The Office UK Vs US: Which Characters Are Best?
4. Dawn Tinsley vs Pam Beesley
The women in the main romantic storyline are similarly tied to the success of their plots, but beyond that, Jenna Fischer is simply given quite a lot more to do throughout the US Office than Lucy Davis did in the original.
Davis’ performance is superb, and she turns Dawn into a gutsier character than Pam often is, but she is often sidelined, particularly during the second season. By the end of the UK run, the focus was far more on Brent than Tim and Dawn, and sadly Davis’ screentime dipped accordingly.
Pam, meanwhile, is front and centre throughout the US Office’s glory years, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Fischer’s performance is one of the best in modern comedy. She is able to convey a great deal in the briefest of talking heads, and can shift emotions to heartbreaking effect on a dime.
She is also allowed to be far more fun and thrusting a character than Dawn tends to be. While the Pam and Jim story loses momentum once they’re an established couple, Pam remains the heart of the show throughout.