• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Martin Freeman admitted he was against the American version of The Office

Home> Entertainment> TV

Updated 14:26 7 Feb 2024 GMTPublished 15:08 25 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Martin Freeman admitted he was against the American version of The Office

Freeman played prankster Tim in the UK version of the comedy series

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Martin Freeman admitted he was against the American remake of The Office after starring in the UK version of the show.

Freeman was joined by Ricky Gervais, Lucy Davis and Mackenzie Crook in BBC series, which ran from 2001 to 2003 after being created by Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Martin Freeman starred alongside Gervais as Tim.
BBC

The series was - and still is - a fan-favourite among comedy lovers, so when news emerged that the US was going to try and make its own version, not everyone was keen on the idea - and I'm not just talking about fans.

Advert

Freeman opened up about his thoughts on the remake during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, when he discussed his love for the British version of the series and said he was 'resistant' to the remake.

Explaining his reluctance to get on board, Freeman told Eisen: "I think [it was pretty natural], if someone did a version of your show in Britain and called it something close to your name and said there's going to be a 'better British version', you might think: 'who the hell are you?'"

The US version of The Office first made it to TV in 2005, two years after the UK version reached its conclusion.

John Krasinski played Freeman's equivalent, Jim, in The Office (US).
NBC

It was created by showrunner Greg Daniels, who met with Gervais and Merchant after watching 'the entire first series' of their UK show in one evening.

Advert

Daniels has previously told The Guardian he was faced with the challenge of making something that 'looks and feels like the British show', but 'from an American point of view'.

To do this, the creators 'added a more classic American sitcom formula', writer Michael Schur said.

The show took off in the US and went on to run for nine seasons, while also managing to win over Freeman.

Martin Freeman eventually came around to the US version.
Scott Garfitt/BAFTA via Getty Images

In his interview, he continued: "When I watched it, I went straight through. It's a great show."

Advert

It's now been an entire decade since the US version of The Office came to an end, and twice as long since we said goodbye to the British characters, but there might be more in store for fans as reports have now emerged of a reboot.

The news comes after the Writers Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a deal to end the long-running writers strike in the US, with a Puck newsletter claiming that Daniels is now set to return to a reboot of his beloved show.

There are currently no details available about what actors might be involved in the new series, though further details are expected to come to light once the writers' strike officially ends.

Featured Image Credit: BBC/NBC

Topics: TV and Film, The Office, UK News, Martin Freeman

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • Taylor Hill/WireImage
    2 hours ago

    Ben Stiller gives raw response to Jimmy Kimmel's suspension after Charlie Kirk comments

    Jimmy Kimmel's show has been suspended, now Ben Stiller has given his thoughts

    Entertainment
  • Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images
    8 hours ago

    Singer d4vd has 'song leaked' with same name as girl found in his car with chilling lyrics

    The remains of teenager Celeste Rivas were tragically found in a Tesla last week

    Entertainment
  • Bryan Steffy/WireImage
    9 hours ago

    Priscilla Presley had heartbreaking thought moments before turning off daughter’s life-support

    Lisa-Marie passed away in January 2023 after suffering a cardiac arrest

    Entertainment
  • Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images
    13 hours ago

    What Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk that led to being pulled off air 'indefinitely'

    The late-night talk show host has called the broadcaster ABC home since 2003, but Jimmy Kimmel Live! has now been suspended

    Entertainment
  • The Office fans shocked as they ask 'what happened to Dwight' after The Paper revelation
  • All The Office Easter eggs in new spin-off The Paper including major viral meme
  • Netflix fans given strict deadline for Martin Freeman dark comedy with 92% score
  • Dwight actor Rainn Wilson revealed why The Office season one was ‘so different’