The Office (American TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Qwerty Binary (talk | contribs) at 14:01, 11 February 2008 (→‎Cast blogs: Spelling corrections.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Two other uses

The Office
File:The Office (USA)-titlecard.png
The Office intertitle
GenreSitcom
Mockumentary
Created byRicky Gervais (original series)
Stephen Merchant (original series)
Developed byGreg Daniels
StarringSteve Carell
Rainn Wilson
John Krasinski
Jenna Fischer
B.J. Novak
Opening themewritten by Jay Ferguson
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes59 (list of episodes)
Production
Running timenormally 30 minutes (with commercials) (details)
Original release
NetworkNBC (USA)
ReleaseMarch 24, 2005 –
present
Related
The Office UK

The Office is an award-winning American television comedy that portrays the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the show takes the form of a documentary, with the presence of the camera openly acknowledged.

Based on the British series of the same name, it was adapted for U.S. audiences by executive producer Greg Daniels, a veteran writer of Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Original series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have production credits on the show, and wrote an episode for the show's third season.[1] 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 and is broadcast on that network in the United States and other television stations around the world. It will be available for syndication in late 2009.[2] In fall 2007 TBS started broadcasting episodes once a week, and will begin broadcasting the series five days a week in Fall 2009. The Fox Television Stations group have also obtained syndication rights starting in late 2009.[3]

Production

Scranton welcome sign used in the opening credits.

After the original British series won two Golden Globes, a U.S. version of The Office was commissioned by NBC. Though it retains the title and premise of the original, the U.S. version of the show has a different cast and crew and takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Gervais jokingly said before the premiere—when asked what differences there might be from the U.K. version—that the U.S. show would probably have actors with better teeth.[4] The first season of the show had a run of just six episodes, and was filmed in an actual office space.[5] Producer Greg Daniels initially hired four writers for the series: Michael Schur, B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein and Mindy Kaling. In addition, he hired two consulting producers, Lester Lewis and Larry Wilmore. Ken Kwapis, who established a reputation with the comedy genre in The Larry Sanders Show and Malcolm in the Middle, directed the pilot and has produced/directed several episodes.

The second season brought three new members to the writing staff: Jennifer Celotta and the team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. Paul Feig, creator of Freaks and Geeks, directed some of the episodes. Filming moved to a sound stage that was built to replicate the first season's environment,[5] including plaques and certificates hanging on walls using the names of crew members.[6]

Casting

All original series characters were redesigned and re-cast for the U.S. version. When producer Ben Silverman of Reveille approached NBC with the concept, network programmer Kevin Reilly suggested Paul Giamatti take the lead role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined. Other interested actors included Martin Short, Hank Azaria and Bob Odenkirk.[7] 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, Carell was already committed to another NBC midseason replacement comedy, Come to Papa,[8] 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.[9] Rainn Wilson, who was cast as the power-hungry sycophant Dwight Schrute, had watched every episode of the series before he auditioned.[10] Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael (he has referred to his audition 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," as had been done to other British adaptations (Coupling, Men Behaving Badly). It was then that Daniels introduced himself as the developer of the series.[11] Fischer prepared for her audition by looking as boring as possible, creating the original Pam hairstyle at her first audition for the show.[12]

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. Writer/performer Novak stated, "[Daniels] hired people who he knew were improv people who could bring their own ideas to the role."[13] Some minor players came to be as a result of interesting casting choices. Angela Kinsey originally auditioned for the role of Pam Beesly. After her auditions, the producers thought she was "too feisty" for the character, but they later called her back for the part of Angela Martin, which she won.[14] Baumgartner originally auditioned for Stanley, but was eventually cast as Kevin.[15] Phyllis Smith, who plays Phyllis on the show, was working as a casting associate on the show when the pilot's director, Ken Kwapis, had her read the scripts with the actors. He took such a liking to how she read that he had her join the cast.[16]

Three of the show's writers were also cast as regular performers: B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Paul Lieberstein. Daniels saw Novak doing stand-up comedy and he was cast as reluctant temp Ryan Howard and Lieberstein was cast as HR Director Toby Flenderson by Novak's suggestion after his cold readings of scripts.[13] Greg Daniels originally was not sure where to use Kaling, who is an Indian-American, on screen in the series until the point 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 the chatty Kelly Kapoor), Kaling stated in a February 2006 interview.[16] Steve Carell has also written two episodes, "Casino Night" and "Survivor Man."

