MCA wrote:i'll never understand the ripping of the Office that goes on around here.
Have you not watched the last 3 seasons?
It's been a great show and the first 3 seasons are among the funniest first three seasons in TV history. It's provided a ton of laughs and has contributed greatly to pop culture ("that's what she said" isn't going anywhere).
But any fan who loves the show has to acknowledge that the quality of the episodes has deteriorated into near farce at this point. SEMI-SPOILER: that 'Dwight shoots the gun in the office' bit was brutal; I was half-expecting Ralph Furley to come barging through).
They set a high bar early (unlike, say, "Seinfeld" whose bar was set a little later). But you gotta remember that the original UK 'Office' was on 14 episodes
total. And that Gervais, in his own words, didn't OK a U.S. version "for the art".
It happened (and continues to) with "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy", as well as countless shows over the years. More shows need to take their cue from HBO and "Seinfeld".
“You’ve been waiting for it for a long time, but you got it. You wanted it, you got it. We’re bringing it home.’’