When it comes to The Office UK vs US, there are plenty of notable differences that are worth comparing. The answer on which one is better depends on several different factors, but a lot of it boils down to the audience’s take on their specific comedic stylings. The differences between Steve Carell’s lovable buffoonery and Ricky Gervais’ excruciatingly honest take on a mean-spirited boss who’s puffed up on his own self-importance highlight those differing tastes. However, there were more differences than just the bosses who oversaw the respective workplaces.
Aside from cultural differences, The Office UK only ran for two series, whereas the American version of The Office had a 9-season run which offered greater character exploration and fresh storylines. The humor on both shows is also relatively different, though they share an affinity for excruciating moments of second-hand embarrassment. Names were also changed for certain characters in the US adaptation, relationships were altered, and in the end, these shows were very different workplace sitcoms.
15. The Office US Had More Romance
The Tim And Dawn Romance Was Less Central In The UK Version
The main romance in the UK version of The Office was Tim and Dawn. Dawn is engaged to Lee, despite a clear mutual attraction between her and Tim. The series ends with Tim proclaiming his feelings for her, but Dawn refuses to leave Lee. However, in the “Christmas Party” specials, Dawn ends up kissing Tim and does end her engagement. Their relationship was the sweet spot between David’s humorous obnoxiousness and Gareth’s arrogance.
The Office‘s romance between Pam and Jim was also the main focus for most of the US show. However, as the seasons progressed, there were more couples to focus on. Angela and Dwight were a couple for a while and eventually got married in the series finale. Andy and Erin, Phyllis and Bob, and Erin and Pete are other examples. Even Michael found romance with his former HR manager, Holly. The Office slowly focused on couples everyone loved or hated.
14. The Office US Had A Changing Of The Guard
The UK Version Ended Before Casting Changes Were Needed
Another one of the biggest differences in the case of The Office UK vs US is that the American series continues without the big boss working there. With only two seasons, the UK version of The Office didn’t have much time to introduce new characters or move them around, ending with David getting sacked. Yet, the US version did. Through its nine seasons, the show portrayed something that normally happens in offices — people come and go.
The one with the biggest effect was Michael’s departure in season 7. This led to several people in the manager’s seat as The Office tried to find Michael’s replacement. Another change took place when Pam was promoted to sales representative and Erin became the receptionist. In a way, it showed progress could be made in a small office in a middle-sized city.
13. The Office US Had More Subplots
The UK Office Avoiding Overarching Storylines
While this could also be due to the amount of time the series was on the air, the American adaptation of The Office wins out for subplots. There were indeed subplots within the main story of the UK’s Office, but they were quickly resolved and usually within the same episode. If not closed by the end of the series, they were left open for audiences to ponder. In some ways, this was good. In others, it left fans of the original Office wanting more.
Some of the subplots of the US version went on for an entire season or even several years. This created better seasons than others. Dwight’s goal to become the branch’s manager was one, a subplot that arguably spanned the entire series. The scandal between Oscar and Angela’s husband also ran for a season or two. It helped this version of The Office to avoid being a one-joke series.
12. The Office US Had Fewer Cringe-Worthy Moments
David Brent’s Lack Of Self-Awareness Was Hilariously Uncomfortable
Humor is another source of division in The Office UK vs US debate, and the UK version relied much more heavily on its embarrassing moments. A lot of this has to do with the differences in character between the US’s Michael and the UK’s David. David was a blowhard whose embarrassing moments usually came when he was assuring others of his competency and prowess, such as when he claimed he would’ve sent Neil “through the wall” in season 2, episode 2, “Appraisals,” or when he played off failing a medical examination in the season 1 finale, “Judgement.”
Michael certainly had his cringe-worthy episodes in the US version of the program. Most of them took place during the first few seasons when his character’s profile resembled that of the U.K.’s David Brent. However, as the show went on, Michael’s moments of embarrassment became tempered with softness. The Office‘s infamous “Scott’s Tots” episode was one of the hardest to watch but ultimately showed Michael’s big heart.
