The Office-Complete Series: 10th Anniversary Edition (2001)

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    In common with the creators of Fawlty Towers, Gervais and Merchant limited their work to a brief twelve episode run plus two Christmas specials. Gervais has said in the past that once you've told your story, just stop. Don't keep going. If you do, eventually, the audience will grow to hate you for it. Perhaps because The Office never outlasted its welcome it remains one of the very best pieces of entertainment ever committed to television.

     If you haven't yet got the original UK version of The Office then go out right now and buy this box set. Be aware that these episodes are more than just comedy, but an expose on human wants, frailties and how we interact with each other. Persevere if you at first don't "get" what the creators intended - watch each episode in order and I believe you will be richly rewarded in the end.

     If you already have the individual DVD releases then there isn't anything new here. Hopefully at some future point we might get some more comprehensive extras - but don't hold your breath waiting.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Office, The (UK)-Series One (2001)

This review is sponsored by

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Main Menu Introduction Menu Animation & Audio Featurette-Comedy Connections: The Office Featurette-Documentary Deleted Scenes Interviews-Cast & Crew-Introductions by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant Interviews-Cast & Crew-Short Interviews Easter Egg Easter Egg-Disc 2 - Extended version of the training video Interviews-Cast & Crew-Web based videos Featurette-The Full Pilot
Rating
Year Of Production	2001
Running Time	354:33 (Case: 717)
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Ricky Gervais Martin Freeman Mackenzie Crook Lucy Davis Ralph Ineson Oliver Chris Stirling Gallacher Sally Bretton Joel Beckett Vincent Franklin Robin Hooper
Case	Amaray-Transparent-S/C-Dual
RPI	$49.95	Music	Mike d'Abo

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

“I suppose I've created an atmosphere here where I'm a friend first, boss second. Probably an entertainer third."

     Around twenty five years after the classic BBC comedy Fawlty Towers was produced, the team of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant created, wrote and directed the first six episodes of The Office. Gervais also stars in the series as David Brent, manager of the Slough branch of paper company Wernham Hogg. The industrial town of Slough is presented in the opening credits as a grey boring town, and Wernham Hogg is a grey boring office in a grey boring town. In David Brent we have a creation that rivals the legendary Basil Fawlty. Brent is egotistical, incompetent, ruthless, and uncaring. He is also frustrated, clumsy, unconsciously racist and sexist. Above all however he is desperately sad and lonely. Acting as Brent's self-appointed second in charge is Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook), a cadaverous stick insect of a man, who has delusions of hardness as an aspiring SAS operative - although only serving in the volunteer based Territorial Army. It is pointed that when Gareth refers to himself as the assistant regional manager Brent quickly corrects him as being the assistant to the regional manager. He is a real sycophant with tongue firmly down the back of Brent's trousers. Gareth's main protagonist in the office is Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman) who is the unimaginably bored sales representative who dreams of a better future and who is secretly in love with the office receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis). Dawn also dreams of a better future but is stuck in an unsatisfying relationship with fiancé Lee (Joel Beckett) who works in the warehouse.

     Unlike most sitcoms the situations presented in The Office are not played purely for laughs. This is rather a study of interpersonal relations and how circumstances can forge your life experiences. Although Brent presents as an obnoxious twit much of the time, he is not an unsympathetic character. His nervous habits such as constant tie adjustments and glances to camera indicate an insecurity that he tries to cover with bluster. Brent wants to be popular but tries too hard - he craves positive feedback and fame. As Gervais writes in the box-set booklet, "Brent doesn't represent evil, or nastiness or even ignorance. He's just a little out of place. Out of time. His worst crime is that he confused respect with popularity." When David looks down at the camera lens after yet another faux-pas we share his pain and embarrassment - and perhaps we also feel a little bit better about ourselves knowing that we are not so bad after all.

     Gareth's ambitions don't extend further than eventually replacing Brent as office manager, meanwhile imagining that his work with the Territorial Army gives him military credibility. Gareth has an unhealthy obsession with things military and things sexual - with a decidedly bent approach to both topics. Above all Gareth is immature and foolish - not recognising when the p*** is being taken and not comprehending how ridiculous his actions are much of the time. Tim is a thirty-ish everyman who is desperately bored and unsatisfied with life. He still lives at home with his mother and has dreams of breaking out of the daily rut but never actually does anything about it. His silences and stares to camera following a Brent or Keenan comment say more than a thousand words. Tim flirts with Dawn who is similarly frustrated but again feels tied down to a dead end job and a dead end relationship. Along with these four main characters we have an assortment of minor characters that each play their parts with stunning accuracy. Most of us can recognise a familiarity with the people of The Office - but most of us will hope that we are not part of that reality.

Downsize (36:05)

     A BBC camera crew is conducting a fly-on-the-wall documentary of the Slough branch of paper company Wernham Hogg. David Brent introduces himself as the perfect boss - a real people manager, an entertainer, who is an inspiration and friend to his staff as well as a true professional. Sales representative Tim has the misfortune of being seated next to Gareth who is the self-appointed team leader and also a "trained operative" with the Territorial Army. Gareth's self-awareness is obviously a long way short of reality. Tim and Gareth bait each other constantly which somewhat relieves Tim's all-encompassing boredom. Tim's only other interest in the office is the branch receptionist Dawn who is engaged to Lee from the warehouse. There is an unsaid and unfulfilled affection between Tim and Dawn which further adds to the frustrations of their working life. Brent's manager Jennifer Taylor-Clark (Stirling Gallacher) meets with David and informs him of the bad news that there will be redundancies following a planned merger between Swindon and Slough branch offices. The branch which will take the brunt of retrenchments is yet to be decided and depends on efficiencies to be made in each area. Brent tries to reassure the staff but things do not look good for Slough branch. New temporary team member Ricky (Oliver Chris) is introduced around the office by Brent who tries to impress with his off-colour jokes and banter. An especially cruel practical joke on Dawn ends in the worst possible way with one of the most excruciatingly awkward moments ever portrayed on TV. Dawn sums it all up by calling Brent a "sad little man".

