"The Office" (2001) TV series 2001-2003

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

23 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The story of an office that faces closure when the company decides to downsize its branches. A documentary film crew follow staff and the manager Brent as they continue their daily lives.

Plot Keywords:

Office | Mockumentary | Boss | Workplace | Cult TV

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 21 wins & 11 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Jan. 2	12:00 AM	TOON	Work Experience	#1.2
Sat. Jan. 2	4:00 AM	TOON	Work Experience	#1.2

Cast

Ricky Gervais	...	David Brent (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Martin Freeman	...	Tim Canterbury (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Mackenzie Crook	...	Gareth Keenan (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Lucy Davis	...	Dawn Tinsley (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Ewen MacIntosh	...	Keith (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Ben Bradshaw	...	Ben (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jamie Deeks	...	Jamie (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jane Lucas	...	Sheila (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Emma Louise Manton	...	Emma (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Alexander Perkins	...	Ralph (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Philip Pickard	...	Phillip / ... (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Joel Beckett	...	Lee (13 episodes, 2001-2003)
Patrick Baladi	...	Neil Godwin (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Julie Fernandez	...	Brenda (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Rachel Isaac	...	Trudy (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Howard Saddler	...	Oliver (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Stirling Gallacher	...	Jennifer Taylor-Clark (7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Ralph Ineson	...	Chris 'Finchy' Finch / ... (7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Oliver Chris	...	Ricky Howard / ... (6 episodes, 2001)
Stacey Roca	...	Rachel (6 episodes, 2002)
Robin Hooper	...	Malcolm (6 episodes, 2001)
Angela Clerkin	...	Jackie (6 episodes, 2001)
Patrick Driver	...	Patrick (6 episodes, 2002)
Tony MacMurray	...	Tony (6 episodes, 2002)

Series Directed by
Ricky Gervais		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Stephen Merchant		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Writing credits
Ricky Gervais		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Stephen Merchant		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Produced by
Ash Atalla	....	producer (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Anil Gupta	....	executive producer (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jon Plowman	....	executive producer (14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Cinematography by
Andy Hollis		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Film Editing by
Nigel Williams		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Casting by
Rachel Freck		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Tracey Gillham		(8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jo Buckingham		(2 episodes, 2003)

Series Production Design by
Julie Harris		(12 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Art Direction by
Alexandra Merchant		(8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jane Fredericks		(6 episodes, 2001)

Series Costume Design by
Sarah Higbid		(14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Makeup Department
Lucy Cain	....	makeup designer (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Kate Roberts	....	makeup artist (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Val Akrill	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 2001)

Series Production Management
Gail Evans	....	production manager (6 episodes, 2001)
Jane Sprague	....	production manager (6 episodes, 2002)
Ian Locker	....	assistant production manager (3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Paul Williams	....	production manager (3 episodes, 2002-2003)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rob Smith	....	second assistant director (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Steve Roberts	....	first assistant director (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jo Randall	....	first assistant director (6 episodes, 2001)
Zac Thraves	....	third assistant director (6 episodes, 2001)
Kieran Baine	....	third assistant director (2 episodes, 2003)

Series Art Department
Douglas Abrahamson	....	assistant property master (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Matt Wyles	....	property master (6 episodes, 2001)
Simon Blackmore	....	property master (6 episodes, 2002)
Charlie Sammons	....	production buyer (2 episodes, 2003)
Jo Vinton	....	property master (2 episodes, 2003)

Series Sound Department
Mark Found	....	sound recordist (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
James Judge	....	boom operator (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Glenn Calder	....	dubbing mixer (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Katie Harris	....	sound assistant / boom operator (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Andrew Sears	....	dubbing mixer (6 episodes, 2001)
Julian Bale	....	sound assistant (4 episodes, 2002)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ben Robinson	....	assistant camera (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Drew Seymour	....	camera operator (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Paul Barlow	....	gaffer (6 episodes, 2001)
Rupert Burton	....	assistant camera (6 episodes, 2001)
Richard Farish	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 2001)
Conor Connelly	....	camera operator (5 episodes, 2001)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rose Goodheart	....	wardrobe supervisor (12 episodes, 2001-2002)
Tabitha Doyle	....	wardrobe supervisor / wardrobe assistant (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Emily Wilson	....	dresser (2 episodes, 2003)

Series Editorial Department
Trevor Brown	....	colorist (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Big George	....	music arranger: title music (14 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Other crew
Sarah Hitchcock	....	production executive (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Emma John	....	script supervisor (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Caroline Gardener	....	script supervisor (6 episodes, 2001)
Linda Hearn	....	location coordinator / production coordinator (6 episodes, 2001)
Tracyjane Read	....	location manager (6 episodes, 2001)
Debbie Somerville	....	production finance associate / programme finance associate (6 episodes, 2001)
Jackie Byrne	....	production finance associate (6 episodes, 2002)
Lucy Fewell	....	runner (6 episodes, 2002)
Sarah Rose	....	production coordinator (6 episodes, 2002)
Tony Boucher	....	location manager (5 episodes, 2002)
Grace Boylan	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 2003)
Kelley James	....	finance associate (2 episodes, 2003)
Alison Marlow	....	runner (2 episodes, 2003)
Scott Sidey	....	location manager (2 episodes, 2003)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (as BBC Comedy-North)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2001) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• BBC Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Vision France (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Duna Televízió (2006) (Hungary) (TV) (original airing) (season 1)
• Comedy Central (2008) (Hungary) (TV) (season 2)
• BBC America (????) (USA) (TV)
• Eesti Televisioon (ETV) (2003) (Estonia) (TV)
• Polyband (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (complete series)
• WoWow (2005) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies

Runtime:

29 min (12 episodes) | 40 min (1 episode) | 50 min (1 episode)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 (uncut) | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA (some episodes) | Germany:16 | USA:TV-MA | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Slough Trading Estate, Slough, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The Cat Stevens song "Sitting" was originally considered for the theme music.

Quotes:

Tim: [voiceover] The people you work with are just people you were thrown together with. Y'know, you don't know them, it wasn't your choice. And yet you spend more time with them thanyou do your friends or your family.
[Now on screen, talking to interview camera]
Tim: But probably all you've got in common is the fact that you walk round on the same bit of carpet for eight hours a day. And so, obviously, when someone comes in who you have a connection with - yeah, and Dawn was a ray of sunshine in my life - it can mean a lot...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Boy A (2007)

Soundtrack:

Handbags and Gladrags

absolutely hysterical

Gervais and Merchant have crafted a hysterical, ridiculous, and absolutely poignant world in their show The Office. The show follows the embarrassingly pathetic David Brent, the regional manager of a paper company. The office itself is the picture of tediousness. The employees slave away mechanically, it is so painfully tedious that the office itself becomes a hysterical character within each episode. Brent is the pinnacle of horrid bosses; completely inappropriate, lacking in tact and backbone, who yearns to be the fun loving popular boss, and fails with a train-wreck like horridness. I'll give it to Ricky Gervais, the guy is a genius. His subtlety has hints of Peter Sellers. It seems that only the brits can pull off this kind of comedy. The cast that supports Gervais is fantastic, each subplot works so well and the characters are all so subtly developed that you're rivited by the mundane life these characters lead from 9 to 5. I'm not surprised that once The Office won awards, the Americans decided to jump on the bandwagon and started to make a US version. Happily it tanked completely. You must rent the DVD's of both seasons. For any fan of that wry Brit humor, The Office is a must have in your DVD collection.