1. The Office
BBCThe scarcely mundane settings and the dreary, mediocre lives of the office workers within Wernham Hogg Paper Company is extremely relatable to a large majority of people, with the average person having worked a seemingly undesirable job at one point in their life, crossing paths with the personalities that appear in The Office. While perhaps parody versions, these are still very familiar characters, and its that ability to completely identify with the entire show that makes The Office such a powerful piece of television. The show is set in the style of a fly-on-the-wall documentary; which creates a fascinating vulnerability in many of the characters. Personal insecurities surface and all energy goes towards impressing an unfamiliar but arousing new audience. Various characters will consciously use the camera to express their emotions in different ways - for instance the unfulfilled but amiable Tim will often pull faces directly into the lens to emphasise how stupid he regards his fellow colleagues current behaviour. Lead character and office boss David Brent is less discreet that Tim and will shamelessly perform to the camera throughout every episode. Brents desperation and relentless hunt for recognition result in overblown antics and forced jokes that usually conclude with an awkward silence a style of humour that is the basis of the shows comedy. A particular highlight being in one episode where Brent goes home midway through a working day for no other reason than to grab his guitar and show the world his musical capabilities.
Are there any we've missed off? Which shows would you re-arrange or swap out, and why? Let us know in the comments!