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The Office (UK series): Difference between revisions
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The main setting is the administrative office of [[Incompetence, Inc.|paper supplies company Wernham Hogg]], presided over by [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist]] David Brent. His [[Number Two]], Gareth Keenan, is an unpleasant, pathetic loser with a military obsession. The most sympathetic character is Tim Canterbury, the witty clerk (see [[Tough Room]]) whose relationship with receptionist Dawn Tinsley seems to be an example of [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]. The series was met with great critical acclaim and won several awards, hailed for its original style and subtle, insightful humour.
One inspired departure from the usual [[Mockumentary]] formula: the characters are very aware of the [[In
An American version of this series, starring [[Steve Carell]] and John Krasinski, premiered in Spring of 2005. It started out as a fairly poor [[Cultural Translation]] (the pilot was simply the British pilot with the word "jelly" changed to "jell-o" and with 8 minutes and all of the funny cut out) but has [[Growing the Beard|since come into its own]] as it has moved away from the original's cringe-inducing awkwardness format and towards more of an absurdist style. Quite notably, the American version has focused on the rest of the office workers to a far greater degree than the original. In the UK (where it's subtitled ''An American Workplace'' to avoid confusion with the original) it has, shaky start notwithstanding, been much better received than most American remakes and become one of the most acclaimed comedies on TV today, winning accolades in particular for the performances of Carell and the rest of the cast. The US version also spawned ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'', a [[Quietly Performing Sister Show]] set in the public sector rather than the private.
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* [[Cringe Comedy]]: And how.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Tim!
* [[Death Faked for You]]: The tech support guy, Simon, is convinced that [[Bruce Lee]]'s death was a cover-up to allow him to go [[Deep
* [[Don't Explain the Joke]]: David Brent is constantly doing this, as part of his chronically misfiring sense of humour. He explains other peoples' jokes too, apparently just to prove that he gets it. In one instance, where he explains a misunderstanding involving ''[[Blue Peter]]'' star Peter Purves in an instructional video, it's actually helpful for US viewers.
* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]
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* [[Ted Baxter]]: David.
* [[Theme Tune Cameo]]: The "Training" episode ends with David singing and playing "Handbags and Gladrags".
* [[Trust
* [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist]]: David Brent walks a fine line, as he is so pathetic that it's increasingly difficult not to sympathize him. By the Christmas Special, he borders woobie territory.
* [[Wacky Marriage Proposal]]: Lee's proposal to Dawn was done by way of a small piece in a newspaper.
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* [[For the Funnyz]]: No matter what the situation, Michael will always try to interject, "That's what she said!"
* [[Four-Temperament Ensemble]]: Pam is Melancholic, Jim is Phlegmatic, and Michael and Dwight crank up the most dysfunctional aspects of Sanguine and Choleric respectively.
* [[Freak
* [[The Gambling Addict]]: Kevin.
* [[Garage Sale]]: In [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|the "Garage Sale" episode]], Dwight stages one of these in the company warehouse.
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* [[Horrible Judge of Character]]: Michael...
** Michael does have one instance of being an excellent judge of character. When choosing who should get a sales position between Ryan and Pam, Michael wants to give the job to Ryan because Pam doesn't follow through. He eventually gives Pam the job, but sure enough, Pam tricks her way into becoming an office administrator because she can't handle being a saleswoman.
*** On the other hand, Ryan had ''already'' proven to be a lousy salesman, so that was kind of a lose-lose decision either way. In addition, Pam's actions could be interpreted as going to the effort of finding an important yet unfilled position that she ''could'' do, rather than sticking to a job in which she'll be contributing pretty much nothing to the company, something that [[What Exactly Is His Job?|Ryan has yet to even attempt]].
*** Michael keeps insisting on bringing in Ryan back, so it's his own fault for setting that up in the first place.
* [[Hot Chick in A Badass Suit]]: Jan when she was a Dunder Mifflin executive. Pam when she becomes a salesperson.
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** Earlier in the "Goodbye, Michael" episode, a jealous Gabe confronts Andy in the restroom and threatens to make him regret it if he goes near Erin. After Gabe leaves, Jim exits one of the stalls, having apparently heard everything. Cut to a talking head segment with Jim where we expect to hear his opinion on the Gabe/Andy thing. Instead, Jim asks if they're really ''filming people in the bathroom'' now.
* [[Large Ham Title]]: "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration" (who even has the second part used at his wedding).
* [[Last
* [[Lawful Stupid Chaotic Stupid|Lawful Stupid]]: Dwight would make an excellent Paladin.
* [[Lighter and Softer]]: Than the UK version.
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** Toby, albeit an excessively hapless one.
