Both series of the award-winning spoof fly-on-the-wall docu-comedy set in the offices of Wernham Hogg, a Slough paper merchants. Ricky Gervais' excruciatingly funny portrayal of... more
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superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, i...
superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, i...
OFFICE - SERIES 1 AND 2
A documentary film crew follows David Brent, regional manager of the Slough branch of
... more
Paper Merchants, Wernham Hogg as he and his 'team' go about their business. As David works he manages to alienate, belittle, embarrass and offend just about everyone ...
5 out of 5 similar offers for The Office - Series 1 And 2 (Box Set)
OFFICE - SERIES 1 AND 2
A documentary film crew follows David Brent, regional manager of the Slough branch of
... more
Paper Merchants, Wernham Hogg as he and his 'team' go about their business. As David works he manages to alienate, belittle, embarrass and offend just about everyone who works with him... Features the episodes 'Downsize', Work Experience', 'The Quiz', 'Training' 'New Girl' and 'Judgement'. In 'Series 2' David and his team are joined by employees from Swindon following the merger of the two branches. Much to David's dismay he has a new boss, Neil, who is very popular with the others. Features all the episodes from the second series of the popular television comedy.n
superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base that the programme acquired watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional Slough paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television programme. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth, a paradigm of Andy McNab's readership; the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch; and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim, whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Alan Partridge or Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character than either. Partridge and Fawlty are exaggerations of reality, and therefore safely comic figures. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller On the DVD: Series 1 is tastefully packaged as a two-disc set appropriately adorned with John Betjeman's poem "Slough". The special features occupy the second disc and consist of a laid-back 39-minute documentary entitled "How I Made The Office by Ricky Gervais", with cowriter Stephen Merchant and the cast contributing. Here we discover that Gervais spends his time on set "mucking around and annoying people", and that actress Lucy Davis (Dawn) is the daughter of Jasper Carrott; as well as seeing parts of the original short film and the original BBC pilot episode; plus we get to enjoy many examples of the cast corpsing throughout endless retakes. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, none of which were deleted because they weren't funny. Series 2 is a single-disc release, but the extra features are enjoyable nonetheless. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant feature in a gleefully shambolic video diary--highlights of which include Gervais flicking elastic bands at his cowriter and taping their editor to his swivel chair. The ubiquitous Gervais also mockingly introduces some outtakes (mostly of him corpsing throughout dozens of takes) and a series of deleted scenes, notably of Gareth arriving in his horrendous cycle shorts. --Mark Walker
superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base that the programme acquired watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional Slough paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television programme. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth, a paradigm of Andy McNab's readership; the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch; and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim, whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Alan Partridge or Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character than either. Partridge and Fawlty are exaggerations of reality, and therefore safely comic figures. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller On the DVD: Series 1 is tastefully packaged as a two-disc set appropriately adorned with John Betjeman's poem "Slough". The special features occupy the second disc and consist of a laid-back 39-minute documentary entitled "How I Made The Office by Ricky Gervais", with cowriter Stephen Merchant and the cast contributing. Here we discover that Gervais spends his time on set "mucking around and annoying people", and that actress Lucy Davis (Dawn) is the daughter of Jasper Carrott; as well as seeing parts of the original short film and the original BBC pilot episode; plus we get to enjoy many examples of the cast corpsing throughout endless retakes. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, none of which were deleted because they weren't funny. Series 2 is a single-disc release, but the extra features are enjoyable nonetheless. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant feature in a gleefully shambolic video diary--highlights of which include Gervais flicking elastic bands at his cowriter and taping their editor to his swivel chair. The ubiquitous Gervais also mockingly introduces some outtakes (mostly of him corpsing throughout dozens of takes) and a series of deleted scenes, notably of Gareth arriving in his horrendous cycle shorts. --Mark Walker
superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks, and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television show. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful, and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth (Mackenzie Crook); the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson); and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim (Martin Freeman), whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of ! the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by codirector-cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character. Fawlty is an exaggeration of reality, and therefore a safely comic figure. