The Office (UK)

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Season 1
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 161 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 138 out of 161
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 161
  3. Negative: 14 out of 161
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  1. thedanprout
    Oct 7, 2010
    10
    Arguably the funniest series ever made, The Office (UK) was a watershed television comedy, spawning a huge number of spinoffs around the globe. Using realism to leverage Ricky Gervais's gift for uncomfortable humor, the Office ratchets up the awkwardness, the so-called uncomfortable humor, to (hilariously) painful heights. The absence of the usual trappings of sit-coms, (e.g. studioArguably the funniest series ever made, The Office (UK) was a watershed television comedy, spawning a huge number of spinoffs around the globe. Using realism to leverage Ricky Gervais's gift for uncomfortable humor, the Office ratchets up the awkwardness, the so-called uncomfortable humor, to (hilariously) painful heights. The absence of the usual trappings of sit-coms, (e.g. studio laugh tracks, colorful sets, overly good looking actors/actresses, and well timed zingers) in favor of handheld shaky cams, a drab office set, and sidelong glances of mundane office drudgery benefits the show quite a bit, and it mainly serves to augment Gervais's genius comedic performance as the imbecilic, approval-seeking, white-collar middle manager, David Brent. Gervais humanizes David Brent just enough so we still care about him at the end of each episode, which is quite a feat, considering that with each episode, David manages to get himself into what would qualify, for most people I suspect, as a peak moment of utter mortification in front of peers. And yet we care because David exists in a world that is so similar to our own, inhabited by people and things so similar to us, and because we can spot the almost imperceptible yet definitely there moment when David's Cheshire grin crosses those razor thin lines from mirthfulness to desperation, finally settling on concealed humiliation. Also noteworthy, Martin Freeman turns in a fine performance as Tim, an underachiever fighting to stay afloat the a sea of mediocrity surrounding him. We learn about these characters and get to know them more intimately than we would on a standard sitcom. In keeping with the documentary conceit, the characters are given a chance to share their thoughts, one-on-one with the camera man. Of course, as is the case with all reality show soliloquy , the less said the better, at least for the one being interviewed. Overall, there is really no excuse not to invest the three hours or so it takes to watch Series 1, especially for fans of mockumentaries like Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and of course the American Version of The Office. P.S. Tip for fellow Americans: Watch it with the captions on for the first viewing if you are having trouble breaking through the accents.… Expand
  2. Bilderberg
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    @TheChaser1985 - No such thing as too dry, that’s subjective, you mean too dry for yourself. That says more about your intellectual capacity than anything about whether this show is or is not objectively ‘too dry’ which is an oxymoronic statement in this context and when issued without qualifiers such as ‘too dry for me’ and thus is redundant and thus ultimately ignored.

    Whether you did    @TheChaser1985 - No such thing as too dry, that’s subjective, you mean too dry for yourself. That says more about your intellectual capacity than anything about whether this show is or is not objectively ‘too dry’ which is an oxymoronic statement in this context and when issued without qualifiers such as ‘too dry for me’ and thus is redundant and thus ultimately ignored.

    Whether you did or did not laugh aloud to this is also subjective, and whilst critical deconstructions require and allow for some subjectivity, saying things like ‘this is too dry’ and ‘I didn’t laugh aloud’ proves nothing as to the show’s value or quality, it merely means it didn’t gel with your specific, subjective tastes, especially when you provide no logical, objective and insightful deconstruction as to why.

    The actors are horrible for their character? Care to elaborate? As without an elaboration it is a closed statement and means absolutely nothing other than the fact it ties in with the theme that you don’t understand what is going on here.

    The fact you say ‘yes I understand British comedy’ is defensive, typical of most Americans, as though simply by saying that you are impervious to any rebuttal as to the obvious notion that you do not understand British comedy, and certainly did not understand this show. You don’t, but I’ll prove that later on. This is not cinema and thus your absurd statement of ‘America is the king of cinema and it’s not even a close race’ is entirely null and void, other than the fact that it isn’t a close race, but America is losing said race. America is a cynical production-house of such ‘classics’ as Two and a Half Men, that’s your highest ranking comedy in terms of viewers – those are undeniable statistics and paint a very specific and undeniable picture of a class of people who enjoy immersion in mediocrity, laughter trackers and unrealistic plot-points. So that ends that part of your ‘deconstruction’.

    What you have failed to properly acknowledge is the fact that America, as it does with most quality British or European film and television, is xenophobic in nature and thus, if it is not created and packaged by and within America, resistant to accepting it. I refer to Let The Right One In, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Death At A Funeral, in cinema, and Being Human, The Office and Skins, in television, to name just a few that have been repackaged within the last 3 or 4 years, and diluted to appeal to the conservative, middling nature of your country and its preferences. I refer to the fact that in Let The Right One In it was renamed Let Me In so the audience wouldn’t be confused pre-viewing as to what may go on, despite the title being based on the Swedish novel, and thus would maybe consider going to it, and also the fact they skipped over the part that the vampire in that film is actually a boy, due to your backward and homophobic tendencies which are still dangerously immersed in conservative religion. I refer also to the fact that Maxy, one of the most adored characters on UK’s Skins and who is homosexual, was repackaged to a lesbian cheerleader on your version of Skins so as not to put anyone offside, once again with the fear of homosexuality, anything too out-of-the-box (for your culture) and a need to tweak great ideas to water them down for the ignorant, closed-minded masses.

    See how these are facts? See how I’ve used items that are tangible and objective to rebut your biased, subjective opinions? That’s rhetorical by the way.

    John Kraskinski is one of the most boring, one-dimensional actors going around. Refer to his film listings on Rotten Tomatoes to see how he has gone in ‘comedy’ when he isn’t using paraphrased scripts from Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant. Pathetically. Steve Carrell is indeed funny in the far inferior USA version of The Office, this argument is not about the fact USA’s version isn’t good, it is, but if it is good then UK’s version is a genre-changing miracle (which I say to develop the distance between the two but also tend to agree with).

    You acknowledge, somewhat backhandedly, that the USA version is in decline. It has been in decline since they started trying to write their own scripts. The first couple of seasons are funny, and that’s because the material is either a direct recreation, or a paraphrase, of the existing UK version. The further they’ve strayed from the existing source material the further they’ve gone off course and into the same kind of farcical, middling mediocrity that Two And A Half Men is world-famous for.

    NOW – I’m up to the part of your ‘argument’ that really brings you undone, which I referred to above regarding how you clearly don’t understand dry, subtle or British humour. When Ricky Gervais hosted that award, and called Steve Carrell ‘ungrateful’ as you say, and said ‘thanks for taking all my ideas and becoming famous off of it’ (paraphrased) you do realise he was being sarcastic right?

    Continued under profile TheIlluminati.    … Expand
  3. FlubbaJubba
    May 10, 2012
    10
    An absolutely brilliant show, its funny and quirky with realistic characters, not only do you laugh at it, but you feel sorry for the characters and understand their relationship/feelings.
    A classic show to be watched by anyone, Ricky and Steve have pulled out a series to stand the test of time.
  4. ageofwinter
    Mar 15, 2014
    10
    This is one of the greatest series ever made. Funny, heartwarming and cringe-worthy. Gervais' plays David Brent and he plays it beautifully. Ricky & Stephen created a gem here that should never be forgotten.
  5. Longbottom94
    May 2, 2013
    10
    A British comedy Gem, there are few shows that can match the brilliance that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have made with 'The Office'. If you haven't seen it yet, buy it now or watch it on Netflix, you want regret it.
  6. tpm94
    May 3, 2013
    10
    If you have any interest in great British comedy, then you will love this English comedic treasure. Although the american series is also funny, it doesn't come close to matching the realistic brilliance of the original show.
  7. iCronic
    Jul 11, 2014
    7
    Honestly i like the us version better, especially because of Steve Carell. Gervais is a genius but his series always are to **** short, can´t get completely into it
  8. TheChaser1985
    Apr 8, 2011
    5
    Dry comedy. Too dry. The creators had a great idea but they didn't put enough effort into it. I have NEVER actually laughed out loud at this show. I have only smirked. 90% of the actors are horrible for their character. And yes, I understand British comedy. The British insist that Americans do not get the humor, when in fact it's the British who are too used to amateur material. Like it orDry comedy. Too dry. The creators had a great idea but they didn't put enough effort into it. I have NEVER actually laughed out loud at this show. I have only smirked. 90% of the actors are horrible for their character. And yes, I understand British comedy. The British insist that Americans do not get the humor, when in fact it's the British who are too used to amateur material. Like it or not, America is the birth place and king of cinema and it's not even a close race. Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and the rest of The Office (US) took this great idea and created one of the best shows on TV. Yes, the US show is in decline, but even at it's worst, it's leagues ahead of the original British version. Ricky Gervais (who NEVER gives credit to his co-creator Stephen Merchant) is the truly "ungrateful" **** (As he called Steve Carrell, who made him millions.) The only reason that this show doesn't have any poor reviews is because no one cares to watch it. I'm sure that the small percentage that at least tried to watch it, only got through the first episode. I've seen it all. The Office UK is "rubbish" as the Brits would put it. I would rate this a 0 to hurt the rating, but I'm an honest person, unlike many here and will give this show an honest rating... which is that it's good for a smirk. It's not horrible but it isn't good either, at all. Brownies points for the good idea.… Expand
  9. drlowdon
    Apr 21, 2017
    10
    Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant The Office is quite rightly considered amongst the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

    Shot in a documentary style the six episodes in this first series introduce us to some of the best comedy characters of the last twenty years, none more so than David Brent himself. Brilliantly played by Gervais his fruitless attempts to be ‘a friend    Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant The Office is quite rightly considered amongst the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

    Shot in a documentary style the six episodes in this first series introduce us to some of the best comedy characters of the last twenty years, none more so than David Brent himself. Brilliantly played by Gervais his fruitless attempts to be ‘a friend first, boss second’ provides awkward comedy at its best. Episode four in particular, that sees the staff take part in team building activities, must rank amongst the funniest half hours of comedy ever shown on TV.

    A special mention must also go to the ongoing ‘relationship’ between Tim and Dawn. Avoiding the usual ‘Ross and Rachel’ clichés in favour of a more realistic, and therefore more interesting, example of the difficulty of romance it is impossible not to route for them to get together.    … Expand
  10. WhiteTalpa
    Mar 3, 2013
    9
    This is the office and it is the best better then any of the spin offs, the writing is great and getting a great amount of build up for series 2. one if not the best thing Ricky and Steve have done.
  11. heromoder
    Apr 27, 2015
    10
    I can't quite put into words the genius of this show. Needless to say, Ricky Gervais is one clever cookie. This show is funny, clever, wrong and hysterically funny. Do yourself a favour, kids.
  12. Andremax
    Jul 20, 2019
    8
    Only Chapter 4 in that Season makes The Office worthwhile, because kinda shows all standard of cringe humor and shameful jokes, which, by the way, very well written and doesn't got old
  13. eagleeyeviking
    Apr 7, 2020
    9
    With perfectly timed dry humour and classic characters with creatively distinct characters, "The Office" is one of the funniest shows on TV. Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman are absolutely excellent in their roles.
  14. TheIlluminati
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    @TheChaser1985 - cont'd from Bilderberg: I mean without a laughter tracker the USA seems to be a bit lost, so I’ll break it down for you. Sarcasm is when you say something but don’t mean it, like if I were to say to you ‘I respect your honest, objective and logical opinions’ I’d be lying, but I’d be saying it for amusement (my own in this case). See how that works? Right, so you really@TheChaser1985 - cont'd from Bilderberg: I mean without a laughter tracker the USA seems to be a bit lost, so I’ll break it down for you. Sarcasm is when you say something but don’t mean it, like if I were to say to you ‘I respect your honest, objective and logical opinions’ I’d be lying, but I’d be saying it for amusement (my own in this case). See how that works? Right, so you really don’t get British humour then, actually you don’t get anything unless it’s obviously packaged in America, has a laughter tracker, or is basic and straightforward pie-in-the-face stuff. So you’ve completely levelled any credibility you ever had, which was close to zero anyways. Great, next point.

    The only reason the show doesn’t have any reviews is mainly due to the fact that metacritic kicked off majorly in the mid-2000s, i.e. after UK’s Office had finished, I’ll point out the fact that even some series of Seinfeld (particularly earlier ones) don’t have many reviews on Metacritic and that is an American classic (no sarcasm there, just to keep you informed). So that proves nothing other than the fact that Metacritic doesn’t review retrospectively and have been too lazy to pull reviews of shows from the past. For your information UK’s The Office must be close to the move universally most critically acclaimed comedy either ever, or at least since the last great, universally accepted comedy in Fawlty Towers.

    The fact you speak as though you can decide what is and is not honest is absurdly naïve, deluded and arrogant (typical qualities of your creed) and is also completely contradicted by the fact you want to give the show a zero out of 10 score (an immature guise for anyone and by anyone’s gauge for immaturity, certainly when trying to be critical and fair) but you give it a 5 to protect it, thus not being honest with yourself or the greater public. You are just so confused and trying so desperately to write objectively but have no idea how.

    Thanks for playing, but you and I are on different levels (I’m on the considerably higher one just to clarify, since I have to water everything down for you to understand it) which is poetic in that so are the shows we are discussing here, and once more, to clarify, that means that the USA version doesn’t even deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as the UK version due to the fact the UK version spawned it, is superiorly acted, executed and better received critically and socially, and also because of the obvious fact that the USA version went to dust right about the time it started trying to write its own material.

    Brownie points to you for trying, but ultimately you failed.

    Thanks in advance for taking this aboard and becoming a better person because of it    … Expand
  15. Themadlemon
    Jul 6, 2016
    10
    The best comedy of all time. Gervais and Merchant are utter genius. So clever and original. The whole vibe of the show captures office life perfectly.
  16. average-joe-
    Jul 20, 2015
    10
    the office has to be one of my favourite tv series of all time.all of the characters work perfect together and ricky gervais as david brent had me in tears,i have yet to watch the american series but knowing how they usually make comedies,i havent got my hopes up.i cant give this series any less than a ten as there was not one part which didnt make me laugh.
  17. donaldist
    Jul 2, 2016
    10
    95/100, or A
    At least from my impression of Season 1, this is one of the most realistic series ever made, so perfectly capturing the stasis of workplace life, aided by well-sketched and nuanced characters like the believably horrible David Brent (Ricky Gervais). Consistently laugh-out-loud funny, but the cringe-comedy is brutal on the stomach if one watches more than two in a day.
  18. alejandro970
    Dec 4, 2016
    9
    More fun than the american version. The witty humor of Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman and Mackensie Krook marks all the difference, particularly by the documental tone.
  19. CM-AVILES
    Nov 1, 2017
    10
    The Office” has a weird way of taking the mundane and turning it into something funny and exciting. It shows us that there is comedy everywhere we look, even in our coworkers and our offices and our cubicles. It is for this reason that I love this show. It takes this completely innovative story and blends it perfectly to create this show that has spawned many a spinoff, including the muchThe Office” has a weird way of taking the mundane and turning it into something funny and exciting. It shows us that there is comedy everywhere we look, even in our coworkers and our offices and our cubicles. It is for this reason that I love this show. It takes this completely innovative story and blends it perfectly to create this show that has spawned many a spinoff, including the much loved U.S version. It has great acting and characters, as well as a great script. The only demerit in my eyes is that the plot is kind of hard to follow, especially if you are used to traditional shows.… Expand
  20. Cyklon
    Nov 22, 2018
    10
    One of my favourite comedy shows of all time, and the one that introduced me to Ricky Gervais / Steve Merchant which in turn pointed me at Karl Pilky via the XFM Shows.
  21. All_ButTrU4
    Feb 22, 2022
    9
    Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant The Office is quite rightly considered amongst the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

