A Story of Two Disillusioned Characters
I had a (heated) discussion with a friend the other day about The Office, an American remake of the original BBC comedy of the same name. I acknowledged that the American version is entertaining, thanks in large part to Steve Carell and a great cast. However, it is no match for the British version. My friend disagreed with me whole-heartedly. He just loves the American version and didn't quite enjoy the British one. Yes, the American version looks better and moves at a much faster pace, and, of course, it’s written with an American audience in mind. So, I guess I can understand why my friend and others prefer the American version. I, on the other hand, believe that nothing can top the BBC original.
Anyway, the one thing I love about both versions is the intelligent, rebellious, and unmotivated character that terrorizes one of his coworkers and fantasizes about the receptionist. Yep, I’m talking about Jim Halpert and Tim Canterbury.
Martin Freeman plays Tim Canterbury in the original series. Freeman is perfect as Tim. I sometimes question whether he’s even acting, but his performance is spot on. The show feels like a documentary, and Freeman works so well in that type of scenario. He’s cute, charming, and rebellious. I just love his scenes with Mackenzie Crook.
John Krasinski plays Jim Halpert in the American version. First, let me just say that I love John in this role. Krasinski is a bit more aggressive in his portrayal of Jim, but it’s still an effective performance. Interestingly, he retains some of the important traits of Tim Canterbury, but there are some big differences as well. Krasinski is taller, more attractive (I think), and younger than Martin Freeman, which make it a lot easier to love Jim Halpert.
Yes, I think John Krasinski is one hot disillusioned employee. I find him more attractive than Martin Freeman, who I think is cute in his own right. However, my all-time favorite man in this type of role is Ron Livingston in the movie Office Space. So, I hope you enjoyed these pictures. I’ll leave you with a video of both characters—Jim and Tim. God, I love these men!
Labels: Celebrities, Comedy, Men, Reviews, Television, UK
5 Comments:
I like the office, American version. Your comments make me wish I had seen the British version. Are those episodes available via Netflix?
I watched the The Office (UK) and cringed at the idea of a US remake after the disastrous US remake of Coupling. I loved the show the first and second seasons (The "Diversity Day" episode was hilarious) but Michael changed too much from where he was in the beginning to where he is now. More about this on my blog this week.
I am with you marius. I was living in the UK when the Office came out and I loved it! I haven't seen but one ep of the American version but I liked the UK version better.
I'm with killervirgo, I just adored the UK version! Ricky Gervais makes me laugh and cringe all at the same time, the man is brilliant! I too was skeptical of the US version but think it is equally as good but they are certainly different. One of the things I think is very cool about the US version is how they've been able to really develop alot of the characters on the show. Both shows are just so great!
Ms. Place, the BBC original is available via Netflix. I think you'll like it. http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Office_Series_1/60031054?strkid=1612537885_3_0
Killervirgo, I look forward to your post. And thanks for your comment.
Hey Jinxy, I'm glad you're back. I'll stop by your blog a little later. :)
Becca, I couldn't agree more; Ricky Gervais is brilliant. And you're right about the U.S. version; as a whole, all the characters are better developed. That's an excellent observation.
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