the office.

I took leave today after discovering my fever had not abated. So I stayed at home and watch the Christmas Specials of the BBC hit series 'The Office' instead. Not the American one, but the really brilliant British one.

I don't know many people who actually loved the series as much as I did. I'm actually very fond of it, along with 'Fawlty Towers'. Most people are either turned off by the blandness of it (it's a mockumentary) or that its characters are all tragic or pathetic. The humour isn't slapstick or comprised of funny moments; rather, it's 'black comedy'. It's all about the little tragic moments of the worst things that could happen or worst things to say. To me it's both absolutely hilarious and sad when you see life being played out, stripped away of all the things like political correctness or social etiquette - when people say exactly what's on their minds.

And I suspect when you watch 'the making of' of any show, you tend to end up identifying with them, because they take you behind the scenes and the facade of the show, hearing the actors'/actresses' real thoughts, the director's real intentions and the funny life side of the show. It's almost as if you were there and part of it. You laugh along with their inside jokes and it makes you feel part of it.

I reckon it takes real EQ to like a show like 'The Office'. British comedy is often underated because it's not as based or slapstick as American humour, but because it's often crafted with so much intelligent wit to hit the audience exactly how they want them to. They don't aim to make you laugh really; it's more like they aim to get a certain reaction - be it disgust, groaning with exasperation or just utter disbelief. Obviously this discounts 'Little Britain' and 'Ali G', where you laugh (if it even makes you laugh at all) because it's just stupid.

On a side note, I do wonder how in the world one casts for the role of the 'fat ugly woman'. I mean seriously, how do you ask someone to play such a demeaning role? How do you advertise it?

Wanted: Fat ugly woman to play fat ugly woman in upcoming TV series.

Director: "Hi Sheila, thanks for coming. Shall we get started?"
Actress: "Yeap sure. So what's my role?"
Director: "Uhh...well, you play the, uh, fat ugly woman who's the blind date of David Brent."
Actress: "Umm...okay...So...what's my motivation?"
Director: "Well, uh, you...pretty much just need to be...fat and ugly... Anyway, because you got through the auditions, we think you're perfect for this role."
Actress: "Oh. Okay. Thanks...I think..."

. Arigato .