The Office (U.S. season 8)
Encyclopedia
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC
. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name
, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The series airs on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. as part of Comedy Night Done Right. This is the first season without Steve Carell
as Michael Scott
in the lead role, with Andy Bernard
taking over as manager.
and Deedle-Dee Productions, both in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show is based on the British series created by Ricky Gervais
and Stephen Merchant
, who are executive producer
s on the show. The Office is produced by Greg Daniels
and Paul Lieberstein
, the latter of whom serves as the showrunner. Returning writers from the previous season include Mindy Kaling
and B.J. Novak who are credited as executive producers starting with this season although Novak was credited starting with the seventh season episode, "PDA
". It was previously unknown whether Kaling would write for the series any longer. Kaling herself confirmed via her Twitter page that she would write the upcoming Christmas-themed episode. Three new writers joined the staff beginning in season eight: Owen Ellickson, Allison Silverman
and Dan Greaney
.
Jenna Fischer
's real life pregnancy was written into the show, and Pam was again pregnant at the start of the season with a boy as she is in real life. Angela is revealed to have married the Senator and is pregnant with her first child. In an interview, executive producer Paul Lieberstein
stated that with the departure of Michael Scott, the writers will explore further into the other characters on the show, such as centering on a specific character for an episode. The series was renewed for an eighth season on March 17, 2011 and it started filming on July 25, 2011.
. All of the main characters, and some minor ones, are based on characters from the British version of The Office
. While these characters normally have the same attitudes and perceptions as their British counterparts, the roles have been redesigned to better fit the American show. The show is known for its large cast size, many of whom are known particularly for their improvisation
al work. Rainn Wilson
portrays Dwight Schrute
, who, based upon Gareth Keenan
, is the Assistant to the Regional Manager, although the character frequently fails to include "to the" in his title. John Krasinski
portrays Jim Halpert
, a sales representative and prankster, who is based upon Tim Canterbury
, and is married to Pam Beesly
, the office administrator. Pam, who is based on Dawn Tinsley
, is shy, but is often a cohort with Jim in his pranks on Dwight. B.J. Novak portrays Ryan Howard
, who is a temporary worker. Ed Helms
plays Andy Bernard
the preppy manager (previously salesman) and boastful Cornell alumnus whose refrain for A cappella
music and awkward social skills generates mixed feelings from his employees. Andy is an original character i.e. he has no English equivalent from Gervais's series. Reprising his guest-starring role of Robert California
, James Spader
joined the regular cast to replace Kathy Bates
's character as the CEO of Sabre; Spader will appear in at least fifteen episodes.
Season 8 will also feature new characters, including Stanley's other daughter and a new male addition to the accounting department. Cody Horn
, who guest starred last season as Jordan Garfield with a possibility of returning as a series regular will not be returning. Stephen Collins, Dee Wallace and Josh Groban
were cast as Andy's father, mother and brother, respectively, and appeared the episode "Garden Party
". Maura Tierney
has been cast to appear in "Mrs. California
" playing Robert California's wife. Catherine Tate
will be reprising her role as Nellie Bertram in a major arc to begin midway through the season.
" received a 3.9/10% share in the Nielsen ratings among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning that 3.9% of viewers aged 18 to 49 watched the episode, and 10% of viewers watching television at the time watched the episode. "The List", thus far, is the highest rated episode of the season. Despite this, it became the lowest season premiere of the series since the series premiere. The rest of the season was unable to receive more than seven million viewers. The fifth episode, "Spooked
" marked a low with the season receiving 5.53 million viewers and received a 2.9/7% share among viewers aged 18 to 49. The drop in ratings has led to a lower ad-price for the series, with an average cost of $178,840 per-30 second commercial. Despite this, the show is still one of NBC's highest rated shows and ranks as the the most expensive ad-cost for any NBC scripted series.
