I just watched half an episode of "The Office". It simply wasn't funny.

[Bucky]

I could see they were trying to be funny, what with all the contrary and inappropriate things that Steven Carrell was doing every few seconds or so. In fact, everything he did was simply inappropriate, with no sense of a character being portrayed. And then they panned in for a shot of some blonde girl being, yet again, confused about how zany and inappropriate Steven Carrell was being...

Was this ever a good show, or has it gone downhill from some long forgotten heyday?

[HopeHoops]

1. Sounds like Seinfeld (sp?)

Years back (at least 12 or more), I was trying to get work done on a computer I brought to my mom's house for an overnight visit. She tried to get me to come watch Seinfeld, but I had to get my work done. I was on the company clock. I moved to another room and she came in and turned it on. All I remember from the background noise was a repeated sequence of three-line dialogue - set up, follow-up, punch line that wasn't funny - followed by an over-driven base sequence of three or four notes. I mostly tuned it out and tried to focus on my work.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

10. i don't find Seinfeld funny either!

the office is a lot funnier to me than that show ever was. i remember all Seinfeld episodes being exactly the same. Seinfeld and George would have some dilemma and they'd meet at that diner with Elaine and Kramer and talk a lot about it. the entire episode revolved around someone trying to fix the problem from Jerry's apartment or the diner. then they (usually George or Jerry) would storm out the door and try and do something about it. elaine would come over and say oH HAYYYY and something vaguely comical or sexually charged, then Kramer would come over and open Jerry's fridge or do something weird/quirky involving food or facial expressions.

[david13]

2. I know. That's why I don't watch it. Not even 1/2 episode. dc

[velvet]

3. it was a good show, but it wasn't this one

Ricky Gervaise's original "The Office" series was British and brilliant.

[Paladin]

4. You're Wrong, It's A Great Show.

Adapt to my tastes, or face the consequences.......

[MorningGlow]

5. It has always been a good show IMO

I'm a fan of the US Office and UK Office--they are entirely different and I don't think one is better than the other.

Specifically about the US Office--first, it's one of those shows where the humor is based on uncomfortable situations and people acting like idiots and embarrassing themselves. But--and this is the part that's hard to explain--the humor, for all of that, is actually subtle, and the show has heart.

Plus you have to buy into the show from the beginning, because, believe it or not, Steve Carrell's character actually becomes sympathetic over time. It's like you get to know the characters, and for all their over the top weirdness, they actually could be your own officemates, only exaggerated. But damn, not by much.

So I'd say you can't jump into one episode and jump back out again 12 minutes later and get a true feel for the show. I've been watching it since it started and I think it's a classic. I love it.

[Duer 157099]

12. I agree with your characterization of it

After having watched the British version, when the American one came on, I could not watch it. Sometime in the 2nd or 3rd season I decided to give it another try, but to stick with it for more than an episode, and it did gel and now I love the show almost as much as the British version.

It just takes time, it's not an immediate thing.

[Zavulon]

6. The Brit version kicks ass. Ours sucks. (NT)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. I tried but couldn't get into the British version.

I like Michael Scott's version of the boss more than Ricky Gervasis' version. He's more dimensional to me, IMHO.

[Skittles]

7. it's just stupid

[CreekDog]

8. well only half is funny

:rofl:

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

9. it's funny

it's not a show you can sit down and watch an episode of and find funny. you have to know the characters and the plot lines, they make references to other episodes sometimes. it's certainly not as intense as "Lost" in terms of not knowing what's going on, but the "inside jokes" between characters become funny only if you've seen many episodes.

[cbdo2007]

11. The Office is hit or miss with me....

About 40% of the episodes are really funny and I laugh my ass literally off.

The other 65% of them are lame and I struggle to get through them.

[pokerfan]

14. No show is going to be funny 105% of the time

[Robb]

20. ...

:rofl: Nice. :D

[dysfunctional press]

13. steve carell's character is too outlandish to even be funny.

it's just...painful, to attempt to watch it.

[ipfilter]

23. My boss is nearly a carbon copy of Michael Scott.

[dysfunctional press]

25. i guarantee that if your boss did some of the stuff he does each week...

he would be fired.

unless maybe he owns the company...

but in a corporate environment- it just wouldn't fly.