Ed Helms, Chip Esten, and Rashida Jones were added as cast members for season three.[17] In February 2007, NBC announced that Helms was being promoted to a series regular.[18]

A few of the actors who are both part of the main cast or made guest appearances have connections to The Daily Show as Carell and Helms were former correspondents on the show, along with recurring actors Larry Wilmore (who is the Senior Black Correspondent on the show) and Nancy Walls (a former correspondent, married to Carell in real life) have appeared. In addition, Rob Riggle also appeared in "Booze Cruise" as a ship captain who antagonizes Michael. Riggle is one of the correspondents on The Daily Show.

A large number of cast members coincidentally hail from Massachusetts, including Carell, Novak, Krasinski, Kaling, Denman, and recurring actress Nancy Walls. Other members of the writing and production staff have made cameo appearances: Michael Schur plays Dwight's cousin Mose, and Larry Wilmore played Mr. Brown in "Diversity Day" and "Gay Witch Hunt" episodes. Greg Daniels made an appearance as Michael's new neighbor in "Office Olympics," and writing team Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky play Bob Vance's delivery men in "Valentine's Day," and are in a deleted scene from the "Drug Testing" episode.

There were plans for Mackenzie Crook, Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis from the British version of The Office to appear in the third season,[19][20] but those plans were scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.[21][22]

Characters

Main article: Characters from The Office (US)
File:Office us cast.jpg
The Office cast (3rd season)

The Office employs an ensemble cast. Below are the regular characters of the series, and their job positions as of when they are introduced.

All of the main characters, and some minor ones, are based on characters from the original British version of The Office. For further details, see The Office: USA Character Comparisons.

Main characters

Accounting

Sales

Product oversight

Corporate and warehouse

Season synopses

Main article: List of The Office (US) episodes

The Office typically airs in a half-hour time slot, for which producers deliver an episode with a 0:20:30 running time.[23] 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).

Season one

The first season featured six episodes that began airing on March 24, 2005 and finished on April 26.

The series begins by introducing the office and its main characters via a tour given by Michael Scott for both the camera crew and Ryan Howard, who is hired as a temp and working 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.

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 that included 22 episodes originally airing from September 20, 2005 to 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.

While Jim continues to see Katy on and off, his friendship with Pam remains largely unchanged; they continue in their pranks, and days of spontaneous activities such as the Office Olympics. Jim draws Pam for the office Secret Santa Christmas gift exchange and fills a teapot with mementos of inside jokes and a card implied to contain his true feelings. Michael mixes up the gift recipients and it appears that Pam will not receive Jim's gift. Even though Pam winds up with the gift in the end, Jim sneaks the card back as he has apparently decided against letting Pam know his true feelings. During a late-night office trip on a "Booze Cruise," Roy announces a wedding date of June 10, and Jim reacts by breaking up with Katy. He then reveals to Michael his feelings for Pam, who in turn spills the secret to the other employees upon return to the office. Jim acknowledges the rumor to Pam, playing it as a past crush, though a later conversation between Pam and Michael casts ambiguity on the situation. Meanwhile, Jan discovers that Pam has a talent for art and encourages her to attend a graphic arts internship with the company in New York City. Jim supports the idea, but Roy rejects it as pointless.

File:Jimpamoffice bc.jpg
Jim and Pam share a poignant scene together on the "Booze Cruise".