** Oscar and Pam also have traits. Oscar once [[Lampshade Hanging|points out]] that with Jim and Pam gone, he feels that the crazies are out numbering him, and actually tries to convince Jim and Pam to cut their honeymoon short to support him.
* [[
* [[The Other Darrin]]: Two different actresses have played Pam's mom.
* [[The Other Wiki]]: "The best thing ever," according to Michael.
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* [[Serious Business]]: Is Hillary Swank hot?
** Ping pong, to the players' significant others. A mini-training camp may have been involved...
* [[Shout
** "Subtle Sexuality" also features Kelly wearing [[Lady Gaga]]'s once-signature eye lightning bolt.
*** [[David Bowie]] would like to have a word with you (though [[The Ditz|Kelly]] was almost certainly [[Fleeting Demographic Rule|imitating Gaga, not Bowie]]).
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* [[Wacky Marriage Proposal]]: Michael's speculative methods for proposing to Holly in the "Garage Sale" episode fit this category: pouring gasoline on the office parking lot in the shape of a heart and setting it afire, tossing "a corpse dressed like me" from the office roof and decapitating it so he can tell her, "I lost my head when I fell for you", etc.
** His actual proposal to her kind of straddles the line between this and [[Grand Romantic Gesture]].
* [[Wax On, Wax Off]]: ''Threat Level Midnight'': [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|"Mop the ice."]]
* [[Wedding Day]]: Phyllis's, in Season 3; Jim and Pam's, in Season 6.
* [[We Didn't Start the Billy Joel Parodies]]: "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPcuwZlJShE Ryan Started the Fire]".
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* [[We Want Our Jerk Back]]: Played with twice with Dwight. Subverted the first time; he gets a concussion and is a lot more pleasant to be around. When they realize what's up, they have to take him to the hospital, and it's clear that everyone (and especially Pam) will miss "nice Dwight" when he's gone. The second time, he quits, and things are a lot less smooth at the office without him, until Michael convinces him to come back.
** And for Michael when is he is replaced by Charles Miner in Season five. This is most clearly shown when Charles shows himself as intolerant of Kevin and Stanley's more laidback tendencies, and of him favoring Dwight rather than Jim.
* [[Wham! Episode]]: "New Boss"
** "Special Project."
* [[Faux Symbolism|What Do You Mean It's Not Symbolic?]]: In a Halloween episode, Dwight mentions that [[Hypocritical Humor|he is perfectly willing to leave Scranton to go wherever 'they value loyalty the most']]. His costume? [[Star Wars|Sith Lord.]]
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** Erin's reaction to Michael and Holly.
** Asked of Andy by Oscar, regarding his courting of Angela.
* [[What Exactly Is His Job?]]: Creed works in Quality Assurance. Everyone knows this except Creed.
** Ryan's job is extremely unclear once the Michael Scott Paper Company is absorbed by Dunder Mifflin. He is hired as a salesman but is demoted in favor of Pam. So...WhatExactlyIsHisJob
* [[What Happened to The Mouse?]]: In one season 6 episode, Erin accidentally destroyed Pam's watercolor painting of the building when she was trying to be helpful and clean it. This subplot was written out of the episode (though left in the description thereof) and the painting was back by the end of the season, despite having been replaced with a poster for some time.
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** Because Stanley is the only black employee at the office for the first five seasons (Darryl would join them after being promoted from the warehouse in the sixth), Michael thinks of him as his [[Black Best Friend]] and street-smart mentor. He fails to pick up on the fact that Stanley can't stand him, and that he's even more solidly upper middle-class that the other employees.
** Michael combines this with [[Horrible Judge of Character]] when assembling his basketball team. He first refuses Phyllis who turns out to be great at passing and dodging as well as Kevin who later proves himself a three-point shooting wonder. He insists on Stanley joining but is absolutely terrible at the game.
* [[X Called. They Want Their Y Back.]]
* [[X Days Since...]]: Michael caused an accident, requiring the sign (which had a high number on it) to be reset.
* [[X Meets Y]]: "Yankee Swap is like Machiavelli meets Christmas."
** Under Charles' leadership, Dwight laments that [[The Office]] used to be a combination of "...the Roman Empire, the Wild West, war-torn Poland, and Poland."
* [[Yes
** Pretty much everyone in the office has a tendency to become this whenever a new person takes a spot among management. Most notable are with Charles Miner(who turns out to be one himself), Deangelo Vickers, and Robert California. Well, all except [[Brutal Honesty|Dwight]].
* [[You Are in Command Now]]: Dwight explaining to the office why they should obey him and stay at work despite no one else being there to force them to:
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