The Office - The Complete Second Series

Welcome back to the Slough branch of paper merchants, Wernham Hogg (now incorporating the dull Swindon lot). You remember the boss, David Brent (Ricky Gergvais), all-'round wannabe comedian and complete tosser? If ever a manager needed an oral enema, it's Brent. No one on Earth embodies the notion of 'complete prat' better than him. And of course you remember Garath Keenan (Mackenzie Crook), a weasly, anally-retentive brown-noser if ever there was one. He's the kind of guy who has to tell you constantly how much fun he is with his crazy mates, and later you find out they're all a bunch of tossers like you knew they would be.

Then of course there's the office romance wannabes, Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis). Tim is now a sales manager (whoopee!) and Dawn is still at reception and wondering why she is still dating that loser down in the warehouse. The rest of the non-descript water cooler loiterers are still here, loiteirng. Most of them are about as painful as dental surgery, only less interesting.

And of course there's the newbies, the dull Swindon lot. There's David Brent's former peer, now superior, the frighteningly normal Neil, (Patrick Baladi), and new office 'hottie' Rachel. Half the office fancies her, but only Tim has a chance, although Gareth has made it quite clear he'd still "do 'er." Gareth seems oblivious to the fact that he is creepier and sleazier than a sex-starved slug, and even being the butt of endless pranks and setups isn't enough to convey the message that he is a prize twat.

Anyone who has worked in an office of more than about ten people will recognise every single one of these creeps, losers, dirt bags, try-hards, and nonces. Brent is that kind of boss that has the biggest mouth, the completely misguided belief that he is everyone's best friend, is outrageously funny, and has everyones else's best interests at heart. He needs to 'feel the love and gratitude' of his staff, and truly believes he has it, even though most of them can see through the thin layer of shit that never seems to stick. Never has achieving nothing been accomplished with such bravado and completely unbridled self-flagellation.

This series of The Office is similar in style to the first, a sort of 'mockumentary', where the 'staff' are aware of the camera, will often glance at it, talk to it, and attempt to place themselves in the best light, basking in the glory (well David Brent will anyway). Whilst some of this series is 'burst out laughing' funny, some of it is just too close to the truth to induce anything but a cringe, but it's always scarily accurate. This series sees Wernham Hogg taking part in Red Nose Day (dress-ups optional), conducting performance reviews (and aren't they always just the best fun - and so essential?), power plays, office politics, motivational speaking, fire and safety drills, the 'benefits' of having a disability and staff moving on. The last episode is rather moving in some ways, but only some characters are likely to induce anything even remotely approaching sympathy.

If you loved Series One, then this'll give you just as many laughs. If you didn't catch Series One, then go and do so. If like me, your 'real job' is in just such a place, then watching this may make you feel like you never left your own office.

The aspect ratio for Series Two, like Series One, is 1.78:1 and is 16:9 enhanced. In essence, this looks very good, has a completely natural look, is well lit, and is mostly free from any noticeable problems. Again, shimmer and aliasing is about the only concern and is quite noticeable on such items as Venetian blinds. Colours and skin tones are very accurate, black levels are excellent and shadow detail is as good as I have ever seen. Being a recent BBC television production, there is a genuinely high quality to the whole thing.

The layer change is placed between episodes.

The only option may be the standard Dolby Digital 2.0, but is loud and clear with no problems. The soundtrack is not cluttered with such things as incidental music (bar the opening and closing credits) or a laugh track, so if you have trouble with this audio then I have to tell you it's your ears and not the DVD. Naturally, only the front left and right speakers are utilised, but there is some good separation and clever use of space. Low-level sounds are few and far between but sound good, and there are no problems with audio synch and no dropout or hiss. Be warned, though, that there is a deliberate use of complete silence in Episode Six that had me mumbling about shoddy quality checking at first.

There are a few extras here that are definitely worth a look, starting with over 13 minutes of deleted scenes that for once are just as funny as the used material, and it's a shame to think that these clever and funny pieces could not all be used. It also begs the question, "What other gems were left on the floor?"

Only slightly less funny are the outtakes, that at just under eight minutes let us see how much fun these guys must have shooting such a series. It's a wonder they get anything in the can sometimes.

Those with a sticky beak will appreciate the video diary that takes you on a 20-minute trip behind the scenes exploring everything from the writing, the pre-filming preparation, the actual filming and lastly, the editing. With input from both writers and several cast, it is easy watching.

Well written, well acted comedies that are original are few and far between these days. Thankfully there are still some that seem to come from nowhere. often passing unnoticed, but totally adored by those that stumble across them. The Office is just such a show. While some have not yet cottoned on to this highly amusing and quality show, those that have will tell you it is worth a look. But you can take it from me, you can - benefit, yeah? - from my, wisdom, and go... forth, knowing that this is well worth a look, and then you will come back and thank me for it. It's what I do, yeah? It's my job to - guide - others, to better things, and make them feel better about who they are.