Celebrating Michael's success at landing a major new client, he and a newly-divorced Jan share a kiss and spend the night together. Despite Jan's attempt to end the relationship almost immediately, Michael's interest is ignited, and he reveals the incident during a company meeting in New York. At Jan's behest, he is able to play it off as a joke; she kisses him again as he leaves. Michael buys a new condominium, and later begins dating his real estate agent, Carol Stills, to Jan's disappointment. Multiple episodes explore that Michael has a fatherly fondness for entertaining children, and a longtime desire to have a family of his own.

Three more office relationships begin, and a fourth is revealed. Dwight and Angela's relationship is secret to all but Pam and the camera crew. Kelly develops a crush on Ryan, leading them to hook up the day before Valentine's Day, to Ryan's intense regret. Kelly soon pursues a serious relationship despite her claims of something more casual. Phyllis introduces her boyfriend Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration to the staff at the Christmas party. When Dwight investigates Oscar's suspicious sick day, it is revealed Oscar is a closeted gay man, though Dwight remains oblivious.

Though Ryan expresses disinterest and even disgust at Michael's behavior, Michael desperately continues his unwelcome attempt to forge a friendship with him. Fueled with jealousy by this situation, Dwight tries to maintain his position as the "number two" man in the office, even challenging Michael to a fight in an attempt to show off to his boss. When Michael burns his foot on a George Foreman grill, Dwight tries to drive to Michael's condo to look after him, and suffers a concussion after crashing his car. Dwight builds self-confidence after delivering a speech at a paper sales conference.

Jim plans a vacation to Australia, deliberately timed to overlap with Pam's wedding date, to her disappointment. He also begins to lament his numerous pranks at the office as wastes of time, and unknown to his Scranton co-workers, applies for a vacant sales position at Dunder Mifflin Stamford. Before he leaves, he reveals his love to Pam on Casino Night, and though she at first turns him down, he kisses her minutes later.

Season three

Main article: The Office (U.S. season 3)

The third season has a total of 23 episodes, consisting of 21 half-hour or 40-minute "super-sized" episodes, and two one-hour episodes. They originally aired from September 21, 2006 to May 17, 2007.

After the events of Casino Night, Jim accepted Pam's intentions to marry Roy and transferred to the Stamford branch, accepting a promotion to Assistant Regional Manager. There, he begins dating co-worker Karen and also finds himself at odds with temperamental co-worker Andy. During the summer, Pam called off the wedding, ending her relationship with Roy. At the Scranton branch, Ryan was promoted to a full-time junior sales representative, though he failed to close any sales in that position.

Downsizing arrives when the Scranton branch is tagged for closure, but the plans are thrown into disarray when the manager of the Stamford branch leaves for a rival company. Instead, a merger of the dissolved Stamford branch with the Scranton branch brings Jim back to Scranton. One by one, most of the Stamford transplants quit over Michael's management style, leaving only Jim, Karen, and Andy.

After Carol breaks up with Michael, he begins dating Jan but finds himself increasingly uncomfortable with her aggressive and unemotional approach to their sex life, and he breaks up with her.

Jim returns to inconsistent friendship with Pam, not as close as they used to be. Karen becomes more anxious when she learns of Jim's previous crush on Pam and his admission that he still harbors feelings for her. At Phyllis' Wedding, Pam returns to Roy, but that relationship proves short-lived when Roy reacts violently upon learning of the Casino Night kiss. Roy attempts to assault Jim at the office, resulting in his dismissal. Throughout, Pam and Karen maintain a tense friendship.

A position opens at Dunder Mifflin headquarters, and Michael, Jim and Karen all apply. Jan wins back Michael's affections with the assistance of her new breast implants, but this is only a precursor to her self-destruction at Dunder Mifflin headquarters when she learns that the open position is her own. Upon learning this himself, Michael is told that he is no longer under consideration for the corporate job and returns to Scranton with Jan in tow. During Jim's interview, he finds an encouraging note and memento from Pam slipped in with his other papers. When asked whether he is prepared to stay in New York for the long haul, Jim does not answer but thinks back to the events of the previous week, wherein Pam, emboldened by a successful walk across hot coals, confronts Jim publicly about their dissolved friendship, confessing that she canceled her wedding because of him. Jim drives back to Scranton and asks Pam on a date. She happily accepts. As a final twist, Ryan gets the corporate job and immediately breaks up with Kelly.