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller The second series exceeded even the sky-high standards of the first. Indeed, it ventured beyond caricature and satire, touching on the very edge of darkness. Ricky Gervais is once again excruciatingly superb as David Brent, but in this series, Brent's to-the-camera assertions concerning his management qualities and executive capabilities are seriously challenged when the Slough and Swindon branches are merged and his former Swindon equivalent Neil (Patrick Baladi) takes over as area manager. To compensate, Brent cultivates his pathologically mistaken image of himself as an entertainer-motivator-comedian whose stage happens to be the workplace. Meanwhile, Tim, who can only maintain his sanity by teasing the priggish Gareth, continues to wrestle with his yearning for receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis), a sympathetic character persisting in a relationship with a man about whom she still maintains unspoken reservations. As ever, it's the awkward, reality TV-style pauses and silences, the furtive, meaningful and unmet glances across the emotional gulf of the open-plan office, that say it all here. As for Brent, his own breakdown is prefaced by a moment of hideous hilarity--an impromptu office dance, a mixture of "Flashdance and MC Hammer" as Brent describes it, but in reality bad beyond description. Then, when his fate is sealed, he at last reveals himself in a memorable finale to perhaps the greatest British sitcom, besides Fawlty Towers, ever made. --David Stubbs The brilliant and devastating comedy of The Office is brought to a satisfying conclusion in The Office Special, originally a two-part Christmas special on the BBC, set three years after the end of the faux-documentary's second season. The former office manager David (Ricky Gervais) now ekes out a desperate existence as an oblivious quasi-celebrity, making awkward, humiliating visits back to the office staff he still believes loves him. Gawky Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) has risen to manager and become a petty tyrant, while the sweet but snide Tim (Martin Freeman) continues to pine for former receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis), who fled to Florida with her fiance. When the documentary crew pays for Dawn to return for the holiday party, an unpredictable reunion looms ahead. The Office fuses scathing humor and genuine empathy, turning excruciating social discomfort into inspired satire. Fans will find this special rewarding in all respects. --Bret Fetzer
superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks, and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television show. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful, and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth (Mackenzie Crook); the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson); and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim (Martin Freeman), whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of ! the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by codirector-cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character. Fawlty is an exaggeration of reality, and therefore a safely comic figure. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller The second series exceeded even the sky-high standards of the first. Indeed, it ventured beyond caricature and satire, touching on the very edge of darkness. Ricky Gervais is once again excruciatingly superb as David Brent, but in this series, Brent's to-the-camera assertions concerning his management qualities and executive capabilities are seriously challenged when the Slough and Swindon branches are merged and his former Swindon equivalent Neil (Patrick Baladi) takes over as area manager. To compensate, Brent cultivates his pathologically mistaken image of himself as an entertainer-motivator-comedian whose stage happens to be the workplace. Meanwhile, Tim, who can only maintain his sanity by teasing the priggish Gareth, continues to wrestle with his yearning for receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis), a sympathetic character persisting in a relationship with a man about whom she still maintains unspoken reservations. As ever, it's the awkward, reality TV-style pauses and silences, the furtive, meaningful and unmet glances across the emotional gulf of the open-plan office, that say it all here. As for Brent, his own breakdown is prefaced by a moment of hideous hilarity--an impromptu office dance, a mixture of "Flashdance and MC Hammer" as Brent describes it, but in reality bad beyond description. Then, when his fate is sealed, he at last reveals himself in a memorable finale to perhaps the greatest British sitcom, besides Fawlty Towers, ever made. --David Stubbs The brilliant and devastating comedy of The Office is brought to a satisfying conclusion in The Office Special, originally a two-part Christmas special on the BBC, set three years after the end of the faux-documentary's second season. The former office manager David (Ricky Gervais) now ekes out a desperate existence as an oblivious quasi-celebrity, making awkward, humiliating visits back to the office staff he still believes loves him. Gawky Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) has risen to manager and become a petty tyrant, while the sweet but snide Tim (Martin Freeman) continues to pine for former receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis), who fled to Florida with her fiance. When the documentary crew pays for Dawn to return for the holiday party, an unpredictable reunion looms ahead. The Office fuses scathing humor and genuine empathy, turning excruciating social discomfort into inspired satire. Fans will find this special rewarding in all respects. --Bret Fetzer
Advantages: Hilarious, thoroughly enjoyable, episodic and therefore easy to watch Disadvantages: This particular boxset doesn't contain the Xmas Specials
When the first episodes of The Office were aired in mid-2001, I was too young really to appreciate it's genius. In fact, initially i discovered the show when i wondered down stairs one night, unable to sleep, and i just caught the words "testicular cancer" as a business man put one hand to his crotch before my mother hastily turned the show off telling me it was some "new rubbish". That's exactly what i dismissed it as until i went to college and ... ...it doesn't, nor was it the cast (most of them weren't famous at the time and only became renowned through their Office roles), but it was the charm of the perpetual photocopier, the isolated office window and the fantastic realism of each and every character which captured my attention. Instantly i purchased the box set and set about watching each and every episode consecutively - it was a joy, and let me explain why...
"It's like, Comic Relief, ...
