To make a third series of The Office, arguably the best British comedy ever written, would undoubtedly have been a mistake, and the writers Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant instead chose to end this fantastic comedy with a two-part Christmas special. I worried at the idea of a Christmas special but as it turned out, needlessly so. They, along with the actors, no doubt felt they would have struggled to make a third series as fresh and funny as the previous two had been, especially with such a limited setting, but after series two there were some loose ends that badly needed tying up and resolving (What happened to David Brent after his departure from the Office? Did Dawn and Tim finally get together?), and so this two-part special was actually the perfect way to bring the story to a satisfactory end.
Set three years after David Brent leaves Slough paper merchants Wernham Hogg, the documentary crew return to the Office to see how things have changed. Gareth is now the manager of the office, and Tim not only has to endure him as his superior, but also the absence of Dawn who is now living in America with her terrible fiancé. The documentary crew visit Dawn and offer her a chance to return to the Slough office for a visit over the Christmas period, which provides the perfect opportunity for something between these two to perhaps, finally, happen…?
David Brent is now a travelling sales rep by day and in the evenings does terrible, cringeworthy “celebrity” personal appearances in nightclubs. It’s almost painfully sad as well as funny. But of course Brent can’t keep away from what used to be “his” office, and is on an agonising internet hunt for a blind date to take to the Christmas party with him. What’s initially striking about these two episodes is how poignant, almost painful they are to watch. As with the first two series, the success lies in the fact that there is some real, emotional drama going on as well as some great comedy. You can’t help but want a happy ending for Brent and for Dawn and Tim, and there’s no guarantee that you will get one. There is absolutely no inevitability about what will happen and you are kept on the edge of your seat until the final concluding moments.
The script is as accomplished as it was in the first two series, full of one-liners, amusing appeals to camera and repetitive shots of the same, office scenes, which make the most of the fly-on-the-wall effect. Some of the most effective scenes are those of simple silence!
So why buy the DVD? I bought it mainly for the extra features, especially knowing that Ricky Gervais was planning to release a music video of “If you don’t know me by now,” which couldn’t have been anything other than hilarious. In the video he floats around a minimalist apartment in a flowing white shirt and growls his way through the lyrics, and I wasn’t disappointed. I was also pleased to see a full-band version of the song “Freelove Freeway”, (with Noel Gallagher on backing vocals) made famous in Series 1 episode 4, the training day. It’s obvious Gervais had a fantastic time making the two videos.
There is also a directors commentary on episode 2 of the specials. “Is it a proper directors commentary if we just sit here and laugh?” Gervais asks Merchant. This is probably for the most die-hard Office fans - “It’s daytime, the curtains are drawn…,” Gervais points out to those of us sad enough to watch this bit, but it is peppered with behind the scenes stories and jokes that make it worthwhile watching for anyone who enjoyed the series. I was interested to hear that in looking for a location in which to film David Brent's house in Slough, Gervais and Merchant called on comedian Jimmy Carr, (who is from Slough) who drove them around the area in search of a suitable location.
Other extras are an interview with the cast and crew who among other things explain why they feel a third series wouldn’t have worked, as well as discussing their favourite scenes, and how they enjoyed working together. There is the usual collection of amusing out-takes, mainly involving Gervais messing around.
There is also a feature on the actors collecting their Golden Globe at the award ceremony in the States – the only British comedy ever to win this award. What really comes over in these two particular extra features is how much fun they had making the series and how well they get on as a group of actors and writers. The warmth between them all is obvious and its clear they will be sad not to work together any more.
The DVD would make a great present for anyone who was a fan of the series, and despite only having two episodes, I think there is plenty of value for money in the extra features.
co-workers in a surprisingly poignant not to say dignified manner. Supposedly accompanied by the fly-on-the-wall documentary crew three years after his highly undig...
co-workers in a surprisingly poignant not to say dignified manner. Supposedly accompanied by the fly-on-the-wall documentary crew three years after his highly undig...
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helpful![The Office - The Christmas Specials [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/65502240.jpg)
