Product Description
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Duo of Christmas specials, first screened in December 2003, that
conclude the award-winning faux documentary comedy series created
by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. In 'Part 1', three years
have passed since the BBC documentary crew first began filming at
Wernham Hogg. When they return for a final catch-up visit, they
find Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) in the boss's chair. David Brent
(Ricky Gervais) has become a travelling sales rep for a cleaning
products company, blown his redundancy payout on releasing his
own pop single ('If You Don't Know Me By Now'), and taken on a
showbiz agent to book him a string of Z-list celebrity
appearances. Despite his successful sueing of Wernham Hogg for
unfair dismissal, Brent pays frequent visits to his old workplace
with his dog in tow, much to the annoyance of boss Neil (Patrick
Baladi). Tim (Martin Freeman) is flustered to hear of the
imminent arrival of Dawn (Lucy Davis), who along with her fiancé
Lee (Joel Beckett) is being flown back from her new life in
Florida by the documentary crew to attend the office Christmas
party. In 'Part 2', Tim's world is rocked when Dawn turns up at
the office to say hello, but he tries not to get his hopes up,
particularly since Lee is accompanying Dawn to the office party.
Meanwhile, David Brent has joined a dating agency and, in between
making his celebrity appearances in nightclubs, he meets up for
drinks with a disappointing selection of single women. However,
he hits the jackpot when he meets his dating-agency date for the
office party, a very attractive and intelligent woman, Carol
(Sandy Hendrickse), who seems to bring out the best in him.
Meanwhile Dawn, who had left the party early with her insensitive
pig of a boyfriend Lee, later returns alone, much to the surprise
and delight of her real soulmate Tim.
A SHOW OF NEAR PERFECTION - The Sun
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The only British sitcom ever to win a Golden Globe returns for
two final extended episodes.
Much has happened since our last visit to Wernham Hogg. David
Brent released a pop single. Gareth was promoted and Tim said
goodbye to Dawn.
Now we follow chilled-out entertainer David as he hits the road
in search of fame, fortune and romance. He is promising to show
off his new girlfriend at the office Christmas reunion. The only
problem is he doesn't have one yet.
Meanwhile Tim is battling with a new colleague... and some old
feelings. Dawn has started a new life abroad but she's coming
back for one night only. Will the flame still be burning?
The Office finale is wincemakingly hilarious, deliciously
touching and perfectly emotionally pitched (The Observer) and has
already been declared the ideal conclusion to a modern classic.
.co.uk Review
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The two-part conclusion to The Office bids farewell to David
Brent and his long-suffering co-workers in a surprisingly
poignant not to say dignified manner. Supposedly accompanied by
the fly-on-the-wall documentary crew three years after his highly
undignified exit from Slough-based paper merchants Wernham Hogg,
the first part reveals Brent as a travelling salesman by day and
D-list "celebrity" by night, enduring humiliating club
appearances organised by his clueless manager. But Brent can't
keep away from his old stamping-ground in Slough, especially with
the imminent prospect of the annual Christmas party. As much to
spite suave rival Neil as anything else, Brent is on an
agonisingly painful hunt for a date to bring along.
Back at Wernham Hogg, lovelorn Tim has to endure not only the
officious behaviour of Gareth, now his manager, but also a
cheerless existence bereft of Dawn, who is living in Florida with
boorish fiancé Lee. Matters are brought to a head for all
concerned--including Lee and Dawn, flown over specially for the
occasion--when they finally gather in the office for the party.
As ever the script is full of priceless one-liners (witness big
Keith's chat-up spiel, as he promises "at least one orm" to
any woman), and the show is peppered with those direct appeals to
camera (Tim's weary "I don't believe he just said that" look,
Brent's desperate self-justificatory "Eh?"), as well as achingly
effective silences that simultaneously enhance the
fly-on-the-wall conceit and heighten the comic effect. Without
descending into the sentimental or the trite, somehow The Office
closes for business on a genuinely heartwarming note.
On the DVD: This single disc has good, if unexceptional, bonus
features. There's a behind-the-scenes documentary in similar
format to those on the previous releases, a commentary from
Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais on Episode 2, a funny and
deservedly self-congratulatory featurette on the Golden Globe
Awards ceremony, the full video of David Brent's single "If You
Don't Know Me By Now" plus a session for "Freelove
Freeway" (with Noel Gallagher on backing vocals). --Mark Walker