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The Director Of “The Office US” Opened Up About The One Huge Difference From The Original British Sitcom
May 5, 2025
“British audiences really like taking the piss out of a out of a boar, but American audiences can't make that their lead person – they have to have some kind of emotional investment in that person."
We can all agree that The Office US is a heavyweight in the sitcom landscape.
NBC
And by now, I'm sure you're aware that it’s an adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ British mockumentary of the same name, which ran for two seasons from 2001-2003.
Well, Paul Feig, who directed many of the US episodes, has opened up about one of the major differences from the original. Speaking to BuzzFeed UK, Paul shared that he and the team transformed the protagonist for American audiences, due to differences in humour across the pond.
BuzzFeed UK
In the British version, Ricky Gervais plays Wernham Hogg manager David Brent, while Steve Carell led the US adaptation as Michael Scott.
“British audiences really like taking the piss out of a out of a boar, but American audiences can't make that their lead person – they have to have some kind of emotional investment in that person. If they don’t, they're just kind of like, ‘why am I following this terrible person around?’”
BBC / NBC
If you’ve seen the original, you’ll be well aware that David Brent has very few redeeming qualities – while he’s hilarious, Paul accurately described him as a “pretty despicable character.”
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