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Differences in American and British Humor

4 Pages 1039 Words November 2014

There are many differences between British Comedy and American Comedy. Ricky Gervais is a British Comedian who can be known from many movies and T.V. shows such as The Invention of Lying and Derek. He also co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in The Office (U.K.), airing in August 2001. The show has been remade for different audiences in Sweden, France, Germany, Quebec, Brazil, and the United States. Gervais went on as a producer for the American version as well. While both the American and the British shows are very similar and based on the same pilot, they still differ widely. Along with the targeted audience, the usage of both the lead characters and the background characters is the key factor separating the two.
Both the U.S. and the U.K. versions of The Office are intended for different audiences, and therefore have many drastic differences. British television shows usually run only six episodes to a season. Having only two seasons and then a two-part Christmas special, The Office had very little time for character development. The American version of the show, however, spent three episodes consisting of 53 total episodes to lead up to the point that the British version ended. Along with a limited number of episodes, British comedy consists of very dry humor. The U.K. series is intended for it to be an absolutely unbearable workplace, where the boss is disliked. The American version of the show, however, takes the boss's idiotic and arrogant personality and gives him a genuine heart. The workplace, while annoying at times, seems to be interesting enough for the employees to bear it.
There are several main characters in The Office that are duplicated almost entirely in both versions of the series. David Brent (U.K.) and Michael Scott (U.S.) are both idiotic bosses who attempt to use humor to win the affection of their employees. They strive to be considered a friend or an entertainer rather than a boss to their employees. The main...

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