Originally posted by WhitebaconAm I the only one who remembers the endless "You're risking the patients LIFE!" commercials during the playoffs and World Series on Fox last fall? How can a show promoted that heavily be a surprise hit?
Easy. They're surprised the ad campaign didn't piss everyone off.
You wanted the best, you got... Out of Context Quote of the Week.
"Jeez, some people seem to think anything short of Vince bending over and spreading his asscheeks is a slap in the face." (Hogan's My Dad)
On the flip side of The Office's ratings come these facts. The Office held an impressive 95% of the Scrubs 18-49 audience from Tuesday night. So now NBC has an entire block to work with and hopefully keep stable, which has been the entire problem with Scrubs to begin with. The comparison to House is idiotic because it only holds 65% of its American Idol lead-in in the 18-49 bracket. For example, you could stick Arrested Development, LAX, Veronica Mars, or any other show you can think of and stick it there and it would trounce The Office.
I have to admit that I'm surprised people here weren't more disturbed by this episode. I didn't see the first one, and I didn't see the BBC series, but it was tough laughing sometimes at Carell's character. There was so many borderline offensive lines that I felt guilty after each segment.
Carell seems almost TOO good at this role, and I don't think that I will give this show another chance. It's just too out there for me.
Originally posted by Super Shane SpearOn the flip side of The Office's ratings come these facts. The Office held an impressive 95% of the Scrubs 18-49 audience from Tuesday night. So now NBC has an entire block to work with and hopefully keep stable, which has been the entire problem with Scrubs to begin with. The comparison to House is idiotic because it only holds 65% of its American Idol lead-in in the 18-49 bracket. For example, you could stick Arrested Development, LAX, Veronica Mars, or any other show you can think of and stick it there and it would trounce The Office.
You're right on almost all accounts. I say almost only because I don't think LAX would get the tentpole help from AI.
Even though they're competition (but IIRC NBCUni produces the show), getting an 11 rating is a pretty darn good sampling for House.
So, I just saw the Office....the original BBC first season. My God, this is a funny show. There's just a certain magic to it, a certain "good lord, I can't believe they said that" tone that the American version can't match.
I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits." --- President Jed Bartlett, The West Wing
I caught it for the first time last night, too. I've been trying to catch the BBC version of "The Office" to compare the two. I think the English version is more dry in terms of the comedy.
Now that Carrell's character is even more fleshed out as the asshole boss who hides behind people he assigns to play "bad cop" and try to pass himself off as the hero anyway, he's getting funnier and funnier. Really fun episode last night, and I think now the Scrubs/Office Super Happy Fun Smile Time Hour is my favorite hour of television.
Also honorable mention for giving Rainn Wilson more to do and being awesome as Michael's hapless Bad Cop.
"Can I fire Jim?" "NO!"
(edited by Blanket Jackson on 6.4.05 1603) "Meet the kite-eating tree you son of a bitch!"
After two real shows: I find it pretty enjoyable. Carell is super-talented (though still nowhere near Gervais), fake Tim started being funny this week, and a new Dawn is cute. Fake Gareth kind of sucks though. They've sorta missed the point with him. I guess they're going with the original casting plan where he was supposed to be an older guy, but the greatness of Gareth was how he was totally odious yet still a) loveable and b) in a way, Tim's friend. "Dwight" is just a horrible guy with more of a Chris Finch disposition.
In its second week in its regular Tuesday-night time slot, NBC's The Office picked up additional viewers but not enough to lift it out of third place. While it is rare for a new show to improve in the ratings in its second week, The Office's numbers, a 5.1 rating and a 7 share, remained disappointing and were behind those for ABC's lackluster Rodney, which produced its worst ratings ever in the same time period. The top-rated show of the night was (again) American Idol, with a 16.1/25. A repeat of Fox's House, which followed, produced an 11.0/16. Together the two shows gave Fox an easy win for the night. On Wednesday Idol retained its ratings dominance for its results show, posting a 16.0/23. On ABC, killing off one of its regular stars resulted in a 12./0/18 count for Lost. The season finale of NBC's The West Wing posted a respectable 9.3/14 against Idol at 9:00 p.m., while a repeat of NBC's Law & Order took over first place at 10:00 p.m. with a 9.2/14.
"You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing?" --Toby, West Wing
At some point during the second episode, I thought to myself "He's going to turn out to be her father." I'm going with that. (I don't care who the husband turns out to be.)