considered the post-Michael Scott era of The Office "warmer and more reflective". He also praised the decision of Andy as a manager, specifically Ed Helms and Craig Robinson's performance in "Lotto" calling it the "subtlest, deepest acting to date [for The Office]". He called "Lotto" the best episode of the season. The A.V. Club
reviewer Myles McNutt was more critical of the season, criticizing Robert California
's role as "that the narrative reacts to as opposed to something actually involved in the narrative". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
criticized Andy's comedic performance as manager calling him "a softer version of Michael Scott". He also criticized the toning down of Robert California following his appearance in "Search Committee
" and the supporting characters for turning into caricatures of themselves from previous season. He concluded that "The Office now is a pale, listless shadow of what it used to be". Time
writer James Poniewozik
agreed with Sepinwall and said that Jim should have been named manager so the series could be more ensemble oriented.
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!style="background: #6B8B0B" |Original air date
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NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The series airs on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. as part of Comedy Night Done Right. This is the first season without Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
in the lead role, with Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
taking over as manager.
Crew
The eighth season of the show was produced by Reveille ProductionsReveille Productions
Reveille Productions is an independently-owned television and motion picture studio and production company based in Los Angeles. The studio was founded by Ben Silverman in March 2002....
and Deedle-Dee Productions, both in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show is based on the British series created by Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
and Stephen Merchant
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office, as the co-writer, co-director and a co-star of Extras, and as the...
, who are executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s on the show. The Office is produced by Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
and Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
, the latter of whom serves as the showrunner. Returning writers from the previous season include Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam , better known as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer who plays Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office. Kaling is also a co-executive producer and writer of several of the show's episodes.-Early life:Kaling was born Vera Chokalingam in...
and B.J. Novak who are credited as executive producers starting with this season although Novak was credited starting with the seventh season episode, "PDA
PDA (The Office)
"PDA" is the sixteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 142nd episode overall. Written by Robert Padnick and directed by series creator Greg Daniels, the episode was shown on February 10, 2011, on NBC.-Synopsis:Michael and Holly have...
". It was previously unknown whether Kaling would write for the series any longer. Kaling herself confirmed via her Twitter page that she would write the upcoming Christmas-themed episode. Three new writers joined the staff beginning in season eight: Owen Ellickson, Allison Silverman
Allison Silverman
Allison Silverman is an American comedy writer from Gainesville, Florida. She was the head writer and executive producer for The Colbert Report until 2009.-Life and awards:...
and Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
.
Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
's real life pregnancy was written into the show, and Pam was again pregnant at the start of the season with a boy as she is in real life. Angela is revealed to have married the Senator and is pregnant with her first child. In an interview, executive producer Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
stated that with the departure of Michael Scott, the writers will explore further into the other characters on the show, such as centering on a specific character for an episode. The series was renewed for an eighth season on March 17, 2011 and it started filming on July 25, 2011.
Cast
The Office employs an ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
. All of the main characters, and some minor ones, are based on characters from the British version of The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
. While these characters normally have the same attitudes and perceptions as their British counterparts, the roles have been redesigned to better fit the American show. The show is known for its large cast size, many of whom are known particularly for their improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
al work. Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
portrays Dwight Schrute
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
, who, based upon Gareth Keenan
Gareth Keenan
Gareth Keenan is a fictional paper salesman on BBC's comedy The Office. He is portrayed in the series by Mackenzie Crook as a gaunt, self-important team leader proud of his alleged lieutenant status in the Territorial Army...
, is the Assistant to the Regional Manager, although the character frequently fails to include "to the" in his title. John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
portrays Jim Halpert
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
, a sales representative and prankster, who is based upon Tim Canterbury
Tim Canterbury
Tim Canterbury is a main character in the BBC sitcom The Office, played by Martin Freeman. He is a 30-year-old sales representative for paper merchants Wernham Hogg and lives with his parents. He spent one year at a university before dropping out, and one day hopes to return to get a psychology...
, and is married to Pam Beesly
Pam Beesly
Pamela Morgan "Pam" Halpert is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom The Office, played by Jenna Fischer. Her counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Dawn Tinsley....
, the office administrator. Pam, who is based on Dawn Tinsley
Dawn Tinsley
Dawn Tinsley is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom The Office, played by Lucy Davis. She is a receptionist for paper merchants Wernham Hogg and is engaged to warehouse worker Lee. Her American The Office equivalent is Pam Beesly...