Work Experience (32:56)

     David hires Donna (Sally Bretton) who is lodging at his house as a favour for a friend. Brent sees himself as a type of chaperone for Donna, however it is soon apparent that she has been around and has a mind of her own. The staff are worried about possible redundancies and so David tries to reassure them - badly. After some bawdy jokes about Donna are bandied about during the meeting Brent decides to take action on the sexist branch culture - obviously unaware that he is one of the worst offenders. Gareth's Territorial Army interrogation skills come into play when an image of David's head on a pornographic image appears in a staff e-mail. Gareth takes it upon himself to find the perpetrator in typically officious style. David's manager Jennifer re-visits Slough branch and is critical of the branch's progress in making efficiencies. After experiencing some very unsavoury jibes in the warehouse Jennifer returns to David's office where Gareth reveals his suspicions on Tim being the source of the pornographic e-mail. When the actual offender is revealed to be Brent's mate Chris Finch ("Finchy") (Ralph Ineson), Brent backs down on punishment options and is left seriously embarrassed - again.

The Quiz (34:14)

     The annual Wernham Hogg pub quiz night is on again with Brent and Finchy teaming up again as perennial winners. Whereas Brent is an ignorant prat, Finchy is a really nasty, spiteful, bully who mercilessly teases David and continually puts him down. Brent's blind spot however means he fails to see this side of Finch and so goes along with the relentless ribbing. It is also Tim's thirtieth birthday which, in common with most of Tim's life, is another non-event. With a radio hat birthday present from mum, and a giant inflatable p**** from Lee and Dawn, his day can hopefully only get better. Tim and Dawn have some fun at Gareth's expense but a crack at Lee backfires badly. David's quiz night confidence is threatened by the discovery that Ricky, who is teaming with Tim, was a winner on TV quiz show Blockbusters. When Ricky and Tim eventually win the quiz after a tie-breaker Finchy characteristically does not take the result well and blames Brent for the loss. After a few more drinks Finch challenges Ricky to a winner-take-all bet that he can throw Tim's shoe over the pub. With the throw accomplished, and bet won, Finch wins the challenge. The party breaks up leaving Tim by himself, pondering his life outside the pub - alone, dateless and missing a shoe.

Training (34:37)

     Ricky Gervais' self-professed favourite episode sees Rowan (Vincent Franklin) being brought in to facilitate a staff development and customer awareness training day to the staff at Slough branch. Dawn has earlier confessed that her relationship with Lee is on the skids, and Tim thinks he might be in with a chance. The training day presents an opportunity for them to be together and there is plenty of sexual tension and body language on show. As training commences Brent can't bear to be out of the limelight and continually undermines the efforts of Rowan. Training degenerates further when Gareth and David's fantasies are revealed and role plays get out of control. David decides to take over with some musical interludes including his self-written "hit" - "Free Love on the Free Love Freeway". Tim publicly resigns in disgust at the utter pointless boredom of the training day and office life, but returns to ask Dawn out in front of the assembled staff. Dawn however rejects the offer because she has just got back together with Lee thus delivering Tim one of the most wincingly humiliating moments of series one.

New Girl (34:12)

     Donna turns up late for work after having been partying hard with someone from within the office. Brent's protective nature comes to the fore and Gareth looks for clues as to the identity of the other party. Despite imminent downsizing the Slough office is interviewing for a new secretary for David. Showing true staff selection skills David ignores the male applicant and hires the blonde girl Karen Roper (Nicola Cotter). Tim confirms again that he has resigned but - anyhow - he did not ask Dawn out and therefore was not rejected in front of everyone. Brent's efforts to impress Karen have predictably disastrous results although he does find out that she will be attending the pub after work. Gareth gives a one-on-one OH&S training session to the obviously disinterested Donna but has ulterior motives. Brent and Finchy take off after work to their regular Wednesday night session at "Chasers" with Tim and Gareth in tow. Finchy sleazily cracks onto most of the girls whilst David tries his hardest to chat up Karen. When Donna arrives with companion, who happens to be temporary employee Ricky, the ever vigilant Gareth gets delivered one of the best put-down lines in the series. Is he a weasel faced ass or an assed faced weasel? Gareth's fortunes take a turn for the better when he picks up and is seen at the conclusion "swinging" off into the night.

Judgement (34:18)

     It's the day Jennifer announces plans for Slough and Swindon branches. Amazingly the board of directors have decided to promote David - assuming he is happy about sacrificing his staff who will bear the brunt of job losses. David accepts after a millisecond of hesitation. Despite a "pep" talk from David Tim confirms that he is leaving - and by the way - he did not ask Dawn out and therefore was not humiliated in front of everyone. The staff are on edge about their future and, after prompting, David announces the bad news that most of them will go - but the silver lining is that he is will be the new supervising manager. Not surprisingly this goes down like a lead brick, with Gareth particularly devastated. At the end of financial year party there are a few surprising twists - Tim in a funk of gloom changes his mind about resigning, David's loyalty to his staff (or more accurately a failed health test) causes a change of fortunes, Dawn thinks wistfully about lost opportunities and dead-end futures with 10cc's "I'm Not In Love"/Spandau Ballet's "True" playing poignantly in the background.

