9 TV Characters Who Randomly Changed Personalities

6. Michael Scott - The Office

Michael Scott The Office
NBC

Though they both share characters, storylines and settings, the US and the UK versions of The Office are radically different.

They didn't start off that way though, and the first season of the US version tried and failed to copy the cringe-inducing cynicism of the original. Here, main character Michael Scott's personality was much closer to David Brent's (albeit watered down a touch for network TV), with him being presented as a mean-spirited a**hole who had few redeeming features. Not only was he a bumbling fool, he was an unlikeable bumbling fool.

That might have worked for the UK's David Brent, whose abrasive personality wouldn't tire across 12 swift episodes, but Michael Scott needed some redeeming features if he was to carry the show into potentially hundreds of instalments.

The showrunners realised they'd made a mistake as well and, inspired by Steve Carrell's character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, decided to make him a well-meaning idiot from Season 2 onwards.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.