Summary

• The Office US had more romance with multiple couples and a focus on various relationships, while the UK version focused mainly on the romance between Tim and Dawn.
• The US version had more character development due to its longer run, giving ing characters more depth and storylines.
• The US version had fewer cringe-worthy moments compared to the UK version, as Michael Scott's embarrassing moments became tempered with moments of softness and redemption.

When it comes to The Office UK vs US, there are plenty of notable differences that are worth comparing. The answer on which one is better depends on several different factors, but a lot of it boils down to the audience's take on their specific comedic stylings. The differences between Steve Carell's lovable buffoonery and Ricky Gervais' excruciatingly honest take on a mean-spirited boss who's puffed up on his own self-importance highlight those differing tastes. However, there were more differences than just the bosses who oversaw the respective workplaces.

Aside from cultural differences, The Office UK only ran for two series, whereas the American version of The Office had a 9-season run which offered greater character exploration and fresh storylines. The humor on both shows is also relatively different, though they share an affinity for excruciating moments of second-hand embarrassment. Names were also changed for certain characters in the US adaptation, relationships were altered, and in the end, these shows were very different workplace sitcoms.

The Office UK can be streamed on Hulu and The Office US can be streamed on Peacock.

15 The Office US Had More Romance

The Tim And Dawn Romance Was Less Central In The UK Version

The main romance in the UK version of The Office was Tim and Dawn. Dawn is engaged to Lee, despite a clear mutual attraction between her and Tim. The series ends with Tim proclaiming his feelings for her, but Dawn refuses to leave Lee. However, in the "Christmas Party" specials, Dawn ends up kissing Tim and does end her engagement. Their relationship was the sweet spot between David's humorous obnoxiousness and Gareth's arrogance.

The Office's romance between Pam and Jim was also the main focus for most of the US show. However, as the seasons progressed, there were more couples to focus on. Angela and Dwight were a couple for a while and eventually got married in the series finale. Andy and Erin, Phyllis and Bob, and Erin and Pete are other examples. Even Michael found romance with his former HR manager, Holly. The Office slowly focused on couples everyone loved or hated.

14 The Office US Had A Changing Of The Guard

The UK Version Ended Before Casting Changes Were Needed

Another one of the biggest differences in the case of The Office UK vs US is that the American series continues without the big boss working there. With only two seasons, the UK version of The Office didn't have much time to introduce new characters or move them around, ending with David getting sacked. Yet, the US version did. Through its nine seasons, the show portrayed something that normally happens in offices — people come and go.

The one with the biggest effect was Michael's departure in season 7. This led to several people in the manager's seat as The Office tried to find Michael's replacement. Another change took place when Pam was promoted to sales representative and Erin became the receptionist. In a way, it showed progress could be made in a small office in a middle-sized city.

13 The Office US Had More Subplots

The UK Office Avoiding Overarching Storylines

While this could also be due to the amount of time the series was on the air, the American adaptation of The Office wins out for subplots. There were indeed subplots within the main story of the UK's Office, but they were quickly resolved and usually within the same episode. If not closed by the end of the series, they were left open for audiences to ponder. In some ways, this was good. In others, it left fans of the original Office wanting more.

Some of the subplots of the US version went on for an entire season or even several years. This created better seasons than others. Dwight's goal to become the branch's manager was one, a subplot that arguably spanned the entire series. The scandal between Oscar and Angela's husband also ran for a season or two. It helped this version of The Office to avoid being a one-joke series.

12 The Office US Had Fewer Cringe-Worthy Moments

David Brent's Lack Of Self-Awareness Was Hilariously Uncomfortable

Humor is another source of division in The Office UK vs US debate, and the UK version relied much more heavily on its embarrassing moments. A lot of this has to do with the differences in character between the US's Michael and the UK's David. David was a blowhard whose embarrassing moments usually came when he was assuring others of his competency and prowess, such as when he claimed he would've sent Neil "through the wall" in season 2, episode 2, "Appraisals," or when he played off failing a medical examination in the season 1 finale, "Judgement."

Michael certainly had his cringe-worthy episodes in the US version of the program. Most of them took place during the first few seasons when his character's profile resembled that of the U.K.'s David Brent. However, as the show went on, Michael's moments of embarrassment became tempered with softness. The Office's infamous "Scott's Tots" episode was one of the hardest to watch but ultimately showed Michael's big heart.

