The Office (2001)
- TV sitcom
- BBC Two
- 2001 - 2003
- 14 episodes (2 series)
A BBC documentary team film the office of David Brent, manager from hell: he's tactless and talentless, yet somehow thinks everyone loves him. Stars Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Joel Beckett and more.
Streaming rank this week: 165
Press clippings Page 5
Stephen Merchant on 20 years of The Office
'Would it get made today? I don't know'.
Michael Idato, The Age, 7th July 2021The 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.
Gerard Gilbert, The Independent, 6th July 2021All 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.
Libby Purves, The Times, 31st May 2021Gervais 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."
Alex Roberts, JOE, 17th March 2021The 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.
Tom Haynes, My London, 18th February 202111 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.
Angie Quinn, My London, 16th February 2021Keith 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."
Chortle, 23rd November 2020Beyond 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.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 4th October 202013 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.
Esquire, 22nd August 2020What's the optimum number of series for a sitcom?
We try to pinpoint the TV comedy sweet spot, where 'sharp and consistent' has yet to become 'laboured and cliched'.
Ellen E. Jones, The Guardian, 27th July 2020