The best extended ensemble case in a sitcom ever!
I don't like loud comedies. No "King of Queens" for me. And save for the early Woody Allen movies, I'm not a fan of slapstick comedy made after the Marx brother era.
When they were first on network tv, I loved "The Bob Newhart Show," "It's the Gary Shandling Show," "Seinfeld," "Sports Night" (Aaron Sorkin's first venture into television) and "Newsradio." And because of its crisp, witty dialogue, (although strictly speaking, it wasn't a comedy), I lost my heart to "Veronica Mars." (Damn you, WB network!!).
Now the only network shows I watch are "The Office" and "30 Rock." What makes "The Office" unique is the size of its regular ensemble. Most comedy shows offer no more than six regularly appearing cast members bolstered by a number of recurring characters. But the ensemble for "The Office" consists of at least ten well-developed characters who appear in ninety percent of the episodes.
The writers do an amazing job of integrating this large cast into a show with comedy ranging from witty to hilarious. And while it doesn't exactly adhere to Seinfeld's "No hugging, no lessons learned" rule, it almost never relies on cheesy romantic moments (think "Friends to manipulate the audience.
This show was adapted from the British comedy of the same name. I loved the British version. But because that show was scripted to be on for two seasons of six episodes each (plus an extended Special that tied up all the loose ends), the manager, played brilliantly by Ricky Gervais, could be much more boorish, than his counterpart, the Michael Scott character played by Steve Carrell, in the American version. Michael Scott is also boorish, and Steve Carrell brings just the right among of smarm to inhabit that role.
But a comedy that depends on wit (as opposed to "Raymond") that has any hopes of running for several seasons cannot have a nasty main character. And so it is with "The Office." While Michael and his assistant, Dwight (played by Rainn Wilson) as well as Angela in accounting, can be characters that you may enjoy seeing get their comeuppance from time to time, they each have redeeming qualities, such that you can't really not like them.
In short, this is a well-constructed, well-written show that, like real life, involves a large number of regular players. Funny and smart, it hasn't quite reached the pantheon of classic sitcoms. But there is a good chance it will wind up there. This dvd set of the "second" season (actually the first complete season) makes it clear why.Read full review