     This episode is a great conclusion to Series One with more pathos than you could poke a stick at. The final party scenes are a depressingly familiar depiction of the cold cynical nature of office life, where self-interest is the only certainty.

     The Office - Series One is the first disc included in The Office Special Edition four disc box-set.

Video

     The video is presented in the original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Being filmed in a pseudo-documentary style with standard definition cameras means there were frequent intentional losses of sharpness due to camera zooms and quick pans. Overall however there is nothing to complain about with good colours and accurate skin tones. Despite the deliberate drabness of the office environment the sombre hues of white, grey and brown are distinct and clearly defined with lots of detail evident. The only video problems were some visible compression artefacts and graininess during dimly lit scenes such as at the pub. These however were minor distractions only. Reviews of the 2003 release of The Office - Series 1 refer to constant pixelization however I thought this was only a minor issue as far as this transfer was concerned. Given the nature of the source material this is a very good presentation overall.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     A Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track encoded at 192 Kb/s is the only offering but is a very acceptable effort. All the dialogue is clear and synchronised with the video. With surround encoding activated there was a surprising amount of incidental office sounds such as phones ringing and typewriters coming from the surround channels. There was no subwoofer activity that I noticed but then it wasn't required either. The English subtitles appear accurate and are easy to read.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

     The menu on both discs includes short animations with office background noises.

Extras included on Disc One

Introductions by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

     Gervais and Merchant preface each episode with short and sometimes amusing snippets about various aspects of the production including character development and recurring themes. The comments aren't restricted to the episode about to be watched and beware that there are spoilers included. These short pieces are really interesting but we should wish for a more comprehensive commentary on each episode. They are also available in expanded form as the "Web Videos" special feature on disc two. You can skip past the comments and go straight to the episode if desired.

Short Interviews

     Serious and non-serious interviews between episodes or over the closing credits by celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Matthew Perry, Richard Curtis and Ben Stiller, and some of the actors including Davis, Crook, and Freeman.

Easter Egg (Disc 1)

     David and staff perform his song "Free Love" as used in the "Training" episode. Includes a clapper board introduction. To access press "Enter" when the phone rings on the main menu. 1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 Kb/s.

Extras included on Disc Two

The Full Pilot (19:26)

     1.33:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. In this pilot the David Brent character is introduced in all his glory - albeit in a slightly cruder and sleazier presentation. The setting is different with fewer supporting characters - although their characteristics are similar. These characters are played by different actors - apart from Karen Roper (Nicola Cotter). There are the same off-colour and awkward jokes, and an inability to take a joke in turn. One major difference from the subsequent series is the use of a voice over which gives it more of a documentary feel.

Comedy Connections: The Office (38:46)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. TV documentary on the creation of The Office and the creative collaboration of Gervais and Merchant. Discusses how the pilot and subsequent first series arose out of their demo tape known as "The Seedy Boss" which had become well known within the BBC and had achieved cult status. Some very interesting anecdotes including the reluctance of some within the BBC in having Gervais as the lead actor!

Web Videos

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s.

• The Beginning (10:13)
• The Style (7:55)
• Comedy (7:45)
• Staff Training (9:43)
• Impact (6:24)

     Interviews with Gervais and Merchant and some of the cast and other celebrities created for internet based content. Excerpts of these were included on the Series One disc as the comments between episodes.

Documentary (39:18)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Also entitled "How I Made The Office, by Ricky Gervais", this documentary is a light hearted expose hosted by Gervais and Merchant, and featuring Freeman, Crook and Davis. Some nuggets of useful information put together amongst amusing banter.

Deleted Scenes

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Six deleted scenes with a splash screen giving text explanation of why the scenes were excluded. The splash lasts for thirty seconds and can't be skipped over. A "play all" function would have been nice. These are pretty funny even if they did not make the cut.

• Brent The Peacemaker (1:44)
• Thoughts On Music (2:06)
• Gareth Reprimands Brent and Finch (1:48)
• Gareth On The Pull (0:41)
• 'Slough' By John Betjeman (1:54)
• Gareth's Anxiety (0:28)

Easter Egg

     This Easter egg features the extended version of the "Who Cares Wins" video as seen in the "Training" episode. To access select "Deleted Scenes" from the main menu, then select "'Slough' by John Betjeman". After the splash screen closes and the screen darkens press "Enter". 1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 Kb/s.

     This version is from a four disc box-set which contains both series, the Christmas specials, and a disc of special features. The two disc version of The Office: The Complete First Series appears to be identical in video and audio quality but does not have the comments interspersed amongst the episodes. Extras in common are the documentary and deleted scenes but the four disc version under review misses out on a mock Wernham Hogg company newsletter. The US version of the four disc special edition box set appears identical to this box set under review apart from different cover art work.

     In common with the creators of Fawlty Towers, Gervais and Merchant limited their work to a brief twelve episode run plus two Christmas specials. Gervais has said in the past that once you've told your story, just stop. Don't keep going. If you do, eventually, the audience will grow to hate you for it. Perhaps because The Office never outlasted its welcome it remains one of the very best pieces of entertainment ever committed to television.

