Althouse: "[T]he long-fantasized-about meeting between Gervais' David Brent (the lead of the original British version of the show) and Steve Carell's Michael Scott..."

January 28, 2011

"[T]he long-fantasized-about meeting between Gervais' David Brent (the lead of the original British version of the show) and Steve Carell's Michael Scott..."

... was unfortunately leaked in advance, wrecking the surprise element, but pretty cool nonetheless:

"Comedy is where the mind goes to tickle itself."

15 comments:

Known Unknown said...: Meh. I love Gervais, and don't hate Carell, but this was the highlight of an otherwise tepid episode (a tepisode?)

Rumor had it when Pam gave birth on The Office, the baby was going to be a shark all of the other characters could jump over.; 1/28/11, 12:13 PM
Phil 314 said...: Saw that last night; it was an odd scene, out of place.

I've never seen the original British version so I can't speak for how well Gervais represented his character.

I'm a sometimes "Office" viewer and so I wonder how many viewers not in the know saw this and wondered who's that character?

PS The Office is at times hard for me to watch because its awkward scenes can create such discomfort. In that sense, it reminds me of Fawlty Towers; great comedy AND high anxiety.; 1/28/11, 12:47 PM
Patm said...: Carrell stiff-armed Gervais away from him as he came to the stage at the Golden Globes. He didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor as to Gervais' roasts.; 1/28/11, 1:26 PM
ricpic said...: Steve Carell is one of those ain't I being cute types who define unfunny.; 1/28/11, 2:33 PM
LL said...: I don't care what you say, that was a good scene.

The Office is a pretty good show because it makes fun of something just about everybody can relate to. I was wondering why it took so long to make a sitcom about work.; 1/28/11, 2:33 PM
Biff said...: Kirk meets Picard.; 1/28/11, 2:34 PM
Triangle Man said...: Steve Carell is one of those ain't I being cute types who define unfunny.

@ricpic Who defines funny for you?; 1/28/11, 3:28 PM
Rialby said...: The Office has been unbelievably bad this season as the plots become more and more fantastical. It's really lost it's edge. It is over.; 1/28/11, 3:39 PM
Peter Hoh said...: Carell manages to express 4 different emotions in the second or two after Gervais says, "That's what she said."

Surprise, a recognition that it's funny, resentment that someone else is stealing his line, and then respect -- like "this guy is my brother."; 1/28/11, 3:46 PM
MayBee said...: The Office has been unbelievably bad this season as the plots become more and more fantastical.

That's what my son thinks, too. He didn't want David Brent to be any part of it as it is now.

I loved the BBC The Office. I love Gervais.

@Patm- pretty sure that stiff arm was a gag. Gervais is the executive producer of the office.; 1/28/11, 3:48 PM
q12345q6789 said...: I do watch "the office" (US) and did watch the UK series too.
But that scene has all the markings of a shoehorned-in, sitcom cross-over gimmick... Because it is one. The whole point was to have this "magical" moment for the fan insiders (and maybe UK audience) before Carrell left the series. I just wish they would have been able to do it in a slightly more naturalistic and less non-sequitir kind-of-way. However, with the current writer's approach to the show, It should fit right in.

At the Golden Globes (Hollywood's 2nd biggest tribute to collective Over-indulgence) Carrell did stiff-arm Gervais, but I have this theory that they were both in on the joke - or at least were both joking in there own way. Carrell comes from improv and could easily have been trying to one-up Gervais. On the other hand Gervais was really ripping into people that night... So who knows?; 1/28/11, 3:50 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I love Ricky Gervais, but I've never been able to watch much of the British "Office." I have the first season on DVD, but I can't get very far because I just can't make out what they are saying. I'd have to turn on the closed captioning. Those mumbling accents.; 1/28/11, 4:27 PM
ricpic said...: Who defines funny for me? It's been all downhill since W.C. Fields. Ed O'Neill on Married With Children had great comic timing. Jack Benny, terrific dry humor. Abbott & Costello. Bob & Ray.; 1/28/11, 4:27 PM
bagoh20 said...: Why does everything have to be leaked?. Is that really satisfying to those who do it? It reminds me of the stupidity of graffiti. I was hiking today in the mountains and came across a bunch of graffiti names on rocks and trees in the middle of the wilderness. What kind of an idiot does that? Ruin something for everybody else just for some lame attempt to puff yourself up, ever so little. That's what such a leak is like.; 1/29/11, 2:19 AM
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http://whois.domaintasks.com/cnn.com; 6/28/11, 12:26 AM