11. The Office US Had A Happier Ending
The Office UK Stuck With Its More Cynical Style In The End
When it comes to how the two sitcoms concluded, The Office US had the better finale. Though the finales to both versions of The Office had similar elements (having everyone gather for a photo instead of the office crew), the UK version was more downtrodden. It showed everyone three years later in various forms of disappointment. Especially David, who kept hanging around the old office for attention.
The finale of The Office US similarly had a time-jump to look at how the characters turned out. For the most part, everyone’s life had a happy ending. Even characters like Andy, the show’s sadsack, ended up fulfilling their dreams in one way or another and explained the reason a film crew was following them for years in the meantime. Overall, The Office’s finale was perfect and it made the viewers feel good about the gang’s life after the show ended.
10. David Brent Wasn’t Redeemable Like Michael Scott
Michael Was Loveable For All His Flaws
One big thing that divides the two series of The Office is its two main characters. Although both David Brent and Michael Scott are hilariously awkward bosses, David Brent’s character was never someone the audience was supposed to like. Michael Scott is ignorant, tactless, petty, and self-centered, but he does manage to have some redeeming qualities, unlike David. Unlike American shows, British shows don’t often feel the need to make their series’ stars more viewer-friendly. In the American version of The Office, people can (and do) change for the better, whereas in the Office UK, the characters remain static and part of the series was about seeing David get what was coming to him.
9. The Office US Had More Character Development
This Is Likely Due To It Running Longer
For the most part, both the UK and US versions of The Office have an equal amount of characters, but the American supporting cast is much more well-developed. This is probably because Ryan “The Temp” (B.J. Novak) and Toby from H.R. (Paul Lieberstein) also double as chief writers for the show, which was given 7 more seasons than The Office UK.
When a supporting character is writing countless episodes for the series, they’re inevitably going to expand the depth of supporting cast members. Had The Office UK been given more time on the air, it’s possible that the show could’ve branched out to include more about the lives of Jennifer, Ricky, or Chris. While some argue the limited run made it a better show overall, the supporting cast suffered from the short run.
8. Pam Was More Assertive Than Dawn
Dawn Was Stuck In The Same Role For The Whole Series
Many characters from The Office US were plucked straight from the original and simply given new names — this was the case with Dawn and Pam. Both Pam and Dawn are slightly downtrodden, girl-next-door types who are both stuck in dead-end receptionist positions and allowing their dreams to fall by the wayside in favor of getting married to their sub-par fiancé, but they have one clear difference.
Dawn’s character is much less assertive and remains bound to her life as a receptionist throughout the entire length of the show. Pam, however, has an almost butterfly-like transformation from an under-appreciated, insecure office worker to a self-confident, successful woman. It’s possible that if The Office UK were given more time on the air then Dawn could’ve experienced this transformation, as she does end up leaving Lee for Tim in the “Christmas Party” special. However, she simply wasn’t given enough screen time to explore her artistic aspirations in the same way that Pam was.
7. Tim Was More Believable Than Jim
Jim Was Made The More Impressive Love Interest For Pam
While John Krasinski’s Jim was a great character, The Office UK’s Tim comes out on top for being a tad more realistic. In the UK version, Tim is a true underdog who lives with his parents and has a fair amount of charm (but not too much). It’s his mediocrity that makes him more relatable and, in turn, easier to root for when he finally gets the courage to share his emotions with Dawn.
Tim performs well at work, but his dreams remain lackluster and he isn’t particularly motivated. America, on the other hand, couldn’t have Pam’s main love interest still living with his parents. As a result, Jim Halpert was made into a “better catch” for American audiences (and for Pam), so that their relationship timeline could proceed. Jim was a lot more charming and rose up the ranks of Dunder Mifflin based on this, as he was rarely shown working exponentially hard.
6. Dwight Was More Exciting Than Gareth
Gareth’s Antics Were Less Wild Than Dwight’s
By far one of the biggest character divergences between The Office UK vs US was that of Gareth Keenan and Dwight Schrute. Dunder Mifflin’s Dwight Schrute is a perfect example of an American supporting character taking on a life of his own. Dwight’s character is annoying, but he’s also one of the stand-out members of the show because of his hilarious antics, Amish-like background, and amusing one-liners.
