TotalTelly.co.uk
Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV
The Office - Complete Series One & Two [2001] [DVD]
![The Office - Complete Series One & Two [2001] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TXFHG5XSL._SL160_.jpg)
Set in the offices of a fictional Slough paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television programme. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth, a paradigm of Andy McNab's readership; the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch; and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim, whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Alan Partridge or Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character than either. Partridge and Fawlty are exaggerations of reality, and therefore safely comic figures. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller On the DVD: Series 1 is tastefully packaged as a two-disc set appropriately adorned with John Betjeman's poem "Slough". The special features occupy the second disc and consist of a laid-back 39-minute documentary entitled "How I Made The Office by Ricky Gervais", with cowriter Stephen Merchant and the cast contributing. Here we discover that Gervais spends his time on set "mucking around and annoying people", and that actress Lucy Davis (Dawn) is the daughter of Jasper Carrott; as well as seeing parts of the original short film and the original BBC pilot episode; plus we get to enjoy many examples of the cast corpsing throughout endless retakes. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, none of which were deleted because they weren't funny. Series 2 is a single-disc release, but the extra features are enjoyable nonetheless. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant feature in a gleefully shambolic video diary--highlights of which include Gervais flicking elastic bands at his cowriter and taping their editor to his swivel chair. The ubiquitous Gervais also mockingly introduces some outtakes (mostly of him corpsing throughout dozens of takes) and a series of deleted scenes, notably of Gareth arriving in his horrendous cycle shorts. --Mark Walker
RRP: £29.99
Our Price: £4.00 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
It feels both inaccurate and inadequate to describe The Office as a comedy. On a superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base that the programme acquired watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable.
Not really funny
Review date: 2010-04-16 Rating: 4 out of 10
Although most people here find this series hilarious, personally I find it very disappointing. I am a great fan of british comedy, but in my opinion this is a bit boring.
The main character is just annoying and that is something different than funny. Normally I watch good comedy with 100% attention, but during these episodes I discovered that I suddenly was reading a magazine in between...Not a good sign.
Similar Products
- The Office - The Christmas Specials [2001] [DVD]
- Extras: The Complete Series 1 & 2 [2005] [DVD]
- The Office: An American Workplace Seasons 1-3 [DVD]
- Little Britain - Series 1-3 [DVD]
- Extras - The Collection [DVD]
Reviews
Not Complete!
Review date: 2010-03-30 Rating: 8 out of 10
This full series is not complete, it excludes the final episodes of the Christmas special! Rather buy the Box Set that includes the Christmas special if you want the COMPLETE series!
Good price
Review date: 2009-10-05 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is most likely the best television series ever written and this is also one of the most reasonable prices I have ever seen. I have been a fan of the Office for 2 years now and have always been ashamed that I have not owned a copy but now I do ofor an astonishing price.
Sublime series
Review date: 2009-10-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
I almost called this review "sublime comedy" but then thought that it is much, much more than that. A "comedy" exists primarily to make you laugh: The Office does that of course, but I winced much more, and watched large portions with my hand to my face, cringing painfully. It is brilliant. The characters are so utterly believable. David Brent is full of pain, unfulfilled wishes and frustrations with the human race. (And a woefully unrecontructed view of equality.) Those around him are constantly mystified and embarrassed at his faux pas - and this is where the humour derives from - like hot water from a spring. It is great to watch and enjoy. There have been many great - and serious - comedies, but nothing as precious as this.
The office complete season 1 and 2
Review date: 2009-10-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
Hadn't seen this for a few years , So i thought i'd revisit just to see if it was still as funny.Well worth another look,I actually forgot how funny these 2 series were.The performances still stand up as do the scripts,Quality viewing.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Martin Freeman
Ricky Gervais
Mackenzie Crook
Lucy Davis
Ewen MacIntosh
Creators:
Ricky Gervais (Primary Contributor)
Martin Freeman (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503151423
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Box set, Colour, PAL,
Release date: 2004-04-05
Number of discs: 3
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 396 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003-01-23
Language: English (Original Language)