11 The Office US Had A Happier Ending

The Office UK Stuck With Its More Cynical Style In The End

When it comes to how the two sitcoms concluded, The Office US had the better finale. Though the finales to both versions of The Office had similar elements (having everyone gather for a photo instead of the office crew), the UK version was more downtrodden. It showed everyone three years later in various forms of disappointment. Especially David, who kept hanging around the old office for attention.

The finale of The Office US similarly had a time-jump to look at how the characters turned out. For the most part, everyone's life had a happy ending. Even characters like Andy, the show's sadsack, ended up fulfilling their dreams in one way or another and explained the reason a film crew was following them for years in the meantime. Overall, The Office's finale was perfect and it made the viewers feel good about the gang's life after the show ended.

10 David Brent Wasn't Redeemable Like Michael Scott

Michael Was Loveable For All His Flaws

One big thing that divides the two series of The Office is its two main characters. Although both David Brent and Michael Scott are hilariously awkward bosses, David Brent's character was never someone the audience was supposed to like. Michael Scott is ignorant, tactless, petty, and self-centered, but he does manage to have some redeeming qualities, unlike David. Unlike American shows, British shows don't often feel the need to make their series' stars more viewer-friendly. In the American version of The Office, people can (and do) change for the better, whereas in the Office UK, the characters remain static and part of the series was about seeing David get what was coming to him.

9 The Office US Had More Character Development

This Is Likely Due To It Running Longer

For the most part, both the UK and US versions of The Office have an equal amount of characters, but the American ing cast is much more well-developed. This is probably because Ryan "The Temp" (B.J. Novak) and Toby from H.R. (Paul Lieberstein) also double as chief writers for the show, which was given 7 more seasons than The Office UK.

When a ing character is writing countless episodes for the series, they're inevitably going to expand the depth of ing cast . Had The Office UK been given more time on the air, it's possible that the show could've branched out to include more about the lives of Jennifer, Ricky, or Chris. While some argue the limited run made it a better show overall, the ing cast suffered from the short run.

8 Pam Was More Assertive Than Dawn

Dawn Was Stuck In The Same Role For The Whole Series

Many characters from The Office US were plucked straight from the original and simply given new names — this was the case with Dawn and Pam. Both Pam and Dawn are slightly downtrodden, girl-next-door types who are both stuck in dead-end receptionist positions and allowing their dreams to fall by the wayside in favor of getting married to their sub-par fiancé, but they have one clear difference.

Dawn's character is much less assertive and remains bound to her life as a receptionist throughout the entire length of the show. Pam, however, has an almost butterfly-like transformation from an under-appreciated, insecure office worker to a self-confident, successful woman. It's possible that if The Office UK were given more time on the air then Dawn could've experienced this transformation, as she does end up leaving Lee for Tim in the "Christmas Party" special. However, she simply wasn't given enough screen time to explore her artistic aspirations in the same way that Pam was.

7 Tim Was More Believable Than Jim

Jim Was Made The More Impressive Love Interest For Pam

While John Krasinski's Jim was a great character, The Office UK's Tim comes out on top for being a tad more realistic. In the UK version, Tim is a true underdog who lives with his parents and has a fair amount of charm (but not too much). It's his mediocrity that makes him more relatable and, in turn, easier to root for when he finally gets the courage to share his emotions with Dawn.

Tim performs well at work, but his dreams remain lackluster and he isn't particularly motivated. America, on the other hand, couldn't have Pam's main love interest still living with his parents. As a result, Jim Halpert was made into a "better catch" for American audiences (and for Pam), so that their relationship timeline could proceed. Jim was a lot more charming and rose up the ranks of Dunder Mifflin based on this, as he was rarely shown working exponentially hard.

6 Dwight Was More Exciting Than Gareth

Gareth's Antics Were Less Wild Than Dwight's

By far one of the biggest character divergences between The Office UK vs US was that of Gareth Keenan and Dwight Schrute. Dunder Mifflin's Dwight Schrute is a perfect example of an American ing character taking on a life of his own. Dwight's character is annoying, but he's also one of the stand-out of the show because of his hilarious antics, Amish-like background, and amusing one-liners.

Gareth, on the other hand, is more realistic and therefore less exciting. Unlike Dwight, Gareth is that annoying, glorified errand boy who actually does work in an office. He's a calculated and clueless military brat who believes everything in the office should be run according to his specifications. He's always right and everyone else is wrong, but would probably never engage in Dwight-type antics like staging a fire because no one listened to his fire safety demonstration.