Sherlock - Season 1

It's apt that this modern day take on Sherlock Holmes was co-created by Steven Moffat, the man currently in charge of Doctor Who. In both, the titular character is a brilliant, fast-talking eccentric who solves mysteries and hangs out with British people. The difference is the Doctor is a time traveling, immortal alien while Holmes is, in his own words, a high-functioning sociopath and the world's only consulting detective. Sherlock is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a man who is as talented as his name is crazy, and he creates a pretty fascinating, updated take on the classic character. One of Holmes' more interesting characteristics is how he can be a complete master in certain fields of knowledge but absolutely clueless in others, and Cumberbatch takes it to the next level, portraying a real enigma of a man who doesn't really know how to do anything but analyze situations and explain deductions extremely quickly. The always-likable Martin Freeman plays Dr. John Watson, a field medic experiencing adverse effects after what he experienced in Afghanistan. He's set up as Holmes' roommate, and after that the two form an uneasy but persistent friendship as Watson begins accompanying him on cases.

So there's only three episodes to this season, as it really feels more like a trilogy of films more than a TV show. Each episode is about an hour and a half, and tells a full story as the pair solves a case, or to be more accurate, Sherlock solves a case while Watson mostly compliments his brilliance. There's not really much of a chance for a formula to form beyond what I've already said, and it's probably to the show's benefit that the number of cases is so low since it allows each one to be fully fleshed out and intriguing as possible. There's a lot of interesting touches that could have become distracting but instead help serve the modern vibe they're going for, such as a lot of quick cuts and closeups to simulate Holmes' thinking process and popping up text that characters are reading on screens to keep the conveying of information elegant. Unlike some other cop shows, the fun is watching the characters figure things out instead of trying to do it yourself, and none of the plots are as simple as they appear at first. The third and final one re-introduces Sherlock's greatest nemesis in fairly grand fashion and ends on a cliffhanger, an effective way to leave the audience wanting more and assuring them that there will be. I don't know if Freeman's commitment to The Hobbit (which I am in great favor of) will affect the show down the road, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what they do.

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz is the next genre comedy from the Shaun of the Dead guys that honors its subject matter as much as it satires it. Shaun was a great take on zombie movies. Not only was it very funny, it was actually more than competent as just an example of the style. Hot Fuzz purports to do the same with Hollywood action movies, except for the fact that more than half of it is a lot closer to a slasher/mystery movie. Simon Pegg is the hotshot, ultra-serious officer who was transferred to a small town for being too good, and Nick Frost essentially reprises his role as Pegg's dumb, yet sympathetic friend. The two bond over the course of the movie, and at times their togetherness seemed almost romantic. I later learned that there was originally a female love interest for the main character who was cut, and a lot of her lines were given to Frost without any changes, which is actually pretty funny.

Anyway, Sandford is in the running for England's nicest village again, but a mysterious hooded figure has been killing townspeople and disguising his work as accidents. Pegg is sure it's murder, but no one believes him. He has to piece together what's really happening before the killer strikes again. It really is more like Scream than any action movie I've seen. Even if it wasn't what I expected, it was still plenty entertaining, with lots of great lines and jokes and hilariously over-the-top death scenes. A little closer to the end than I would have liked, they finally make the transition to the action part of the movie. There's a lot of entertainment to be had in the short time he and his allies are having gun fights with barkeepers, old men, and supermarket workers. They poke a lot of fun at the ridiculousness of modern movies while having a good go at it themselves. There's a dramatic climax with one more sickly humorous moment before a contrived ending finishes the movie a bit weakly. I think Shaun of the Dead was a bit better focused and stronger as a film, but Hot Fuzz was still good fun.

The Office Vs. The Office

The Office is currently a mockumentary comedy on NBC, but almost everyone knows it's based on a British show of the same title. They have the same premise, a small branch of a modestly sized paper company is run by an idiot who tries too hard to be friends with his employees. They have similar plotlines, including nearly identical pilot episodes and the constant threat of the branch being shut down, which doesn't matter much to the boss if it means a promotion. All of the main characters and some of the minor ones in the US version are basically the same as or variations of ones from the UK. That's about where they end. Their senses of humor are similar, but perceptibly different. The UK version ended quickly, after only two short seasons and a special. The US show is still chugging along, with over fifty episodes in the bank and a whopping order of thirty more for the fourth season, which will start filming next month. This huge disparity in length affords the US one more freedom for exploring different ideas, obviously, but that doesn't mean they still can't be compared. The hip, elitist viewpoint is that the UK version is superior, but I'm not so sure about that.

The UK show is drier than the US one, which tends to get goofier. Both are famous for their humor that can cause cringing as much as laughter. Not because it's bad, but just what's happening is so painfully embarrassing for these believable people that it can get hard to watch. The narcissistic boss is always trying to force all eyes upon him, as he tries to take authority where none belongs to him. Characters confess their love and get rejected. Well, that's not actually humor, it's just part of the show that adds to the realism. Not all romance works out as wonderfully as we'd hope, and there are obstacles to overcome. As said before, the shows pretend to be actual footage from a real company, and a lot of the jokes come from the interviews where characters' strange mannerisms and beliefs become exposed, and they're quite often the best parts of an episode.

