In this hilarious and faster-paced adaptation of the popular British comedy series, Steve Carell is Michael Scott, the egotistical, insensitive and almost supernaturally incompetent regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company. Michael sees himself as the office funnyman, a fount of business wisdom and his employees' cool friend. He has no clue that his staff merely tolerates his inappropriate behavior because he signs their paychecks. Michael acts as the obnoxious tour guide for an omni-present documentary crew who unflinchingly capture his many shortcomings along with Dunder Mifflin's petty workplace politics, simmering romances and side-splittingly awkward moments.
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 Rating:
Summary: Sometimes Deadpan, Often Scathingly Funny
Comment: I should say that I have not yet seen the British version on which this was based. I'd heard good things about this series with Steve Carell, so I rented it recently and enjoyed it. It's funny that there have probably been a bunch of sitcoms in the past with an office setting, but few really take off and succeed like this.

I love the documentary aspect of the show, making the viewer feel like a fly on the wall from time to time. The characters are amusing if slightly cliche. The boss Michael is basically every obnoxious idiot you've met who is a complete social cripple and a dunderhead who keeps digging his own grave whenever he opens his mouth to speak before thinking. He is rude, stupid, and offensive, but he thinks he is witty, funny, and cool... and that people like him. Totally deluded. Carell is terrific in this role. Half the time he seems to be improvising. He makes you loathe Michael and yet almost feel pity for him. It must be a fun part to play, like a pompous villain who constantly blunders.

My other favorite character, Dwight Shrute, reminds me of a mix between Daffy Duck and a school safety monitor... and a Trekkie. Dwight skulks, sneaks, and schemes. He is another clueless character. He thrives on any shred of power he can get, and does the most absurd things (even attempting to forbid the women from using their bathroom when it's discovered that someone wrote an insult about the boss on the wall).

The series succeeds in several aspects (writing, acting, direction) even though the setting is claustrophobic and bleak... like many people's workplaces.
I like sitcoms like this, without the studio laughter thundering behind it (that's part of the appeal of Arrested Development, Malcolm in the Middle, and The Simpsons).

If I found one major flaw in "The Office", it was instantly recognizing the "Will they or won't they" potential romance between Pam and Jim. Hasn't that been done about two hundred times on a sitcom before? Yes, I guess I'm being picky. But a little of that goes a very long way: 'Poor Jim... he's so in love.' Hopefully they will get those two together rapidly or dissolve the attraction somehow. I prefer the dynamic between the boss and the staff.

So, if you're undecided about this series, give it a try. It's fun. Every office should be this hilarious.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: If only it was longer!
Comment: The first season of The Office does not disappoint, except in its length. Not having paid attention closely, I was surprised to find that it was only six episodes. That aside, the six episodes were all extremely entertaining. Steve Carrell is ingenious as Michael Scott, the regional manager with absolutely no class. He really shines in "Diversity Day." Also, as someone who started watching The Office during the second season, it was nice to be able to come back and see how everything began. This was definitely a worthwhile purchase!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Humor
Comment: My husband and I love watching The Office. The humor is amazing and it gets more funny the more we've watched it. In particular, I think season one is my favorite because of all the character development and fresh ideas. All I can say is that I'm sooooo glad that Michael Scott is not my boss!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Hilarious
Comment: There's something in watching Steve Carell act when you suddenly come to the conclusion that the man is not acting at all. He's that good. Michael, the character he plays is the boss of a paper supply company where a tv crew has been taping. You can tell immediately his employees pretty much can't stand him. He is an arrogant, sexist, awful excuse for a boss- but he think's the complete opposite. He tells the cameras that he thinks everyone there loves and admires and respects him. It's too damn funny cause you really believe he believes it.

Again, it all comes down to the flawless acting. And not just him, but everyone in the office is very natural at what they do-if they didn't it wouldn't be believable. It's very seamless and a joy to watch everything go down. You almost DON'T want to keep watching because it seems to pathetic and sad to watch a character like Michael do the things he does. But it is very addictive.

It's a comedy unlike any other. Those other shows rely on stupid gags and dumb jokes that are not even remotely funny. The Office relies purely on acting ability and flawless execution. And the ability to make it look as if it is not a show at all, but an everyday office environment. And in that, it succeeds brilliantly.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Light-hearted, refreshingly funny, good clean fun
Comment: Season 1 is the only one I've seen so far; I don't have much spare time to watch tv. After viewing all of the first season's episodes, though, it was enough to make me go out and buy the second and third seasons. The cast is great on this show. This is refreshing, light-hearted humor.

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