The Office (Series 1)
Episode 1
David Brent is informed by Head Office that his Slough branch of Wernham Hogg paper merchants might be closed down. David’s deep rooted need to be popular triumphs over realism and he immediately promises the staff there will be no redundancies.
Ricky, a new temp fresh from university, is shown around the office by David. He is introduced to Tim and Gareth whose fractious relationship is immediately apparent by a fight over a stapler and the construction of a Berlin Wall made from cardboard box files between their desks.
In an effort to demonstrate his keen sense of humour David informs Dawn that she has been sacked for the heinous crime of stealing Post-It notes. Dawn, predictably, does not see the funny side.
Quote from Episode:
Gareth: "What if that killed someone?" Tim: "Well then... they'll think you're the murderer, it's got your name on it." Gareth: "Why would a murderer put his name on a murder weapon?" Tim: "To stop people borrowing it."
Episode 2
David hires Donna, his lodger and the daughter of his best friend. While showing her round the office he discovers a doctored pornographic image of himself. Gareth, due to his covert operations skills, is told to catch the culprit.
Jennifer Taylor Clark visits from Head Office and wants to know what cutbacks David has made. David, displaying a genius crucial in a managerial role, invents a warehouse employee called Julie Anderton that he has fired. Jennifer is impressed until a tour of the warehouse makes it clear that Julie didn't exist.
Gareth’s investigations have revealed that the pornographic image was made on Tim’s computer. In a show of authority for Jennifer’s benefit, and a last ditch effort to claw back his reputation, David reprimands Tim in front of the whole office. So far so good. That is until he is told that the image is actually the work of his good friend Sales Rep. Chris Finch.
Quote from Episode:
Gareth: "You know the phrase softly softly catchy monkey? …I could catch a monkey - if I was starving I could. I’d make poison darts out of the poison off deadly frogs. One milligram of that poison can kill a monkey. Or a man. Prick yourself, you’ll be dead within a day. Or longer. Different frogs, different times."
Episode 3
It is Tim’s 30th birthday - he receives a card from Dawn and an unusual inflatable gift from Lee. More importantly, however, it’s Quiz Night and there are reputations to be made or lost.
Ricky confesses that he once appeared on Blockbusters and won two gold runs. David, feeling his tiny mind intellectually threatened, is thus inspired to make frequent expositions on his (non-existent) knowledge of Dostoevsky.
Gareth comperes Quiz Night and the questions reflect his personal interests - namely war and weapon specifications. The Tits (Ricky and Tim) are eventually victorious after winning a tiebreak with The Dead Parrots (David and Finchy). Yet the duel is not over as the fiercely competitive Finchy proposes a further challenge that involves throwing an item over the roof of the building. Unfortunately for birthday boy Tim it is his shoes that are chosen.
Quote of Episode:
Brent: There are things that I will never laugh at. The handicapped - because there’s nothing funny about them. Or any deformity. …At least the little handicapped fella is able minded… or sometimes not - it’s difficult to tell with the wheelchair ones."
Courtesey of BBC