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The Office (2001-3) has been widely cited as one of TV's best sitcoms.1 This ostensible tale of Office dronedom' is unquestionably one of the BBC's most successful comedy exports - it has been sold to over 88 countries and adapted in seven foreign territories (the United States, French Canada, Chile, Israel, Brazil, Germany and, of course, France), with a Swedish version set to premiere in 2012 and a Chinese one in production.2 As a case study for the adaptation of AngloSaxon television to the French screen, the example of The Office is particularly interesting. This Gallic adaptation broke new ground for the Office franchise: the better-known American version may have been the first adaptation in March 2005, but the French was the first official foreign-language remake in May 2006. A comparison between the two does seem relevant, given the novelty of both in their respective cultures and quasi-simultaneity. But their success could not be more different: while the US series continues in what is its eighth season, with over 150 episodes thus far, the French series was quietly abandoned after only six episodes, despite its well-known star (François Berléand, a fixture in French television and film since the late 1970s) and established team of director-screenwriters (Nicholas Charlet and Bruno Lavaine, or 'Nicholas & Bruno', as they commonly refer to themselves). In this article, then, the American adaptation will serve as a point of comparison for my analysis of the French series, as I examine the circumstances surrounding the very different receptions to the same basic premise of this workplace mockumentary.
Genesis of the Series
In France the BBC comedy only aired on the satellite network TPS Star in 2003; as such very few people saw it and so there were no real expectations when the French version first screened - indeed, in Le Bureau (2006) the actors were often unaware they were, in fact, performing in an adaptation of a previous work. In this sense, the French remake was working with a clean slate, a marked advantage over the American Office, where the BBC original had already developed a cult following - notably among television critics. The French team was moreover a priori a winning one: the David Brent character, in France named Gilles...