COUNCIL chiefs begged The Office director Stephen Merchant and co-writer Ricky Gervais to big up Slough.
They thought the hit comedy, in which Ricky played central character David Brent, was too negative about the town in which it was set.
HandoutCouncil chiefs begged The Office director Stephen Merchant and co-writer Ricky Gervais to big up Slough[/caption]
AlamyStephen was speaking to the Making A Scene with Matt Lucas and David Walliams podcast[/caption]
Stephen, 50, told the Making A Scene with Matt Lucas and David Walliams podcast: “We were about to do the second series when we had a letter from someone at Slough council who said they felt we’d been a bit disparaging.
“Could we perhaps have a scene where Brent looks out the window and says, ‘I have to say, they’ve done a wonderful job on the pedestrianisation of Slough town centre’.”
The pair refused.
Slough Borough Council said: “We do remember finding The Office very funny along with a new-found fame for Slough, including the roundabout in the opening credits and the building which ‘housed’ Wernham Hogg which people used to travel to see, even from abroad.
“In the intervening years, we have had a pub in the town centre named Wernham Hoggs and also celebrated David Brent’s Slough song – after all Slough is ‘our kind of town’ too’.
“Now The Office forms part of Slough’s rich history, one of numerous reasons why so many people know about us.”
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