TV: The Office (Complete Collection) (COM, D)

The Office is another outstanding comedy from the BBC, a mockumentary about the trials and tribulations in a workplace environment. This particular office is in a paper supply company in Slough (just outside of London), but it could just as easily be any office in the world. Especially yours.

Incidentally, this office has the Worst Boss Ever. . . except he thinks he's great. A legend in his own mind, David Brent (Ricky Gervais) prides himself on being funny and motivational and the Friend of the People when he is, in fact, completely oblivious to other people's feelings or his own utter inappropriateness. His insatiable need to be liked causes him to punctate every joke or stunt with a desperate "did you catch that" glance at the camera.

Other officemates include David's assistant Gareth (Mackenzie Crook), an all-out creep with (to steal a line from Coupling) "the sexual politics of a Viking attack." However, this story also has heart. The blossoming office romance between Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) is magnificent and brings real pathos to the story.

The genius of the writing here is that you genuinely come to care about what happens to these people even when they are at their worst (except for David's friend Finch, who is a nightmare on legs).

Much of the humor of the show is of the "Oh, no, I hope he doesn't" and "I can't believe he just did that" variety. I didn't really warm up to it until halfway through the first episode, once I had figured out what the show was trying to do. Much of the humor involves situations completely inappropriate for the workplace, and I once whispered to my husband, "I don't know who I want to kill more, David Brent or myself." This show is often painful and actually made me dread going to work the next day. Still, if you can get past the discomfort, The Office is a sharp and biting comedy that actually teaches us how to live. Grade: A