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The Office (US TV series)
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The Office is an Emmy-Award winning American television sitcom airing on NBC and developed by Greg Daniels. It is an American adaptation of the BBC series with the same name and depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Unlike many American sitcoms, The Office is shot in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track, and is made in the form of a documentary. Although fictional and scripted, the presence of the camera is openly acknowledged by the series' characters.
The Office was adapted for American audiences by executive producer Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, Rugrats and The Simpsons.
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Encyclopedia
The Office is an Emmy-Award winning American television sitcom airing on NBC and developed by Greg Daniels. It is an American adaptation of the BBC series with the same name and depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Unlike many American sitcoms, The Office is shot in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track, and is made in the form of a documentary. Although fictional and scripted, the presence of the camera is openly acknowledged by the series' characters.
The Office was adapted for American audiences by executive producer Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, Rugrats and The Simpsons. Original series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who wrote "The Convict" episode, have production credits. It is co-produced by Greg Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions, in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005, replacing the sitcom Committed.
US Air times
On NBC Thursday at 9pm eastern / pacific time
Repeats on TBS Tuesdays at 10pm and 10:30pm eastern / pacific time
Production
The British television series, The Office, was made for the BBC by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The show enjoyed significant success at home and abroad, and won two Golden Globes. NBC therefore commissioned a U.S. version.
Writers
Greg Daniels initially hired four writers for the series: Michael Schur, B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein and Mindy Kaling. He hired two consulting producers, Lester Lewis and Larry Wilmore.
In the second season, Jennifer Celotta and the team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg joined the writing staff. Steve Carell wrote the season's finale, "Casino Night". In the third season, original series creators Gervais and Merchant wrote "The Convict" and veteran television comedy writer Brent Forrester began writing for the show. Carell returned to writing again with "Survivor Man" in the fourth season, and Lester Lewis contributed an episode then as well.
Other writers: Charlie Grandy, Justin Spitzer , Veda Semarne , Anthony Q. Farrell (Story Editor), Ryan Koh
Casting
All original series characters were adapted for the U.S. version. The Casting Directors are Allison Jones (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat, The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Golden Girls) and Marla Garlin (I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Arlington Road, Gotta Kick It Up!, Maybe It's Me, The Jeff Garlin Program, The Comeback, St. Sass, Ripe Tomatoes)
NBC programmer Kevin Reilly suggested Paul Giamatti to producer Ben Silverman for the role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined. Martin Short, Hank Azaria and Bob Odenkirk were also reported to be interested. In January 2004, Variety reported Steve Carell of the popular Comedy Central program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, was in talks to play the role. At the time, he was already committed to another NBC midseason replacement comedy, Come to Papa, but the series was quickly cancelled, leaving him fully committed to The Office. Carell later stated he had only seen about half of the original pilot episode of the British series before he auditioned. He did not continue watching for fear that he would start copying Gervais' characterizations.
Rainn Wilson, who was cast as the power-hungry sycophant Dwight Schrute, had watched every episode of the series before he auditioned. Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael, a performance he described as a "terrible [Ricky] Gervais impersonation"; however, the casting directors liked his audition as Dwight much more and hired him for the role.
John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were virtual unknowns before being cast in their respective roles as Jim and Pam, the central love interests. Krasinski recalled accidentally insulting Daniels while waiting to audition for the series, telling him, "I hope they [the show's developers] don't screw this up." Daniels then introduced himself and told Krasinski who he was. Fischer prepared for her audition by looking as boring as possible, creating the original Pam hairstyle. In an interview on NPR's Fresh Air , Fischer recalled the last stages of the audition process for Pam and Jim, with the producers partnering the different potential Pams and Jims (four of each) together to gauge their chemistry. When Fischer finished her scene with Krasinski, he told her that she was his favorite Pam, to which she reciprocated that he was her favorite Jim.
The supporting cast includes actors known for their improv work: Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Melora Hardin, and David Denman. Kinsey had originally auditioned for Pam. The producers thought she was "too feisty" for the character, but they called her back for the part of Angela Martin, which she won. Flannery first auditioned for the part of Jan Levinson-Gould, before landing the role of Meredith Palmer. Baumgartner originally auditioned for Stanley, but was eventually cast as Kevin. Ken Kwapis liked the way Phyllis Smith, a casting associate, read with other actors auditioning so much that he cast her as Phyllis. At the beginning of the third season, Ed Helms and Rashida Jones joined the cast as members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford. While Jones would later leave the cast for a recurring role, in February 2007 NBC announced that Helms was being promoted to a series regular.
Four of the show's writers have also stepped in front of the camera. Novak was cast as reluctant temp Ryan Howard after Daniels saw his stand-up act. Paul Lieberstein was cast as human resources director Toby Flenderson on Novak's suggestion after his cold readings of scripts. Greg Daniels originally was not sure where to use the Indian American Kaling on-screen in the series until the opportunity came in the second episode's script where Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. "Since (that slap), I've been on the show" (as Kelly Kapoor), says Kaling. Schur has also made occasional appearances as Dwight's cousin Mose, and consulting producer Wilmore has played diversity trainer Mr. Brown. Plans were made for Mackenzie Crook, Martin Freeman, and Lucy Davis from the British version of The Office to appear in the third season, but those plans were scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.
