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HAPPY 10TH DAVID BRENT: THE OFFICE GETS GLOBAL DEBUT ON iTUNES

Posted Monday, October 24th, 2011 - Comments Off on HAPPY 10TH DAVID BRENT: THE OFFICE GETS GLOBAL DEBUT ON iTUNES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY – October 24, 2011. BBC Worldwide announces that all episodes of The Office are now available to download and purchase in the US for the first time on iTunes (www.itunes.com).

David Brent, the awkward and unnerving boss of the fictional paper merchants Wernham Hogg, first graced televisions back in 2001. The critically-acclaimed series written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant is now celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a wealth of awards, international remakes, and broadcasts around the world. BBC America was the first to air the series in the US market.

To date, video viewing of the seminal British comedy classic has been exclusive to DVD with global brand sales are reaching $4 million to date. From today, The Office Season 1, Season 2, and all the Christmas Specials, will become available for download and purchase from iTunes to own in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.

Commenting on the announcement, writer and star of The Office, Ricky Gervais said, “It’s been the most amazing 10 years of my life. Who’d have thought mucking around at work and watching docu-soaps through the 90s would be so lucrative.”

For the past decade, this brilliantly observed and convincingly acted fly-on-the-wall mockumentary has kept us laughing, with all time classic comedy scenes from philosopher David Brent and his acute grasp on political correctness, the long-suffering Tim and engaged receptionist, Dawn, who keep themselves sane by playing childish practical jokes on the insufferable, army-obsessed desk mate Gareth.

Top 10 The Office Facts and Trivia:

1.     The Office started life in 1997 as a sketch written by Ricky Gervais called, ‘Seedy Boss’ –he named that Boss David Brent.

2.     The Office has been sold by BBC Worldwide to 170 territories in 88 countries – it has been remade in 8.

3.     Nearly 4 million copies of The Office have been sold on DVD. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Office: Complete Collection on iTunes features an exclusive 15 minute interview with Ricky Gervais talking about the making of the series.

4.     The Office has helped make Ricky Gervais Britain’s most successful comedia, and the only one to appear in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World list.

5.     The first scene of The Office ever written was the one where Brent interviews Karen Roper for the job of PA in episode five.

6.     The first demo tape of The Office was shot in the real office where Ricky used to work.

7.     In the Canadian version of The Office, the main character is named David Gervais.

8.     In the French version of The Office (Le Bureau), the stapler in jelly becomes the stapler in fromage.

9.     Originally Martin Freeman auditioned for the part of Gareth. Ricky first met Martin when he helped write the series ‘Bruiser’, starring Freeman. He met Mackenzie when they worked together on ‘The 11 O’clock Show’.

10.   The record number of takes for one scene is 74, the scene is when Brent gives Tim an appraisal.

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide America, with headquarters in New York and Los Angeles, brings together all of BBC Worldwide’s businesses in the U.S.  The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The U.S. company has six core businesses: Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Home Entertainment, Digital Media and Magazines. Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars for ABC. Artwork for all BBC titles is available on BBC Worldwide’s press site http://press.bbcdvd.com/

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

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~ Hampton Fancher

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~ David Simon