Synopsis
Set in a dismal industrial park (appropriately named the Slough), the offices in questionbelong to Wernham Hogg, a paper company. Principle characters are insufferable boss DavidBrent, skeletal yes-man Gareth Keenan, cynical receptionist Dawn, and bored-out-of-his-skullsales rep Tim. The characters each get their turn speaking to the camera (especially thepsychotically pleased with himself Brent), and we see them interacting too. The tone is not unlikeLarry Sanders, and the…environment makes Dilbert look utopian.
Audio
The sound is in 2.0, but even that degree of surround isn’t really necessary. This is by andlarge a quiet, dialogue-driven series. There is no background music, and essentially nothing byway of sound effects. The dialogue, however, is crisp and clear. So not much to excite the years,but then, that’s hardly the point here, is it now?
Video
A 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, which is always nice to see, especially with a TVrelease. The picture is very sharp, and has a deliberately flat, dreary look. There are no brightcolours, and everything seems to be disappearing into a wash of white and grey. Again, this isnot a problem with the transfer: this is clearly an artistic choice, and it works, turning the officeinto the Hell’s own waiting room.
Special Features
The extras are all on Disc 2. There’s a 40-minute documentary, which has its share ofattitude and adopts some of the mockumentary tricks of the series itself. (There is a lot ofinteresting stuff here too, but be prepared to wade through lies.) There are also 6 deleted scenes.There’s also a booklet in the form of an office newsletter. It features character sketches and aslang dictionary. Finally, the case has a song (“Slough”) printed on the inside. The menu’s introand transitions are animated and scored, while the main page itself is scored.
Closing Thoughts
Something rather different here, with comedy guaranteed to make you squirm withdiscomfort.
Special Features List
- “How I Made the Office” Documentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Slough Slang Glossary
- Personnel Files
- Wernham Hogg News
- “Slough” Song
