British vs. American comedy (quote, youtube, Ching)

Mojo · 02-05-2009, 12:07 PM

I think it was the first episode, or the pilot and the first episode that were a straight remake of the British one. I think Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant also wrote the scripts for the first few episodes or possibly the first season? Ill probably give it a watch sometime, ive been meaning to for a while once I started to hear good things about it.

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

I cant get enough of it. I really the love the way the show is written and produced (with no scripts and more or less fully improvised) and maybe because its because im a Brit but I love Larry Davids dry, blunt sense of humour.

I think I tend to like a dry sense of humor too, but my problem with CYE is that after a while I find Larry David more irritating than funny.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

A lot of Brits will tell you that ALL American humour is the same and CYE (among with others of course) is proof that those people are way off the mark.

Heh, well looking down on all things American seems to be a favorite pastime of some Brits. But of course thinking that everything produced by a given culture is entirely homogenous is a silly and simplistic way of looking at things to say the least.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

I think it was the first episode, or the pilot and the first episode that were a straight remake of the British one. I think Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant also wrote the scripts for the first few episodes or possibly the first season? Ill probably give it a watch sometime, ive been meaning to for a while once I started to hear good things about it.

If you do watch it, make sure you check out more than one episode. I had to watch a few before I stopped comparing all the characters to their British counterparts and just enjoyed them as their own characters.

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2009, 12:21 PM

Speaking of The Office, this really must be posted in this thread:

Mojo · 02-05-2009, 12:34 PM

Heh massively overhyped scene, I got sick of it being mentioned by everyone who started to talk about The Office, like it was the only scene ever made. HOWEVER it does, in a way sum up the show and David Brent perfectly. You can just see in Brents eyes that he has absolutely no concerns that what he is doing ISNT anything but the most awesome dance ever and it gets really hard to watch because on one hand I want to laugh and on the other hand I just feel sorry for him.

I may be sick of it but it is still hilarious.

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Heh massively overhyped scene, I got sick of it being mentioned by everyone who started to talk about The Office, like it was the only scene ever made. HOWEVER it does, in a way sum up the show and David Brent perfectly. You can just see in Brents eyes that he has absolutely no concerns that what he is doing isnt the most awesome dance ever and it gets really hard to watch because on one hand I want to laugh and on the other hand I just feel sorry for him.

I may be sick of it but it is still hilarious.

It's still a classic. Rarely have I been so embarrassed for a character on TV as I have during that dance. Although the scene where he tells everyone he was just fired while wearing that bird costume rates pretty high on the embarrassment scale as well.

Mojo · 02-05-2009, 12:46 PM

Oh its still a great scene. And yes, so is the one in his bird costume. Especially when they go outside to take the picture and the photographer is telling him to "make it peck at his friend."

Ive always thought that if you feel embarrassed while watching it then Gervais and Merchant were doing their job. Brent was always a character that you were never meant to like but maybe still feel sorry for throughout. He was irritating and completely clueless when it came to getting the approval of everyone around him. I dont think you were ever meant to hate him Theres a lot of people ive spoken to who have told me they dont like The Office because Ricky Gervais is just too annoying in it and I wonder whether they really get it or not.

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2009, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Oh its still a great scene. And yes, so is the one in his bird costume. Especially when they go outside to take the picture and the photographer is telling him to "make it peck at his friend."

Ive always thought that if you feel embarrassed while watching it then Gervais and Merchant were doing their job. Brent was always a character that you were never meant to like but maybe still feel sorry for throughout. He was irritating and completely clueless when it came to getting the approval of everyone around him. I dont think you were ever meant to hate him Theres a lot of people ive spoken to who have told me they dont like The Office because Ricky Gervais is just too annoying in it and I wonder whether they really get it or not.

Yeah, that definitely sound like someone who doesn't get it. One of the things I thought Ricky Gervais did a great job with was making David Brent a very real person. In the first few episodes he comes off as a completely dick but as the show goes on he becomes this three dimensional character who you begin to see for the desperately lonely, validation-seeking, sad little man that he is.

thecookiemonster · 02-05-2009, 08:27 PM

i dont know theres alot of american humor such as old greg that people in other countries such as england dont get but i guess to be fair that works vice versa

but then theres stuff like borat that both countries find hilarious

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2009, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecookiemonster

i dont know theres alot of american humor such as old greg that people in other countries such as england dont get but i guess to be fair that works vice versa

What is "old greg"?

CaseNumber:825 · 02-07-2009, 06:31 AM

^^^ the only thing I can think of is the Old Gregg from The Mighty BooshL

Funny the first few times you see it.... but it gets old quickly

02-05-2009, 12:07 PM	#191 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	I think it was the first episode, or the pilot and the first episode that were a straight remake of the British one. I think Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant also wrote the scripts for the first few episodes or possibly the first season? Ill probably give it a watch sometime, ive been meaning to for a while once I started to hear good things about it. __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust

02-05-2009, 12:21 PM	#193 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Speaking of The Office, this really must be posted in this thread: __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

02-05-2009, 12:34 PM	#194 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	Heh massively overhyped scene, I got sick of it being mentioned by everyone who started to talk about The Office, like it was the only scene ever made. HOWEVER it does, in a way sum up the show and David Brent perfectly. You can just see in Brents eyes that he has absolutely no concerns that what he is doing ISNT anything but the most awesome dance ever and it gets really hard to watch because on one hand I want to laugh and on the other hand I just feel sorry for him. I may be sick of it but it is still hilarious. __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust

02-05-2009, 12:46 PM	#196 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	Oh its still a great scene. And yes, so is the one in his bird costume. Especially when they go outside to take the picture and the photographer is telling him to "make it peck at his friend." Ive always thought that if you feel embarrassed while watching it then Gervais and Merchant were doing their job. Brent was always a character that you were never meant to like but maybe still feel sorry for throughout. He was irritating and completely clueless when it came to getting the approval of everyone around him. I dont think you were ever meant to hate him Theres a lot of people ive spoken to who have told me they dont like The Office because Ricky Gervais is just too annoying in it and I wonder whether they really get it or not. __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust

02-07-2009, 06:31 AM	#200 (permalink)
CaseNumber:825 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Places that don't exist.... Posts: 131	^^^ the only thing I can think of is the Old Gregg from The Mighty BooshL Funny the first few times you see it.... but it gets old quickly __________________ ★Last.fm★LiveJournal★ "The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination" - Elim Garak

02-05-2009, 08:27 PM	#198 (permalink)
thecookiemonster Groupie Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 10	i dont know theres alot of american humor such as old greg that people in other countries such as england dont get but i guess to be fair that works vice versa but then theres stuff like borat that both countries find hilarious