In Grey's Anatomy, Dr Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) learned that a patient he operated on had been walking around with a towel in her chest cavity for seven years thanks to him! And poor Jack Bauer (24), he scurries everywhere within 24 hours with no sleep, food or even a loo break to catch the terrorists threatening Los Angeles. No wonder he keeps losing his temper every few seconds; can't imagine what his BP is like.

Nonetheless, the office people who have it the worst are those who work for Michael Scott (Steve Carell in The Office) at a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. A boss who gives out Dundee awards just isn't cool.

Or maybe we watch these shows because on TV most people seem to do very little actual work, and a lot more of everything else. And their workplace is more fun than ours.

Office romances are a must on TV, it would seem. But like in reality, complications usually arise when two colleagues start dating. In Cold Case, when workaholic homicide detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) was going out with assistant district attorney Kite (Josh Hopkins), her colleagues made fun of her, cracking many a corny joke about flying a kite. Alas, the relationship was not meant to be as she became overly obsessed with solving a murder case and so, Kite basically took a hike.

In The Practice, Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) dated district attorney Helen Gamble (Lara Flynn Boyle) before settling down with his law firm partner and Gamble's roommate, Lindsay Dole (Kelli Williams). Eeeuuu! Did they or did they not live happily ever after? We don't seem to recall.

CIA agents Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) of Alias paired up and then didn't. And then they did. We gave up keeping score after several seasons. The same can be said of Nikita (Peta Wilson) and Michael (Roy Dupuis) of La Femme Nikita who desperately wanted to be together but just couldn't because office relationships were forbidden by the section they worked for. Anyone who broke this law was conveniently eliminated during one of those secret missions.

There was plenty of chemistry with Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) in The X-Files, and now we can see it in The Office between receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and bored but talented Jim Halpert (John Krasinski).

Here's another form of relaxation: form an airband like the gang in Scrubs. There's no need for guitar or drum lessons. Can't sing? No problem. Just hit the play button and pretend to play the whole song. Watch the Sacred Heart airband rock at this site (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kGoVMDglfI&search=scrubs ) to get a clearer idea of what we're talking about.

If the above is not exciting enough, follow the example of Ally McBeal and her office mates – go to the neighbourhood bar and belt out a few hits with Vonda Shepard. If Vonda is not available, this suggestion might not work.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Starship Enterprise crew visited the Holodeck to create a place that each individual loved to chill out in while travelling in space.

Friends' Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) de-stressed by playing foosball ? wait a minute ? they weren't at work? Still, it's a good idea.

Those TV characters always have enviably large and attractive wardrobes. Every episode, the characters will be clad in spiffy new outfits that look absolutely gorgeous on them. Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls) is one – whether she's managing her inn or going to her parents' for dinner on Friday nights.

Spies must earn a lot of money too because Sydney Bristow and Nikita definitely – and literally – dressed to kill. As for the Crime Scene Investigators, every one looks well put-together when they're on duty, whether it's the graveyard shift or working on a terrible crime. At least Kyra Sedgwick's character in The Closer looks slightly dishevelled at times.

Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City) constantly complained about her low cash flow, yet she was forever decked out in funky outfits and designer heels. How much does a columnist make in the States, anyway?

The two perennial favourites of TV-land, lawyers and doctors, are perpetually well-dressed too. Kevin Hill and his female colleagues in Kevin Hill as well as the docs in Nip/Tuck are but two examples.

Has anyone noticed just how roomy offices are on TV? In The West Wing, there are hundreds of rooms and each is as big as the next. While we'll be lucky to get a desk and some drawers, Dr House has an office that comes equipped with extras like a TV, a sofa, a CD player and a bunch of toys that he can juggle. At his other office where he comes up with diagnoses on the patient of the week with his underlings, there's a coffee machine and a pantry in one corner. Best of all, this room opens to a balcony with a view of the sunset. He can also opt to pop into his pal's room. Let's not even start on his boss Dr Lisa Cuddy's (Lisa Edelstein) personal office that is of a living-room size. With facilities like these, who hates working?

Just Shoot Me is a magazine office where the editor, Maya Gallo (Laura San Giacomo), has a room with huge windows and a great view. Other editors' rooms may not be as nice, but they are just as big.

With work not being the most important thing to accomplish on each episode, these TV characters have a lot of time to just sit back and gossip about a co-worker they despise or plot to stick a knife in their back. Less Than Perfect perfectly illustrates how oversized egos and snarly assistants are two main elements in making a dysfunctional – and fun – office.

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