Directors
Ken Kwapis, a veteran of The Larry Sanders Show and Malcolm in the Middle, directed the pilot and eight other episodes. Daniels, Ken Whittingham, Amy Heckerling, and Bryan Gordon also began directing the show in the first season.
Paul Feig, creator of Freaks and Geeks, directed four second season episodes, and three fourth season episodes. He is currently scheduled to direct another episode. In the third and fourth seasons, directors known for their work on other series and in other media, such as J.J. Abrams, Harold Ramis, Jason Reitman, and Joss Whedon helmed episodes. The fourth season's "Money" marked Lieberstein's directorial debut.
- Ken Kwapis
- Greg Daniels
- Paul Feig
- Ken Whittingham (7 episodes, 2005-2008)
- Randall Einhorn (6 episodes, 2006-2009)
- Jeffrey Blitz (5 episodes, 2006-2009)
- Charles McDougall (3 episodes, 2005-2006)
- Tucker Gates (3 episodes, 2006-2008)
- Harold Ramis (3 episodes, 2006-2007)
- Bryan Gordon (2 episodes, 2005-2006)
- Dennie Gordon (2 episodes, 2006)
- Victor Nelli Jr. (2 episodes, 2006)
- Jason Reitman (2 episodes, 2007-2008)
- Julian Farino (2 episodes, 2007)
- Joss Whedon
- Richard Gonzales
- Jasmine Alhambra
- Melissa V. Barnes
- Kelly Cantley
- Nina Jack
- Rusty Mahmood
- Liz Ryan
- Greg Hale
- Ross Novie
- Erin Rutland
- Richard J. Levin
- Alicia Cho
- Jennie O'Keefe
- Grace Liu
- Tena Psyche Yatroussis
- Sharon Swab
- Kyle Hollingsworth (I Love You, Beth Cooper, The Kings of Appletown, Race to Witch Mountain, ER, Medium, Chuck)
Improvisation
A complete script is written for each episode of The Office; however, actors are given opportunities to improvise during the shooting process. "Our shows are 100 percent scripted," Fischer explained. "They put everything down on paper. But we get to play around a little bit, too. Steve and Rainn are brilliant improvisers."
The kiss Michael planted on Oscar in the third season episode "Gay Witch Hunt" was improvised. "Steve just went into that bit on the fly," Fischer wrote. "Those looks of shock/giddiness/confusion on our faces are real. We were all on the edge of our seats wondering what would happen next. I can't believe we held it together for as long as we did. I'm not sure we've ever laughed so hard on set."
Format
The Office is presented as a mockumentary. The primary vehicle for the show is that a camera crew has decided to film Dunder Mifflin and its employees, seemingly around the clock. The presence of the camera is acknowledged by the characters, especially Michael Scott, who enthusiastically participates in the filming. Others, for example Jan Levinson, are frequently annoyed or uncomfortable at its presence. The main action of the show is supplemented with talking-head interviews or "confessionals," with the characters speaking one on one with the camera crew about the day's events. Sometimes two characters share an interview, speaking with each other and the camera at the same time. This occurs most notably with Jim and Pam, or, occasionally, Oscar and Kevin or Kelly and Ryan, and once, Michael and Toby. Some characters use the camera's presence to their advantage. For example, in "Christmas Party", Phyllis's boyfriend Bob Vance introduces himself repeatedly as "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration" to garner publicity for his business. In other instances, the camera has affected plot lines. In "The Dundies", a drunken Pam nearly confesses something to Jim, but shies away when she realizes the camera is still there. In "E-mail Surveillance", Pam asks the crew to help her look for evidence of Dwight and Angela's secret relationship, which they later provide. In "Fun Run", the cameras catch Jim and Pam kissing, which leads to them admitting to the crew that they are in fact dating.
In early episodes, the camera crews seemed confined primarily to the office setting, but as the show has expanded to include more about the characters' personal lives, the cameras have taken on an often-omnipresent, even intrusive persona. Characters are often followed out of the office and sometimes even to their homes. The cameras were present at Jim's barbecue and Michael's dinner party, and even when Jim and Pam left for a weekend getaway (although the trip was to Dwight's beet farm) - all arguably personal, not work-related, events. Behind-doors conversations are often filmed through a window or crack in the door. It is shown in "The Injury" that Michael is wearing a wireless lavalier microphone, which could explain why the cameras are often able to hear closed-door conversations. The cameras have caught Jan kissing Michael in "Valentine's Day", much to Jan's chagrin, and, as mentioned above, revealed both Dwight and Angela's and Jim and Pam's personal relationships. Non-primary characters or extras who encounter the camera crew are usually unsurprised or unaffected by it, and the cameras were even allowed into Michael, Jim, and Karen's job interviews for a corporate position.
Deleted scenes
On The Office, deleted scenes are considered part of the show's canon and story line, and have sometimes been restored in repeats to make episodes longer or draw people who have seen the episode before back to see the bonus footage. Half of season 4 had to be canceled due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, but the writers considered their planned episodes to have actually happened. References to what occurred are made throughout aired episodes even though the viewer never saw the footage on screen
In an experiment, a deleted scene from "The Return" was made available over nbc.com and iTunes that explained the absence of a character over the next several episodes. Daniels hoped that word of mouth among fans would spread the information, but eventually considered the experiment a failure. The missing scene was restored in later airings. Director's cuts of episodes with extra footage have also appeared on NBC's online video venture Hulu recently.