     The video quality is very good. The audio quality is very good.

     The extras are good but fans really want a full commentary track on each episode.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Office, The (UK)-Series Two (2002)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Main Menu Introduction Menu Animation & Audio Deleted Scenes Outtakes Featurette-Video diary
Rating
Year Of Production	2002
Running Time	216:22 (Case: 717)
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Ricky Gervais Martin Freeman Mackenzie Crook Lucy Davis Ralph Ineson Stirling Gallacher Joel Beckett Ewan Macintosh Rachel Isaac Stacey Roca Patrick Baladi Howard Saddler Julie Fernandez
Case	Amaray-Transparent-S/C-Dual
RPI	$49.95	Music	Mike d'Abo

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, Small scene during the credits of each episode.

“Money don't make my world go round. I'm reaching out to a higher ground."

     After the initial season of The Office achieved huge critical and popular success, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant produced another six episodes which first screened in September 2002. This series follows on from the prior closing episode with Swindon branch closed and staff relocating to Slough. David Brent (Ricky Gervais) remains manager of the branch however the former manager of Swindon, Neil Godwin (Patrick Baladi), is now David's boss. Most of the cast from series one have been retained however the addition of Swindon means a new batch of characters has swelled the ranks. The basic premise and main characteristics of The Office environment and staff as described in my season one review here remain unchanged, so I won’t repeat them.

     The main difference from season one is the addition of Neil, who is everything that David is not. He is younger, better looking, more dynamic, and worst of all for David, more popular with the staff. Another significant addition is Rachel (Stacey Roca), who is flirty and attractive, and has the potential to upset the office dynamics between Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis).

Merger (29:18)

     Two weeks have passed since the staff at Slough branch learned that they would remain and incorporate Swindon into their office. The former manager of Swindon, Neil Godwin, is now David's boss - a fact that David finds very uncomfortable. Tim Canterbury has been made senior sales representative and seems to be pretty cosy with the additional responsibilities and power that the role brings. Things are a bit cool between Tim and Dawn after their unfulfilled romance was squashed in the last series, and Tim's increased officiousness isn't helping. Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) remains the thorn in Tim's side but is still the object of practical jokes. Neil arrives in the branch to help welcome the staff from Swindon and it is soon apparent that he has won the respect and admiration of the combined offices. Jennifer Taylor-Clark (Stirling Gallacher), who is Neil's manager, also arrives for the meeting to help oversee the transition. Brent is intimidated at being upstaged by Neil and so goes overboard in trying to impress the staff with off-colour and very bad jokes that go down like a lead balloon. As the hole he is digging gets bigger, and the awkward silences deepen, Brent bales out disgusted that the Swindon crew don't understand that he is an entertainer. In the subsequent drinks session Brent remains an outsider while Neil gets on with everyone - including the Slough staff. A blue joke involving black men and racial stereotypes lands Brent in hot water and earns his first reprimand for the day. Rachel and Tim share some flirtatious sparks with Gareth circling like a sex starved shark - evil intent on his mind. Brent re-joins the party but soon earns his second reprimand for the day following more ill-considered banter. Dawn is concerned at the obvious attraction between Tim and Rachel and tries to reconnect with Tim, but her fiancée Lee (Joel Beckett), who works in the warehouse, interrupts them angrily. All in all a pretty bad day for David.

Appraisals (29:26)

     David continues to try and connect with ex-Swindon staff but his efforts keep falling flat. After his off-colour joke from the previous episode he has taken a special interest in black employee Oliver (Howard Saddler) - to "prove" that he's not racist. It's time for appraisals for the office staff but David seems more interested in any positive feedback about him being an inspiration and role model. When that doesn't come naturally David isn't adverse in prompting a positive response. A fire evacuation drill results in Brent leaving the wheelchair bound Brenda (Julie Fernandez) stranded in the stair well. His awkward treatment of her becomes a recurring theme across the episodes. The relationship between Tim and Rachel seems to have reached a new level much to Gareth and Dawn's concern. Gareth has some advice for Rachel which extends beyond the boundaries of good taste. "Big" Keith (Ewan Macintosh) has an inspirational appraisal interview with David which pretty well sums up the utter pointlessness of their office existence. Neil assembles the ex-Swindon staff for a meeting with Brent who ends up on the receiving end of some negative feedback. David thinks taking them out for lunchtime drinks will change their minds about him but even this degenerates into uncomfortable silences. Neil continues to gain the affection of the staff which results in a Brent outburst and yet another reprimand. Dawn reluctantly tries her best to bolster David's damaged ego after work.

Party (29:10)

     David takes on a new look which he thinks reflects his youth and daring personality. Strangely enough his new clothes are remarkably similar to what Neil usually wears. It is Trudy's (Rachel Isaac) birthday and she receives some raunchy presents - seemingly in tune with her raunchy personality. Tim shows the Swindon group around the warehouse where the usual barrage of sexist and boorish behaviour is on display. A training firm arrives in the office to see David with the offer of a substantial payment to deliver a training presentation. David's damaged ego gets an enormous boost, however he gets defensive again on learning that Neil turned down the same offer because he was too busy. Neil organises a birthday party for Trudy and again shows how popular he is with the staff - much to David's annoyance. Tim and Dawn prank Gareth but Rachel takes some of the gloss off the occasion for Dawn. Brent's best mate from season one, Chris Finch ("Finchy") (Ralph Ineson) arrives for the party and shows, to David's dismay, that he and Neil are already good mates. Neil even laughs at Finchy's crude jokes - which seems a bit out of character. As the alcohol flows the party raunches up with Trudy getting especially friendly with the male staff. Another ill-considered comment by Brent at the party leads to an uncomfortable silence, however during the closing credits we see that Trudy and Finchy haven't let that spoil their night.

