The Office (UK)

Seasons: 2 + 2 Christmas Specials
Episodes: 16
Ran From: 2001-2003

The Office: UK was the original series, upon which The Office: An American Workplace was based. It ran from 2001-2003 and was hugely popular. It is considered a comedy-drama. It was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It had twelve episodes with two Christmas specials.

Setting

The Office takes place in the dreary English city of Slough. The opening credits show Slough, cloudy, boring, and miserable. It is home to the Slough Trading Estate. It primarily covers the workers at the paper company, Wernham-Hogg.

Synopsis

TheOfficeUKcast — The Office characters from left to right: Gareth, Tim, Oggmonster (not a main character), David, and Dawn

This part of the article naturally contains spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled do not read this part of the article or be careful.

The series was about an obnoxious, cruel, foolish boss named David Brent (the equivalent of Michael Scott in the American series), who is participating in a documentary about offices. Gareth Keenan (America's Dwight Schrute), an eccentric, creepy suck up is David's side kick, and after the season two finale, becomes the boss. A relationship takes place between Dawn Tinsley (America's Pam Beesly) and her fiancée for three years, Lee (America's Roy Anderson). Dawn is bored with her job and aspires to be an artist. Meanwhile, Dawn is really in love with Tim Canterbery (America's Jim Halpert), and they flirt a lot. In the Season Two finale, Dawn rejects Tim and, when David is fired, Gareth becomes the boss even though he begs for his job back. Dawn moves to Florida with Lee. However, in the Christmas Special, Dawn comes back to Slough when the documentary crew offers Dawn and Lee plane tickets. When Dawn leaves, she opens Tim's gift, with a note saying "never give up" (on being an artist). Dawn leaves Lee, returns to the office, and kisses Tim. Other characters include Jennifer Taylor-Clarke (America's Jan Levinson), Neil Godwin (Ryan Howard and Jan Levinson are both loosely based on Neil), Keith Bishop (Kevin Malone is based upon him), Rachel (Karen Filippelli is based on her), Chris Finch (Todd Packer is based on him), Glynn (Darryl Philbin may be based upon him), and Oliver (Ryan Howard is based on him). It has sold many DVD copies. The BBC has sold The Office to over 80 countries.

Main Characters

David Brent

Played by Ricky Gervais, Michael Scott is based on him.

David Brent is the regional manager of the Slough branch of Wernham-Hogg. Although he thinks that he is an incredible, funny, and musically talented boss, he is cruel, obnoxious, and snide. He strives to be politically correct, however he can be very offensive. He always tells unfunny jokes to the camera crew. He has hardly no social life and as Dawn Tinsley points out, "A sad little man." He is always laughing and Chris Finch's jokes, although Finch is nasty and uncaring towards David, however, in the Christmas Special, David finally tells Finch to "Fuck off," and Finch is left awestruck. In the series two finale, he is fired, causing him to melt down and start an unsuccessful music career. He finally finds love in "Christmas Special," Part 2

Gareth Keenan

Played by Mackenzie Crook, Dwight Schrute is based on him.

Gareth Keenan is Tim's annoying deskmate, who is obsessed with war, and is Tim's nemesis. He is boring and unfunny, and has few, if any redeeming qualities. He takes too much pride in being "Team Leader" or "Regional Manager" and does not realize that position is just a title. When Tim and Dawn wind Gareth up, he is oblivious and goes on to talk about his service in the Territorial Army. He sucks up to David Brent throughout the series, however David treats Gareth for the most part, like a dog. Gareth becomes boss, in the series two finale, and humiliates and tortures David Brent, to get back at him for his years of mistreatment. He is has no sense of humor whatever.

Tim Canterbury

Played by Martin Freeman, Jim Halpert is based on him.