Deleted scenes have become a staple of the series DVD releases.
Product placement
The Office has had product placement deals with Staples and the Olympic baler, as well as mentioning in dialogue or displaying clear logos for products such as Sandals Resorts, HP, Apple, and Gateway computers, and Activision's Call of Duty video game. In "The Merger", Kevin Malone uses a Staples-branded shredding machine to shred a Staples-branded CD-R and many other non-paper items, including a salad. As with HP, Cisco Systems, a supplier of networking and telephone equipment, pays for product placement, which can be seen on close up shots of the Cisco IP Telephones. In the Season two episode "The Secret" Michael takes Jim to Hooters to discuss Jim's feelings for Pam. In another episode: "The Merger" Angela refers to Hooters as a strip club, causing Michael to defend Hooters as a family place, and inform the camera of how many chains there are worldwide. The tech help-desk Geek Squad's logo has also appeared (logo on the wall of Toby's cubicle and a toy of the Geek Squad Volkswagen car atop a filing cabinet, in "Michael's Birthday" and "Drug Testing", respectively), though it is unclear whether they paid for this placement.
Many products featured are not part of product placement agreements, but rather inserted by writers as products the characters would use, to create realism under the guise of a documentary. Apple, Inc. received over four minutes of publicity for the iPod when it was used as a much-desired gift in "Christmas Party", though the company did not pay for the placement. The Apple laptop MacBook Pro is also used in the season premiere of season five where Jim uses one to video chat with Pam while in the office. Apple computers are also featured during Pam's first class, in which she is not supposed to be. Pam also discusses with Jim that she can't learn and doesn't understand Flash, a popular animation program by software giant Adobe Systems. In "Local Ad" Adobe Premiere can be seen on Michael's computer while he is editing his commercial. Photoshop is also mentioned in accordance with Pam's interest with graphic design. Chili's restaurants were used for filming in "The Dundies" and "The Client", as the writers believed they were realistic choices for a company party and business lunch. Though not an explicit product placement, the producers of the show had to allow Chili's to have final approval of the script before filming, causing a scene of "The Dundies" to be hastily rewritten when the chain objected to the original version.
The appearance of Second Life in the episode "Local Ad" was rated eighth in the top ten most effective product placements of 2007. The Office was the only non-reality show to make the list, and Second Life was the only product on the list that did not pay for its placement.
Theme song and title sequence
The theme song for The Office was written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones. It is played over the title sequence, which features some Scranton scenes and everyday office tasks being performed by the cast, with the cast and production credits. Some episodes of the series use a shortened version of the theme song. Starting with the fourth season, the theme song is played over the closing credits, which previously rolled in silence. Originally the theme song began each episode; however, starting early in the second season with the episode "Office Olympics", most episodes have begun with a cold open followed by the theme. The exteriors of buildings in the title sequence are actual buildings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and were shot by cast member John Krasinski. In the pilot episode, the theme song starts out differently than it does in the later episodes.
The title sequence for the Season 5 episode "Stress Relief", which aired after the Super Bowl, included new footage and added most of the ensemble cast. However, subsequent episodes feature a shorter version of the original sequence.
Setting
The British version had been set in Slough, a commuter town on the outskirts of London. Looking for a suitable U.S. equivalent, Executive Producer Greg Daniels considered Nashua, New Hampshire and Utica, New York before settling on Scranton, Pennsylvania. "It just seemed like a real place," he said later. "[B]y definition the town we picked wouldn't have a lot of glitzy stuff going on." It was just far enough away from New York to be credible as a location for a regional branch office. Daniels also recalled that the Paper Magic line of greeting cards was made in the city. When asked before the premiere what differences there might be from the British version, Gervais joked that the American actors would have better teeth. Nashua and Utica were later adopted as the locations of other Dunder-Mifflin branches.
All filming is done in the Greater Los Angeles area, but the show makes many references to actual places and businesses in and near Scranton, such as the Mall at Steamtown, Lake Wallenpaupack, Abe's Deli, and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour. Dwight's "Froggy 101" bumper sticker is from local country station WGGY. "We went toward embracing the whole Scranton-ness of the setting," said Daniels. When outdoor scenes are set to occur during the winter months cars will be prepped with fake salt grime to give the illusion of a Scranton winter.
Filming locations
The show's first season had a run of just six episodes, and was filmed on location in an actual office. For the second season, since NBC ordered a full run of episodes, filming moved to a sound stage at in Van Nuys, built to replicate the first season's environment, including plaques and certificates hanging on walls using the names of crew members.
Music
In keeping with its mockumentary format, the show has no laugh track. All music must be diegetic, with songs either sung or played by the characters or heard on radios, computers or other devices. In "The Dundies" episode however, Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" is played just before and also alongside the closing credits. Also, in the episode "Dinner Party", the song written by Jan's old assistant Hunter titled "That One Night", which was played at the dinner party, is played near the end of the episode as different characters drive home from Michael's house. It starts out being played in Jim's car while he and Pam eat, but then continues as Michael and Dwight drive down the road. Featured music tends to be well known, and often older, popular songs in order to reflect the character, such as Michael's attempt to seem hip by using "Mambo No. 5" and later "My Humps" as cellular phone ringtones.