Motivation (29:17)

     David arrives for work sporting an earring to go with his new image. He is excited about his upcoming trainer session and recruits Dawn to help. Tim and Rachel appear to have closed the deal on their relationship and Gareth is disgusted that she would prefer someone that looks like a "Fisher-Price" man over him. Gareth helpfully suggests however that he'd still "do" Rachel even though she is now "sloppy seconds". Simon the computer expert (Matthew Holness) has come to upgrade the office computers and soon demonstrates why Tim thinks he's a tool. Gareth however soon strikes up a conversation with him where they try to impress each other with bullsh*t stories. "You know Bruce Lee's not really dead don't you?" - heh. Brent and Neil clash over David using Dawn for his trainer session that night and earns yet another reprimand. It is clear that Neil intends to stay on top of David until his performance improves. During a training practice session with Gareth, David finds out that the Swindon crew have nick-named him "Bluto" (the villain from "Popeye") because of his appearance. Needless to say this does not go down well so Brent confronts the office where he is reminded of his own use of nicknames. Of course Brent doesn't "get" the hypocrisy. Yet another reprimand from Neil is earned when it is learned that David has forgotten to authorise Brenda's pay and Neil really shows dissatisfaction at David's apparent laziness. Never mind - the gig as guest motivational speaker later that night will show his true talents. As you'd expect however his efforts are a complete disaster and result in a hilarious, but cringe inducing performance, that leaves everyone dumbstruck. The last few minutes truly show how out of touch with reality he really is.

Charity (29:02)

     It is comic relief day in the office where the staff are raising money for charity. Dawn is selling kisses and Finchy soon takes advantage with the usual crude banter. "Squeal like a piggy" anyone? Tim doesn't see the appeal of joining in with someone else's idea of "wackiness" where the boss acts like an idiot and a colleague is "dacked". Gareth shows his compassionate side by describing how he'd test disabled people to make sure they were not faking. Brenda is obviously unimpressed. Jennifer arrives in the office and introduces Neil and Rachel who will do a dance performance for charity money. Of course the duo nail their interpretation of "More Than A Woman" and "You Should Be Dancing" from "Saturday Night Fever" leaving Brent disgusted but the office staff in raptures. Brent responds with a MC Hammer routine that will make your jaw drop. This is one of the great scenes in either season of "The Office" - showing the complete inadequacy of David as a popular person or effective manager, whilst remaining ignorant of the fact. Gareth's mates Jimmy "the purve" (Bruce Mackinnon) and Nathan "Oggmonster", (Stephen Merchant in his first appearance in either series) arrive in the office to contribute to the charity day. Oggie shows a similar inability to take a joke as David and the two soon clash. At a quiet point in the day Neil confronts David about a report that is overdue and lays down a warning that his performance must improve otherwise there will be ramifications. During the tea-break Tim hides Gareth's office equipment while Keith and Dawn share some quality time (scotch-egg anyone?). Tim pays for a kiss from Dawn and the spark makes him realise that his fling with Rachel is not real and that Dawn is his true love. Neil and Jennifer make another visit to David's office to give him the news that he is to be made redundant. David is devastated but expects that the staff will be outraged and rise up to support him. They of course do nothing of the sort. The day closes with David dressed in an ostrich suit playing the martyr during a magazine promotional photo shoot for the charity. A very poignant end to a brilliant episode.

Interview (29:07)

     Brent's last day in the office show him as outwardly calm and looking forward to a new career as motivational speaker. He equates his situation with Jesus in that his "work here is done", and he needs to move on as the world is out there waiting for him. None of the staff seem too concerned about David leaving, and even Gareth seems to have coped well enough with the news. The company has sent a writer to interview David for an article in the industry journal "Inside Paper", but David is more keen on dictating the content rather than answering the questions. Tim and Dawn continue to wind up Gareth with Rachel getting in on the fun. Gareth has bought a "Dirty Bertie" doll for his mate "gobbler's" birthday - much to Tim's disgust. Dawn hands in her resignation which David assumes is in protest at his redundancy. She assures him that it isn't but of course Brent prefers his interpretation of events. Neil offers Tim the job of office manager but Tim recommends Gareth instead as his heart is not really in the position and Gareth would be a better candidate. Gareth soon shows that he will become the complete office Nazi and Tim ponders his unwise recommendation. After an office discussion on what women find attractive in men Tim decides it's time to break up with Rachel. Gareth sees his opportunity to move in but Rachel rebuffs him in no uncertain manner. The representatives of Cooper and Webb with whom David hopes to work as motivational speaker arrive in the office to see David. David thinks this will be a good inclusion in the magazine article however they deliver the bad news that his services won't be required. Brent is devastated and for the first time in the series looks really depressed and dejected as the reality of his position hits home. Adding to the office drama is the discovery by Tim that Dawn has resigned and is moving to America with Lee. Dawn is obviously also not happy about the impending move and her relationship with Lee, but rationalises that a relationship is not meant to be like a fairy tale, and that reality means compromises must be made. Tim finally realises that his time with Dawn is running out so he must make a move or forever live wondering what might have been. Things do not go well for Tim with Dawn rejecting his offer - however at least their feelings are now out in the open. Neil and Jennifer meet with David to discuss the redundancy package at which David finally breaks down and begs for his job. The decision is made however, and Brent is left to ponder life and where it all leads. As he eloquently quotes from Dolly Parton "if you want a rainbow then you have to put up with the rain" - "and people say she is just a big pair of tits" - heh. An amazing episode which lurches from comedy to pathos whilst ending on a rather depressing note. For the first time Brent shows that he is a real person - with real feelings - not just a buffoon. While Tim and Dawn look on forlornly and ponder their futures the credits roll and we are left wondering whether the door has finally shut, or whether there is redemption for the staff of The Office.

