Ricky Gervais was also recognised with the award for best performance by an actor in a comedy. The series, which is shown on the BBC US cable station BBC America, also beat competition from two hotly tipped series not screened on UK terrestrial television, 'Monk' and 'Arrested Development'.
'The Office' has been a surprise success in American, winning celebrity fans such as Moby with reviewers describing it as "a small masterpiece" and "the television comedy answer to 'Waiting for Godot', with louder laughs".
Gervais said: "It hasn't really sunk in yet. It's absolutely fantastic - a highlight of my career. Here I a am, this fat block from Reading sharing a room with Jack Nicholson, Bill Murray and Michael Douglas. It's fantastic."
Nonetheless, the Americans are planning to take a stab at producing a US version, which it is hoped will attract a more mainstream audience. However, previous efforts at remaking British comedies have not had a high success rate. The US version of BBC Two comedy 'Coupling' was axed before it had completed a full run.
The US version of the 'The Office', unlike 'Coupling', will not use identical scripts.
Paul Lee, CEO of BBC America, said: "We are thrilled. Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and the entire cast and production team have created a comic masterpiece in The Office. We'd like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for once again recognizing shows that are truly groundbreaking. This is a watershed moment for BBC America."
Other programmes to win at the 61st Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles include the Fox real-time drama series '24', the third series of which has been confirmed as beginning on Thursday February 12 on Sky One in the UK, and HBO's mini-series 'Angels In America'.
In the film category, the final instalment of 'Lord of the Rings' was named as the best drama, while Sofia Coppola's 'Lost In Translation' won best comedy, as well as a best actor gong for star Bill Murray.
The awards are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
When the DVD of season two of 'The Office' was released in the UK it became the fastest ever selling DVD of a TV series. It will be released in the US later this year.
Filmed in spoof documentary style 'The Office' chronicles the daily lives of staff at fictional paper supply company, Wernham Hogg, in Slough. Gervais plays David Brent a lower middle manager who makes terrible jokes and craves the affection of his staff. His team includes army-obsessed office creep Gareth (Mackenzie Crook, Pirates of the Caribbean), smart under-achiever Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis, Pride and Prejudice), the bored but sweet receptionist Dawn who is the tolerant butt of many sexist jibes.
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