The series started as a small, home-made video by Stephen Merchant when he was trying to get a job at the BBC. He came up with the idea for making a documentary style format as it would be easier for him to film. He and his colleague Ricky Gervais came up with The Office (2001) idea and used a local university to film it. Upon seeing the short video the BBC requested that they make a series out of it. Many of the jokes from this original film are recycled during the proper series for example, David Brent's opening speech about making employees' dreams come true.
The cleaner who always stands motionless and looks directly at the camera is co-creator/director Stephen Merchant's father Ron Merchant.
The first British sitcom in over 25 years to be nominated for a Golden Globe, and the first ever to win one.
The show was filmed at Teddington Studios though not actually in any of their studio spaces. It was filmed in their office building which is adjacent to the TV studios.
(Region 2 DVD) At the first menu let the DVD run for a few minutes until you can hear the phone, then press 'select/ok' on your controller to answer the phone. Then you can watch the full length version of David Brent playing and singing "free love on the free love freeway" featured in Training (2001).