I’m going Chris Crocker over here with mah British stories.
Although I love, love, love Steve Carrell, Rainn Wilson, and whoever else is in the American version of “The Office”, I have to jump on the British hipster bandwagon (is that ironic? That a “hipster bandwagon” is something that exists now?) and admit: the American version cannot touch the British version.
“Leave Brit T.V. aloooone!!!1”
I remember seeing the O.G. Gervais series with a roommate of mine back in college.
Initially, I “didn’t get it”. I wasn’t used to the U.K. style of humor (beyond “Are You Being Served?” – a show that was hilarious on a personal level because the couple reminded me of a hyperbolic version of my own parents). But by the third episode or so of “The Office”, I was officially sold and in love with the British brand of laughter eduction. It was different, but I like that. Then again, I look for any excuse to laugh. Then, by the time I saw “The I.T. Crowd” (another great British sit com), I was lucky enough to have missed its original airing because that meant I could binge-watch episodes of it a few years later when I got snowed outta work and into my home for several days.
And just like that, my love affair with British humor was officially sealed.
(This gif makes me seem racist because he’s, like, Irish. Or Scottish. Or something.
#samedifferenceright)
That’s why when I recently read about how we’re also going to be bastardizing another great show by redoing “The I.T. Crowd” here across the pond, I had to ponder for a moment whether or not I’d give it the old college try (ironic since a “college try” is literally what I did when I tried the foreign version, fell in love, and now have to talk myself back into trying my homeland’s rendition all over again. #lifeishard).
Sure, I look for any giggle inducing opportunity. And sure I can try to tell myself to see the reboot with new eyes. But, as a slave to my brain, I can’t help but look for pattern similarities, so that’ll also be a challenge. Especially if they don’t tweak anything.
Despite my bias, I suppose what it comes down to is being able to appreciate the fact that our comparative approaches to humor are simply different. The Brits are more subtle and stiff yet theatrical with their comedy while Americans tend to be more hapless in their awkwardness and shame. And if they can nail this translation somehow with a USA IT Crowd version, then maybe – just maybe – when the first pilot airs, and if I’m not doing anything else, and the next season of House of Cards hasn’t aired yet, and I’ve not yet reached the end of the internet, and I haven’t cleaned my work station yet…
Then I’ll try turning it on.
And off again.
Most likely.