The Office UK (2001) - Broadcast Critics

The Office UK - 2001

The Office is a British television mockumentary sitcom first broadcast in the UK on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and produced by Ash Atalla, the programme follows the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictional Wernham Hogg paper company. Gervais also stars in the series, playing the central character David Brent.

Ricky Gervais' comedy The Office made its way stateside, where it premiered on BBC America. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below. a sitcom without a laugh track, crass behavior, dark and "ghastly" realism and tragic humiliations broken by laugh-out-loud joke lines. The main character in The Office UK is David Brent who played by Ricky Gervais. He is the manager of Slough branch of Wernham Hogg paper merchants. In David Brent’s mind, he believed that he is the best boss as he is responsible but funny at the same time.

But however, the workers’ opinion about David Brent is another way around. They think that David is lame and annoying boss. In my opinion, the stress reliever in this series are Gareth Keenan acted by Mackenzie Crook and Martin Freeman acted by Tim Canterbury. Most of their scenes will bring joy and laughter to the audiences.

Furthermore, the setting is a paper supply company in an industrial town near London. Without a clue as to how to behave or effectively run things, office boss David Brent (co-writer/director Ricky Gervais) is a smug, desperate to-be-liked misfit who tells jokes frequently and badly. David often banters with the receptionist, Dawn (Lucy Davis), and he honestly can't see that his jokes are sexist and offensive. Sarcastic, smart joker Tim (Martin Freeman) is constantly at odds with office creep Gareth (Mackenzie Crook). Wrangling over office equipment, it's discovered that someone (probably Tim) has made Jell-O with Gareth's stapler inside the dessert.

One odd and delightful note in the series is that the actors often break the fourth wall, addressing the camera directly, docu-style. This gives them a chance to ruminate about their lives, their work — and lie through their teeth about their personal ethics. It's a wonderful, subversive concept, and by failing to romanticize the players, Office remains true to its ghastly, funny self.

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