From the absent laugh track to the drab set, The Office doesn’t have much in common with the vast majority of half-hour comedies on network television—which is why it works so well on DVD. Despite having only six episodes under its belt, this remake of the British mockumentary cult hit is filled with so many awkward silences and meaningful glances between characters that watching an episode once just isn’t enough.

Considering how much of the show’s laughs lurk in the details, the Dolby 2.0 soundtrack gets high marks. There are no music cues or sound effects to challenge the audio, but it provides clear, easy-to-understand dialogue throughout. And, while the 1.78:1 anamorphic picture has an intentionally drab color palette, it delivers detail and sharpness that over-the-air broadcast just can’t touch.

Although the menus are difficult to navigate at times, finding the commentary tracks is well worth the effort. Everyone from star Steve Carell, to executive producer Greg Daniels, to a variety of other cast and crew lend their anecdotes to the disc, which makes for a lively and informative experience. In fact, Rainn Wilson, who plays power-abusing dork Dwight Schrute, jokes on one of the tracks that The Office DVD could go into the record books for having the most people packed into one commentary track.

The abundant deleted scenes, some of which are referred to in the commentary, are just as double-over-in-pain funny as the scenes that made it into the final cut. Judging from the cutting-room floor, postproduction must have been like Sophie’s Choice.