lisah, what's the link for that clip, if you don't mind?

Jim has got enough heart for twelve shows.(God, I'm gonna be one of *those* people. But he is so lovable...combined with the wiseassed prankster...aw, "Islands in The Stream" with Michael. That was really...kind.) But I totally get the Gervais love.

I guess that's where the US Office falls down for me. There was such heart in the British version and in the (admittedly few) eps I've seen of the US version, that's missing.

But.. but... but there's so much heart!

I mean if you don't like it, you don't like it but I think if you saw all the episodes and saw how the characters and their stories develop over time you might really fall for it. Or, you know, not.

what's the link for that clip, if you don't mind?

oh .. um... I had just searched on "The Office" (for work purposes, actually! for real! I found nothing suitable for what I needed though.)

here you go!

[link]

it does cut off before the part at the end where they are having their picture taken, the whole crew, and Tim and Dawn are standing together and he kind of sniffs her hair. That part absolutely SLAYS me.

ETA: I guess that's where the US Office falls down for me. There was such heart in the British version and in the (admittedly few) eps I've seen of the US version, that's missing. Also, there just is no substitute for Ricky Gervais.

Have you seen episodes from seasons 2 and 3 of the US version? The first season (which is only 6 episodes) is all but a copy of the UK version. In season 2, it starts branching out on its own, and there's so much heart, sometimes it makes me ache.

there's so much heart, sometimes it makes me ache.

like last night's rerun...

as if Pam crying wasn't doing the job enough, Dwight comforting her in his special way just broke me completely.

Hm, maybe I'll have to give it another go. I'll admit that I came in with attitude about it being a "remake," since the British version was so damned brilliant (i.e why do we need another one when the original was so effin great?). I also am biased against US sitcoms, so it had two strikes against it in my mind before I ever watched one. I just love the British Office characters/actors so much that I can't imagine the US one even coming close.

GC--I felt the same way for the same reason and really disliked season one. By the time season two rolled around, the producers put their own stamp on it and it is now a damn good show. It has similarities to the UK version, but it is now a distinct creation. You gotta love a show where many of the characters are played by the writers--and really well, too.

Have you seen episodes from seasons 2 and 3 of the US version?

I have, and I agree with GC on this one -- the US show is fine, but it's not Great in the same way that the UK one was. It's an above-average American sitcom, but it's still...an American sitcom. If the shows didn't have the same name, they'd be impossible to compare, because they're such different critters.

I can't think of many scenes anywhere in television that can compete with Tim taking his mic off in the S2 finale. It's one of those perfect moments.

(And I'm now running through all of my other favorite moments from the show in my head, which means I need to hear "Free Love Freeway" RIGHT NOW. Thank goodness for YouTube!)