Product Details

• Actors: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Ewen MacIntosh
• Format: PAL
• Language: English
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008W63S

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, Brilliant, March 18, 2004

By 

Lorraine Fenelon (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Office: The Complete Second Series (BBC Edtion) (DVD)

It is not a typical tv program, it actually assumes that the audience is intelligent. It doesn't talk down to us, or preach to us, or spoon feed us. It doesn't need a laugh track to tell you when you are supposed to laugh. It just makes you think, and sometimes cringe, and laugh out loud hysterically or just smile and wonder "why can't 99% of american sitcoms be this brilliant?". Our society is so dumbed down and we stand back and let them decide what we can watch until there is nothing left but stupid story lines, unrealistic conversation, sugary sweet endings and those horrible laugh tracks to make us all think it's funny, when it really isn't at all. The Office challenges all of that. Buy it, and enjoy it! It's a rare gem that we won't see again any time soon, well maybe until Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant come up with their next project.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please don't make me redundant, May 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Office: The Complete Second Series (BBC Edtion) (DVD)

I don't understand the negative reviews for this second season. I perhaps have a different outlook on the whole thing than most people, as I saw the second season first... I've never seen anything like it, and if I had to pick one season over the other, I'd go with the this one. This is comedy that makes you squirm in your seat and laugh simply because you're feeling so uncomfortable. That's unique. It may be darker and more insidious, but that's a good thing. I get so sick of 'harmless' fun comedies. I think people get used to television shows where the characters remain stagnant archetypes and never change, but I thought the ending of this season was brilliant. It seems that we expect all TV show comedies to be regularly funny and never serious or sad, but we don't require the same "consistency" from our comedy movies. Frankly, I'm sick of tv, and its shows like this that make me briefly consider reconnecting my cable... until I realize that the show is now over and practically everything else on TV is a reality show gimic with flashy cutting to distract you from how moronic its concept is. I won't plead for another season, because I think it ended perfectly and if their heart's not in it then it should be discontinued... But I will eagerly wait for anything else Gervais and company come out with.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it now!, February 18, 2004

By 

Malcolm R Phillipps (Auckland New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Office: The Complete Second Series (BBC Edtion) (DVD)

The 2nd series of `The Office' takes everything that made the first series so popular (currently the biggest selling TV series DVD of all time) and produces another series of superb quality.

For those not aware of the humour in the show, it is cringe worthy at times - but it is this insight into real peoples emotions and weaknesses that makes the show so appealing. Ricky Gervais, the writer and star of the show, has come from relative obscurity, to make something that is so relevant to people today - not just in England, but around the world.

Following on from the 1st series, the 2nd series sees a continuation of the fall of David Brent, allowing for some darker comedic moments. The romance between Tim and Dawn continues, will true love ever prevail? But perhaps the highlight of the 2nd series is David Brent moving onto the consultancy circuit and becoming a motivational speaker. Slough did not know what it got itself in for....and as he walks out on the stunned group to the strains of Tina Turners `Simply the best' you will really start to appreciate why this series has slowly made the world sit up and take notice.

With just 2 Christmas episodes left before this show is forever consigned to the repeats channels, I strongly advise you to enjoy it now while it is fresh - this is the Fawlty Towers of our generation.

The extras that come with the DVD are also well worth viewing, it is a total package.