Is this why there are more episodes set outside of the office?
Absolutely! I think they're also better because filming in front of an audience is a weird kind of thing because it's half like a play and half like a TV show; we're all more used to filming with a film crew and on location, so there is a more relaxed nature to those scenes.

Also recording the audience scenes is a fairly long day, you start at six in the morning and sometimes you don't finish until ten, and you're fairly wrecked by the end. It's a long day,
so I guess when we get out it feels
like we can have a bit more fun with it.

So what's your favourite episode from this Season?
I like the first one, The Work Outing and what other ones are there? I like Moss and the German, and the Dragons Den one. It seems like we're out of the office more, but it's no more than the first series apparently; obviously the first one we were completely out of the office, but the rest we were still filming in front of an audience.

Graham has said Roy and Moss are versions of his past, do you and Richard play up those similarities?
That's right, but I don't think we do. I don't think that would be right in a way because that would turn it into something different, I like the fact we are so different, and yet get on. Our similarities wouldn't necessarily make us stronger in that situation.

In the scenes away from the office we're not as constrained, so there is that embarrassment factor. Comedy is based on embarrassment, particularly modern comedy, but we can't be embarrassed with each other because we've probably seen each other in much more embarrassing situations over the years in the office - I hasten to add I'm not going to imagine what those things are!

Did you find yourself modelling yourself on Graham?
The character is completely Graham; the characteristics I took for Roy is completely Graham, the slouching and the head on one side, and that kind of walk where the legs are far shorter than they actually are, it's all Graham!

How would you like to see your relationship with Jen develop?
It would be good for us to get very very close, and I'm sure that'll be very good. Maybe some heavy petting?