Season four

NBC ordered a full fourth season[24] consisting of 30 half-hour segments, ten of which are combined to form five one-hour episodes, creating 25 episodes overall. After eight episodes were filmed, production was suspended due to the Writers Guild of America Strike.[25]

Jim and Karen broke up following the job interview, and despite her vow to remain at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton, Karen cleans out her desk and transfers to the Utica branch, where she is the Regional Manager. Pam and Jim attempt to keep their relationship status a secret; however, they are confronted by the documentary crew's footage of them kissing and admit that they are dating. Michael and Jan are now living together, Jan showing her controlling and territorial characteristics more than ever. Angela breaks up with Dwight when he chooses to euthanize her sick cat without permission. She resists Dwight's attempts to win her back, and soon after begins dating Andy to make him jealous.

Michael accidentally hits Meredith with his car, leaving her with a cracked pelvis. At the hospital, it is revealed that Meredith may have contracted rabies from an animal bite. Ryan, in his new role, begins an initiative for a website and other technological advances for Dunder Mifflin which meets with hostile resistance from Michael and, later, Dwight. Kelly dates Darryl in an attempt to make Ryan jealous. In the latest episode, Jan asked Michael to testify against Dunder Mifflin in an attempt to sue them for wrongful termination. In the end, Michael chooses the company over her yet they still appear to stay together.

Other media

In addition to the television episodes and webisodes, The Office characters have appeared in a variety of promotional materials for NBC, and a licensed video game released on November 28, 2007.

Main article: The Office (video game)

Improvisation

Unlike many other mockumentaries, a complete script is written for each episode of The Office. However, actors are given opportunities to improvise during shooting.

B.J. Novak explains, "We do script it to sound very natural, because we are writing a fake documentary, but the actors are very talented ... Steve [Carell] and Rainn [Wilson] add a lot in improvisation, and usually the last few takes of a talking head will be, at that point, fully improvised. ... Maybe 20 percent of the stuff we shoot is at least partially improvised ... and then it's 10 percent of the finished show."[26]

Writing staff of The Office at October 2007 convention in Scranton.

Jenna Fischer agrees. "Our shows are 100 percent scripted. They put everything down on paper. Our glances to camera, our hesitations ... everything. It is the actor's job to make it seem fresh and natural. But we get to play around a little bit, too. Steve and Rainn are brilliant improvisers."[27]

A specific example of improvisation on the show occurred during taping of Season 3's first episode, "Gay Witch Hunt." According to Jenna Fischer, "The kiss between Michael and Oscar was improvised. Steve just went into that bit on the fly. It was brilliant! 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."[28]

Deleted scenes

Unlike many other producers, Greg Daniels considers deleted scenes to be part of the show's story line. "For the writers, in our minds, those scenes have happened. We wrote them, we shot them, and at the last minute, I cut them in the editing room, but we're relying on them anyway for the mythology of the show."[29]

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.[29] When the episode was re-run, it was re-cut to restore the missing scene.

Product placement

The Office has had product placement deals with Staples,[30] and the Olympic baler,[31] as well as mentioning in dialog or displaying clear logos for products such as Sandals Resorts, HP 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.[30] A commercial for that shredder aired following the scene. The placement goes so far as to actually increase the visibility of the Staples brand on the product by including a red Staples logo (the actual product's logo is gray). 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. [32] On the show, the phones feature a Cisco sticker just to the right of the telephone keypad, which is not normally found on their phones.

Many products featured are not part of product placement agreements, but rather inserted by writers as products the characters would use, in order to create realism under the guise of a documentary.[33] Featured music tends to comprise dated hits in order to reflect the character, such as Michael's use of "My Humps" as a ringtone to emulate a younger generation.[34] Apple, Inc. received over four minutes of publicity for the iPod when it was used as a much-desired gift in "Christmas Party," though they did not pay for the use.[33] Chili's restaurants were used for filming in "The Dundies" and "The Client," as the writers believed it was a realistic choice for a company party and business lunch, respectively.[5][35] 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.[5]

The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company tower, shown during the opening credits.

