Stromberg

I am rewatching this in 2022 and I cant believe how politically incorrect TV Shows were allowed to be back then. The humour is as black as it can possibly be and it shows the dull and crazy life in an insurance company. I have neither seen The Office (UK) nor the US version (I switched it off after 10 minutes because I just couldnt bear it) so I cant compare them. The german office has sooo many akward moments in it and it is just great. Each episode covers everyday problems, thus making the show very relatable. Since the humour is very dark and also offers many moments of second hand embarrasment it is not recommended to watch it if you are highly sensitive in terms of me too, racism or discrimination. The humour is very VERY dark. Trust me.

I don't know if it's just the special German humor that makes a lot of people think this series is dumb or just a remake of the UK-version. I didn't see the UK version, but I saw the American version which is known as way worse than the UK version. The contents are similar but the humor of Stromber is so much better in my opinion. You have to be a fan of that special "Stromberg humor". If you understand that kind of humor you WILL agree that Christoph Maria Herbst is the best actor for that character. He just makes you laugh with every action he does. I don't think that the 3rd season is gonna be as good as the first two and that Stromberg will loose its humor but you never know... Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch this 3rd season since I'm currently a foreign exchange student in America but I'm definitely gonna buy the DVD. One more thing to Superunknown: It is true that it doesn't look spontaneous and realistic but that is part of this humor. You just have love that humor or that series is the worst thing you've ever seen.

It's a common mistake to compare "Stromberg" with the original British TV-series "The Office". Though characters and stories have been copied, the German producers of the series changed the tone and style of the dialogues from the beginning. It is why the German version has been such a success and has already amassed a huge fan-community. Everything said and the way it is played is 100% German humor. And it is a comedic jewel in his own right. Those desperately trying to compare every little bit of detail with the British original fail to see that you cannot successfully transfer all subtleties into a foreign format. It would never be the same anyway. Those in favor of the British original should stick with it. The German producers took the format and changed it into something new. And all the actors follow the style of the show very very accurately. For the first time, German TV-makers have changed an original into something original.

You can really say that this is is just an Office Remake. But that would be something it has in common with many other shows. Mainly the US remake that has the same title. The original is the one with Ricky Gervais .. a role that he really inhabits ... and that seems to be a bit of his personality - maybe just the comedian in him. But he clearly doesn't seem to care what others think - so he will make fun of any- and everyone.

But back to this. Because you would do this injustice if you just compared it with the Original show. The very first season, takes a bit of time to get it on ... to really get going. But especially the second season really shoots for the stars. And Stromberg is being played geniusly by Herbst! What a role, what a performance. Now he is not really likeable and he says a lot of bad things ... and yet through all the moments we hate him or are annoyed by him, the acting and the "documentary" (reality tv) style enhance everything - and make him ... somewhat sympathetic.

Season 3 still holds up good, but it goes a bit in a downward spiral with season 4. Although it does change scenery a little bit - which is good ... it cannot sustain what was made before. At least not for an entire season. There are some brilliant moments and Herbst never lets off ... rather kind of gets better in his depiction - trying to be a "good" person! According to his own standards and own values.

I am on to watch the second season of Ricky Gervais Office ... and then I will have the US office ... which will be a bit of a drag I reckon ... so many seasons, so many episodes ... but more on that on the other side ... I mean site.

I saw the UK Office first, and it was excellent. Then I saw the US Office, and it was fantastic. Then I eventually saw Stromberg, and Stromberg is as good as the other two. Herbst is so good as Stromberg, that he had me constantly cramping with the laughter/2nd hand embarrassment. The difference between his character, and Brent/Scott is that he's far more of a dick, and Herbst is phenomenal at portraying this. This series doesn't have English subtitles, purely because it's German through and through. To translate it wouldn't make sense half the time, at least in my opinion. Either way, this is one of my very favourite shows of all time, one that rewards many binge sessions. Don't forget to check out the movie, too!