Gareth, on the other hand, is more realistic and therefore less exciting. Unlike Dwight, Gareth is that annoying, glorified errand boy who actually does work in an office. He’s a calculated and clueless military brat who believes everything in the office should be run according to his specifications. He’s always right and everyone else is wrong, but would probably never engage in Dwight-type antics like staging a fire because no one listened to his fire safety demonstration.
5. The Office US Was Much Longer
The UK Version Went For A Short And Sweet Run
As is clear with the exploration of The Office UK vs US, a big factor in a lot of the differences between the series comes down to the simple fact that the American version was on much longer. A total of 201 episodes of The Office were aired over nine seasons in the United States. In comparison, there were only 12 episodes of the British version (and two specials). There are many who feel that this difference is what makes the UK version the better one. While it was beloved for many seasons, there is a strong feeling that The Office US should have ended much earlier and lost a lot of its charm by the end. In contrast, The Office UK was a great show from beginning to end with no weak sport.
4. The Office US Had More Guest Stars
The UK’s Smaller Budget Didn’t Allow For Big Names
It probably won’t surprise audiences to find out that in the case of The Office UK vs US, the American version had a much bigger budget, which led to a bunch of guest appearances from some big-name guest stars, including Idris Elba, Will Ferrell, Amy Ryan, Kathy Bates, and Rashida Jones. Ricky Gervais even appeared and played his own character, David Brent, in The Office season 7, episode 13, “The Seminar,” where he once befriended Michael Scott outside of an elevator and then applied for a job with Dunder Mifflin. The UK’s version, on the other hand, never let star power get in the way.
3. There’s A Difference In Comedic Style Between The Office UK & The Office US
The UK’s Dry Humor Contrasted The US’s Wacky Comedy
Both versions of The Office are a perfect example of the big differences between American and British humor. Above all, the British appreciated the cringe-worthy, realistic characters in the show as well as the brutally honest, albeit satirized, depiction of office life. In contrast, the characters remained static throughout the length of the show. Americans, on the other hand, craved fluid characters and wacky, over-the-top humor to offset the cringe-inducing drudgery of working in an office. In other words, British audiences watched The Office so they could laugh at themselves, but Americans watched The Office so they could laugh at the characters.
2. The Office UK Was More Pessimistic
The Office US Embraced The Warmness Of Its Characters
Cultural differences play a big role in The Office UK vs US, and the original series arguably saw the glass as half-empty. British culture is overwhelmingly pessimistic about the future, according to one poll on The Independent, whereas Americans are considered wildly optimistic in comparison. This stark cultural difference can be seen in the storylines of both versions of the show.
The British version is more sardonic and cynical, whereas the American version is lighter, warmer, and easier to watch. In general, Americans believe that people can change for the better, and this is seen in the relationship between Pam and Jim and Michael Scott himself. As similar as Michael Scott and David Brent are, their endings are drastically different, with Michael getting married and moving on with Holly and David still hanging around the office for attention.
1. The Office US Has A More Glammed-Up Cast
The Office UK Held A Consistency With Its Characters
One of the final differences in The Office UK vs US comparison is how the characters’ appearances changed over time. Many of the characters featured in the American adaptation did receive stark transformations, particularly Jim and Pam. Jim was tall, sweet, funny, and very good-looking, but in an approachable way. Meanwhile, Pam changed up her hairstyle and added modern clothes to her wardrobe.
While neither Dawn nor Tim from the UK version is unattractive by any means, their characters’ appearances remain the same. The wardrobe in the UK show remains stagnant, though this could also be due to the series’ short run. If it were given more time, Tim and Dawn would’ve possibly received glow-ups as their lives changed. In the American version, both Jim and Pam’s looks improve as their lives improve, but this whole idea might’ve gone against The Office UK’s bleaker outlook.
