50 Fun Facts About The Office (UK)

On which channel was The Office first broadcast on 9 July 2001?

BBC Two drew modest ratings at first, yet the two Christmas specials that ended the story in 2003 went out on BBC One.

What is the name of the paper merchants where David Brent is manager in The Office?

Wernham Hogg made Brent redundant, and he sued the firm and won an out-of-court settlement.

In which town is David Brent's branch set in The Office?

Slough gets defended by Brent: he reads John Betjeman's poem that begins 'Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough', then attacks it for giving the town a bad name.

Which pun completes the paper company's motto, "life is ___"?

The joke is the whole company in four words: a paper merchant whose life is going nowhere.

What meaningless title does Gareth take far too seriously?

Team Leader brings Gareth no pay rise: once Tim is promoted, he retorts that his own new title came with more money while Gareth's means nothing.

Who plays sales rep Tim Canterbury?

Martin Freeman's Tim takes off his microphone to tell Dawn how he feels, so viewers never hear her turn him down.

Who plays Gareth Keenan?

Mackenzie Crook changed the part: Gareth was written for a bigger, thuggish actor, but after Crook's audition the writers rethought him.

Who plays receptionist Dawn Tinsley?

Lucy Davis plays Dawn, who has been with Lee since school, until she dumps him after the office Christmas party and goes back to Tim.

Where does Dawn's fiancé Lee work?

The warehouse is where Lee works, and when he catches Tim larking about dancing with Dawn, he pins Tim against a wall.

Gareth constantly boasts about his time in which organisation?

The Territorial Army is what Gareth cites as training when Brent sends him to find out who doctored a rude picture of Brent.

What is the show's theme song?

Big George performed it, based on the Rod Stewart arrangement; Brent himself sings a version over the credits of one episode.

Who played Michael Scott, David Brent's counterpart in the American remake of The Office?

Steve Carell's Michael Scott even met Brent: Gervais appeared as Brent in a US episode, asking Michael whether there were any jobs going.

Which song does David Brent play on guitar at the staff training day in The Office?

Free Love Freeway later got a Wembley outing: Gervais sang it as Brent, with Gareth alongside, at the 2007 Concert for Diana.

What was the name of David Brent's old rock band?

Foregone Conclusion comes up when Tim says he dreams of playing in a band, and Brent boasts that he has been there and done that.

Which short film, made while Merchant trained as a BBC producer, grew into The Office?

Seedy Boss reached BBC executive Jane Root through producer Ash Atalla, and she backed Gervais and Merchant to develop it into a series.

What job title does Gareth give himself in The Office, which Brent corrects by adding 'to the'?

Assistant Regional Manager is Gareth's boast, and after Brent is made redundant, Gareth really does end up running the branch.

Gervais and Merchant met when Merchant was hired as Gervais's assistant at which radio station?

Xfm made Gervais head of speech, though Merchant recalls him admitting he had no idea what he was doing and offering the job if Merchant did all the work.

Why did The Office end after two series and a Christmas special?

Its creators' choice: Gervais refused to write a third series despite the show's success, so two Christmas specials tied up the loose ends instead.

In 2004, The Office won Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy at which awards?

The Golden Globes prize went to a show seen in the US only on BBC America, beating American shows such as Sex and the City and Will & Grace.

What is the first episode of The Office called, in which Brent promises nobody will lose their job?

Downsize starts the job-cuts plot, and Brent's promise of no redundancies collapses when he accepts a promotion at the end of series one.

What did Tim famously encase Gareth's stapler in?

Jelly is just one of Tim's pranks: in series two he also glues Gareth's phone so the receiver can't be picked up, 'in the name of fun'.

When Brent pretends to phone Chris Finch to sack him, who has he actually dialled?

The speaking clock gives Brent away when Jennifer switches the call to speakerphone, so the room hears the time instead of Finch getting the sack.

In The Office's quiz night episode, how is the disputed tie-break finally settled?

A shoe-throwing contest settles it: Finch wins by hurling birthday boy Tim's shoes over the roof of the pub.

In The Office, why does Brent hire Karen as his secretary despite the threat of redundancies?

He fancies her so openly that his clumsy bid to impress her ends with him accidentally headbutting her.

Why does Gareth turn down a woman who invites him home from the nightclub?

She is married, and when her husband turns out to want to join in, Gareth refuses to have another man involved and leaves.

In The Office, why did Brent really lose the head-office promotion he accepted at the end of series one?

He failed a medical because of high blood pressure, yet Brent hints to his staff that he faked it on purpose so he could stay with them.

