David Brent: Life on the Road

To us, The Office is one of the best comedy series of all time. To David Brent, it’s a documentary about his life. One he seems weirdly proud of. Or at least not so ashamed of that he’s not willing to talk them again for a new documentary about his life now as a struggling musician fronting the band Foregone Conclusion.

The American version of The Office lasted for nine seasons and 200 episodes, but it never really topped the original U.K. show, co-created by and starring Ricky Gervais as David Brent, the weaselly middle manager of the Slough branch of the Wernham Hogg Paper Company. Though Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s Office only stuck around for two seasons and a two-part finale on the BBC, its impact was enormous. Beyond inspiring the American show (and many other international adaptations) it helped popularize the mockumentary style of TV comedy.