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Amazon.co.uk Review
The second series of the award-winning BBC2 mockudrama The Office exceeded even the sky-high standards of the first. Indeed, it ventured beyond caricature and satire, touching on the very edge of darkness. Ricky Gervais was once again excruciatingly superb as David Brent, a subtly shaded modern English comic grotesque in the desperate and self-deluding tradition of Alan Partridge and Basil Fawlty.
In this series, however, Brent's to-camera assertions concerning his man-management qualities and executive capabilities are seriously challenged when the Slough and Swindon branches are merged and his former Swindon equivalent Neil takes over as area manager. To compensate Brent cultivates his pathologically mistaken image of himself as an entertainer/motivator/comedian whose stage happens to be the workplace. This culminates in a comically disastrous motivational session ending with a sing-along of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best", which is greeted, typically, with stunned, appalled silence.
Meanwhile, Tim, who can only maintain his sanity by teasing the priggish, puddingbowl-haired Gareth, continues to wrestle with his yearning for receptionist Dawn, a sympathetic character persisting with a relationship with a yobbish bloke about whom she still maintains unspoken reservations. As ever, it's the awkward, reality TV-style pauses and silences, the furtive, meaningful and unmet glances across the emotional gulf of the open-plan office, that say it all here.
As for Brent, his own breakdown is prefaced by a moment of hideous hilarity--an impromptu office dance, a mixture of "Flashdance and MC Hammer" as Brent describes it, but in reality bad beyond description. Then, when his fate is sealed, he at last reveals himself as a humiliated and broken man in a memorable finale to perhaps the greatest British sitcom, besides Fawlty Towers, ever made. All this and Keith too. --David Stubbs
On the DVD: The Office, Series 2 is a single-disc release unlike the more generous Series 1. Extra features are enjoyable nonetheless. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant feature in a gleefully shambolic video diary--highlights of which include Gervais flicking elastic bands at his cowriter and taping their editor to his swivel chair. The ubiquitous Gervais also mockingly introduces some outtakes (mostly of him corpsing throughout dozens of takes) and a series of deleted scenes, notably of Gareth arriving in his horrendous cycle shorts. --Mark Walker
DVD Description
David Brent returns to work in the office that took Britain by storm and grabbed middle-managers by their balls. His 'unique' management style in this multi-award winning spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary had office workers squirming on their sofas. We find out who has kept their jobs (just how Brent managed to keep his remains a mystery). The Slough and Swindon branches have now merged, and David has a suave, sophisticated and obviously popular new boss, not his type at all. Neither are the Swindon staff, a serious, professional group. One is black and another disabled, giving Brent a perfect opportunity to display the most appalling, unthinking prejudice. And, with Tim still pursuing receptionist Dawn, a water cooler romance might be on the agenda.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved the Office when it came out but hadn't seen any episodes for a couple of years, so I decided to buy the 2nd series DVD (partly because I remembered thinking at the time it was definitely superior to the 1st series), and I have to say I sat down watched the entire thing back to back in one go. The way this show manages to switch from moments of awesomely banal, cringeworthy humour to some of the most absurdly profound and affecting drama you've ever seen (sometimes within the space of just a few seconds) is something that will probably never be replicated in another tv show. This show hasn't lost any of it's original impact, and I was blown away watching it again just as much as I was the first time round. The Office deserves 6 stars.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I had no idea what to expect from The Office (and I was about to watch the 2nd series without seeing the first), but I was enthralled by the realistically (mostly) pathetic characters, sharply observed details and the tightness of David Brent's shirt as he showed off his unique dance skills. This is a deliciously woven poly-blend sweater (posing as a tapestry) of life as too many of us office staff know it.
Apart from the wonderfully awful David Brent, my favourite character is the sweet and hopeless Tim. He is everyman, in fact every viewer, as so many of his reactions to Brent's uniquely obnoxious behaviour mirror our own.
In every scene, the acting is faultlessly controlled and the situations are often painfully familiar.
One of the finest quality shows ever. Enjoy and try not to throw an over-full stapler at the screen. This is a comic invention that is just too true to life.
Apart from the wonderfully awful David Brent, my favourite character is the sweet and hopeless Tim. He is everyman, in fact every viewer, as so many of his reactions to Brent's uniquely obnoxious behaviour mirror our own.
In every scene, the acting is faultlessly controlled and the situations are often painfully familiar.
One of the finest quality shows ever. Enjoy and try not to throw an over-full stapler at the screen. This is a comic invention that is just too true to life.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The phenomenon of 'The Office' has swept the Nation and indeed America, from this DVD you will see why. If you are a fan of alternative humour then you will love this. It is a spoof document set in a paper merchants office in Slough, whos manager is a certain David Brent, played superbly by Ricky Gervais. Brent is basically a character we can all relate to as there tends to be a David Brent in every boss from hell. The 'documentary' follows the life of Brent and his colourful workforce throughout their working days, and the never ending attempts by David to fit in with the other workers whilst still trying to be better than them. This leads to some truly classic tv moments. People who say that this comedy is anything but hilarious probably do not understand the humour in it, as it can go over some people's heads. Yet as I say, if you are a fan of alternative humour, or just good old British comedy, this is a must buy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Disappointment
I have enjoyed Series 1, which I found comparable to some films by the Coen brothers in terms of wit and performances, but this series was too much a circus, with David Brent as... Read more
Published 3 months ago by alda
Simply unique.
If you've been working in an office, if your sense of humour is wry enough and if you think despair can be fun, this is for you. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Christian Labonne
Simply the Best!
I'm a new fan of the Office, about 9 years too late i know. Watched Series 1 after owning it for years and never bothering, and i was hooked. Read more
Published 14 months ago by S. Firth
Enjoyable even after the third viewing
There's not much I can say about the early noughties phenomenon which hasn't already been stated about Ricky Gervais' and Stephen Merchant's genius comedy, but I never get bored... Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2009 by SilentSinger
"Hes thrown a shoe over a pub, what have you ever done"
Gervais and Merchant are simply genius' of their generation. How someone can mimmick real life is outstanding. Read more
Published on 13 July 2008 by Tom Drayton
Impressive Second Series
I think that it is fair to say that the second series of "The Office" doesn't quite scale the heights of the first. Read more
Published on 30 July 2007 by L. Davidson
Second Helping reinforces Cult Status
How do you follow up on the incredible success of the first season of the hit sitcom THE OFFICE? Creatively, Gervais and friends had set the bar ridiculously high for themselves --... Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2007 by Jay
not as groundbreaking as the first one...but still good
while the first office was watchable for every moment of the episodes as a half derogatory half real but absolutely hilarious documentary on the pathetic life in the dull... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2005
BRILLIANT!
The Office realy is a masterpiece, it is hillarious but in a much different way to something like blackadder. Read more
Published on 5 May 2005 by Steven Armitage
Painfully funny
For all those who haven't seen the Office and who are thinking of buying it blind: as you might see from the other reviews, this is not something which everyone will find funny. Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2004 by Anne K
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