Characters
The Office employs an ensemble cast. All of the main characters, and some minor ones, are based on characters from the British version of The Office.
Michael Scott, the head of the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, feels he is the life of the office; his employees feel otherwise. His assistant manager, sales representative Jim Halpert is dating the office receptionist, Pam Beesly, and finally asks her to marry him, which she happily accepts. Their relationship comes after three seasons of friendship laced with romantic tension. Dwight Schrute, the assistant "to the" regional manager, is an award-winning salesman and former Lackawanna County volunteer reserve deputy sheriff known for his authoritarian personality and science fiction fandom. There is an ongoing rivalry between Jim and Dwight, whose differing personalities often cause them to be at odds with each other. Ryan Howard, who started out as a temporary worker in the Scranton office, was later promoted to Dunder Mifflin's Vice President for Regional Sales, which would make him Michael's boss, until his treachery is exposed for corporate fraud and he's fired, ending up again as the temporary worker at the Scranton branch.
The accounting department features the uptight Angela Martin, who wishes to keep things orderly and make sure situations remain as serious as possible, including her previous secret affair with Dwight; Kevin Malone, a sardonic, overweight man who revels in juvenile humor and is addicted to gambling and M&Ms; and the patient Oscar Martinez, whose homosexuality, timidity, and Mexican American heritage make him a favorite target for Michael's off-hand comments. Rounding out the office are the stern salesman Stanley Hudson, who barely stands for Michael's constant references to his African-American heritage; Cornell alum, anger-management grad and Angela's former fiancι Andy Bernard, formerly of the Stamford, Connecticut branch office; former Woodstocker, and all-around rule-breaker quality-assurance Creed Bratton; the timid saleswoman Phyllis Lapin Vance; the bubbly and talkative customer service representative Kelly Kapoor; the depressed, alcoholic single mother supply relations representative Meredith Palmer; and frequent target of Michael's abuse, human resources representative Toby Flenderson. A story arc at the start of the fifth season has Holly Flax transferred to the office as Toby's replacement. She acts as a love interest for Michael, as they share very similar personalities. However, Holly is transferred away after corporate discovers that Michael and Holly are involved, resulting in their break up. Outside the office, there is Michael's former love interest Jan Levinson, who previously held the position of Vice President for Regional Sales.
Season synopses
A typical episode for a half-hour time slot runs 20½ minutes. The final episode of the second season introduced the first of what would be several "super-sized" episodes (approximately 29-minute running time for a 40-minute time slot). The third season introduced the first of occasional hour-long episodes (approximately 41-minute running time; suitable for being shown as two separate normal episodes).
Season one
The first season featured six episodes that began airing on March 24, 2005 and finished on April 26, 2005.
The series begins by introducing the office and its employees via a tour given by Michael Scott for both the camera crew and Ryan Howard, a temp on his first day. News soon spreads that Dunder Mifflin's corporate headquarters plan to downsize, and the Scranton branch faces a possible closure. Employee benefits are slashed, including health care. Anxiety over downsizing grows, but Michael chooses to deny or downplay such a possibility in the interest of employee morale. Jim has a crush on Pam, his partner in crime when planning pranks against office mate Dwight, even though she has been engaged to Roy from the warehouse for three years. In the final episode of the season, to Pam's subtle concern, Jim begins dating Katy, a purse saleswoman who visits and sets up shop briefly in the office.
Season two
The second season was the first full season for the show and included twenty-two episodes. The season premiere originally aired on September 20, 2005, and the season finale on May 11, 2006. First season plots continued and new plots emerged, as well as development in most secondary characters who were left to the background in season one. The fate of the Scranton branch remained unresolved, but it did not seem to be doing well in comparison with the other branches, particularly the Stamford branch.
Over the season, romantic relationships develop between some of the characters. Jim's relationship with Katy continues, to Pam's chagrin. Michael and Jan have a one-night stand in the wake of Jan's divorce. This is revealed to the company by one of the other regional managers who is angry with Michael. He drifts into a relationship with Carol, the realtor who sells him his new condominium. Dwight and Angela become involved after a nighttime tryst in Jim's backyard following a party. They keep the relationship a secret from everyone else. Kelly develops a crush on Ryan. The audience also learns that Oscar is gay although Dwight fails to realize this when he sees Oscar and his partner together.
Dwight resigns his position as a volunteer reserve deputy sheriff. In Booze Cruise, Jim finally decides to reveal his feelings to Pam, but is seconds too late when Roy publicly announces he's ready to set their wedding date. Jim tells her he could not attend since he would (deliberately) be on vacation in Australia at that time. He opens talks with Jan about transferring to Stamford, but has some unfinished business to attend to before deciding, finally telling Pam in the finale, that he loves her and then kisses her.
The Accountants
Between seasons two and three in 2006, NBC released "The Accountants", ten short webisodes starring the trio of accountants, Angela, Oscar, and Kevin. The webisodes involve the group investigating a $3,000 discrepancy in the accounting books, where they interview many of the other employees in the office, finally leading them to believe that Michael took the money. But in the final webisode, the group ultimately discovers that the source of the missing money was an accounting mistake on Angela's part, who originally had firmly denied such a possibility. The webisodes are included as extras in the season two DVD collection.
Season three
The third season had 25 episodes, consisting of 17 half-hour episodes, four 40-minute "super-sized" episodes, and two one-hour episodes. They originally aired from September 21, 2006 to May 17, 2007.