[Cabcere]

31. That's how my dad feels, too.

He lasted about five minutes before leaving the room, saying that he had to work with people like Michael Scott every day and the portrayal hit too close to home (or office? ;)) to be funny. :shrug:

[pengillian101]

15. "Was this ever a good show?"

Not to me.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

16. It's the funniest show on TV, IMO.

What I love is it depends on silence and reaction shots as much as it does on dialogue. And the dialogue is subtle at times, too, unusual for a sitcom.

Also, it helps to watch the entire series in order to understand some of the references.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. It's not supposed to be. It's satire with a lot of...

"Oh, Shit!" moments, and definitely an acquired taste.

One of the creators was intervewed last year and said "If you don't know a Michael, you ARE a Michael."

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. The first time I watched The Office, I wasn't that impressed.

Then, my sister--a huge fan of The Office--brought over a bunch of the DVDs for Thanksgiving and we watched multiple episodes in a row and since then I've been hooked. It's one of those shows you just have to warm yourself up to in order to enjoy--watching a single episode won't get you hooked. From the other side of things, I've heard people rave and rave about "30 Rock" and when I tried watching a single episode I just couldn't get into it for the life of me. Maybe if I watched a bunch of episodes in a row I might feel different, I don't know.

I think what makes it enjoyable for me is that Steve Carrell's Michael Scott is actually a lot more complex a character than what you are first lead to believe. He's of course a boneheaded dolt whose prone to awkward situations of his own doing, but you can't dislike him because you get a sense he means so well. So you end up rooting for him against your better wisdom.

Ed Helms and Rainn Wilson are also hysterical in their roles, and some of the other supporting characters are great as well.

I will say as of late the whole Jim-Pam thing is rather played out now that they are all lovey-dubey and the sexual tension is all gone. But it's still one of the few shows on TV currently that I actually look forward to watching every week ("Modern Family" is another one, and "Lost" when that comes on, plus some of the HBO shows.)

I tried watching the British version but I didn't like it as much. Ricky Gervasis's character doesn't have the soft likeable component that Steve Carrell's does.

[ipfilter]

21. The Office is a lot like The DU Lounge.

Lots of inside jokes and subtle humor. It takes more than 15 minutes to "get" the lounge and the same could be said for The Office. The inappropriate humor is supposed to make you squirm in your seat...that's a big part of the show.

I've tried to watch the original British version but I can only pick up about one or two words per sentence.

[joeybee12]

22. Not funny at all...stupid and pretentious...

...I agree with you.

[Forkboy]

24. To you.

:shrug:

[JonLP24]

26. I never watched

but from the other references I understand why it sometimes doesn't work if you jump into a show. In 2005 I caught a couple of episodes of then newly created show 'My Name is Earl' and I felt the first couple shows were good then I spent about 3 years away from the modern world and now I refuse to watch the 'My Name is Earl' re-runs on TBS, you know spoilers and all. I'll wait til my list gets shorter and put MNIE on Netflix.

The only shows I watch without worry about seeing the prior episodes is Simpsons, King of Queens, Everybody hates Chris, and sometimes Family Guy.

[Sky Masterson]

27. I think it's hilarious!

I went to the first and only to date "the Office" convention in Scranton and met several cast members.
I had a blast! I ate at several restaurants referenced on the show.
Oh,and Fun Fact ..
There is no Chili's in Scranton.:)

[LanternWaste]

28. The only two people I know...

The only two people I know (on a personal level) who dislike the series are the two people who most remind me of the lead character. Tempts me to wonder...

[mdmc]

29. I love comedies

I do enjoy this show..

[applegrove]

30. I was harrased in the workplace and outside of it. I couldn't watch a show about an office even if

it killed me.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

32. You say potato, I say potato...

...I did a year and a half contract job at Pacific Bell, the inspiration for "Dilbert." The Pac Bell folks were probably THE single most dysfunctional group of people I've ever worked with (other than Cisco...but Cisco was simply cutthroat, while Pac Bell really WAS Dilbert-Land...less vicious but more annoying).

The first thing you learn when working in an environment which inspired Dilbert is that Dilbert isn't funny when you've got to LIVE IT FIVE DAYS A WEEK.

Of course, it may not be funny ANYWAY, but I have a personal bias.

The Office might just be 2009's Dilbert, ya know?