The original British version ofThe Officeis better than its broader, wackier American remake in most ways, but the U.S. show improved on one specific aspect of its source material. There’s been a lot of debate aboutwhich version ofThe Officeis best. The American show is certainly a much warmer, more lighthearted show and its longer run allowed it to dig a lot deeper into its characters. But the British original is a much more realistic portrayal of a mundane office environment, with more relatable situations.
The U.S. version ofThe Officeis easily the best American remake of a British TV series ever made, but that’s a really low bar to clear. The original show is much tighter; it’s perfect from beginning to end, whereas the stateside version has several polarizing plotlines andThe Office’s quality took a nosedive in the last two seasons. But, while the UK original does have a lot of advantages over its U.S. remake, the American version ofThe Officeundeniably improved on the characters in the warehouse.
The US Office Made The Warehouse Crew Much Funnier & More Likable
The British Show Doesn’t Have A Darryl Equivalent
In both the British and American versions ofThe Office, the titular office is the sales branch of a paper company, and it’s attached to a warehouse housing their regional supply of paper products. Both shows contrast the white-collar workers of the office with the blue-collar workers in the warehouse, and explore the class divide, as well as their social and cultural differences. Butin the British version, the warehouse crew is wholly unlikable. The American remake improved on this aspect and made the warehouse workers much funnier and more likable.
The Office Episode That Changed Steve Carell’s Michael Scott Forever Also Solved The Show’s Biggest Mystery
The episode of The Office that changed Michael Scott — season 2, episode 7, “The Client” — also answered the biggest question about the character.
The foreman in the British series, Taffy, is a loudmouthed bigot. The American remakeadapted him into a much more lovable character,Craig Robinson’s Darryl Philbin, a relatable everyman and a hilarious foil for Michael Scott. Over the course of the series, the warehouse crew was rounded out as an amusing workforce full of colorful characters like Hide, Nate Nickerson, and Lonny, “the sea monster.”Roy’s violent temper and mistreatment of Pam made him pretty unlikable, but even he had some funny moments, thanks to his immaturity.
The Warehouse Workers Were Just Mean & Unpleasant In The UK Original
In the British version ofThe Office, the warehouse workers are so horrible and mean-spirited that they just make the audience uncomfortable. Discomfort was one ofThe Office’s most valuable comedic currencies — it’s a masterpiece of cringe comedy — but the warehouse scenes aren’t uncomfortable in a funny way; they’re just unpleasant.The British warehouse workers have no redeeming qualitiesand almost all their lines contain a misogynistic or homophobic remark. The U.S. version ofThe Officedidn’t improve on everything, but it did make the warehouse crew much more enjoyable.
