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The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

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Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

#5
post #2

The IT Crowd is one of my favorite shows. I watched this awhile back and I was really sad to think, “well good thing that wasn’t made.”

Although if there had only ever been a pilot of The Office (US) I would've felt the same way about that, whereas once it got going I could appreciate it as 'different'. (To be blunt, in the beginning it's just the same jokes with far worse delivery.)

Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

#6
That wasn't nearly as atrocious as I was expecting. Partly because the script is almost the same as the UK first episode, of course, but even putting that aside it was OK. Richard Ayoade is still great but also Joel McHale is a pretty decent choice as Roy. Even the actress playing Jen, although a bit annoying, wasn't too bad. And the twist that the boss actually isn't crazy is interesting.

Not like the US Red Dwarf pilot. That actually is tear-your-eyes-out bad.

Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

#8
I'm pretty sure this pilot is the same script as episode 1 of the original UK series. Clearly someone felt the need to recast and reshoot the series with US actors (plus Richard Ayoade), like they did the US Office.

I wonder if that's old thinking (or wasn't actually needed) - the amount of UK TV that's now on Netflix and other OTT platforms seems to suggest that US audiences are open to enjoying original UK series without being reshot. Did the UK IT Crowd ever take off in the US?

Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

#9
post #8

I'm pretty sure this pilot is the same script as episode 1 of the original UK series. Clearly someone felt the need to recast and reshoot the series with US actors (plus Richard Ayoade), like they did the US Office. I wonder if that's old thinking (or wasn't actually needed) - the amount of UK TV that's now on Netflix and other OTT platforms seems to suggest that US audiences are open to enjoying original UK series w…

It has been quite popular in my circles, but then I have a disproportionate concentration of British-empire immigrants and IT folks in my circles, so... Maybe?

Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

#10
post #5
post #2

The IT Crowd is one of my favorite shows. I watched this awhile back and I was really sad to think, “well good thing that wasn’t made.”

Although if there had only ever been a pilot of The Office (US) I would've felt the same way about that, whereas once it got going I could appreciate it as 'different'. (To be blunt, in the beginning it's just the same jokes with far worse delivery.)

There were only two series of the UK version made, and a lot of it was unscripted or loosely scripted and a lot of improv on Ricky Gervais's part.

The first two series of the US edition of The Office was kind of uncomfortable because it was essentially the scripting and acting of what was previously improvised. I hear the 3rd series onwards was better received in part because it was originally written for the US audience, it was never made for the UK audience, and it wasn't improv'd.

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