Summary"Trust, encouragement, reward, loyalty... satisfaction. That's what I'm..you know. Trust people and they'll be true to you. Treat them greatly, and they will show themselves to be great." - David Brent. The Office tells a story of a few people working in a British office working hard to not lose their jobs. This hilarious comedy won a Go...
Summary"Trust, encouragement, reward, loyalty... satisfaction. That's what I'm..you know. Trust people and they'll be true to you. Treat them greatly, and they will show themselves to be great." - David Brent. The Office tells a story of a few people working in a British office working hard to not lose their jobs. This hilarious comedy won a Go...
The six-episode first season of "The Office" was so dark, so wicked, so brilliant that it was hard to imagine Gervais and Merchant topping themselves. But they have. By slowly chipping away at David's power base, they've made him even more desperate, petulant and bullying. (The less funny David gets, the funnier the show is.) [10 Oct 2003]
Television's funniest show. ... On a less carefully written show, the [mockumentary] conceit would almost certainly pall after a few episodes. 'The Office' is instead addictive, less because viewers grow to love David and his batty employees than because the show refuses to let those characters grow too lovable.
Every bit as good as the superb first season The Office again demonstrated that it was one of the most original, intelligent and funny comedies ever created. The fact that so many successful shows, from Parks & Rec to Modern Family, have copied the format in some way is a true testament to how ground breaking this show was.
The pleasure to be taken from 'Office' isn't merely that of laughter -- it's the pleasure of watching a piece of entertainment so perfectly made and so delicately acted.
Dark, sly, ironic, subtle, brilliant. ... A taste for British humor comes in handy in watching "The Office," though. If you're bothered by deliberate (but tongue-in-cheek) bad taste, raging political incorrectness, sexual innuendo or comedy involving large sexual toys, or if you just don't get satire, "The Office" may not be right for you. [24 Oct 2003]
Larry David is obnoxious in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" but very funny. Gervais' David is just obnoxious. ... It's the sort of comedy that only certain people can get, like the way dogs can hear sounds human can't. I'm ashamed to say, I couldn't take it more than one dinner hour. [19 Oct 2003]
@TheChaser1985 & @AtTheMovies - refer to my season 1 review for the reasons why you are wrong.
I am pleased that a few years have passed and Metacritic has gotten off its backside to properly review this to add perspective to your idiotic 'reasoning' behind your concerns with the show.
The US version is watered down and a weak knock-off. It's OK, in a 6/10 way, but the UK version is one of the most important comedies in the last 20 years, and this belief and obvious fact is reinforced by the universal acclaim it has received on metacritic.
If you wish to try undercut the critical faculties of these 30-odd reviews then why are you even on metacritic?
And @AtTheMovies - yes, it is because you are American. I'm surprised you even persisted with the US version as, without a laughter tracker, I am surprised you even knew when or if to laugh at all!
Stick to 'Two and a Half Men' and 'The Big Bang Theory' please, and get your grubby pawprints off this universally acclaimed, superior (to the US version and to everything else) and stunning show.
Leave the reviews of this quality and difficult-to-comprehend-for-the-idiotic-masses show to people with brains or who aren't too proud to admit it rains all over the US version (which I might reiterate is a remake of the UK version, which is almost a guarantee that it cannot even be as good, let alone better [and certainly is in this case]).
Only a fool doesn't like this, but the appeal of this show will be lost on those who wait to hear canned laughter before they engage themselves.
Best. Comedy. Ever. Done.
Great stuff again from Gervais and co. Martin Freeman is the most underrated actor in the UK. The writing is pin-point accurate and the guest actors hold their own.
The show just got better, the writing is still as good and manages to make you laugh and sad. overall one of the best TV shows ever created. Ricky and Steve should be really happy their hard work has paid off.
BIG surprise this show has no critic Metascore because no ones cares. Plain and simple. Dry comedy. Too dry. The creators had a great idea but they didn't put enough effort into it. I have NEVER actually laughed out loud at this show. I have only smirked. 90% of the actors are horrible for their character. And yes, I understand British comedy. The British insist that Americans do not get the humor, when in fact it's the British who are too used to amateur material. Like it or not, America is the birth place and king of cinema and it's not even a close race. Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and the rest of The Office (US) took this great idea and created one of the best shows on TV. Yes, the US show is in decline, but even at it's worst, it's leagues ahead of the original British version. Ricky Gervais (who NEVER gives credit to his co-creator Stephen Merchant) is the truly "ungrateful" **** (As he called Steve Carrell, who made him millions.) The only reason that this show doesn't have any poor reviews is because no one cares to watch it. I'm sure that the small percentage that at least tried to watch it, only got through the first episode. I've seen it all. The Office UK is "rubbish" as the Brits would put it. I would rate this a 0 to hurt the rating, but I'm an honest person, unlike many here and will give this show an honest rating... which is that it's good for a smirk. It's not horrible but it isn't good either, at all. Brownies points for the good idea.