Since the shows have recurring plot threads but focus mostly on character-based humor, the bulk of the comparison has to be made there. A lot of the comparisons will favor the US version, since it has had more time to develop characters and humor. It might not be quite fair, but really, which show has a better chance of satisfying you, a 12 episode one or one of at least 80?

The Regional Manager: David Brent Vs. Michael Scott

Ricky Gervais' Brent is hailed by many as one of the funniest sitcom characters ever, which I can buy if I don't totally agree with it. I would say he causes more laughs than Steve Carell, to be sure. Both of them tell a lot of jokes that are intentionally (by the makers, not the character) unfunny, and can be annoying at times. But Brent is more often (intentionally) unintentionally funny, just by his sometimes sickening bragging and arrogance that whizzes past the border of self-delusion. It is often, again, more painful than hilarious (The scene where he tries to upstage his rival boss' dancing with some moves of his own is a perfect example), though he still has plenty of great lines that make you kind of hate him and love his humor at the same time. But although he is funnier than Michael, I'd have to say I like David less. He's funny, but he's still an arrogant jerk. Scott is less arrogant and more of just an idiot. He is frequently in similar situations of being an attention freak, but it just seems more benevolent to me. He does unbelievably stupid things, but they're always out of a misguided attempt at doing the right thing. Also, the show bothers to give him some redeeming and sympathetic moments, and he's actually good at his job. He tries too hard with his employees and avoids paperwork, but he's a brilliant salesman. He's probably not right for upper management, but he has some good characteristics.

The Salesman/Good Guy: Tim Canterbury Vs. Jim Halpert

This one's kinda hard. Neither is too attractive or too ugly. They're likable, funny guys. They're probably a little too mean to their respective prank victims, but it's understandable. I think I'm gonna have to with Jim, because some of his actions are more defensible and he's done a lot of really funny things to mess with Dwight.

The Receptionist/Love Interest: Dawn Tinsley Vs. Pam Beesley

Both Dawn and Tim were actors I already recognized from some funny movies, so that was interesting. They're pretty similar (obviously), and have some personal problems, but I think Pam deals with them better. Do you see a pattern here? Dawn seems to constantly be crying, while Pam is a little reserved but still can have some great ideas and triumphant moments. This is shallow, but she's also more attractive. Things were finally starting to happen the way they should at the end of the third season, so I'm looking forward to what happens.

The Boss' Assistant: Gareth Keenan Vs. Dwight Schrute

Gareth was played by another actor I recognized. They're both pretty funny, with their backgrounds providing them with a unique perspective of their work. I like how they're both the only ones devoted to their boss, yet the boss does not return the affection, finding them annoying. Dwight has a lot of great moments, but I have to go with Gareth. His skewed view of women and incongruous military background provide many hilarious scenes that cannot be ignored. He's definitely my favorite character from the UK show. His spiel about poisonous frogs is one of the best television monologues ever.

Intern/Temp: Ricky Howard Vs. Ryan Howard

Ricky's part is pretty limited, but while he's around he manages to be a likable, funny guy. Ryan is never that funny, and he's always put off by what's happening around him. His reactions and a lot of what happens to him is humorous, but as a character he doesn't do much. Also, he comes off as a jerk a bit too often. Ricky doesn't do much but he's not bad.

Warehouse Worker/Receptionist's Fiancé: Lee Vs. Roy

Neither is developed that much or that interesting. Their purpose is to be an obstacle in the good guy's path. From the time that's spent on them, Lee comes off as more of a complete jerk, while Roy definitely has bad tendencies but also has visible good parts to him. I'll take Roy.

Boss' Old Work Buddy: Chris Finch Vs. Todd Packer

I like David Koechner, but he comes off as too much of an ass as Packer. Finch is an ass too, but he is still visibly annoyed by David's personality, so he wins major points for that. Chris.

Fat Accountant: Keith Vs. Kevin

Kevin has a lot of good scenes, but I just don't like the way his face moves. His character's a little too juvenile to really be that interesting, too. Keith's role is very limited, but he does a lot with what he has to work with. They both have the tendency to say and ask a lot of embarrassing things without any trepidation, but Keith's nonchalant attitude is just funnier.

Corporate Supervisor: Jennifer Taylor-Clarke Vs. Jan Levinson

This isn't really a contest. Jennifer just serves the plot, Jan is actually a character. Her relationship with Michael is a confused and interesting one, and her continual breakdown throughout the third season is noteworthy.

That's about it for notable equivalent characters. There are other similar events, but they aren't that important. The US version has several other characters added in to flesh out the cast, and it seems like a richer world. It might not be as clinically funny as the UK version, but I still like it more. It's a warmer, more likable show, and I look forward to it's return.