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Originally Posted by John Wesley  Its pretty good. I still like the original British version a lot better.
Anyone watch Ricky Gervais' new show, Extras, on HBO? |
The other night I watched the XMAS reunion special from the Brit version over again. I first saw it two years ago. This time it creeped me out because there is definitely a strong undercurrent of rage in Ricky Gervais' David Brent character.
OTOH, Michael Scott is basically a happy but insecure bumbler who is capable of rising to the occasion when, for example, a big sale to the county is required.
I think the difference between the two versions is that David Brent spends the entire series just waiting for his inevitable firing because he knows that he's not up to the job. He doesn't even try to be productive but prefers to spend his work hours day-dreaming about being a rock star or motivational speaker. But he also knows that he's BSing not only the world but himself about his abilities. In contrast, hapless Michael Scott is just barely good enough to hold onto his job and desires nothing more than to be loved by everyone.
Both versions are brilliant in their own way.