Are the nitwit characters in The Office over done?

Yeah.
There was an article posted on Digg the other day about that. How Jim, Pam and Oscar are the only regular human beings, and everyone else is a way over-the-top caricature.

That’s what makes it funny. They take the people you would find in every office and exaggerate them. If they didn’t it would be terribly boring.

I may get shot for saying this, but I never could get into this show. It’s too over-the-top for my tastes.

@J0E The earlier seasons were still hilarious, and not every character was such an exaggeration. Kevin was a bit slow and a bit of a perv, he wasn’t a complete retard. Hell, even Toby was a likeable character, now he’s drowned in sorrow and intolerable.

Creed, though, is and always will be the most badass of badasses.

@augustlan It definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s a different kind of humor.

If anyone says “the kind that isn’t funny” so help me god…

The Office is the only televsion show I watch..

When I watched the original British version of The Office, I remember thinking that the “manager” character wasn’t funny at all, but pathetic in a way that made me feel depressed. However, I kept watching because I’m the type that gets emotionally invested in characters and watches a show to the bitter end.

I expected the American version of the show to be worse, but I found I liked it better. The “manager” is really just a social-retard and a bit of an idiot savant (his secret talent being sales). Overall, the show was more lighthearted and didn’t get me down about the corporate workplace most of us work in (which is so damn depressing). I’ve been casually checking in on the re-runs playing on FOX and I’m finding that the earlier seasons were actually quite close to the British version in terms of being oddly serious (is that what tongue-in-cheek means?) and a little bit of a downer. I prefer the tone of the later seasons much more: a little bit goofier and sillier without feeling heavy.

I think there are definitely people who are that odd.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic I would tend to agree that there are people who are that odd. But an office full of people who are all that odd? The chances of that happening in real life are pretty slim. I have worked places with from 5 to 50 people and even in the place with 50, there was only one, maybe two who were as eccentric and weird as any of the characters on The Office. A goofball/nitwit is a necessity for any sitcom, but IMO, The Office over does it.

I can’t stand the office. Every episode is the same. Something CRAZY happens and then they interview Pam or whatshisface and it’s awkward and dumb. NOT FUNNY.

That’s exactly what I mean. Some people think awkward and dumb is funny, others find it annoying.

I used to think there was something wrong with me for getting so incredibly pissed at the stupid characters, like maybe I needed anger management or something. Apparently not everyone loves that show, though . . . makes me feel less alone in the world.

It’s very typical of Brit comedy, which is apparently not for everyone. I love it.

Oh. Something never clarified by @SuperMouse. Are we talking about the UK Office, or the US Office?

@Sarcasm I was talking about the US version of The Office.