#1: The Office (U.K. - 2001)

This was simply the dog's bollocks.

Have I foreshadowed this enough with numerous mentions of Ricky Gervais as well as my second entry of this blog, ever? Here's what I said:

Guitar brought meaning to one of the most fantastic art-forms, music, and I make top 10 lists of guitarists and the various aspects of guitar up as I go along, driving or whatever, just to keep my brain entertained and occupied. What's the best T.V. series I've ever seen? I can tell you off-hand, because I've thought about it many times before. The Office (U.K.), by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

http://mymindthehauntedhouse.blogspot.com/2013/07/top-10-lists-and-their-nature.html

ASIDE: Just noticed, it's been a year already! Pretty cool. :-)

Rest assured, it wasn't intentional. Just a nice coincidence! :-P

The Office was a comedic series that absolutely challenged some of the perceptions of people you spend most of your life with - your coworkers.

A handful of things, before I get started with explaining why this is my personal Best Series Of All Time™.

• The U.S. series is vaguely *alright*. It doesn't really hold a candle to the British The Office. I reckon this is largely due to many of my cultural influences coming from the U.K.. I simply enjoy British comedy more. They were the original masters of the language, and I feel like it really shows in stuff like this. Of course, maybe Ricky just KILLED IT as an actor and a co-writer of the U.K. one.
• It seems to be par for the course for me, and Wynand always joked about it, I need to hate something before I can love it. He used to jokingly get seriously concerned whenever I mentioned something wasn't cool, because I inevitably ended up loving it. I didn't get the humour at first. It's not your usual brand of comedy.
• I believe The Wire to be better, for the average person (I definitely at least try not to be "average" :-D). That doesn't change the fact that life's entire experience is incredibly subjective. I don't expect anyone to necessarily agree with me about The Office, but hopefully my opinion is well thought-out.

The Wire is almost a character and societal study. This is just a fictional story about a paper merchant's in Slough, the arm-pit of England. But it's damn funny! :-)

Maybe The Wire should be above this, but maybe this is my way of saying, "This was particularly perfect."

So the background to enjoy it? Be a lover of British culture, mannerisms etc. Be able to picture working in an office, the clearer the better. Be a fan of language, diction and how it's expressiveness can hit you RIGHT THERE. /thumps chest/

Lastly, be able to appreciate and relate to the characters.

I want to spotlight 4 characters.

1. Dawn Tinsley - played by Lucy Davis
2. Gareth Keenan - played by Mackenzie Crook
3. Tim Canterbury - played by Martin Freeman
4. David Brent - played by Ricky Gervais

Dawn Tinsley

Secretary to the boss, object of his interests at times, trying to see about a relationship with Tim (Martin), she played her role terribly well. For her part, she did what she could to convince the audience wholly and carry her character as well as the series throughout.

Tim Canterbury

Every work of visual entertainment needs something for the audience to latch on to and connect with. Usually that's a "protagonist." :-P

Tim was that protagonist. I felt that way kinda. He was the working man's hero, he was a normal bloke in a circus of mad chimpanzees. :-D

Gareth Keenan

Creepy, but kinda creepy-COOL. I've seen Mackenzie Crook in Pirates of the Caribbean. He was smooth in his minor role. In The Office, he's like that socially-awkward geek we all know at least one of. I've met many in my time, try my very best NOT to be one, and he's interesting enough in The Office  as Gareth, to spark my attention every time he's on the screen. Superb.

David Brent

What can you say about the David Brent character?

Check just one example of his awkwardness in this hilarious clip: 

Now that I've hopefully sparked your interest, look at the next short vid. Some might know the story leading up to this, and might have had the hilarious bouts of laughter I experienced. :-D

A little background: A while before, David angrily claims that he can't do Neil's report because "It's Red Nose Day...do it yourself, I've got to save some Africans!!" How delusional. :-D

This series is what first turned me on to Ricky as a comedian, actor and indirectly, a D.J and XFM/Stephen Merchant/Karl Pilkington. It was the launching pad for so many careers, Mackenzie, Martin, Lucy, Ricky, Stephen, the list goes on and on. Ricky and his cohorts have entertained me for countless hours since. It's not everyone's brand of humour, I suppose, but I'm thrilled that I have the requisite background to enjoy his mind, along with Stephen's.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the first time a pseudo-documentary style was used for a comedy series...? It was a very cool way to execute the shots. You see cameramen ducking behind office equipment, walls and windows, etc. You see awkward zooms 'n' stuff, it's just very faithfully recreated. Excellent camerawork. 

At the end of the day, The Wire does a brilliant depiction of real life, but at times, we turn to entertainment to rid ourselves of such mundane concerns. :-P

As a comedy that made me laugh throughout, it transported me to a land of fantasy. I figure I really started to enjoy it after I realized despite the intense awkwardness, it was still fundamentally a comedy. IT'S NOT SERIOUS.

Cringe-worthy but bloody funny!

The awkwardness and realism combine to make it the most hilarious T.V. series ever!

:-)

Honourable Mention: Game of Thrones (2011). Never before have I felt a work of literary fiction to have been so expertly adapted to the screen. In years to come, it just might be on this list.