Jim has transferred to the Stamford branch, where he takes over as assistant regional manager. He finds new love with coworker Karen Filippelli, and a workplace rival in Andy Bernard, who wanted his job. He is content, but misses his former coworkers. Back in Scranton, Pam has canceled the wedding and called off her engagement to Roy. Ryan has now been hired as a full-time sales representative. Carol breaks up with Michael, leading him eventually to return to Jan. Oscar is outed inadvertently by Michael, leading Jan to offer him a three-month paid vacation and a company car so he won't sue. He takes it and is gone for half the season. Dwight and Angela continue their relationship and keep it a secret from most of their coworkers.
Corporate finally decides to close down the Scranton branch. But those plans are changed when the head of the Stamford branch, Josh Porter, who was to take a job similar to Jan's while Jim would head the enlarged Stamford office, tells Jan he will be leaving for a senior management position at Staples, a major competitor to Dunder Mifflin. Instead, the Stamford branch is shut down and its employees merged into Scranton, where Pam and Jim are reunited. Michael's management style eventually leads all the employees merged from Stamford to quit except for Karen, Andy, and Jim. Pam tries to be honest with Roy about her past with Jim and tells him they kissed, which leads to Roy trashing the bar they are in. She tells him it's over. Roy shows up at the office and attacks Jim out of jealousy. After being sprayed in the face with mace by Dwight, he is fired.
Jan and Michael's relationship becomes public after he inadvertently emails a picture he took of her on the beach in Jamaica to Darryl. Phyllis becomes engaged to, and eventually marries Bob Vance, owner of neighboring Vance Refrigeration. She takes a six-week honeymoon afterwards. Andy is provoked to anger after a prank played on him by Jim and Pam and punches a wall. He is subsequently sent off to anger management training, precipitating a long absence of his character from the show. Michael, after learning he is being considered for a corporate job, tries to pick his replacement through a series of Survivor-like challenges at a trip to the beach. Pam, not included in the games and feeling small, depressed, and left out, finally builds her courage and makes a speech to everyone, telling Jim she called off the wedding because of him.
In the season's finale, Jim, Karen, and Michael are interviewing for the position at corporate that turns out to be Jan's. When she confronts her superiors about this, they explain that her increasingly erratic behavior is interfering with her job and fire her on the spot. Jim ultimately decides he does not want the corporate job. He drives back to Scranton without Karen and asks Pam out on a date, and she joyfully accepts. In the final scene, we learn Ryan has gotten Jan's job.
Season four
NBC ordered a full fourth season consisting of 30 episodes. After 12 episodes were filmed, production was suspended due to the 20072008 writers' strike. Post-strike episodes began airing April 10. This truncated season contained only 19 episodes.
Karen has left due to losing Jim to Pam. She becomes regional manager at the Utica branch. Pam and Jim date happily. Jan moves in with Michael, who takes a second job in telemarketing due to his deepening financial problems.
Angela and Dwight break up after he kills her sick cat by freezing it to death. She begins dating Andy as Dwight licks his wounds. Dwight finds escape by spending time in the virtual world of Second Life with an avatar paper salesman he created to mirror his real life (except that he can fly).
Meredith spends time convalescing and rehabilitating after Michael hits her with his car in the parking lot. Ryan, in his new role, attempts to modernize Dunder Mifflin's way of doing business with a new ad campaign and website. Kelly finally moves on from her relationship with Ryan to date Darryl. Jan files a lawsuit against Dunder Mifflin for wrongful termination, which she loses because of Michael's testimony.
Michael and Jan host a disastrous dinner party, which ultimately ends in Michael leaving Jan. Jim reveals his plans to propose to Pam. In New York, Michael and Dwight visit Ryan, who has developed a drug problem. Ryan attempts to sabotage Jim's career when he learns that David Wallace, his boss likes Jim. But Ryan is revealed to have committed fraud, arrested and will presumably be fired. Toby, after revealing his affection for Pam, announces he is leaving for Costa Rica. A replacement HR Rep, Holly Flax, is hired and quickly shows fondness towards Michael. Michael and Holly's pending romance is cut short when Jan returns, pregnant from a sperm donor; Michael agrees to help her through the pregnancy. In the season finale, Jim is about to propose to Pam, but Andy interrupts with his public proposal to Angela, who reluctantly agrees. She is later caught having sex with Dwight in the office.
Kevin's Loan
Between the fourth and fifth seasons, the summer webisode series "Kevin's Loan" was released in four weekly episodes, the first premiering on July 10. The webisodes follow Kevin, Oscar, and Darryl. In the story, Kevin attempts to repay his gambling debts by taking out a loan, which he intends to say is for starting an ice cream business. Although Oscar attempts to dissuade him, Kevin goes through with his plan which inevitably fails, even with Darryl's help.
Season five
NBC ordered a fifth season consisting of 28 episodes on April 10, 2008, with a 29th episode announced in January 2009. NBC also announced that Greg Daniels and the producers would be creating a spin-off series to air after NBC Super Bowl XLIII coverage in early 2009, but in August 2008 decided that a special hour-long episode of The Office would be shown instead of the spin-off during that time slot. The episode followed NBC's first Super Bowl in 11 years; According to Ricky Gervais's blog, Steve Carell has signed on for three more seasons of The Office. Season 5 premiered on September 25, 2008 from 9:00-10:00 P.M. EST.
