Judgement

The most irritating thing about the average British TV show is every season is incredibly short compared to what we're used to with American products: with a few notable exceptions like Doctor Who (both classic and new) and Monty Python's Flying Circus (the first three seasons), the average length of a Brit season is 6 to 8 episodes - a miniseries, so to speak. Thankfully, quality rules over quantity in most cases, and The Office is no different in this unmissable Season 1 finale.

Ending the subplot that began in the very first episode, it is revealed that David Brent will take over Jennifer's job, should he choose to sacrifice his branch of Wernham Hogg and allow the Swindon people to incorporate his staff. As expected, he is delighted to hear the news, but he is so blinded by his ambition that he never once stops to ask himself what will happen to the people he has worked with for years, which causes everyone at the office to greet his announcement with restrained anger rather than joy. Most devastated of all is Gareth, who has no idea what he will do when he can no longer be Assistant Regional Manager, sorry, assistant to the regional manager.

The key characteristic of The Office is its unfiltered analysis of workplace dynamics, both good and bad, and this episode deserves a special mention for being less openly comic than those before it (or after, for that matter) and focusing almost completely on the coldness and cynicism that permeate the area in times of crisis. Of course, the mood lightens up considerably in the last few minutes, but the bad mood never really lifts off.

More than anything, this pitch-perfect first year is a clear indication of many more treats coming in later episodes - short-lived this may have been, but hey, longevity isn't always a sign of greatness.