     The Office - Series Two is the third disc included in The Office Special Edition four disc box-set.

Video

     The video is presented in the original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and is essentially identical in quality to the series one transfer reviewed earlier. Being filmed in a pseudo-documentary style with standard definition cameras means there were frequent intentional losses of sharpness due to camera zooms and quick pans. Overall however there is nothing to complain about with good colours and accurate skin tones. Despite the deliberate drabness of the office environment the sombre hues of white, grey and brown are distinct and clearly defined with lots of detail evident. The only video problems were some visible compression artefacts and graininess during dimly lit scenes such as at the pub and a bit of aliasing in the venetian blinds and computer monitors. These however were minor distractions only. Given the nature of the source material this is a very good presentation overall.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     A Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track encoded at 192 Kb/s is the only offering but is a very acceptable effort. All the dialogue is clear and synchronised with the video. With surround encoding activated there was a surprising amount of incidental office sounds such as phones ringing and copiers clattering from the surround channels. The English subtitles appear accurate and are easy to read. Given the pseudo-documentary style of presentation and office environment the audio track is suitably clear and problem free.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

     The menu includes short animations with office background noises.

Deleted Scenes (13:08)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Some hilarious stuff here - mostly involving Gareth. Would have been nice to hear reasons why these were left out of the final cut.

Outtakes (7:43)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. As Ricky says - these are the bits where the actors f*ck up and start laughing during takes. Most of these are caused by Gervais improvising and there's a couple of real funny ones involving "big" Keith's character

Video Diary (20:11)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Gervais' and Merchant's video diary of the making of series two. Includes hand held video filming of the actors and crew during writing, award presentations, filming, and editing. Pretty interesting behind the scenes stuff although the video quality is not so good.

     This version is from a four disc box-set which contains both series, the Christmas specials, and a disc of special features. The Region 4 single disc version of The Office: Series 2 appears to the be identical in video and audio quality and includes the same extras. The Region 1 DVD contains an additional extra called "Slough slang glossary " - presumably to help American audiences with British slang. The US version of the four disc special edition box set appears identical to this box set under review apart from different cover art work.

     Following on from the first series these six episodes chronicle the fall of David Brent until his final unravelling. With the addition of David's nemesis Neil, we have the embodiment of everything that David is not. Ultimately David's ego folds under Neil's obvious superiority, and realises that he is indeed a failure. It is this shattering realisation that makes David a sympathetic character, rather than just a egotistic buffoon. The relationship between Tim and Dawn also takes a dark turn with what could have been a real romance and a new life for them being dissolved by indecision. Indecision and apathy is an underlying theme throughout all twelve episodes, and it seems fitting that The Office should conclude on that note. There is however a glimmer of hope for our protagonists in that although this door has closed, other doors may yet open.

     In common with the creators of Fawlty Towers, Gervais and Merchant limited their work to a brief twelve episode run plus two Christmas specials. Gervais has said in the past that once you've told your story, just stop. Don't keep going. If you do, eventually, the audience will grow to hate you for it. Perhaps because The Office never outlasted its welcome it remains one of the very best pieces of entertainment ever committed to television.

     The video quality is very good.

     The audio quality is very good. The extras are limited but interesting.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Office, The (UK)-The Christmas Specials (2003)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Main Menu Introduction Main Menu Audio & Animation Featurette-The Office: Closed For Business Documentary Featurette-Golden Globes Music Video Music Video-Full Band Version of 'Freelove Freeway' Audio Commentary-Directors' commentary - Episode 2 Easter Egg-"If You Don't Know Me By Now" bloopers
Rating
Year Of Production	2003
Running Time	137:06 (Case: 717)
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Ricky Gervais Martin Freeman Mackenzie Crook Lucy Davis Ralph Ineson Joel Beckett Ewan Macintosh Patrick Baladi Steve Brody Elizabeth Berrington
Case	Amaray-Transparent-S/C-Dual
RPI	$49.95	Music	Mike d'Abo

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, Small scene during the credits of both episodes.

“If I'm really being honest, I never really thought it would have a happy ending"

"Life isn't about endings is it? It's a series of moments"

     After the second season of The Office concluded Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant produced a two part Christmas special which continued the plot approximately three years after the final episode. The premise this time is that a BBC crew has returned to the office to document what has changed since their prior production wrapped up. Most of the characters from season two remain, although there have been some minor cast changes. The main characters however remain unchanged as described in my season one review here and season two review here, so I won’t repeat them again.

     Beware - there are major spoilers below!