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series 1
the office, is an absolutly hilarious situation comedy created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. it was actually broadcast on bb1 in 2001, and after only managing to see the last episode of series one, as soon as this came out on dvd i was one of the first to buy it.
the main concept of the office is that it follows working people in their every day working life around the office. however they are all actors.
david brent ( ricky ... ...thinks hes really funny. the office is definatly the funniest sitcom iv come across and proably will be for some time.
the first series has 6 episodes on disk one, and on disk two there is an exclusive documentry and deleted scenes. it runs for aprox 174 mins and is rated 15.
series 2
possibly the best comedy ever made, now returns for its second tear jerkin series.
this second series contains more laughs, more tear and so much more stupidity ...
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Advantages: Possibly the best comedy ever, humour, cringing and very clever. Disadvantages: Addictive, addictive, addictive
...Merchant made a show called The Office. I guess they had no idea exactly how massively recognisable it would become. David Brent (Gervais), boss of the Slough branch of fictional paper merchants Wernham Hogg is now an instantly recognisable character, and the DVD of the first series became the BBC's best ever selling comedy DVD.
Gervais and Merchant have made the show look like a documentary being filmed in a normal office - people who work in offices ... ...The Office however, is far from ordinary, with Brent's words of wisdom, the ongoing feud between Tim and Gareth, Finchy the vile salesman, Keith's one liners and the will they, won't they romance story of the decade all contributing to a magnificently well written show.
Throughout both series - The Office revolves around four main characters:
David Brent (Ricky Gervais) - Manager of the Slough branch. At first glance, David Brent is just an annoying ...
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Advantages: Hilarious subtle comedy Disadvantages: stomach ache from laughing, and cringing!
The Office is a huge hit, I'm sure you will already know.But if you haven't already seen it then you are really missing out on a treat.
Ricky Gervais has created such believable characters that you will struggle not to forget its not a real documentary. Beware you will be cringing alot from start to finish.This is a credit to the writing that you actually cant belive that something has been said and you feel genuine embarrasment for all those involved.
... ...Hogg in slough. The comedy very cleverly brings across the dull boring aspect of office life.Interspersing shots of the workers just staring at their computers with the talking head shots where you get to know the main characters.
These are David Brent, played by Ricky Gervais. He is the absolutely unbearable boss who thinks he is forever young. He also thinks he is a comedian, an idea not shared by everyone else in the office!
Then there is Gareth, ...
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Actor(s): Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Robin Hooper, Sally Bretton, Joel Beckett, Oliver Chris, Stirling Gallacher, Patrick Baladi
Director(s): Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 2001
Running Time: 6 hours 36 minutes
Video Category: Television
Plot: A documentary film crew follows David Brent, regional manager of the Slough branch of Paper Merchants, Wernham Hogg as he and his 'team' go about their business. As David works he manages to alienate, belittle, embarrass and offend just about everyone who works with him... Features the episodes 'Downsize', Work Experience', 'The Quiz', 'Training' 'New Girl' and 'Judgement'. In 'Series 2' David and his team are joined by employees from Swindon following the merger of the two branches. Much to David's dismay he has a new boss, Neil, who is very popular with the others. Features all the episodes from the second series of the popular television comedy.
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): 2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO; SONY DADC
Release date: 05/04/2004
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: BBCDVD 1514
Barcode: 5014503151423
Screenwriter: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Author: Stephen Merchant
Voice: Ricky Gervais
Comedian: Ricky Gervais
DVD Description
Both series of the award-winning spoof fly-on-the-wall docu-comedy set in the offices of Wernham Hogg, a Slough paper merchants. Ricky Gervais' excruciatingly funny portrayal of the tragically inept manager David Brent drew favourable comparisons with John Cleese's role in Fawlty Towers, and THE OFFICE is assured a similar place in the hall of fame of UK comedy. Whether dealing with his overly officious sidekick Gareth, the engaged yet lovelorn receptionist Dawn or Tim the disillusioned sales rep, handling the opposite sex, the potential redundancies as the imminent merging of two branches looms or the ultimate office cliche--the training day--Brent never fails to demonstrate his desperate inadequacies. The merger has taken place by series 2 and Brent has new faces to impress and bosses of his own to contend with. The Swindon staff are a more professional group than his own, one is black and another is in a wheelchair. They inevitably fall victim to his naive and thoughtless prejudice.
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Documentary - 1. HOW I MADE THE OFFICE, Deleted Scenes, Out-takes, Pilot and Pre-Pilot footage, Cast Interviews, Full Length Peter Purvis Staff Training Video, Documentary - 1. Behind The Scenes, Hilarious Out-takes, Original Pilot Episode
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Listed on Ciao since : 14/06/2005
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