Customer Reviews

The Office: The Complete First Series

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The Office is hands-down the most original comedy series on television today. Filmed as a mockumentary/"reality" TV show, there is no audience to laugh along with you, which will be appreciated. You'll enjoy watching David Brent, the insecure extroverted idiot who is in a near constant state of self-embarassment through attempts at acceptance, mostly through his self-righteous and forcefully imposed "comedy"; Gareth Keenan, (my favorite) the brown-noising over-confident grumpy geek who knows everything about how to kill a man from his stint in the Territorial Army, as well as office saftey; Tim Canterbury, the everyday man with his almost too-relatable career misery and his crush: Dawn, the adorably sad recpetionist who dreams of being more; quiet and boring Keith: Mr. No personality, Chris Finch - the sleaziest of sleaze jerk-of-a travelling salesman and best friend of David (not suprisingly), Jennifer, the level-headed partner of Wernham Hogg, and many more.

The only downside to the 2-disc DVD is the lack of episodes (there are only 6) but its still worth buying since The Office is a comedy series of unusually high quality and wit. Every episiode is a gem, and I can't wait for the season 2 DVD.

What do you get when you take Waiting For Guffman and put it in a business setting? You get "The Office," the British sitcom that is ferociously breaking into American culture. This 2 DVD set contains the first season of "The Office," as well as a behind the scenes documentary of the making and creation of the show. Enjoy it now before we have the sure-to-be stupid American version of it on NBC or ABC, which will likely perform about as well as the disastrous "Coupling" import.

"The Office" shows us the day-to-day lives of the employees of Wernham Hogg paper company, led by the insufferable boss David Brent (Ricky Gervais, the shows co-writer and co-creator). While David is usually the focus of each episode, the show contains a very deep supporting cast, including Gareth, the military-trained assistant-to-the-manager, Tim, the anti-Gareth, who he's constantly warring with, and his in-office romantic interest Dawn, the everyday-pretty secretary.

If you are familiar with the films of Christopher Guest - Waiting For Guffman, Spinal Tap, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind - then you'll be right at home with "The Office." It's filmed in the simplistic and usually funny "mockumentary" style. For reasons never named in the show, there are cameramen throughout the Wernham Hogg offices filming the daily activities of all the employees, as well as conducting frequent and insightful interviews with the characters.

Enough of that - here's why the show is brilliant: You know everyone in the cast. At one time or another, you have met David Brent. Maybe he was your own boss once. Gareth was that psycho kid in study hall that always read Guns and Ammo and always insisted on showing you some Judo throw he'd recently learned. Tim is the nice guy that the pretty girls always took advantage of. You'll even see aspects of yourself in all the characters.

And it's the characters that make this show such a success. When you watch the first episode, you'll laugh a few times, a chuckle here and there. Then the second episode will yield more laughs as you get to know the quirks of the characters a little more. By episode three, everything becomes funny. It's this fact that makes it difficult to introduce the show to people, since it contains a great deal of humor that is only funny once you're familiar with the characters.

The runaway star of the show is Gervais as David Brent. He has a world-class ability to always say the wrong thing at the right time. More than anything he is proud of his comedic ability and cherishes this as the highest virtue of corporate bosses. The problem? He's not funny. Not intentionally anyway. Every joke is carried too far and in the course of trying to be England's most politically correct man, he manages to insult practically every race and every woman in the office.

Lastly, this DVD is worth buying not only for the repeat watching value, but also for the behind-the-scenes look at the show, which is almost funnier than the episodes themselves. Both Gervais and co-director Stephen Merchant are hilarious throughout it and you realize that Gervais can't not be funny. You get interviews with all the important cast, and you'll see several minutes of brilliant outtakes where the actors can't get three lines into the scene before losing it.

The only negative reviews of the show speak to the similarity of the episodes and that they are hard to distinguish between one another. This might be valid, but I don't necessarily think it's a negative factor. In the DVD itself, the episodes are not separated but are listed as a sequence of scenes, six per episode. This says it more clearly than I ever could - the shows are all meant to be taken as one continuing episode, much like the monotonous days of office labor. I think it's one of the more reality based shows I've seen, unlike another recent reviewer who thought Seinfeld was more realistic. That's too stupid a comment to even defend here. The bottom line - if you work in an office, you'll instantly recognize the humor in your own day to day life. If you don't, then after watching "The Office," you'll thank God for it.