Michael and Holly's friendship blossoms into romance, despite Jan's desire to keep them apart, and in part because of her choice to exclude Michael from the birth of her daughter. They part ways when Holly is transferred back to the Nashua branch after corporate finds out about their relationship. To Michael's displeasure, Toby returns from Costa Rica and resumes his duties as Scranton's HR representative. Michael attracts praise for both individual and branch success in tough economic times, but he increasingly questions corporate's business practices.
Jim finally proposes to Pam in the season premiere, which she happily accepts; however, she enrolls in a three-month graphic design course at the Pratt Institute in New York, and the physical separation puts a strain on their relationship. She ultimately returns to Scranton where Jim buys his parents' house for the couple.
Dwight and Angela maintain an affair despite her engagement to Andy. When the affair becomes public knowledge, Andy and Dwight duel. Upon learning Angela had slept with them both, Andy cancels the wedding and Dwight breaks off the affair. Having avoided jail and only sentenced to community service, Ryan returns to Dunder Mifflin where he started as a temporary worker, but he vows to return to the top some day. Ryan also briefly resumes his relationship with Kelly before he borrows money from her to go on a trip with some friends to Thailand.
On January 26, 2009, E!'s Live from the Red Carpet at the SAG awards aired. Jenna Fischer explained to an E! correspondent that Pam and Jim (who are currently engaged) will be facing relationship-related problems in the near future. When the correspondent asked if Pam was pregnant, Fischer played innocent and did not answer. She did say, however, that it did not mean that Pam and Jim are having problems with each other, but their relationship will be tested. She stated that these problems will unravel in "Stress Relief". During the same interview, B.J. Novak said that Ryan will have a drastic change in appearance later in the season. No further detail was given, but he stated that he is making changes to his own body for the plot of the show.
The Outburst
During the fifth season, the winter webisode series "The Outburst" was released in weekly episodes, the first premiering on November 20. Oscar is overheard angrily yelling at someone on the phone; Kevin, Angela, Andy, Phyllis, Kelly, Creed, Meredith, and Toby all investigate the mysterious call.
Response
Before the show aired, Gervais acknowledged that there were feelings of hesitation from certain viewers. "I think people are always gonna be wary of a remakeit's a tradition," he said. "But this remake is aimed at the 249 million Americans who didn't see the original TV show. There's not gonna be many Texas farmhands going, 'Eccch, not another version. I can't believe it.'"
Critical reviews and commentary
Before its first airing, the New York Daily News called it "so diluted there's little left but muddy water", and USA Today called it a "passable imitation of a miles-better BBC original". A Guardian Unlimited review panned its lack of originality, stating, "(Steve Carell) just seems to be trying too hard ... Maybe in later episodes when it deviates from Gervais and Merchant's script, he'll come into his own. But right now he's a pale imitation."
Reviews became more positive in the second season. Time magazine remarked, "Producer Greg Daniels created not a copy but an interpretation that sends up distinctly American work conventions ... with a tone that's more satiric and less mordant. ... The new boss is different from the old boss, and that's fine by me." Entertainment Weekly echoed these sentiments a week later, stating, "Thanks to the fearless Steve Carell, an ever-stronger supporting cast, and scripts that spew American corporate absurdist vernacular with perfect pitch, this undervalued remake does the near impossibleit honors Ricky Gervais' original and works on its own terms."
The Onions A.V. Club expressed its views on the show's progression: "After a rocky start, The Office improved immeasurably, instantly becoming one of TV's funniest, sharpest shows. The casting of Steve Carell in the Gervais role proved to be a masterstroke. The American Office is that rarest of anomalies: a remake of a classic show that both does right by its source and carves out its own strong identity." Time magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007, ranking it at #6. He also included it on his "The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME" list.
The show has some superficial similarities to the comic-strip Dilbert, which also features employees coping with an inept superior. John Spector, CEO of The Conference Board, says that both show the impact a leader can have, for good or bad. Dilbert creator Scott Adams also touts the similarities: "The lesson from The Office and from Dilbert is that people are often dysfunctional, and no amount of training can fix it."
There have been political responses to the show. Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter believes the show's popularity arises partly from what he views as a political allegory of the former George W. Bush administration. Michael and Dwight, he says, share much in common with George W. Bush and Dick Cheney respectively, both in appearance and temperament. On an episode of The Daily Show, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, reportedly a devoted fan of the show, jokingly told Jon Stewart he might take Dwight Schrute as his running mate. Rainn Wilson later accepted on Dwight's behalf while on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A labor-affiliated group praised the episode "Boys and Girls" for what it considered an unusually frank depiction of union busting on American television.
Ratings
Premiering on Thursday, March 24, 2005, after an episode of The Apprentice on NBC, The Office caught the curiosity of 11.2 million viewers in the U.S., winning its time slot. When NBC moved the series to its intended Tuesday night slot, it lost nearly half its audience with only 5.9 million viewers. The program averaged 5.4 million viewers, ranking it #102 for the 20042005 U.S. television season. "Hot Girl", the first season's finale, rated a 2.2 with a 10 audience measurement share, the lowest rating in the show's history. Episodes were also rerun on CNBC.
