The Office (UK)

The Office UK is the groundbreaking British comedy created by Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant. Although each episode was written by Gervais and Merchant, the show is told through the point of view of a documentary crew, a "mockumentary", following the lives of the employees of the Wernham-Hogg Paper Company. Gervais stars as the mid-level office manager, the deluded and awkward David Brent; creepy underling Gareth is played by Mackenzie Crook; Martin Freeman is the affable Tim, hopelessly pining for the affections of the office receptionist Dawn, played by Lucy Davis. Although it was nearly canceled due to low ratings, the show became a critical and cultural success on both sides of the pond, earning the Golden Globe for "Best Television Series: Musical or Comedy." It became the first British comedy to ever win the award. Gervais and Merchant also received numerous accolades for writing and acting. The show ran for two seasons between July 2001 and December 2003, and concluded with a two part Christmas Special. The Office UK has since been remade in France, Germany, Quebec, Brazil, and the United States. MORE