Why Tim is Better than Jim: An Apology for BBC’s The Office
“Tim Canterbury…the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer…and Shakespeare.”~David Brent
All my research in Oxford is by no means academic. As most of you know, my favorite show of all time (although HBO’s The Sopranos is not far behind) is BBC’s The Office. I began watching this show a few years ago, and to this day it remains a source of most of my jokes, most of my conversations, and most of what I think about on a day to day basis. Pathetic? Probably, but I suppose where some people take up archery, or painting, or reading, I take up the comedy of a show that has yet to grow old.
Just recently, I joined an online facebook group called “I think I’m a little bit in love with Jim Halpert.” For those of you who don’t watch TV, Jim Halpert is one of the main characters on NBC’s The Office. In the BBC version, a very similar character was played by Martin Freeman and his character’s name was Tim Canterbury.
Due to my love of the BBC version, it was not till this past Christmas break that I actually watched the NBC version and came to love it. You will have to forgive my lack of knowledge on the plot because I have only watched about halfway through season 3, but I still feel that my arguments are sound and reasonable.
What I wish to argue is that the character of Tim Canterbury is far better than the character of Jim Halpert for the principal reason that Tim is a much more believable character who can inspire men, be they attractive, slightly attractive, or not attractive at all.
If we examine the BBC show, we see Tim who is a character which most men can relate to. He is shy, not extraordinarily good-looking, still lives with his parents, not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and stuck in a job he doesn’t really like, with people he likes even less. But Tim has a good heart. He has a sense of humor that is not the life of the party, but a subtle, more charming personality which reveals itself slowly over time. He is not a “macho man.” In fact, he is the guy who would get beat up in any fight whatsoever. He isn’t really aggressive. As we can see from his confrontations with Lee (Dawn’s boyfriend), he would rather back off than get into a dangerous situation.
Tim is a loser. In the club scene in episode 4, Tim orders his drinks by himself, he dances by himself, and ends up walking an intoxicated Brent out of the club and down the street. Tim could not get a girlfriend even if he tried. The only reason he ends up dating Rachel in season 2 is because she sees who he is over time and begins to have a crush on the guy we all know and love. But Tim’s relationship with Rachel doesn’t last. In my opinion, he doesn’t even really like Rachel, he just wants a break from Dawn because she has not reciprocated his own love.
Tim’s love is more subtle. Yes, he makes several moves on Dawn, but only once when he believes that Lee and Dawn have split up, and the second time is out of desperation at hearing Dawn is leaving. He is a respectable guy who is doing the respectable thing with an unavailable girl who he is in love with. Any guy, girl knows the feeling and can sympathize with Tim.
In contrast, Jim is a certainly a likeable character. He is outgoing. He is funny. He is charming, has good looks, he certainly doesn’t seem to be in the poor house. He doesn’t live with his parents, and from what I’ve seen of the show is able to date two girls for a considerable period of time. Now some of you may know the feeling of dating a girl, when really your heart is telling you you like someone else a lot more. But I don’t think this is necessarily the case with Jim. He strikes me as the kind of guy who if both Jim and Tim walked into Chasers, Tim would leave alone and Jim would leave with the phone numbers of at least three girls.
There have been three seasons and Jim has already dated two girls, Katy and Karen (don’t spoil it for me, but from my knowledge Jim is still dating Karen). He has no problem dating other girls, so really what is the problem. Is Pam really all that great? I certainly don’t think so, and anyone who has seen the BBC knows that Dawn is certainly a better actress, and most certainly cuter. What is Jim so caught up on? I don’t know. But I really don’t think that his feelings for Pam go beyond just a crush of two people confined to a small space for eight hours a day.
There is something different about Tim and Dawn. Tim doesn’t date anyone in the year in which Lee and Dawn leave for the States. I can see Jim getting quickly over Pam and forgetting about her after leaving (which actually he did when he transferred to the Stanford branch). The love story is just not as powerful between Jim and Pam, than it is in the case of Tim and Dawn. It is not as powerful because Tim is the better character. He is the more realistic guy who men of all shades can relate to. We know Jim can get the girl; were not quite sure that Tim will be able to pull if off. But for anyone who has seen the BBC, we know he does so in the best way possible, making the BBC the best show of all time.
I wish there were tutorials for stuff like this.
All my research in Oxford is by no means academic. As most of you know, my favorite show of all time (although HBO’s The Sopranos is not far behind) is BBC’s The Office. I began watching this show a few years ago, and to this day it remains a source of most of my jokes, most of my conversations, and most of what I think about on a day to day basis. Pathetic? Probably, but I suppose where some people take up archery, or painting, or reading, I take up the comedy of a show that has yet to grow old.