As the second season started, the success of Carell's hit summer movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin and online sales of episodes at iTunes helped the show. The increase in viewership led NBC to move the series to the "Must See TV" Thursday night in January 2006, where ratings continued to grow. By the 20052006 season, it placed #2 (tied with 20/20). It averaged 8.0 million viewers with a 10/10 rating, and was up 80% in viewers from the year before and up 60% in viewers ages 1849.
The third-season premiere received a 9/9 and made a large increase in total viewers and viewers 1849 over My Name Is Earl. By the end of the 20062007 season, it placed #68 (tied with The Biggest Loser 3). It averaged 8.3 million viewers with a 11/11 rating, a large improvement from the previous season. The fourth-season premiere on September 27, 2007 received higher ratings with 9.67 million viewers and a series-high of a 9.7 in the key 1849 demographic. The season five premiere received was on par with the previous season's premiere, placing 3rd for viewership during its timeslot and 2nd in 18-49 demo.
Nielsen Media Research released figures for delayed viewing, and The Office increased 48 percent from its fourth season debut, adding 2.5 million viewers in playback.
Seasonal ratings
| Season | Timeslot (EDT) | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers
(in millions) | 1849 Rating/Share
(rank) |
|---|
| 1 | Tuesday 9:30 p.m. | March 24, 2005 | April 26, 2005 | 20042005 | #102 | 5.4 | (#82) |
|---|
| 2 | Tuesday 9:30 p.m.
(September 20 December 6, 2005)
Thursday 9:30 p.m.
(January 5 May 11, 2006) | September 20, 2005 | May 11, 2006 | 20052006 | #67 | 8.8 | (#34) |
|---|
| 3 | Thursday 8:30 p.m. | September 21, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | 20062007 | #68 | 8.9 | (#28) |
|---|
| 4 | Thursday 9:00 p.m. | September 25, 2007 | May 15, 2008 | 20072008 | #77 | 9.5 | TBA* |
|---|
| 5 | Thursday 9:00 p.m. | September 25, 2008 | TBA | 20082009 | #31 | 10.47(to date) | TBA* |
|---|
* Subject to change.
Cultural effects
The city of Scranton, long known mainly for its industrial past as a coal mining and rail center, has eagerly embraced, and been redefined by the show. "We're really hip now," says the mayor's assistant. The Dunder Mifflin logo is on a lamppost banner in front of Scranton City Hall, as well as the pedestrian bridge to the Mall at Steamtown. The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company, whose tower is shown in the opening credits, plans to add it to the tower as well. Newspapers in other Northeastern cities have published travel guides to Scranton locations for tourists interested in visiting places mentioned in the show.
Scranton has become identified with the show outside the United States as well. In a 2008 St. Patrick's Day speech in its suburb of Dickson City, former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern identified the city as the home of Dunder Mifflin.
The inaugural The Office convention was held downtown in October 2007. Notable landmarks, some of which have been settings for the show, that served as venues include the University of Scranton, the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel and Steamtown Mall. Cast appearances were made by B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, Melora Hardin, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Bobby Ray Shafer, and Andy Buckley. Writer appearances, besides Novak and Kaling, were made by Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, Jennifer Celotta, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky, Justin Spitzer, Anthony Ferrell, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, and Jason Kessler. Not present were writer-actor Paul Lieberstein (who was originally going to make an appearance), Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Jenna Fischer.
The phrase that's what she said was re-popularised by the show.
International broadcast
In addition to the United States, The Office is broadcast in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Portugal, the Asia Pacific region, Brazil, Latin America, Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and the Arab World.
In the United Kingdom the show is broadcast as The Office: An American Workplace to differentiate from the British version. Season 2, which has already aired on ITV2 in the United Kingdom, has started repeats on Paramount Comedy 1. In Ireland the show is known as US Office.
In Germany Super RTL began airing the show on 5 January 2008 at 11:10 pm. In Austria ORF 1 began airing the show on 6 March 2008 at 11:10 pm. In Spain TNT, Paramount Comedy (Spain) and La Sexta are airing the show. In the Netherlands the show began airing on Comedy Central under the title The Office US in April 2007. In Australia the series was canceled after only two episodes due to poorer ratings than expected, but it returned to a late Sunday-night time slot on Ten in early 2006; however, this once again would be taken off then returning in 2007 after Californication. After the first season finale of Californication it was pulled off again but returned when Californication did but has since been bumped to midnight. Starting in September TV1 on Foxel in Australia began airing The Office every Thursday night at 8:45. In Portugal the show is broadcast on TVI, in the early morning; the broadcaster was petitioned to reschedule it to a more viewer-friendly timeslot. In France the show is broadcast late nights on Canal+.In Russia Channel One began airing the show on 14 July 2008 at 00:20 am. In Hungary the series is broadcast by Viasat 3. The show is in the air on TV6 since spring 2008 in Estonia. In Denmark the show ran on DR2 for some months in 2008 before being cancelled. The show's first season ran on the Norwegian channel TV2 in 2007/2008.
Other media
Online releases
Episodes from The Office were among the first television shows available for download from the iTunes Store beginning in December 2005. In 2006, ten internet-exclusive webisodes featuring some of the characters on The Office aired on NBC.com. "Producer's Cuts" (containing approximately ten additional minutes of material) of the episodes "Branch Closing" and "The Return" were also made available on NBC.com. The Office also became available for download from Amazon.com's Unbox video downloads in 2006. Sales of new The Office episodes on iTunes ceased in 2007 due to a dispute between NBC and Apple ostensibly over pricing. As of September 9, 2008 The Office was put back on the iTunes store, and can be bought in HD and Regular format. Netflix also offers the show for online viewing by subscribers, in addition to traditional DVD rental.
