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: 143
Press clippings
The Office named top landmark comedy of the last 50 years
The Office was the highest-placed comedy in a Broadcasting Press Guild list of the top 50 landmark programmes of the last 50 years.
British Comedy Guide, 13th March 2024Love was British comedy's punchline. Tim and Dawn's Office kiss changed that
Twenty years ago, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant made one of the best Christmas specials in TV history. And its will-they-won't-they romance heralded a new era for British sitcoms - in which love wasn't played for laughs.
Tom Nicholson, i Newspaper, 22nd December 2023Nothing captures the banality and beauty of a British Christmas like the finale of The Office
The quintessential crapness of the work party, a kiss surrounded by gawping colleagues - what could be more festive?
Lauren O'Neill, The Guardian, 19th December 2023Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant on The Office Christmas special: 'We wanted heartbreak'
How did the masters of cringe comedy give us a festive kiss to melt the heart? The 'cynics' behind Dawn and Tim - and David Brent - tell all.
Tom Fordy, The Telegraph, 8th December 2023Stephen Merchant and Martin Freeman break down The Office Christmas special, 20 years later
The kiss! The scotch egg! The 'Chris, why don't you fuck off'! The Office's finale is unquestionably the best Christmas special in sitcom history, and has come second in our critic's poll of the best British TV episodes of the century. So we sat down for a rewatch with the people that made it.
Sam Parker, GQ, 5th December 2023UK vs US comedy: A lesson in quality over quantity
It essentially comes down to the fact that UK comedy shows often run for just a few seasons, packed to the rafters with quality and hidden moments that only reveal themselves after several viewings. By contrast, US comedy shows often go on for several seasons, mostly overstaying their welcome and having audiences become tired of their tropes and characters.
Thomas Leatham, Far Out, 1st August 2023Ash Atalla: Today's commissioners would find The Office 'a pretty boring pitch'
Sitcom's original producer says audiences now demand "more action".
Ellie Khan, Broadcast, 1st June 2023The Office is coming to Australia - with Felicity Ward starring as a 'modern-day David Brent'
Ricky Gervais says he is 'very excited' about the remake, which will be set at a packaging company where staff are sent to work from home.
Steph Harmon, The Guardian, 31st May 2023The reality of remaking UK sitcoms
The CBS version of the BBC comedy Ghosts is one of the biggest shows on American TV. But US remakes more often than not go south. Armando Iannucci and other creators share their horror stories.
Daniel Dylan Wray, The Guardian, 13th May 2023The 25 funniest Christmas comedy TV specials of all time
The comedy special is as much a part of British Christmas as a family row and mountains of sprouts. This year, comedy shows from Motherland and The Detectorists to Mrs Brown's Boys and Ghosts are returning with festive specials to round off 2022. To celebrate, we countdown the greatest 25 Christmas comedy specials of all time.
Tom Fordy, The Telegraph, 23rd December 2022