While the television pool is currently littered with reality shows, "The Office" offers a breath of fresh air. It is a mockumentary, a comedy specifically designed to LOOK like a bird's eye view of the everyday activities of a British paper merchant. The irony is that these actors have more depth and personality than any "character" from shows like The Real World and Big Brother.

The cast is led by Ricky Gervais (who also co-writes) as regional manager David Brent, an ultimately sleazy boss who spends more time trying to be witty than he does managing his staff. His battles with political correctness are hilarious, as he is very aware that a camera is following him. His right hand man is Gareth (Mackenzie Crook), a former army lieutenant who believes he has more company power than his assistant regional manager (I mean, assistant TO the regional manager) position truly entitles. Gareth spends most of his day pestering Tim (Martin Freeman), an obviously bored sales associate who always has a witty comment to add to any conversation. Dawn (Lucy Davis), a receptionist engaged to marry a warehouse worker, is the object of Tim's affection and the victim of one of Mr. Brent's cruelest practical jokes in the pilot.

Each cast member is some sort of caricature of a person you might see in your own workplace. The situations they come across could happen to anyone (lay-offs, sexual harassment, jokes via company e-mail, romances, et cetera). This show is kind of like "Spinal Tap": it fools you for a second to believe that this office could exist. And there's no whining, no drama for the camera's sake, no huge mansions for seven people to argue in. It's just these people, going about their days, doing their jobs. And it couldn't be more brilliant or side-splittingly funny.

This DVD features every episode from the first series, which is great if you only get to sporadically catch episodes or moments on BBC America. There are also funny deleted scenes, with explanations from the writers as to why they were cut, and a 30-minute featurette.

If you have not yet discover this delightful British import, I strongly recommend you check it out. If you loved the movie "Office Space" (or at least sort of identified with it), you will laugh at loud at "The Office." Enjoy it now before some American television writers enlist their own sub-par remake.

Its a comedy in the style of Office Space, Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman, and This is Spinal Tap... but more hilarious.

Its a television show reminiscent of The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fawlty Towers and Seinfield, but 100 times better.

In a regional office of a paper merchant in Slough, a dreary suburb of London, manager David Brent explains to the viewer that he's loved by his staff because rather than being a tyrannical slave driver, he's a "chilled out entertainer." Sadly every second the documentary crew follows David, it becomes perfectly clear that he is neither "chilled out" or an "entertainer."

The staff includes toady assistant to the manager Gareth, sarcastic sales rep Tim, daydreamer receptionist Dawn, brainy temp Ricky, sleazy salesman Finchy, cleaning lady Joan, the accountants: low-energy Keith, mousy Sheila, and bitter Malcolm, and the warehouse workers cold Lee, goof off Taffy Glynn, and midget forklift driver Monkey Alan. Plus there's wonderful visits from David's boss corporate watchdog Jennifer Taylor Clark and professional trainer Rowan.

Yes, it is a painfully truthful at cubicle working. Yes, the acting and writing are top-notch. Yes, its one of the most original television series ever.

But simply, the reason you'll keep watching is because it's very very funny.

When I first started watching "The Office", I couldn't decide whether to be horrified or rolling on the floor with laughter. The main character, David Brent, is one of the most painfully uncomfortable characters to watch - but that's the joke! If you have ever hated working in an office, but felt utterly trapped to remain, you will appreciate the intelligent observations made by this show. Highly recommended to those who understand political correctness can be funny!

This is absolutely brilliant stuff. Like many of the best comedies (most notably "Fawlty Towers," perhaps its clearest inspiration), "The Office" is hilarious and painful all at once. Highest recommendation.

The moment in the HR seminar episode when it cuts to David tuning his guitar and Tim turns to the camera to say, "He went home to get it," is perhaps the funniest moment I've ever seen on screen.

Meet David Brent (Ricky Gervais) a self indulgent boss of Wernham Hogg's Paper merchant branch located in the drab suburb of Slough. David Brent thinks he's the most popular and comical Boss in the whole of the UK, if not the world. To add to his self delusion, Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) plays Teacher's Pet and spurs on Brent's rude and sometimes obnoxious behaviour.

