The original "The Office"

Best Dance Ever (in the non-child category) goes to Ricky Gervais.

Any astute viewer of "The Office" on NBC knows that this show started across the pond on the BBC and was created my Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant. While the first season of the US series was nearly a direct copy of the UK version, eventually the network allowed the writers to pursue their own vision of the show and it became wildly popular. Before that, it was a good show, but not a great show. That doesn't mean that it was copying a bad show, it just means that trying to be a direct copy isn't a good idea.

With that said, I am a big fan of the original British version, but that doesn't mean that fans of the NBC series are guaranteed to like the BBC version. David Brent (the equivalent of Michael Scott) is a much darker character. Carrell's character is well intentioned and a genuinely sweet guy and Gervais' character is more arrogant. The supporting cast isn't explored as much in the BBC version but this is likely due to the fact that they only have 2 seasons and one special (a totaly of 14 episodes.) Television in the UK is more crass than in the US so that makes it feel more like an HBO show, than a network series. The series ends in a great and artistic way, and has a satisfying revisit of the characters in the Christmas Special.

I really loved watching the show these last few weeks. It is so horribly awkward watching the socially inept boss, played perfectly by Gervais. He speaks in such a confident manner but is so clearly weak, and is the best car wreck to watch. The dynamic between Tim & Dawn just as endearing as that of Jim & Pam. The UK Dwight, known as Garth is not as quirky as Dwight and seems a little more grounded. If you even slightly like British Comedy, then check out this version. It's hard to write a series review, but I will say that this series is hilariously uncomfortable.