Most of us in America know of the current NBC series The Office, but before that, there was The Office. Yes, it is the same title, but The Office is the British series from the BBC that the American sitcom was very closely based upon. The series only lasted twelve episodes (plus two additional Christmas episodes that were made after the conclusion of the series), which is common for a British series, but that small handful of episodes were an international hit and served as the springboard for the very popular American series. The British series premiered on July 9, 2001, and now, ten years later, BBC Worldwide, along with 2 entertain Video brings us that entire series to DVD (once again), along with plenty of bonus features.

Of course, before we go any further, it is only appropriate to give a brief introduction to the series. There is no Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, or any of the other characters from the American series here, nor will you see any of the actors from the American series. Instead, we have the almost identical characters, with David Brent (Ricky Gervais) as the boss of Slough branch of the Wernham Hogg paper company, Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) as the clueless and aloof "assistant to the regional manager," Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman) as the witty salesman, and Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) as the office receptionist. It should be very obvious who each of these characters inspired for the American version of the series. However, despite the similarities, the show is a much different series with the way the actors portray their characters. Also, the series contains a significant level of profanity and sexual references that could never be palatable for the American broadcast television audience. All in all, it's a whole other office for viewers to take a look inside of!

Read our review by skees53 here:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/theoffice10thanniversaryeditiondvdreview.html

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