The Office - Complete (Box Set) (DVD)

Nearly two years after the demise of the office it remains a relevant and still much talked about televisual phenomenon. Nothing about this DVD collection is spectacular, from the mundane packaging to the fairly standard extras. But these are minor qualms and quibbles, the genius of this collection does not lie in mere aesthetics like so many others out there (naming no names, I don't know any), the joy is in the 7 ½ of epic comedy hours contained ...
...merchants in Slough, herein lies the genius of The Office.

The office headed by the hapless David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is an incongruous mix of everyday folk with more than slightly exaggerated personality traits. Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) the typically over anxious TA lieutenant with delusions of power in a small office environment. Tim (Martin Freeman) the practical joker who's every move is frustrated by those around him, not least ... more

Nearly two years after the demise of the office it remains a relevant and still much talked about televisual phenomenon. Nothing about this DVD collection is spectacular, from the mundane packaging to the fairly standard extras. But these are minor qualms and quibbles, the genius of this collection does not lie in mere aesthetics like so many others out there (naming no names, I don't know any), the joy is in the 7 ½ of epic comedy hours contained on the 4 DVD's. The multi-award winning internationally acclaimed series about a paper merchants in Slough, herein lies the genius of The Office.

The office headed by the hapless David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is an incongruous mix of everyday folk with more than slightly exaggerated personality traits. Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) the typically over anxious TA lieutenant with delusions of power in a small office environment. Tim (Martin Freeman) the practical joker who's every move is frustrated by those around him, not least his advances on his secret love, secretary Dawn (Lucy Davis). Who is herself stuck 'treading water' in Wernham Hoggs suffocating grip. The mixture of incompatibility lends itself to the atmosphere of awkward and often cringe inducing environment.

The story meanders through general 'every day' events in the office, as an unseen BBC crew attempts to capture the essence of working life. Through the unusual trials and tribulations, mostly precipitated through the over eager boss David Brent, the attention seeking 'entertainer'. From the dejection of unrequited love to the depression of unfulfilled career paths, the office consumes all and blends it into a hilarious satire on the mundane lives that many people lead.

The Office successfully picks up the baton left by other mocumentaries most notably Operation Good Guys and runs with it. The Office plays to a notion that it could very well be real by playing on the facets of real people, but it expands and exaggerates these stopping just before the absurd, to create the comedy. The tortured middle management guru David Brent is always trying but always failing spectacularly, but any feelings of empathy are quickly doused by a cringe worthy remark or ridiculous action, which serve to vilainise the character.

Jokes without punch lines, characters with no redeemable features and a dour backdrop barely constitute your everyday comedy. But in the case of The Office somehow the concoction of comedy faux pas somehow works. Writer/Directors Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais created a show that initially appeared to be a non-starter but by it's conclusion left critics and fans baying for more. This box set encapsulates every moment, every joke and every catastrophe in this shows short history, and for this reason alone it is worth every penny.

Disk 1 & 2

These disks contain the first series and the extras from it including making of documentaries and various other office related documentaries and excerpts. The extras are entertaining enough but the real substance of this collection is in the series' and not the garnishing.

Series one set's up the Office environment and introduces the characters. The main thrust of the series is that the office faces closure and the inevitable redundancies that are entailed. Battling it out with Swindon to remain in solvency, David Brent attempts to disguise the truth from his troops and when it is revealed almost immediately after to maintain spirits. But of course from the main branch springs minor subplots including of course Dawn and Tim's relationship and the victimisation of Gareth. Each episode thickens up the plot and adds more substance to the general 'stew'. Rick the temp and the introductions of David's friends daughter Donna and his new personal secretary Karen Roper all add to the complicated mix of Brent's office.

Despite the eternal optimist in David Brent, we see his world crumble as set back after set back looks to destroy his ambitions as a boss but more importantly a television celebrity. Always acting first and thinking later never quite works out for the unfortunate Brent. A disastrous quiz night punctuated by his confusion between Fidel Castro and Fray Bentos as well as a head butting incident with his newly appointed secretary are just two of the disasters that the wretched Brent wanders into.

But this is by no means a one man show the supporting cast emphasise the disasters that befall Brent whilst creating many of their own. With all the dynamism that you'd expect from a relegated football team the employees are a motley crew of disillusioned characters surviving rather than achieving anything. From Gareth all the way down to the cleaner Joan they each have an important role in creating and maintaining the laughs throughout.

The series comes to an end at a surprising crossroads with Brent taking everyone by surprise by first being offered and then accepting the role as UK manager. Of course good news is fleeting and especially in David's life, it all comes tumbling down in a huge cloud of depression, slightly tempered by his brief self-indulgence as a martyr. But to say any more would be too much so I will leave that there.

Disk 3

After the success of the first series the second was inevitably going to be difficult and heaped with heavy expectation. But perhaps surprisingly in this current age of one trick ponies and disastrous follow ups it worked, more surprisingly outstripping it's earlier counterpart in many respects. The series follows David as he gets to grips with the new intake from Swindon branch whilst also battling off influences from above in the shape of his new boss Neil Godwin.

Things start disastrously with an introduction that would put any newcomers off and things barely improve. The Swindon group find David's personality a little hard to deal with especially following a few unchoice jokes and remarks during their induction. As David's relationship with Neil deteriorates, Tim finds love in the shape of Rachel much to the obvious disappointment of Dawn. Gareth continues to bumble on getting increasingly unhindered in his use of words, especially in his jealousy for Tim and Rachel.

Things begin getting messier and more ridicuolous as David embarks on more and more ridiculous ventures, wearing remarkably similar clothes to nemesis Neil, a motivational course and THAT dance for comic relief. At times the series is too painful to watch but through the misery and despair come some of the funniest moments and the biggest laughs. The series concludes with David begging for forgiveness after inadvertently signalling the end of his career, unwilling to accept the forced redundancy put before him.

Disk 4

The Christmas specials were a two part series played over the Christmas of 2003 to punctuate the series and bring everything to a neat conclusion. Of course nothing is neat in the world of the Office. Dawn is in America with fiancée Leigh, Gareth is the manager of the Slough branch and David is a travelling salesman by day and doing public appearances by night.

The conclusion is something that is as disappointingly predictable as it is gratifying. Despite the preceding days of the usual torture for all the characters somehow things fall in to place. Brent desperately seeks a date for the Christmas party, which sees him follow some fairly impenetrable paths, but for once fortune favours him in his blind date. Dawn and Leigh return for the party and things take a 'surprise' twist, as they look set to leave. Well that is about it really, but it still provides a hilarious and enjoyable hour and a half conclusion to one of the greatest British comedies.

With Gervais and Merchant rightly exploring pastures new The office is now a distant memory, never to be re explored on these shores at least. As the only collection to encompass every stomach wrenching side splitting moment of this series it is an ideal and in my opinion essential addition to any worthwhile DVD collection. Price should be no object but you should be looking at around the £30 mark if you are asking. I know this sounds like a thousand word homage and I guess that in many ways it is, but some things in this world were created to absolute perfection, and I have to say that The Office is one of those rare examples. An unrepeatable monolith on the British comedy landscape and in this irrepressible collection we find the most fitting epitaph to it's acheivments and endeavours, truly unmissable.

 

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