The Office Season 3 - DVD Review

After sneaking out of the Brit-original’s shadow in Season 2, the Yank take on Ricky Gervais’ finest work shines brighter over these 23 episodes. Sure, this version’s always been cuddlier than its Slough-set parent – chirpier theme tune, sweeter boss (Steve Carell’s child-like buffoon Michael Scott), sexier will they/won’t they pairing ( Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski). Still the same withering accuracy when it comes to office life, though – the petty power-plays, the furtive alliances, the absurd mundanity. Lots of big-name directors this time out (JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, Harold Ramis), but the ambition and invention is in the writing – rival Christmas parties, beach-day team-building, bird funerals – and great new faces, principally the hateful-then-loveable bootlicker Andy Bernard (Ed Helms). Extras include up-to-par deleted scenes, a cringe-tastic employee-welcome video and a lesson in vending-machine cookery.