The Office, First and Second Series

While dry, subliminally caustic comedy is not exclusive to Brits (see Arrested Development, for one), this BBC sitcom is proof that England need not yield its national claim on deadpan, documentary-style sarcasm. This satire of the soul-deadening workplace won an unexpected two Golden Globes this year, including one for creator and star Ricky Gervais’ pompous middle manager David Brent, one of the finest fatuous idiots since Basil Fawlty. Catch the original now before the American version, a possible replacement for NBC’s Friends, debuts next year.