Part One (43:45)

     Nearly three years have passed since a BBC documentary crew visited the Slough branch of paper company Wernham Hogg to record the everyday goings on in a typical workplace. Former general manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is now working as a travelling salesman after successfully suing the company for unfair dismissal and using the payout to record his own single. Brent remains resentful at his treatment yet continually visits the office where he remains unaware that no-one really wants to see him there. He blames the BBC for his unflattering portrayal in their documentary, The Office - self-denial leading him to believe that they left out all his good qualities for editorial reasons. Although his single release (If You Don't Know Me By Now) was an abject failure, he remains convinced of his own talents and regularly guests on varied low-brow TV shows or pub nights as a celebrity. Needless to say these appearances are always a complete disaster. Not helping his showbiz career is his useless agent Peter (Steve Brody), who obviously hasn't got a clue. Former receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) and Lee (Joel Beckett) are now living in Florida where Lee lounges about most of the time and Dawn cares for Lee's sister's baby. As the documentary crew interviews Dawn it is obvious that she is dissatisfied with her new circumstances, whereas Lee is oblivious to anyone apart from himself. What's more - the insensitive Lee has squashed her ambitions as an illustrator because he says they have now "moved on". When the crew offer for her and Lee to return to Slough for a reunion Dawn makes excuses, but Lee jumps at the chance because it will be a free trip. Back in the office Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) is in charge and running things like a real Territorial Army dictator but this doesn't mean that he is free from Tim Canterbury's (Martin Freeman) practical jokes. The new office receptionist, however, doesn't play along. Now that Gareth has moved into the manager's position his old desk has been taken by the heavily pregnant and self-absorbed Anne (Elizabeth Berrington). It's horrifying that Anne is actually more annoying than Gareth, and Tim's working environment remains a hell on earth. The flame that Tim holds for Dawn remains as strong as ever so we can imagine his response when learning from the interviewing team that Dawn will be returning for the Christmas party. Although he rationalises that he and Dawn will never be together, the thought of seeing her again invokes a deep response. The humiliation of her earlier rejection however remains large in the office, where absolutely everybody knows what happened.

     Plans for the Christmas party are in progress and former employees are invited. When overall manager Neil Godwin (Patrick Baladi) asks whether David will be bringing a date, David confirms that he indeed has several girlfriends and so will need two tickets. Finchy (Chris Finch - Ralph Ineson) doesn't believe this and launches into his usual cruel ribbing. Finchy is correct, of course, that David has no girlfriends, so David and Gareth start scouring internet dating sites looking for suitable dates. Gareth is a bit more realistic than David when entering David's statistics on the internet dating site - which causes some offence. After another disastrous celebrity pub appearance David blames his co-performers for his particularly poor reception. The resulting confrontation leaves Brent covered in his own beer with ears stinging.

Part Two (52:01)

     David and Gareth vet through the dating agency referrals where the usual unconsciously sexist and racist banter takes place. David's continual visits to the office are starting to grate on Neil as they prove to be disruptive to work. Gareth informs the office staff that Dawn will be returning for the Christmas party and also reminds everyone of Tim's infatuation for Dawn - much to Tim's embarrassment. David's first date ends in disaster as his inappropriate conversation topics fall flat. It's clear that David needs a lot of practice in charming the ladies. Dawn returns to the office and there is an awkward but fond reunion with Tim. Gareth tries to show off in his new position, but Tim and Dawn waste no time in winding him up - just for old time’s sakes. Anne provides some words of wisdom to Dawn in her blunt fashion which goes down like a lead balloon, meanwhile David's further meetings with dating agency respondents continue to go badly. Gareth organises a "secret Santa" but fails to get into the spirit of Christmas giving. Keith (Ewen MacIntosh) provides some advice to Tim in the lunchroom as only he can. Don't we just love the "big" Keith scotch egg moments! David and his black dog Nelson (named after Nelson Mandela which proves that David is not racist - so there!) are finally banned from the office after another confrontation with the increasingly spiteful Neil, but the staff fail to rise up and respond to David's invitation for a drink after work. Anne again demonstrates her rude bluntness by telling him that "no-one wants to have a meeting with you, and no-one wants to have a drink with you. You don't even work here". This is too much for Tim who pipes up and offers to have a drink with David later. After another disastrous gig and lonely night in a cheap hotel, David fantasises after a few mini-bar drinks that sooner or later the company will beg to take him back.

     It's party night but David is left on his own as the office staff go out for a pre-party dinner. Later that night as the festivities start Neil and Finchy query David on the whereabouts of his date - obviously sceptical that there is one. When Lee and Dawn arrive Tim tries to stay cool but it is obvious by the inane banter that they are very uncomfortable about the current situation - especially given that Lee has seen the prior documentary and so knows that Tim is keen on Dawn. Fortunately Lee's bogun mates from the warehouse arrive and dish out some harsh treatment to the obnoxious Anne (beans and muff!). Lee joins them for darts which leaves Tim and Dawn to have some quality time together. Eventually David's date Carol (Sandy Hendrickse) arrives and – surprise, surprise - she is actually very nice, and, what's more, likes his jokes and conversation! Lee decides it is time for he and Dawn to leave so Dawn regretfully says her farewells after first finding her "secret Santa" gift. In the taxi to the hotel Dawn opens her present and sees from the contents that it must have been from Tim. Those contents lead her to think about what she is leaving and where she is going. Back at the party Tim is looking forlorn but David is revelling in his good luck in finding the perfect date. Amazingly enough Carol also thinks David was very nice so they promise to meet again before she leaves to go home. After a few more jibes from Finchy and a reference to David's "dog" (i.e. Carol) David finally gets some backbone and tells Finchy to "fu*k off". A real "YES" moment for David. As the party proceeds we see Dawn renter the office from the background and make her way towards Tim. They kiss passionately and leave the room holding each other tightly. The second "YES" moment for the series. It seems that at last Tim and Dawn and David might have found redemption and possible future happiness.

