The Office (TV series)
"The Office" is an American mockumentary-style television comedy that premiered on NBC on March 24, 2005. Developed by Greg Daniels and based on the British series of the same name, it centers around the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. The series features a diverse cast, including notable characters such as the inept regional manager Michael Scott, portrayed by Steve Carell, and sales representatives Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, played by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer, respectively.
Initially struggling for viewership, the show gained popularity over its nine-season run, concluding in 2013, and received critical acclaim, winning numerous awards including an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006. "The Office" was particularly influential in shaping the mockumentary format, inspiring similar shows like "Parks and Recreation" and "Modern Family." Even after its original airing, the series maintained a strong following, particularly on streaming platforms like Netflix, where it became one of the most-watched shows. In 2023, a spin-off set in the same universe was announced by the streaming service Peacock, indicating the enduring legacy of "The Office" in popular culture.
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The Office (TV series)
The Office premiered on the television network NBC in 2005. After a slow start, the show soon found an audience and became one of the most popular comedies of the decade. The show won a number of awards during the 2000s, including several Emmy Awards.
IDENTIFICATION: Television comedy about the employees of Dunder Mifflin, a paper company
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Greg Daniels (b. 1963)
DATE: Premiered on March 24, 2005
The Office is based on the British television series of the same name, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Executive producer Greg Daniels reimagined the show for American audiences in 2005. The mockumentary-style comedy focuses on the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, office of paper company Dunder Mifflin, which is led by inept regional manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell). The cast includes a wide variety of characters, such as sales representative Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), office receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), and assistant to the regional manager Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). As the series progresses, the characters develop new relationships with their coworkers that help contribute to the show’s awkward humor. The show ran for nine seasons, concluding in 2013.
Although The Office averaged only about 5.4 million viewers in its first season, the show soon began to attract the attention of viewers and critics. By the end of the decade, the series averaged about 8.2 million viewers. In 2006, the series won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Carell received the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Musical or Comedy Series. The show earned a total of forty-two Emmy Award nominations, winning four more: for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2007, for Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series in 2009, and for Outstanding Single-camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series in 2007 and 2013. The show won many other awards throughout its run, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2007 and 2008 and the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy in 2006 and 2007.
Although no longer producing more episodes, The Office remained popular among viewers when it was added to the streaming service Netflix. In 2020, it was the most watched show on the platform, with Americans watching over fifty-seven billion minutes of The Office.
Impact
The Office helped launch the careers of several actors, including Carell, Krasinski, and Wilson, who found work in numerous feature films in the wake of the show’s success. In addition, the show’s mockumentary format was soon adopted by other network comedies, including NBC’s Parks and Recreation, cocreated by Daniels, and ABC’s Modern Family. The Office also affected the real city of Scranton, Pennsylvania; although the show was shot in California, Scranton enjoyed increased attention and tourism thanks to fans eager to visit some of the places mentioned by characters on the show. In 2023, it was revealed that the streaming service Peacock had picked up a spin-off of The Office. The new show is reported to be based in the same universe as The Office, however, it will be a different mockumentary with a whole new cast.
Bibliography
Clarke, Jayne. “Scranton Welcomes Fans of The Office.” USA Today. Gannett, 29 July 2009. Accessed 3 Aug. 2012.
Otterson, Joe. "New "The Office' Series Picked Up at Peacock, First Plot Details Reveal Midwestern Newspaper Setting." Variety, 8 May 2024, variety.com/2024/tv/news/the-office-spinoff-peacock-plot-details-1235996108/. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Pastorek, Whitney. “The Office: Working Overtime.” Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sept. 2007. Accessed 3 Aug. 2012.
Spangler, Todd. "'The Office' Was by Far the Most-Streamed TV Show in 2020, Nielsen Says." Variety, 12 Jan. 2021, variety.com/2021/digital/news/the-office-most-streamed-tv-show-2020-nielsen-1234883822/. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Wisnewski, J. Jeremy. The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unexamined Life. Malden: Blackwell, 2008. Print.