, is shy, but is often a cohort with Jim in his pranks on Dwight. B.J. Novak portrays Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan Bailey Howard , played by B. J. Novak, is a fictional character on the US television sitcom The Office. He is based upon Ricky Howard from the original version of The Office , but his role is significantly expanded and he is a main character.-Character profile:Little is known about Ryan's...
, who is a temporary worker. Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
plays Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
the preppy manager (previously salesman) and boastful Cornell alumnus whose refrain for A cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
music and awkward social skills generates mixed feelings from his employees. Andy is an original character i.e. he has no English equivalent from Gervais's series. Reprising his guest-starring role of Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
, James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
joined the regular cast to replace Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
's character as the CEO of Sabre; Spader will appear in at least fifteen episodes.
Season 8 will also feature new characters, including Stanley's other daughter and a new male addition to the accounting department. Cody Horn
Cody Horn
Cody Horn is an American actress and model, and the daughter of entertainment executive Alan F. Horn. She has appeared on Rescue Me and guest starred on 3 episodes of The Office. She also played Lynetta Loski in the 2010 movie Flipped.- Film :- Television :-External links:...
, who guest starred last season as Jordan Garfield with a possibility of returning as a series regular will not be returning. Stephen Collins, Dee Wallace and Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
were cast as Andy's father, mother and brother, respectively, and appeared the episode "Garden Party
Garden Party (The Office)
"Garden Party" is the fourth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 156th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 13, 2011. It was written by co-executive producer Justin Spitzer and was directed...
". Maura Tierney
Maura Tierney
Maura Therese Tierney is an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio and Abby Lockhart on the television medical drama ER.-Early life:...
has been cast to appear in "Mrs. California
Mrs. California
"Mrs. California" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 161st episode overall. The episode will air on NBC in the United States on December 1, 2011.-Plot:...
" playing Robert California's wife. Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
will be reprising her role as Nellie Bertram in a major arc to begin midway through the season.
Reception
As of its eighth episode which aired on November 17, 2011, the season currently receives an average of 6.17 million viewers with an average 3.2 rating among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The eighth season premiere, "The ListThe List (The Office)
"The List" is the eighth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 153rd episode overall. The episode original aired on NBC in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak...
" received a 3.9/10% share in the Nielsen ratings among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning that 3.9% of viewers aged 18 to 49 watched the episode, and 10% of viewers watching television at the time watched the episode. "The List", thus far, is the highest rated episode of the season. Despite this, it became the lowest season premiere of the series since the series premiere. The rest of the season was unable to receive more than seven million viewers. The fifth episode, "Spooked
Spooked (The Office)
"Spooked" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 157th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 27, 2011. It was written by Carrie Kemper and directed by Randall Einhorn...
" marked a low with the season receiving 5.53 million viewers and received a 2.9/7% share among viewers aged 18 to 49. The drop in ratings has led to a lower ad-price for the series, with an average cost of $178,840 per-30 second commercial. Despite this, the show is still one of NBC's highest rated shows and ranks as the the most expensive ad-cost for any NBC scripted series.
Critical reviews
Matt Zoller Seitz of Salon.comSalon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
considered the post-Michael Scott era of The Office "warmer and more reflective". He also praised the decision of Andy as a manager, specifically Ed Helms and Craig Robinson's performance in "Lotto" calling it the "subtlest, deepest acting to date [for The Office]". He called "Lotto" the best episode of the season. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
reviewer Myles McNutt was more critical of the season, criticizing Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
's role as "that the narrative reacts to as opposed to something actually involved in the narrative". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
criticized Andy's comedic performance as manager calling him "a softer version of Michael Scott". He also criticized the toning down of Robert California following his appearance in "Search Committee
Search Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
" and the supporting characters for turning into caricatures of themselves from previous season. He concluded that "The Office now is a pale, listless shadow of what it used to be". Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
writer James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
agreed with Sepinwall and said that Jim should have been named manager so the series could be more ensemble oriented.
Episode list
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