The Office - Series 1 & 2

The Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning comedy from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

SERIES 1
At Wernham Hogg, the Slough paper-merchants, life is stationery...David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is a petty, pompous boss who thinks he is the funniest, most popular man in the world. Pedantic jobsworth Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) agrees with him. They're both wrong.

Tim (Martin Freeman) really is popular and funny, but the joke is on him as he's stuck in the middle of their little world - a world in which he hates everything except the receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis). Will Tim escape? Will Dawn choose the right man? Will MI6 ever call on Gareth to help them out? And will David Brent ever regret letting a film crew into The Office?

SERIES 2
Swindon have merged with Slough. Manager David Brent has to assimilate the new intake, a group of well-trained and motivated personnel. It should be an easy job. Sadly, someone forgot to tell them they're meant to laugh at everything David says.

Neil, the new guy in charge, is Brent's worst nightmare: younger, better-looking, multi-skilled - and here's the killer - more popular.

Meanwhile unlucky-in-love Tim finds his fortunes changing, we discover there's more to demure Dawn than first meets the eye... and even less to Gareth.