Tim Canterbury is a funny, unpretentious sales representative at Wernham-Hogg. He is witty and friendly, unlike his boss, David. He lives a unsatisfying life, he lives at home with his parents at 30, and he hates his job. He stays at the company, however, because of Dawn Tinsley, whom he loves, and Dawn and Tim play pranks on Gareth. He goes out with Rachel, although he doesn't really love her, and breaks up with her to get with Dawn, however, he is turned down. He is insecure, and thus, doesn't go back to college to study psychology, and turns down a job in series two and gives it to Gareth. He is unsuccessful in asking out Dawn, and he does so several times. Three years later, he still works at the company, and gets a new deskmate, who is as annoying as Gareth, and only likes to talk about her pregnancy.

Dawn Tinsley

Played by Lucy Davis, Pam Beesly is based on her.

Dawn Tinsley is the receptionist, and is forced to watch David Brent's unsuccessful and sometimes offensive jokes. Like Tim, she hates her job, and finds her life boring. She is in a rocky engagement with her fiancee of three years, and gave up illustrating children's books so that she could be a receptionist. Lee forces her to do so. Although she is really in love with Tim Canterbury, she turns him down to stay with Lee, who calls her a bad artist. In the Christmas special, she is living illegally in Florida with Lee, and decides to come back to Slough. She tries not to hurt Tim's feelings, and she leaves without Tim. However, when she opens her gift from Tim, saying never to give up about her passion (art), then she leaves Lee, comes back and kisses Tim, making them a couple, finally.

Awards

The Office: UK won 2 Golden Globe awards, one for Ricky Gervais playing David Brent, and the other for the Christmas Special. It was the first British Comedy in 25 years to do so.
The Christmas Special was nominated for 2 Emmy Awards.
The show has won several BAFTA awards.

Other

The theme song is "Handbags and Gladrags", by Big George Webley.

Episodes

Series One

"Downsize"- A documentary about the Slough branch of paper company, Wernham-Hogg starts amidst downsizing rumors that heavily affect Wernham-Hogg and Jennifer Taylor-Clark brings the bad news. We meet suck up Gareth, unmotivated Tim, and engaged for three years, and also unmotivated Dawn.

"Work Experience"- David welcomes Donna to Wernham-Hogg, and finds that he is not as popular as he seems. Meanwhile, Gareth tries to find out who made a photoshopped picture of David and Dawn and Tim wind Gareth up.

"The Quiz"- It's quiz day at Wernham-Hogg and Gareth ultimately fails at hosting it, by asking too many questions about conflict and war. Meanwhile, it's Tim's 30th birthday, which everyone seems to forget except Dawn.

"Training"- It's training day, and Dawn and her fiancee, Lee are fighting. The boring seminar leads David to sing a song that he created called "Free Love Freeway," and also causes Tim to say that he is quitting. Tim, assuming that Dawn and Lee had split up, asks Dawn out but gets a refusal from her.

"New Girl"- Despite redundancies, David Brent feels that he needs a new receptionist.

"Judgement"- Tim Canterbury wants to get out of Wernham Hogg Paper Company, however, he is offered a job when David turns down the corporate job. Dawn Tinsley is conflicted, because Tim is contradicting himself by saying that he rather be on the bottom of a latter that he wants to climb. Swindon will be merged into Slough, and everyone keeps their jobs.

Series Two

"Merger"- The Swindon and Slough branches of Wernham-Hogg are merged together and David meets Neil Godwin, and successful and liked manager.

"Appraisals" - David conducts appraisals and has a hard time getting to talk to Keith. Rachel and Tim start a relationship.

"Party"- Trudy's party is full of sex toys and surprises including a Chris Finch appearance.

"Motivation"- The documentary is going to be released and Dawn and David go to a motivational seminar, where David naturally embarrasses himself, and Dawn contemplates her unsatisfying life. Meanwhile, Dawn is jealous when Tim suggests that he may have had sex with Rachel.

"Charity"- It's Red Nose Day and Dawn is selling kisses. David tries to be cool, however, like usual fails at the task. To make matters worse, David's enemy, Neil and Rachel get together to dance, and they are a huge success.

"Interview"- David is fired, Tim turns down a job and gives it to Gareth, and Dawn prepares to leaves Wernham-Hogg to move with Lee to Florida.

Christmas Specials:

Christmas Special, Part 1 (45 min)

Christmas Special, Part 2 (45 min)