The Office: Series 1 (2001)

TV. The Office is an amazingly well-written and sharply produced programme (British spelling there). The documentary format makes it feel live, real, and accessible while simultaneously putting the glaring mishaps of mismanagement front and center. This is groundbreaking satire better than any other British humor I've seen. And talk about dry! If you don't have a problem with the vocabulary and accents of British English (wanker, etc.) then you ought to appreciate The Office greatly. Of course, if you love the culture across the pond, you'll love The Office. The characters are well-drawn and the expressions are often priceless. I did fall in love with the U.S. version of this series first, which I find to be fuller in character enunciation and plot development. (It has many more episodes and twice as many seasons at this writing.) You can pick out the equivalencies in nearly every character and even some of the same scenes and expressions -- though I respond much more warmly to the humor in the U.S. version. This is the genius that started it all! 4.5 stars.