1.2m desert acclaimed sitcom

The Office has slumped in the ratings, losing 1.2million viewers in a week.

Ricky Gervais's comedy beat all opposition when it debuted last week, its 4.8million making it the most-watched show in its timeslot.

But despite rave reviews, a quarter of those viewers did not tune into the second series, meaning the audience fell to 3.6 million.

However, the unofficial overnight figure is still strong and provides the cornerstone for a solidly-performing night of comedy on BBC2.

Last night's edition of Never Mind The Buzzcocks was seen by 2.7 million people and 2.4 million tuned in for Coupling.

* The BBC yesterday sold the second series of The Office to France's TPS Cinéma at the Mipcom international television market in Cannes.

Published: 8 Oct 2002