Playing the voice of reason is Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman) who out of all the characters we can relate to the most. As he does the slight looks to camera, as if asking if we can see the torment he goes through everyday in this office. While playing the Juliet to his Romeo is Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) the receptionist of Wernham Hogg who also shares the same ideals as Tim and tries to keep sane by illustrating. She is caught between the Boss's rude and not so wise cracking jokes and the love that was never meant to be between herself and Tim.

There are six episodes in the first season, each 30 minutes long. Six episodes you may not think is enough but The Office has mastered something that most other sitcoms have not, Quality over Quantity. And I think this shows by the series beating out the other sitcoms in the Golden Globe Awards who are in their final seasons.

The first time you watch this show you'll be in amazement at the Idiosyncrasies that each of the four main protagonists convey. You will also no doubt relate one of the stars to someone in your own workplace and cringe at what they do just to impress the camera. When watching this show, I find, that you don't think of it as a sitcom, you actually think of it as a real workplace being captured on film in a documentary style. Its just so believable.

Below are a brief summary of each of the episodes.

Episode 1 - Here we are introduced to the office workplace and the people involved. A young protege (Ricky) is also brought in for work experience as David Brent tries to lay down how relaxed and great the office is even though there has been word that the branch may be downsized.

Episode 2 - David hires Donna, a family friend's daughter and shows her around the office. While doing so he finds that his head has been photoshopped onto a pornagraphic image. Gareth is sent to find the culprit.

Episode 3 - Here we witness Quiz night at Slough and see how truly awful people can get when liquored up and in a competition environment. The quiz night boils down to a head to head between Brent and Finch V. Ricky and Tim on his 30th Birthday.

Episode 4 - To help keep good teamwork in the office a workplace seminar in conducted. Brent reveals that he is a singer/songwriter while Rowan tries to keep the seminar moving. Dawn and her Boyfriend (Lee) have a falling out while Tim quits his job and asks out Dawn.

Episode 5 - Gareth gives Donna Health and Safety Training while Brent hires a new secretary even though he's supposed to be downsizing. All the Office goes down to a local nightclub, Chasers, while David tries to get lucky with the ladies.

Episode 6 - Jennifer (Head Boss) informs David that either his branch or Swindon's branch will be downsized depending on if he accepts the role of UK manager or not.

EXTRAS - 40 minute documentary of how the Office was made and Deleted Scenes.

The Office hits on a simple yet universal relationship with love and work. Everyone can relate to being in a job that they hate and people who don't work as hard being promoted before they do.

This is the first British show that has ever been nominated for 2 Golden Globes and wins them both first time (Best TV Comedy, Best Comedy Actor). Do yourself a favour and see what this show has to offer above all others. This is comedic genius at its best.

And always have it safe in your mind that there is also Season 2 out on DVD.

Series 2 has now been released on DVD in the UK and the general view over here is that it is as good if not better than the first series. Without giving the plot away (what little plot there is) the David Brent MC-Hammer/Flashdance fusion dance has now been voted the #1 comedy moment of all time in the UK.

Check it out

What a relief it is to discover that one is not alone...

Ricky Gervais' observations on human behavior in a typical office are so true to life, so acutely and agonizingly and hilariously well-observed, so marvelously accurate.

This series is not just about its unique and innovative humor. It also provides reassurance for many of us that we are not the only ones who notice that humdrum office life is deeply comical... and deeply tragic at the same time.

A lot of people say that they "can't watch". This is because though they are drawn to the humor, they'd prefer not to be reminded of the truth revealed by the darker side of Gervais' acute observations.

Go easy on the reviewers who say they "Don't Get It"... At least ten percent of us must be Gareths or the equivalent. He'd never "Get It" either!

I, too, am a follower of the channel BBC America and also a fan of EastEnders and Ground Force, so one can love these shows and love an original comedy, done in the style of "A Mighty Wind" as well as "Best in Show.", such as "The Office." I only give it four stars instead of five because it is not for everybody, but anyone who has ever spent time in an office setting and met some of the characters portrayed satirically via this show, will identify with much of the action. Or should I say, non-action! For nothing much happens in "The Office." Not unlike what goes on in most offices! And therein lies the joke.