Although ’s US adaptation radically altered the show’s tone for an American audience. The US show is warmer, more genial, and, crucially, more hopeful.

While The Office’s US cast of characters are far from universally likable, their boss is far more sympathetic than his UK counterpart. Steve Carell’s Michael Scott is a childishly immature buffoon whose sweet nature makes his many mistakes endearing, whereas Ricky Gervais’ David Brent is an odious figure who is tough to tolerate. This causes reports from The Independent that a British version of the iconic US sitcom Cheers is in development to be concerning. Cheers ran for 11 seasons from 1982 until 1993, and the British studio Big Talk Studios is currently developing a UK re-imagining of the famous workplace sitcom.

Cheers' UK Remake Can't Recreate The Original Show's Upbeat Tone - Just Look At The Office

The Office’s Major Changes Prove Transatlantic Sitcom Remakes Are Tonally Tricky

The British remake of Cheers will come from Men Behaving Badly scribe Simon Nye, who is no stranger to sitcoms. However, this shouldn’t inspire too much confidence in fans of the original series. From its pilot to the Cheers finale, which remains one of the most-watched episodes of TV ever, Cheers was a uniquely warm series. The attitude of the ‘80s might be cringe-inducing now, but the series was light on meaningful conflict and, unlike most workplace sitcoms, didn’t even have work to bring its characters down. Cheers was a bar where the characters congregated, lending the show a sense of camaraderie.

Even the liveliest British pub wouldn’t feel like Cheers thanks to stiff-upper-lip British cultural norms.

In contrast, many British sitcoms are as cynical as The Office. Even if there are some UK comedy shows that are less pointedly bleak, the cultural differences between the UK and the US are still sure to cause problems for a Cheers remake. There are no pubs in Britain where “Everybody knows your name,” mostly because of fundamental cultural divides between the two countries. Broadly speaking, British culture is markedly more reserved where American hospitality tends to pride itself on the country's welcoming, friendly atmosphere. Even the liveliest British pub wouldn’t feel like Cheers thanks to stiff-upper-lip British cultural norms.

A More Cynical Cheers Remake Wouldn't Be Cheers At All

Cheers Leaned Hard Into A Sense of Warm-hearted Community

A UK remake of Cheers could reverse the approach that the US version of The Office took, turning the series into something more cynical and less sweet. However, this wouldn’t work as well because of the outsized cultural reputation of the original show. When The Office US radically revised the comedy style of its British counterpart, the original show was just a minor UK cult hit. In contrast, Cheers is one of the most famous sitcoms in TV history. A cynical, deadpan British reinvention of the show wouldn’t feel anything like the original Cheers, which may disappoint its large fanbase.

Source: The Independent