Remember when "The Office" used to be funny?
You know me. I live for "The Office." I have Office paraphernalia in my workplace, and at home. I have definite plans to someday marry Jim Halpert, and I admit this freely knowing that Jim is fictional and I sound like an idiot.
So it pains me greatly - greatly - to say these words: "The Office" is not funny.
I realized this during the second half hour of the second episode of the current season, when I couldn't care less about Ryan's plans to bring Dunder Mifflin into the 21st century. It was cemented for me last week when I fell asleep a little after 9:30, about when Michael Scott started arguing with the pizza boy about coupons. And last night, right around the time Pam discovered Cousin Mos in the outhouse, I shed a single tear for "The Office" of old.
I'm hoping that this lack of funny is just a side effect of the hour-long format: "The Office" was not meant to be an hour long. Part of what makes it so funny is the quick, blink-and-you-might-miss-it joke pace, and the hour-long episodes draw things out, diluting the funny. There are still amusing moments, but they're getting lost.
Then there are the ridiculous situations. Michael drives into a lake. Michael takes a pizza boy hostage. Jim and Pam spend the night at Dwight's agro-tourist motel. What? What is happening here? The show doesn't need ridiculous set ups and implausible situations. All you need are those dozen or so people in a room making faces at each other. That's where the funny is. It's interesting that even with more time, we're getting less of Phyllis and Stanley and Toby, dropped in favor of way too much Michael and Jan.
And I'm not even going to to touch on Jim and Pam. Okay, maybe a little. Do they seem smug? They seem smug to me. I still love them, but I'm sensing some smugness there.
I'm not off "The Office" train yet, don't me wrong. I'll be back again for next week's new episode, hoping that the return to the half-hour format will bring back one of the best, funniest comedy shows ever. In the meantime, I'll keep using my Dwight Schrute pen on my "I Love Jim" notepad, and dream of better days.
Comments:
I think the hour format isn't working. I know it's only for a few episodes, but it seems they have 30 minutes of jokes in an hour. Though I thought the whole Shrute Farms thing was hilarious, but didn't really give a damn about Michael's finacial problems during the second half. But they are doing a great job making Ryan unlikeable.
Posted by: Michael at October 19, 2007 10:40 AM
This is why I love the office. Shrute Farms is actually on Trip Advisor. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g52842-d730099-Reviews-Schrute_Farms-Honesdale_Pennsylvania.html
Posted by: Michael at October 19, 2007 10:48 AM
I partially agree with you. I agree the show is better set up to be a half hour where there was joke after joke. They are adding a lot of "drama" and plot into the hour version so there's some time between punch lines and some of Michael's quirky behavior can get annoying. I still think its pretty funny though. Last week with the pizza boy was my favorite. I loved when Dwight thought he was talking to the website on IM. That reminded me of the old school pranks Jim and Pam played. It's not as good as before, but I'm still a fan. During last nights episode I actually saw a commercial I really liked too! The Nissan one with the marble maze: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PgHAHAoRw . I thought it was clever.
Posted by: DonTerr at October 19, 2007 1:43 PM
Yes, the hour format is killing The Office and Jim and Pam are getting too smug. Now I just feel bad for Dwight when they prank him and it's not as fun.
Once they made it offical that they're dating, it took a nice little chunk out of the show.
Posted by: Mikey at October 20, 2007 11:22 AM
I've been feeling the same way. I found myself changing channels looking for something better in the middle of the show last week. I wrote to the producers about it recently, not that they may care what one person thinks, but nonetheless I cared enough to give them my thoughts. Could they possibly have run out of ideas for story lines?
Posted by: Jimsmine at October 22, 2007 1:01 PM
I think the funny is still there, they just only have enough for a 22-minute episode. Here's hoping Thursday's episode is a return to form.
Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2007 1:40 PM
I must call shenanigans. As easy as it is to have a job where you blog, this one looks a little like plagarism to me.
A day before this blog was posted, this article was.
http://www.slate.com/id/2176186/
Posted by: JB at October 22, 2007 5:19 PM
I don't actually read Slate, but, having now read that article, I'm glad to see we're on the same page (so to speak).
They're totally right about Ryan. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something wasn't feeling correct about Ryan, and it's the same thing that I feel about ALL of the characters now: There's no funny!
And believe me, if I was going to plagiarize anyone's thoughts about The Office, I'd go with Best Week Ever. Their Office recaps are spot-on and hella funny.
Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2007 7:12 PM
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