In The Office, Brent's suave rival Neil runs which branch before the merger?

Swindon's staff move over with Neil at the merger, and Brent's own staff take to Neil so quickly that Brent starts to resent him.

In The Office Christmas specials, Brent does a Blind Date-style nightclub show dressed as which character?

Austin Powers doesn't help: Brent isn't picked on the Blind Date-style show and gets barracked by the crowd.

In the series two finale of The Office, what does Brent do when his redundancy is confirmed?

He begs to keep his job, promising to try twice as hard, but Neil and Jennifer's decision has already been approved.

On Red Nose Day in The Office, which comedy character does Keith dress up as?

Ali G is Keith's costume for the day, while Gareth raises money by hopping everywhere on one leg.

On Red Nose Day in The Office, Neil recreates John Travolta's dance from which film?

Saturday Night Fever is Neil's show-stopper, so a desperate Brent jumps in to outdo him with a dance of his own.

What does Dawn sell at her desk on Red Nose Day in The Office?

Kisses cost a pound, and when Tim pays up expecting a peck on the cheek, Dawn gives him a passionate kiss instead.

In The Office, Simon the computer technician bores everyone with exaggerated tales about which hobby?

Go-karting is one of Simon's boasts, alongside Bruce Lee films and drag racing, which is why Gareth hangs on his every word.

In The Office, where do Dawn and Lee move to after series two?

Florida is where Lee's sister lives, so they move in with her rent-free and quietly overstay what was meant to be a holiday.

Before The Office Christmas specials aired in 2003, how did their scripts fall into a stranger's hands?

Posted to the wrong address, the scripts reached a woman in Saffron Walden, and Gervais publicly urged newspapers not to print the plot.

In The Office, Brent's failed single, released after his redundancy, was a cover of which song?

If You Don't Know Me By Now flopped, so Brent trades on his small TV fame with nightclub appearances where crowds heckle him.

In The Office Christmas specials, what job is Brent doing when the documentary crew returns?

Travelling salesman Brent sells cleaning products, yet keeps dropping in on his old office to 'keep up the morale' until he is banned.

What is the name of Tim's obnoxious, pregnant desk-mate in the Christmas specials?

Anne is the desk-mate Tim is left with once Gareth has been promoted to run the office, three years after the original documentary.

What Secret Santa gift does Tim give Dawn in The Office's final episode?

An oil painting set with the note 'Never give up' persuades Dawn to leave Lee in the taxi and head back to the party.

In The Office Christmas specials, what does Brent bring into the office that makes Neil bar him?

His dog is the last straw: Neil bars Brent from the office, then rules that nobody who isn't staff can come to the Christmas dinner.

In The Office Christmas specials, what is the name of Brent's fourth blind date, who genuinely likes him?

Carol is the date Finch insults at the party, and that is when Brent finally stands up to his old friend and tells him where to go.

In The Office Christmas specials, Brent makes his old colleagues laugh at a group photo by impersonating whom?

Frank Spencer finally works: after two series of jokes falling flat, Brent at last gets his old colleagues genuinely laughing.

Which cartoon villain's name have Brent's staff given him as a nickname in The Office?

Bluto is only the start of Brent's bad day: after an unpaid employee complains, a furious Neil dresses him down for neglecting his job.

What was the 2013 Comic Relief short that brought David Brent back called?

The Office Revisited caught up with Brent ten years on, working as a music talent manager to get rapper Dom Johnson his big break.

In the first episode of The Office, Brent calls himself a friend first, a boss second and probably what third?

An entertainer is how Brent sees himself, yet after the merger his jokes offend the new staff so badly that Jennifer hauls him up.

In The Office Christmas specials, what prank does Tim play on Gareth?

Locks him in his office, so a trapped Gareth has to phone the reception desk to be let out.

Which country made Stromberg, a sitcom inspired by The Office?

Germany's Stromberg was so close to The Office that the BBC threatened legal action, so an 'inspired by' credit for Gervais and his writing partner was added.

How did the public first see the David Brent videos Gervais made for Microsoft UK?

Leaked online in 2006, the videos left Microsoft unhappy, since they had been made for its own staff and were never meant for the public.

In The Office, what ambition did Dawn give up to keep working alongside Lee?

Children's book illustrator was Dawn's dream until Lee decided they should both get full-time jobs, and she ended up a receptionist.

In The Office, Tim dropped out of university but hopes to go back and earn a degree in which subject?

Psychology goes on hold when Brent makes Tim Senior Sales Clerk with £500 a year more, and Tim talks himself into staying.