The Office (2001)

The Office: Remembering first scathing review

Writing in the Evening Standard, Victor Lewis-Smith hated the show saying: "How this dross ever got beyond the pilot stage is a mystery".

Stephen Merchant on 20 years of The Office

'Would it get made today? I don't know'.

The Office at 20: Why we're all David Brent now

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's office-life mockumentary first aired 20 years ago but its influence on shows from Twenty Twelve to Parks And Recreation has been immense, says Gerard Gilbert. As for its central character, that's how we live now.

All of life can be found in a good sitcom

Highbrow dramas and earnest documentaries are often held up as mirrors but shrewd historians know to look at comedy.

Gervais responses about whether US or UK Office is best

Responding to claims that The US Office is "bigger and better" than its Slough-based counterpart, Gervais said: "I remember once, after syndication, someone on Twitter sent me a tweet that said 'The American version of The Office is so much bigger and better than yours. How does that make you feel?'" Gervais responded: "F***ing rich."

The Office: "I'd seen enough 10 minutes in"

It's not just that it hasn't aged well it's just... not very good, writes Tom Haynes.

11 David Brent one-liners that will make fans laugh

Let's be honest, David Brent is one of the greatest television characters of the 21st Century.

The BBC sitcom is notorious for its cringe-worthy gags and brilliantly awkward humour, delivered mostly by Brent himself.

Keith from The Office couldn't get a job as Keith

"There was a thing came through for an advert for Norwich Union and on the brief they said we want a sort of Keith from The Office character..." "I went along - and I didn't get it."

Beyond Spitting Image - more BritBox comedies available

Classic satirical comedy Spitting Image has just been revived for a new generation on BritBox. This is BritBox's first original commission, but there are also plenty of classic comedies available on the streaming service, which also features some of the best shows that have aired on the BBC, C4 and ITV over the years.

13 best British comedy shows on Netflix right now

The beauty of British comedy is how fleeting it is. The US version of The Office dragged on into nine interminable seasons. The British original? Fourteen episodes and done.