     In conclusion as David narrates to the documentary camera - "You need three things to have a good life: one - a meaningful relationship, two - a decent job of work, and three - to make a difference." The staff of "The Office" have showed how we interact with our fellow man in a way that few other TV or film presentations have made. Long may the characters of "The Office" remain in our memories.

     The Office - The Christmas Specials is the fourth disc included in The Office Special Edition four disc box-set.

Video

     The video is presented in the original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and is essentially identical in quality to the series one and series two transfers reviewed earlier. Being filmed in a pseudo-documentary style with standard definition cameras means there were frequent intentional losses of sharpness due to camera zooms and quick pans. Overall however there is nothing to complain about with good colours and accurate skin tones. Despite the deliberate drabness of the office environment the sombre hues of white, grey and brown are distinct and clearly defined with lots of detail evident. The only video problems were some visible compression artefacts and graininess during dimly lit scenes such as at the nightclubs, the office party, and when Brent is alone in the hotel room. There is also a bit of aliasing in the venetian blinds. These however were minor distractions only. Given the nature of the source material this is a very good presentation overall.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     A Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track encoded at 192 Kb/s is the only offering but is a very acceptable effort. All the dialogue is clear and synchronised with the video. With surround encoding activated there was a surprising amount of incidental office sounds such as phones ringing and copiers clattering from the surround channels. The English subtitles appear accurate and are easy to read. The only subwoofer activity was during David's music video, and the opening and closing song. Given the pseudo-documentary style of presentation and office environment the audio track is suitably clear and problem free.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

     The menu on both discs includes short animations with office background noises.

The Office: Closed For Business Documentary (22:36)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Collection of interviews with Davis, Crook, Freeman, Gervais and Merchant, including some actual and behind the scenes footage. Really interesting stuff with the cast giving their thoughts on favourite bits, working together, coping with Gervais' improvisations, and plot developments. It is clear that their work on The Office, and the relationships formed, means more to them than just a job. Merchant and Gervais can't help clowning about of course.

Golden Globes Featurette (5:47)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Includes interviews obviously filmed at the same time as the "Closed For Business" footage with actual documentation of the Golden Globes award preparations and event. The Office won a pair of awards which seemed to catch everyone by surprise - including the camera crew who did not have a camera pointed at their table.

"If You Don't Know Be By Now" - Full Song and Video (3:36)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. Enjoy the full version of Brent's payout folly seen previously in short form during episode one. Looking more like George Michael than - well - George Michael, Brent's raspy voice actually isn't too bad - but the clichéd clip is hilarious. Not sure if Gervais actually sang the recorded vocals, but it could easily pass for a real music video.

Full Band Version of "Freelove Freeway" (4:43)

     1.33:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. The other side of the David Brent double A release which includes "If You Don't Know Me By Now". The song seen during the training episode of the first series is given the full music video treatment, including a full band with backing vocals by none other than Noel Gallagher. Consisting entirely of behind the scenes footage it again could pass as a serious music video - apart from Gervais who can't help but fool around.

Directors' commentary (episode 2)

     Merchant and Gervais talk through the second episode and add some interesting information although much of their commentary is telling us what we can already see on screen. As usual the two can't help but clown around which detracts a bit from the useful inputs. Merchant tries to keep thing on the rails but Gervais keeps diverting with comic asides. Nevertheless this is a worthwhile extra that adds a lot to understanding how the episode was planned out, and their thoughts about where it should head. A must listen for fans.

Easter Egg (1:38)

     1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital audio at 192 kb/s. To access click on the photocopier on the extras menu when it is copying. Ricky Gervais has a lot of trouble miming his song If You Don't Know Me By Now video clip. It must have taken a lot of takes!

     This version is from a four disc box-set which contains both series, the Christmas specials, and a disc of special features. The Region 4 and Region 1 single disc version of The Office: The Christmas Specials appears to the be identical in video and audio quality and includes the same extras. The US version of the four disc special edition box set appears identical to this box set under review apart from different cover art work.

     As a conclusion to the first two series the Christmas Specials succeed brilliantly. Whereas series two ended on a rather depressing note, the conclusion here is one of redemption and hope. As they say in the classics - this will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It will make you shout "YES" as the penny finally drops for our protagonists. To their credit though, Gervais and Merchant have not left the viewer with a neat conclusion, but have left enough to keep us wondering whether Tim and Dawn, and David and Carol will remain together. Even if they don't work out, we at least see that they have turned a corner and have changed for the better. Ultimately however these two episodes will restore your faith in human nature and the philosophy that hope springs eternal.

     In common with the creators of Fawlty Towers, Gervais and Merchant limited their work to a brief twelve episode run plus the two Christmas specials. Gervais has said in the past that once you've told your story, just stop. Don't keep going. If you do, eventually, the audience will grow to hate you for it. Perhaps because The Office never outlasted its welcome it remains one of the very best pieces of entertainment ever committed to television.

     The video quality is very good. The audio quality is very good. The extras are good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall