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Friend First, Boss second. Now that I have completed the first season of The Office (UK) , I can see why it must've proved so popular in its heyday, although there were a number of factors which prevented me from loving it. David Brent naturally carries the whole show forward, with his bumbling awkwardness, desperate desire to be liked and unbelievably poor and inappropriate gags. Ricky Gervais might as well just be playing himself, the role suits him so well. The mockumentary format also feels right at home alongside a protagonist so fond of the spotlight. Being one of the first mockumentaries of its kind, The Office (UK) was a reasonably new concept which proved immediately popular, and its comedy value cannot be questioned. The supporting characters are limited in their numbers, with only Dawn, Tim and Gareth having lines. The trio are fun to watch, particularly the Tim and Dawn romance, which feels realistic and inspires sympathy from the viewer, who is encouraged to s...

Good News and Bad News. The Office (UK) series one finale sees David Brent face a huge decision - whether to take a promotion and watch his staff be made redundant, or to turn down the offer and  force the Swindon branch to merge with Slough. A decision which David decides almost immediately and one which goes against all that we have learned about his character this season - he chooses to take the promotion. After talking about the importance of staff for six episodes, Brent abandons them in favour of a higher salary. The decision felt strange to me and didn't sit right, so I was initially glad when it was revealed David turned down the job to save the branch (an arc which fitted better with his character), only to then discover he actually failed the medical so was forced to return. It was humorous in its own way, but just didn't feel like a satisfying conclusion to the series. Elsewhere, Tim gave up his dream to go to university and study Psychology. He claims...

Showing Respect. David hires a new assistant despite financial struggles at Wernham Hogg, meanwhile the crew go out to Slough's premier nightclub 'Chasers' to blow off some steam. As we enter the penultimate episode of the series, it is hard not to be disappointed with how shallow the overall plot has been throughout. It's a minor thing, as the comedy is what makes this show so good, but I just wish there was a stronger underlying narrative across all six episodes. Anyway, 'New Girl' introduces a couple of new ideas, as we see Tim struggling with the consequences of his rejection by Dawn in the last episode. The pair share a number of awkward interaction which feel natural given the circumstances, but just enough lingering glances to confirm they are both still into each other, despite their inconvenient circumstances. Finchy makes his grand return this week as the group go clubbing in a dive bar in Slough. Once again, the bigot's tongue is loose ...

Teamwork. 'Training' improves upon the its predecessors by upping the comedy in one of The Office   (UK) 's best episodes yet. David Brent and the team embark on a training course which ends in calamity after David attempts to take over the show himself. Playing on yet another of the common activities a salesman would have to undergo in an office, this episode works so well because we get to essentially watch the coworkers undermine and irritate the poor man leading the training. Rowan, the guest in this episode, is the stereotypical up beat, smooth voiced training course instructor who lives by the book and uses more company jargon than actual words. As such it is hilarious to watch him butt heads with David, as the office manager constantly derails the training with random comments and useless anecdotes. It is equally both endearing watching David try to lead the course himself and funny seeing how much he gets under Rowan's skin. One particular scene between...

Sad Little Men. Episode 3 of the first series of The Office (UK)   is another solid entry for the show, as we meet the infamous Chris Finch, witness Tim's 30th birthday and see the competitive side of Wernham Hogg. Yes the titular Quiz drives the story forward this week, as David spends the episode frantically preparing for the event and the arrival of his idolised friend Chris 'Finchy' Finch. Finchy is exactly as expected - a cocksure, narcissistic individual who is shamelessly racist, sexist and rude. David is revealed to be somewhat of a lackey to Finch, laughing at his jokes whilst being repeatedly insulted and belittled by his so-called friend. We also see how desperate both David and Finchy are to maintain their coveted prize of Quiz champions, as it is most likely the only suggestion of success in both the men's lives. Elsewhere, Tim experiences an underwhelming 30th birthday. It is revealed that the salesman still lives with his parents (resulting in a ...

Look But Don't Touch. The Office (UK) improves in every way in the entertaining 'Work Experience', as Gervais navigates sexism and sexual misconduct in the workplace to produce a hilarious but potentially quite offensive episode. It was established in the pilot episode that David Brent was a misguided middle-aged man with more outdated beliefs revolving around gender norms and equality and this was explored more deeply in 'Work Experience' after a new, attractive girl called Donna is brought in as an intern. Brent continually tries to convey a sense of feminism but his speech's about equality are pure comedy gold and serve as a sad example of mindsets and sexist/racist language which still exists in the workplace today. Tim and Dawn did more to convince me that they are worth shipping in this episode, as they joked around during quieter moments and flirted casually. I still find Tim irritatingly cocky however, with his bumbling awkwardness and poor come...

Investment in People. The first ever episode of The Office (UK)  sets up an entertaining and relatable workplace, although a number of jokes fall flat. 'Downsize' is light on story and heavy on exposition as it aims t o establish the characters and relationships within the fictional offices of  Wernham Hogg, whilst encouraging the viewer to sympathise with these characters and plot threads. As such, the best way to address this episode would be to view it as a character study. Here is what I got from the characters: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) - The protagonist, loveable idiot boss David Brent drives the show forward and his cringe-inducing gags and interactions form the core of the humour in the show. He clearly wants to do good, but is misguided and inappropriate, resulting in awkward office interactions which many viewers would likely associate with. Despite his rudeness and poor sense of humour, I instantly rooted for Brent and his passion for his colleagues. Ti...

The Short-Lived UK Comedy about an average paper company which spawned the famous US remake. Almost everyone has been encouraged to watch the US Office at some point in their lives, but it's worth remembering where the phenomenon originated. Having never seen either version, I am starting on the UK edition where it all began. So stay tuned for short reviews on each of the 12 episodes, along with more fun facts and trivia! Season 1 1. Downsize - 6.5/10 ( https://entertaindomain.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-office-uk-s1-e1-downsize-review.html ) 2. Work Experience - 7.5/10 ( https://entertaindomain.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-office-uk-s1-e2-work-experience.html ) 3. The Quiz - 7/10 ( https://entertaindomain.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-office-uk-s1-e3-quiz-review.html ) 4. Training - 7.3/10 ( https://entertaindomain.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-office-uk-s1-e4-training-review.html ) 5. New Girl - 7/10 ( https://entertaindomain.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-office-uk-s1-e5-new-girl...