As a dedicated believer in the fact that Michael Scott is in fact the “Worlds Best Boss”, I’ll be the first to admit this post is biased. The 2005 NBC Sitcom “The Office” aired on American television four years after the British version aired and some, dare might say, it was even better than the UK.
Firstly let us discuss globalisation. “Television shows” today have the power to go global in the matter of seconds. Programs deemed as a “TV show” aren’t just TV shows anymore. Streaming services, paid TV subscriptions, YouTube Channels even Social Media websites have all in some way or another created platforms for series to be created and viewed by the entire world.
Often was successful in one country will not be in another but that just the case with different cultural preferences. But of course it depends on which member of the audience is watching. ‘Culture, identity, proximity and language leads to the favouring for a culture, which then leads an audience to favour local or national productions over those that are global.’ (Straubhaar, J 2014) For me personally, the shows I watch are American, which I would say is pretty normal. Even though I would say I am drawn to American culture more and more. Even through my online activities I seem to follow more Americans on social media and watch them on YouTube. But I think for someone in the US to say all the shows they watch as Australian would be rare.
After trying to remake many British TV shows and failing The Office US was able to achieve its own success and some might say even outdid the UK version with its success. Like any program it has to relate to its viewers. So the producers knew it would do the job to just air the UK version.
“Adapting a successful program makes more sense than simply importing the original because, as Moran observes, “locally produced programmes, whether based on formats or not, are likely to attract larger audiences than imported programmes” (Griffin, J 2008)
NOW! The moment we’ve been waiting for Scott vs. Brent. Michael Scott has the same egotistical essence as David Brent. Both men have over the top ego’s that mask insecure little boys. Though both bosses share very similar trait, there are differences. Both are clueless but David is more articulate and Michael, occasionally mangles his vocabulary or grammar. (Griffin, J 2008) This clumsier character was more appealing to American audiences which also effected the success of the show as the central character became relatable.
Which is better? Depends on the audience. The reason for the global success both is that the show runners of both series found something that appealed to everyone on the world – office life. They were able to make a mundane career look like the funniest environment in the world. Global success for various shows really depends on how appealing the show is – the country the show is irrelevant.
references:
- Straubhaar, Joseph, D ‘Choosing National TV: Cultural Capital, Language and Cultural Proximity in Brazil’ in The Impact of International Television: Paradigm Shift, edited by Michael G Elasmar, Oxford: Routledge, 2014, pp-77-100
- Griffin, Jeffery. ‘The Americanization of the Office: A Comparison of the Offbeat NBC sitcom and its British Predecessor’, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 35:4, Winter 2008, pp.154-163
- thumbnail, The Password – The Office US, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GxqvnQyaxs
- http://www.giphy.com/YwpylUojkfOZa
swoon 