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Product Description: No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 16-AUG-2005
Media Type: DVDAmazon.com: The British sitcom The Office has the most devoted following this side of Monty Python, so an American remake seemed doomed. Amazingly, the remake actually finds its own enjoyable version of the original's uncanny comedy of embarrassment. Office manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell, The Daily Show, The 40 Year-Old Virgin) believes he's the beloved leader of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of a paper products company--but his relentless and painfully forced efforts at comedy creep out everyone around him, including paranoid Dwight (Rainn Wilson, who had a memorable recurring role on Six Feet Under), nervous receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer, LolliLove), and aimless salesman Jim (John Krasinski, A New Wave), who's smitten with the already engaged Pam. The pilot episode suffers from closely replicating the British pilot, but after that The Office finds its own footing, turning diversity training, an office birthday party, and a basketball game into excruciating yet hypnotically funny rituals of humiliation. Carell, though clearly talented, can't match Ricky Gervais' unique performance as the aggressively needy British manager (it's hard to imagine that anyone could); as a result, the supporting roles become more prominent, and Wilson, Fischer, and Krasinski quickly create a rapport that matches and may even exceed that of their British counterparts. Be sure to watch the deleted scenes; remarkably, they're as good as the material that made it on the air in this six-episode season. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
- The Office, Season One: Hot. It's the original American season and it's awesome. They get better as the seasons go on, but you gotta start somewhere!
- Must Watch Television: For any one who enjoys real, biting, and intelligent humor, this is a must watch show.
The first season is only 6 episodes, but once you watch this season, you will be hooked forever.
Not only does the show present the wittiest humor on television, but there are also significant plot lines to follow as the season develops. My wife, at first, enjoyed the romantic sub-plot between Pam and Jim, and now she is as hooked on the show as I am.
Whether you enjoy sarcastic, sardonic humor or just great television, this DVD and indeed the entire Office Series is a must buy. - New "The Office" Fan Season 1: Recently I started watching the office on T.V. At first it is hard to swallow, but a couple of espisodes in and your hooked! So I bought season 1 and thought it was pretty good. I will probably buy season 2 to continue. I travel a lot and it provides laugh out loud comedy on a repeatable basis.
- A wonderful introduction to one of the best sitcoms currently available: As this is the first season - when the American version of the BBC sitcom was still using most of its material directly from their episodes - the show stumbles in trying to find its own voice and way. However, as the show progresses, you already begin to see deeper characterization of everyone - from the arrogant (but vulnerable) Micheal Scott to the everyman Jim Halpert.
The humor is a little drier than in sequential seasons, but this is still a great way to begin the series. Highly recommended for any fan, as well as pretty much anyone else who likes to laugh. - Painfully Funny (4.5 Stars): If you enjoy watching awkward situations play out in an office environment, this series is for you. Steve Carell's performance as the oblivious boss, Michael Scott, is extremely funny to watch. His total unawareness of how crude and inappropriate he is provides a comedic anchor for the rest of the cast to revolve around. This is especially true in the episode where Michael gets a basketball team together to play against a team from the warehouse, and Michael channels Archie Bunker's racial and sexual prejudices.
Season 2 is slightly better than this brief season, and has many more episodes to watch. That's why this can't get 5 stars, even though it might deserve it.
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