Of the 12.4 million total viewings of "Fun Run", the fourth season's premiere, 2.7 million, or 22%, were on a computer via online streaming. "The Office", said The New York Times, "is on the leading edge of a sharp shift in entertainment viewing that was thought to be years away: watching television episodes on a computer screen is now a common activity for millions of consumers." It was particularly popular with online viewers, an NBC researcher said, because as an episode-driven sitcom without special effects it was easy to watch on smaller monitors such as those found on laptops and iPods. Between the online viewings and those who use digital video recorders, 25-50% of the show's viewers watch it after its scheduled airtime.
The show's Internet success became an issue in the 20072008 Writers Guild of America strike. Daniels and many of the cast members who double as writers posted a video to YouTube shortly after the strike began, pointing out how little, if any, they received in residuals from online and DVD viewing. "You're watching this on the Internet, a thing that pays us zero dollars," Schur said. "We're supposed to get 11 cents for every two trillion downloads." The writers were particularly upset that they weren't compensated for the Daytime Emmy Award winning summer webisodes "The Accountants", which NBC considered promotional material despite the embedded commercials.
Promotional
The show's success has resulted in expansion outside of television. Characters have appeared in promotional materials for NBC, and a licensed video gameThe Officewas released in 2007. In 2008 two games were introduced via Pressman Toy Corp: The Office Trivia Board Game and The Office DVD Board Game. Other merchandise, from T-shirts and a bobblehead doll of Dwight Schrute to more office-specific items such as parodies of the Successories motivational poster series featuring the cast, is available. Dunder Mifflin has two websites, and the cast members maintain blogs both as themselves and in character.
Cast blogs
Several members of the cast maintain blogs. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are the most active, posting regularly during the season. Rainn Wilson writes in character on "Schrute Space" on NBC.com, which is updated periodically. It is unknown whether Creed Bratton authors "Creed Thoughts", the blog attributed to his character.
DVD releases
| Season | Region 1 Release Date | Region 2 Release Date | Region 4 Release Date | Episodes | Discs | Bonus Features |
|---|
| 1 | August 16, 2005 | April 10, 2006 | June 6, 2006 | 6 | 1 | Deleted scenes from all episodes, five commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes. | | 2 | September 12, 2006 | January 28, 2008 | April 4, 2007 | 22 | 4 | Deleted scenes from every episode, 10 commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes, The Accountants webisodes, Faces of Scranton video, blooper reel, 17 fake public service announcements, Olympics promos and "Steve on Steve" promos. | | 3 | September 4, 2007 | July 21, 2008 | Part 1: August 20, 2008 | 23 | 4 | Deleted scenes, 8 commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes, "Kevin Cooks Stuff in The Office", 2006 NBC Primetime Preview, Toby wraparound promos, Dwight Schrute music video, Joss Whedon interview, Blooper Reel, Lazy Scranton video, and a 58th Annual Emmy Awards excerpt. A special edition for Target called the "Nifty Gifty" set also contains footage from the Museum of TV festival and script facsimile. | | 4 | September 2, 2008 | April 28, 2009 | TBA | 14 | 4 | Deleted scenes, outtakes, Second Life footage, The Office Convention invitation, The Office Convention: Writers Block Panel, "Goodbye, Toby" music video, four commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes |
Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|
| 2006 | Winner | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Steve Carell | | 2006 | Winner | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | | | 2006 | Winner | Individual Achievement in Comedy | Steve Carell | | 2006 | Winner | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | | | 2006 | Winner | Women's Image Network Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | | | 2006 | Winner | Outstanding Female Actress | Jenna Fischer | | 2006 | Nominee | Rose d'Or Awards | Best Sitcom | | | 2007 | Winner | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
| | | 2007 | Winner | American Cinema Editors Eddie Award | Best Edited Half Hour Series for Television | Dean Holland and David Rogers for "Casino Night" | | | 2007 | Winner | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy Series | | | 2007 | Winner | Episodic Comedy Writing | Steve Carell for "Casino Night" | | 2007 | Winner | Producers Guild Awards | Episodic Television Comedy | Greg Daniels & Kent Zbornak | | 2007 | Winner | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Director in Comedy Series | Ken Whittingham for "Michael's Birthday" | | 2007 | Honored | Peabody Awards | | | | 2007 | Winner | Webby Awards | Webby Award, Comedy: Individual Short or Episode | The Office: Accountants | | | 2007 | Winner | People's Voice, Best Comedy: Individual Short or Episode | | | 2007 | Winner | People's Voice, Best Television Website | | | | 2007 | Winner | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Broadband Program Comedy | producers Vivi Zigler, Jeff Ross, Jordon Schlansky, Mike Sweeney, and Robert Angelo and performers Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, and Oscar Nunez for The Office: Accountants | | | 2007 | Winner | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series | Dean Holland and David Rogers for "The Job" | | | 2007 | Winner | Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series | Greg Daniels for "Gay Witch Hunt" | | | 2008 | Winner | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | |
External links
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