The series is set in Slough in a small branch office of the fictitious firm Wernham Hogg, a paper merchant, run by the odious David Brent (played by Gervais). Together with his assistant, the weekend warrior Gareth Keenan, Brent manages the office in a way that will be depressingly familiar to many corporateworkers. Desperately trying to emulate his best friend and mentor, the smooth-talking salesman Chris "Finchy" Finch, Brent tries to be his employees' best friend and tyrant to equal degrees. Of course, he fails miserably.
Other denizens of the office include the bored receptionist Dawn, who although engaged to the rather dim Lee is constantly flirting with Tim (Martin Freeman), perhaps the most likeable character in the show; Ricky, a young college graduate on his first job; and Donna, the daughter of friends of David Brent's, who is temporarily staying at his home and (controversially) going out with Ricky.
The series' humour largely revolves around the verbal gaffes of Brent, sometimes dubbed "Brentisms" by fanss, and his minion Keenan. There is no laugh track, and various touches make it resemble a low-budget fly-on-the-wall documentary, such as talking-head pieces to camera (often Brent with a bit of self-aggrandisation) and angless that suggest a crew trying to keep out of everyone's way whilst capturing the goings-on. Widely acclaimed as the funniest, if bleakest, show in years, two six-episode series of The Office have been made. Rumours that the show should be exported to the United States came true when NBC announced in 2003 that they are retooling the show for the US market.
Gervais and Merchant have stated that there will be no further series of the show; they did, however, write a final two 45-minute episodes, which first aired in the United Kingdom on BBC ONE on Boxing Day and December 27, 2003. The shows were set two years after the events of the first two series, and the plots revolved around the office's preparation for their Christmas party, and Brent's attempts to build a career based on the tiny amount of fame that his appearance in the first two series of the show earned him. The second series of The Office was originally broadcast in the UK between September 30 and November 4, 2002.
In January 2004The Office won the Golden Globe award for "Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy". This is the first time that a British TV series has won this award (beating nomininees: Arrested Development, Monk, Sex And The City and Will & Grace;). Ricky Gervais was also awarded the Golden Globe for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy" for his role in The Office (beating: Matt LeBlanc, Friends; Bernie Mac, The Bernie Mac Show; Eric McCormack, Will & Grace; and Tony Shalhoub, Monk).
