The Office breaks DVD records

The Office: Only Mr Bean has rivalled its sales

BBC sitcom The Office has become the best-selling TV title of all time in the UK on video and DVD.

More than a million copies of the show's first series were bought during the run-up to Christmas - also making it the fastest-selling non-film DVD.

The award-winning comedy starring Ricky Gervais sold more than a million copies in a 13-week period from October to December, according to the BBC's commercial arm BBC Worldwide.

It recorded almost 700,000 DVD sales, making it the first non-film DVD to break the half-million barrier.

Top five DVD/video sales chart - TV comedy

The Office - Complete First Series 1,024,386

Ali G - AIII 781,501

Ali G - Innit 697,329

Ali G - Bling Bling 538,498

Friends - Series 5 Episodes 1-4 504,773

Gervais, who stars as office manager David Brent in the spoof documentary, said: "The sales have exceeded all expectations.

"Or, as the Brentmeister General would have it: 'If that's true, excellent. Guilty as charged'."

The success of The Office Complete First Series eclipsed that of classic best-sellers such as Ali G, Friends and the Royle Family.

It also outperformed its main rival, comedian Peter Kay's Channel 4 show Phoenix Nights.

Only The Amazing Adventures of Mr Bean, released in 1990, could rival the figures for The Office, selling 900,000 copies.

Gervais and co-writer Stephen Merchant will not make a third series

Fans will have to wait until the autumn to buy the second series of The Office on DVD and VHS.

Gervais has effectively ruled out a third full-length series, but has suggested there is likely to be a one-off special.

The Office won best TV comedy at the British Comedy Awards in December, and Gervais was voted best comedy actor.

During the Christmas shopping period, more than 5.3 million BBC videos, books and audio products were bought, BBC Worldwide said.

Other top-sellers included I'm Alan Partridge, Delia Smith's Vegetarian Collection, Life of Mammals, Fimbles, Tweenies, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and Only Fools and Horses.