.
Although it handled a more
American perspective, it still dealt with issues central to the original: the
deferment of dreams, the drudgery of working for a paycheck, and the everyday delusions
of desperately lonely people who often hold some position of power. The last one applies to the central character
in both: David Brent and Michael Scott.
Both are men who lead very sad lives, constantly trying to make his
co-workers like family and not seeing their discomfort. Of course, Scott and Brent’s acting out is
often hilarious, but it works when there’s a mix of that sadness to it.
Michael Scott’s journey is an
interesting, but uneven one. Ultimately
it’s the story about growing up…twenty-five years after most people have. Although I overall liked the arc of Michael
Scott, the writing for his character got broader as the show goes on. If I could pinpoint a moment where the show began
to pass its peak, it was in the early season four episodes “Dunder Miflin
Infinity” and “Launch Party”, where Michael drove his car into a lake following
GPS instructions and kidnapped a pizza delivery boy respectively. Michael is a weird character, but it went a
too far from the reality of the show and The Office wasn’t the same
afterward. It still had great episodes,
but it felt like the seasons two and three glory was over.
The other main story of the
series, and the real heart of the show was always the Jim and Pam relationship. This love story belongs in the pantheon of
great TV romances not only for how strong that story was, but how it played
out. The unrequited love story in its
early days was the ultimate shipper fodder.
Just about anyone can relate to having a crush and not acting on it,
either out of fear of leaving your comfort zone or because the person you feel
that way for is unavailable. It was also
crucial that the chemistry between John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer was one of
the most potent of all time. You
couldn’t help but root for those two to get together and enjoy seeing them
progress.
I also give them credit for
keeping them together once they became a couple. So many shows like Friends have their will
they won’t they couple break up and make up repeatedly until they’ve exhausted
their options. It’s understandable as so
many shows run out of steam once that possible couple becomes an actual one
(seems to be much easier to be an established couple before the series even
begins). Them going back and forth would
have hurt their standing as a great TV romance, although it grew stagnant as
the series progressed, besides the marriage trouble they faced this past season.
It’s cliché, but true: the
show never recovered from Michael’s departure.
As NBC’s status became increasingly tarnished and their
attempts to make it 1997 again through science or magic failed, The Office
stuck around because the network couldn’t afford to lose anything that could be
called a hit. So we ended up with two seasons
that were inessential at best and bafflingly awful at worst (Robert California,
Oscar’s affair with Angela’s husband, Nellie forcing herself into a position at
Dunder Miflin, Brian the boom mic guy).
Outside of the final two episodes it’s all skipable, which is sad for
any show that was one of the best shows on TV.
However, they didn’t Heroes their legacy. The Office, following the lead of Arrested
Development and the UK original, helped usher in an era of one camera sitcoms
in America, uncomfortable humor and the mockumentary format. Parks and Recreation, which was initially
planned to be a spin-off of The Office, learned a lot from the mistakes The
Office made. As Parks and Rec ended
their fifth season, they are in much better shape than The Office was when they
were at that point in their run.
It’s tough to compare
originals against their remakes. By the
second season the US Office was its own show: it took characters, themes and a
setting from the original and made it its own.
The Office got old like most shows that last 200 episodes do, but when
it was great, few could complain. Ultimately
time will likely be kind to The Office, as things like the clunkers in the
early years and the bulk of the last two will be forgotten or quickly dismissed
because at its best, the show was relatable to anyone who had big dreams, but had
to work for a living.
What did I think of the
finale? In short, I loved it. It was just about the perfect wrap up for the
series and the characters. As “Goodbye,
Michael” let us say goodbye to Michael Scott, “Finale” let us say goodbye to
everyone else. It gave us closure to
these characters, from Erin finally meeting her birth parents (a perfectly cast
Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr.) to Kelly and Ryan resuming their crazy
relationship. Michael’s return was
amazing, from his final “that’s what she said” to Pam saying he had to get two
phones for all the pictures of he and Holly’s kids (so true to the character,
even as he’s grown up). I also enjoyed
that it was largely just us hanging out with the characters one last time. Like a great finale does, it lets us reflect
not only on the show we’ve watched for nine years, but on our own lives
(besides Andy’s remark about wishing he knew he was in the good old days when
he was living them, Pam’s remarks about how she wished she could’ve realized
she was happier with Jim earlier resonated deeply.) There were maybe a few minor points I didn’t
care much for (Nellie’s adoption woes got resolved pretty quickly), but the
finale has plenty of laughs and tears and in the end I was completely
satisfied. (That’s what she said?) Finale grade: A-
Miscellaneous:
With The Office gone, the only
network shows left from the stellar 04-05 TV season are American Dad, The
Biggest Loser & Grey’s Anatomy.
My order of seasons, from best
to worst: 2-3-4-5-6-1-7-8-9
I enjoyed the “Sit Here and
Cry” autotune, but I think that bit needs to be retired. This is the third sitcom I’ve seen use it
(after How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family).
One of my favorite exchanges
during the panel, when asked if they think their lives are meaningless without
camera crews following them, without hesitation Toby answers “Yes”.
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