    Shot in a documentary style the six episodes in this first series introduce us to some of the best comedy characters of the last twenty years, none more so than David Brent himself. Brilliantly played by Gervais his fruitless attempts to be ‘a friend    Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant The Office is quite rightly considered amongst the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

    Shot in a documentary style the six episodes in this first series introduce us to some of the best comedy characters of the last twenty years, none more so than David Brent himself. Brilliantly played by Gervais his fruitless attempts to be ‘a friend first, boss second’ provides awkward comedy at its best. Episode four in particular, that sees the staff take part in team building activities, must rank amongst the funniest half hours of comedy ever shown on TV.

    A special mention must also go to the ongoing ‘relationship’ between Tim and Dawn. Avoiding the usual ‘Ross and Rachel’ clichés in favour of a more realistic, and therefore more interesting, example of the difficulty of romance it is impossible not to route for them to get together.I can't quite put into words the genius of this show    … Expand
  22. geewah
    Jan 6, 2021
    10
    Genius.
    One of the finest comedies ever made.
    Smart, hilarious, uncomfortable at times and addictive. A show that to this day stays relevant.
  23. kevaguir
    Oct 12, 2021
    10
    A very dark comedy series, and as far as I am aware, it is the first time that a comedy show is filmed as a documentary, with the characters with the camera, and making feel the audience to be live there, with the characters. It's authentic, and kind of makes fun of how the working class in England live their dull lives. I think it perfectly depicts the boring lives of office people, andA very dark comedy series, and as far as I am aware, it is the first time that a comedy show is filmed as a documentary, with the characters with the camera, and making feel the audience to be live there, with the characters. It's authentic, and kind of makes fun of how the working class in England live their dull lives. I think it perfectly depicts the boring lives of office people, and how they try to have fun at any cost. Although some romantic situations, like between the temp and that brunette girl, are ridiculous, it still shows how desperate some people are to compensate their meaningless lives with some thrill in sexual situations. What is funny about this TV show is that makes you realize that a lot of people have boring lives, and they choose a different way to cope with that: sometimes teasing around with colleagues, other times having some drinks at a nearby bar, and also flirting with the average girl that you work with. And this season shows that, and all these dark jokes, without any laughing in the background, that's funny and entertaining. So it kinda shows how GenX and early millennial people lived their lives routinely. Probably one of the best comedy series, and its first season was just excellent.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best TV Season of 2001
4
#4 Most Discussed TV Season of 2001
3
#3 Most Shared TV Season of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Jul 25, 2013
    100
    Gervais' show is so unusual, and his performance as David Brent is so painfully specific -- and sometimes just so flat-out painful -- it's hard to imagine how anyone else can make it work. [23 Jan 2003]
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Tom Shales
    Jul 25, 2013
    90
    Mike Judge, creator of "Beavis and Butt-head," made a darn good try at a seriously funny workplace comedy with his 1999 film "Office Space," but Gervais and Merchant have even greater success. "The Office" is hilarious in a very hip and flippant way. [30 Jan 2003]
  3. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Jul 25, 2013
    100
    A scream, in the biting Britcom tradition of "Fawlty Towers" and the best depiction of middle management hell since Mike Judge's cult classic "Office Space." [23 Jan 2003]
See all critic reviews »