The US office at 20: “I imagine

When it comes to bringing British television to the USA, the track record was not great. Classic like DistancePresent The pastor of DibleyPresent This country and evenly Taskmaster I have a punt in success in the States; Everyone was canceled quickly and without further ado. So if gervais and The office Co-creator Stephen Merchant received a call from television producer Ben Silverman, who said he wanted to adapt his loyal workplace mockmentary for an American crowd. The expectations were immediately low.

“I had failed for 30 years,” says Gervais. “Some were drawn after the first episode because advertising was so important. They would just kill it. But I thought: ‘Why not?’ I have nothing to lose, nothing to beat.

Merchant, a long-time mega fan of the All-American sitcom, had a similar attitude. “The idea of ​​an American version always seemed exciting to me” MASHPresent Roseanne And Cheek. “But when it was led for the first time, there was a lack of success in the new formation of British that I was a little careful about what our chances were, but at the same time I was thrilled.”

The original was released on BBC Two in 2001 and was a local hit that wins year after year and wins Emmy.

Also abroad there were whispering of this brilliant British comedy about a paper company based in Slough that they simply had to see. Gervais ‘painful cringey boss David Brent became a word of mouth in the authors’ rooms across America. Likewise his employees: Office Lovebirds Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) and by-the-book Military Mind Gareth (Mackenzie Crook).

From the beginning, both Merchant and Gervais knew that they shouldn’t be the ones they should bring The office to the USA. “I always had the feeling that it was important that we didn’t try to do it ourselves,” says Merchant and explains why you decided to hand over the truck to a new team.

The more Steve got into the role, the more the shadow of Ricky’s appearance disappeared

“You think you know America because we are so consumed, but we really don’t. There are so many small nuances about American life and especially the office life,” he adds, pointing to British traditions such as Pub quiz and Gareth’s precious territorial army that does not quite translate. “We tried to replicate our too precisely and would not have done it right.

“We had to choose showrunner and saw the cream of American producers and directors,” added Gervais. “It was embarrassed that I chose people who had done 1,000 times more than I did. They had worked on everything Cheek To King of the Hill. “”

Among them was Greg Daniels, a gently spoken American screenwriter, whose earlier credits belongedLive on Saturday evening And The Simpsons.

“They could all have done a great job, but Greg was the only one who thought about how important Tim and Dawn’s story was,” added Gervais. “He knew that romance was an important element,” says Merchant.

Before Daniels could get there, however, he had to find America’s David Brent for the first time -or how he was renamed the US version Michael Scott, manager of the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Initially Silverman believed that Gervais could fit into the bill, but the general of Brent Meister had other ideas.

“Before we occupied, called me (Silverman) and said:” Why don’t you play Michael Scott? “I said,” This is mentally. “Why should I do that? The reason The office Was resonated because it was made for English in England. It has to be done by Americans for Americans. “

At the end of the day, says Gervais, the real reason why he rejected because he did not want to move to America for seven years and wanted to work five days a week and lasted 14 hours a day. “I would have cried after the first 22 episodes and asked Dwight (Raininn Wilson) to murder myself.”

As it turned out, Gervais had someone in mind that he believed that he could play the role quite well.

“Before all of this happened, someone asked me:” If they had an American remake, who would I have played Brent and I said Bruno Kirby, no longer with us, “says Gervais.” I had seen him in Slicker of the city And he was also in Good morning, Vietnam Play the hole that thought he was funnier than Robin Williams. I just thought it was beautiful. “

Ultimately it was that The daily show‘S Steve Carell, who caught the role, but many others came close. “Bob Odendirk would have been brilliant” breaking Bad The Michael Scott Shortlist make it outstanding.

“It is interesting. At the beginning he didn’t seem to have the immediate warmth that Carell had or certainly not. But when you saw him in things as seen Call Saul betterEverything is there. It is difficult to know, “he says. And this person was without a doubt Carell.

So was there a Brent handover process? Gervais insists that there were no. In fact, Carell was active to avoid his British counterpart. “When Steve got the job, he said:” I have to stop seeing him so that I don’t make an impression of you, “says Gervais,” because when you see Brents Tics, you are irresistible – look uncomfortable, say nothing and look into the camera. “

Dealers remember similar worries. “He was pretty careful because he didn’t try to replicate Ricky. The more he got into the role, the more the shadow of Ricky’s performance disappeared into his own groove in the second series and was able to live in the character as Ricky had.”

But while Brent had to softer for the US consumption (“You had to make him a little more beautiful, better in the job, more positive and a little less dark,” says Gervais), the character of Gareth risks too far. “I was worried about Dwight,” says Gervais and comments on the office authoritarian played by Wilson.

“I thought he was too exaggerated, but that just settled in and worked with the show – because the show was also bigger.” Merchant agrees and adds: “First there is a theater for the performance, but when you see it, he can only make it rich”.

Despite a rocky start, in which the show was almost canceled after its first season, the US literation was from the US The office In the end, nine popular seasons ran, seven with Carell as a boss. “You developed it very well. Towards the end of his time there they trudge him and want him to be happy,” says Merchant. “We could not have committed Steve because we were so lucky to have it for so many great episodes. At that time they can write out a character and the juggernach moves on.”

“When they recruited for the new boss (finally played by Will Ferrell), they said it would be nice if I applied for the job (in character as Brent),” says Gervais about his long-awaited crossover-roomo. Was there ever talked about that he was taken over after the demolition of Carell? “There was. I don’t know if it ever called to NBC to call someone or whether it was more of a press and the fan base of the show,” he says, adding with a laugh. “Then when I wasn’t there, people said:” Ricky auditional and not get the part. “That is fiction.”

In retrospect 20 years later, both creators may appreciate the extended universe that was born from their sluts based history. “I can imagine that most Americans don’t know about the English show – but the good thing is, I get recognition for both,” says Gervais.

“There is our version and this brilliant cover version. They share many of the same elements, but they are both different,” says Merchant. “I am very proud of the American and when I flow through television and it is, I will see it as a fan. I enjoy it like everyone else.”