Just recently, I joined an online facebook group called “I think I’m a little bit in love with Jim Halpert.” For those of you who don’t watch TV, Jim Halpert is one of the main characters on NBC’s The Office. In the BBC version, a very similar character was played by Martin Freeman and his character’s name was Tim Canterbury.
Due to my love of the BBC version, it was not till this past Christmas break that I actually watched the NBC version and came to love it. You will have to forgive my lack of knowledge on the plot because I have only watched about halfway through season 3, but I still feel that my arguments are sound and reasonable.
What I wish to argue is that the character of Tim Canterbury is far better than the character of Jim Halpert for the principal reason that Tim is a much more believable character who can inspire men, be they attractive, slightly attractive, or not attractive at all.
If we examine the BBC show, we see Tim who is a character which most men can relate to. He is shy, not extraordinarily good-looking, still lives with his parents, not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and stuck in a job he doesn’t really like, with people he likes even less. But Tim has a good heart. He has a sense of humor that is not the life of the party, but a subtle, more charming personality which reveals itself slowly over time. He is not a “macho man.” In fact, he is the guy who would get beat up in any fight whatsoever. He isn’t really aggressive. As we can see from his confrontations with Lee (Dawn’s boyfriend), he would rather back off than get into a dangerous situation.
Tim is a loser. In the club scene in episode 4, Tim orders his drinks by himself, he dances by himself, and ends up walking an intoxicated Brent out of the club and down the street. Tim could not get a girlfriend even if he tried. The only reason he ends up dating Rachel in season 2 is because she sees who he is over time and begins to have a crush on the guy we all know and love. But Tim’s relationship with Rachel doesn’t last. In my opinion, he doesn’t even really like Rachel, he just wants a break from Dawn because she has not reciprocated his own love.
Tim’s love is more subtle. Yes, he makes several moves on Dawn, but only once when he believes that Lee and Dawn have split up, and the second time is out of desperation at hearing Dawn is leaving. He is a respectable guy who is doing the respectable thing with an unavailable girl who he is in love with. Any guy, girl knows the feeling and can sympathize with Tim.
In contrast, Jim is a certainly a likeable character. He is outgoing. He is funny. He is charming, has good looks, he certainly doesn’t seem to be in the poor house. He doesn’t live with his parents, and from what I’ve seen of the show is able to date two girls for a considerable period of time. Now some of you may know the feeling of dating a girl, when really your heart is telling you you like someone else a lot more. But I don’t think this is necessarily the case with Jim. He strikes me as the kind of guy who if both Jim and Tim walked into Chasers, Tim would leave alone and Jim would leave with the phone numbers of at least three girls.
There have been three seasons and Jim has already dated two girls, Katy and Karen (don’t spoil it for me, but from my knowledge Jim is still dating Karen). He has no problem dating other girls, so really what is the problem. Is Pam really all that great? I certainly don’t think so, and anyone who has seen the BBC knows that Dawn is certainly a better actress, and most certainly cuter. What is Jim so caught up on? I don’t know. But I really don’t think that his feelings for Pam go beyond just a crush of two people confined to a small space for eight hours a day.
There is something different about Tim and Dawn. Tim doesn’t date anyone in the year in which Lee and Dawn leave for the States. I can see Jim getting quickly over Pam and forgetting about her after leaving (which actually he did when he transferred to the Stanford branch). The love story is just not as powerful between Jim and Pam, than it is in the case of Tim and Dawn. It is not as powerful because Tim is the better character. He is the more realistic guy who men of all shades can relate to. We know Jim can get the girl; were not quite sure that Tim will be able to pull if off. But for anyone who has seen the BBC, we know he does so in the best way possible, making the BBC the best show of all time.
I wish there were tutorials for stuff like this.
3 Comments:
Speaking of the Office... I owe you 2 pounds (Katy is played by Amy Adams)
I wholeheartedly concur. Tim Canterbury is the better character any day.
Brilliant! This is the kind of stuff they need to teach in schools. Or perhaps we are the ones to teach it. I wholeheartedly agree with your main thesis, however I must take issue with your characterization (or should I say mischaracterization) of Pam. Pam is smokin' and I don't think you have given her proper credit. I am making no references to Dawn, who you know I think is the greatest, I just think you have downplayed the positive features Pam provides to the show.
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