May 7, 2004

{ The Office Second Season dvd }

There's been substantial hype about this series since it's debut on the BBC, and with good reason. Not only is The Office hilarious, it defies several British comedy traditions- there is no laugh track, physical comedy is (mostly) swapped for wry dialogue, and the entire series is shot in a documentary style that embraces the drab colors and fluorescent lighting of workaday existence. I won't throw around words like "genius", "deftly comedic" or "subdued brilliance"- I will only tell you that you must see it. Start with season one if you haven't already. Season two picks up a couple weeks after the events that transpired in the final episode of season one, and none of the series' freshness or sharpness of wit is lost in the transition. Trying to describe "what happens" would be like trying to tell you about the most fucked-up day I've ever had at work. You wouldn't get it unless you were there, and the most amazing thing about The Office is that when you're watching it, you are there.

     » Visit The Office, courtesy of the BBC
     » Buy both seasons of The Office
     » Buy season two only

By Adam in Film & TV | Comments:

Comments

If you live in the vicinity of Huntington, WV, the Cabell County Public Library is in possession of a copy of this item. Just one last plug for my employer before my retirement.

Posted by: greg at May 11, 2004 3:43 PM

I really should put a "spoiler" alert on the BBC site- it drops a lot of 2nd season bombs rather casually, and just kind of assumes that if you're visiting the website then you've seen every episode already. Outside of that, it's got a lot of great additional material to soak up, and Ricky Gervais' comments alone are worth the visit. Be sure to check out their "most boring office Christmas card contest" for blandness at its comedic best.

Posted by: Adam at May 14, 2004 10:17 PM