Theme song

The theme song for The Office was written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones.[36] The theme song is played over the title sequence, which features some Scranton scenes and everyday tasks being performed by the cast and pictures and names of Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B.J Novak. The current theme song and video premiered in the first episode and is still in use, although the video for the Steve Carell credit was changed between Season 1 and Season 2. Some episodes of the series use a shortened version of the theme song.

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 remake — it's a tradition," he stated in a March 2005 interview, "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.'"[37]

Writer/performer B.J. Novak recalled almost a year after the show premiered, "There was this very rough period at the beginning, where not only did mainstream viewers have no interest in us, but the type of people that should have and ultimately did come to our defense hated us even more, because we were remaking the British Office."[38]

Critical reviews

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."[39] 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."[40]

Reviews became more positive as the second season progressed. Come December, 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."[41] 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 impossible — it honors Ricky Gervais' original and works on its own terms."[42]

Months later, The Onion's 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."[43]

Time magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007, ranking it at #6.[44]

Ratings

Premiering on Thursday, March 24, 2005, after an episode of The Apprentice on NBC, it caught the curiosity of 11.2 million viewers in the U.S., winning its time slot.[39] However, NBC meant for the series to air on Tuesday nights and when it first aired on a Tuesday night, it lost nearly half its audience with only 5.9 million viewers.[45] The program averaged 5.4 million viewers, ranking it #102 for the 2004–2005 U.S. television season.[46] The first season finale received the lowest rating in the show's history, earning just a 2.2 rating with a 10 share.[47]

As the second season started, the show slowly started gaining a cult following after the success of Carell's August 2005 movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the fortune of airing after the surprise rookie hit comedy My Name Is Earl. Growing viewership seemed promising enough to NBC that they moved the series in January 2006 to the "Must See TV" Thursday night where the ratings continued to grow. By the 2005–2006 season, it placed #67 (tied with 20/20). It averaged 8.0 million viewers with a 4.0/10 rating. It also was up 40% in viewers from the year before and up 60% in viewers ages 18–49.[48]

The third-season premiere received a 5.7/9 and actually made a small increase in total viewers and viewers 18–49 over its lead-in program, My Name Is Earl.[49] By the end of the 2006–2007 season, it placed #68 (tied with The Biggest Loser 3). It averaged 8.3 million viewers with a 4.1/11 rating, a slight improvement from the previous season.[50] The fourth-season premiere on September 27, 2007 received even bigger numbers with 9.67 million viewers and a series-high of a 5.1 in the key 18-49 demographic.[51]

Seasonal ratings

Season Timeslot (EDT) Season Premiere Season Finale TV Season Rank Viewers
(in millions) 		18-49 Rating/Share
(rank)
1 Tuesday 9:30 P.M. March 24, 2005 April 26, 2005 2004-2005 #102[52] 5.4 2.5/6 (#82)
2 Tuesday 9:30 P.M. (September – December 2005)
Thursday 9:30 P.M. (January – May 2006) 		September 20, 2005 May 11, 2006 2005-2006 #67[53] 8.0 4.0/10 (#34)
3 Thursday 8:30 P.M. September 21, 2006 May 17, 2007 2006-2007 #68[54] 8.3 4.1/11 (#28)
4 Thursday 9:00 P.M. September 27, 2007 TBA 2007-2008 #61[55] 8.6* TBD

* indicates a number that is subject to change as the television season is yet to be completed.

International broadcast

In addition to the United States, The Office is broadcast in Canada, Ireland (where it is known as US Office), the United Kingdom (where the show is known as The Office: An American Workplace), Germany, the Asia Pacific region, Brazil and Latin America, Australia, Norway, South Africa and in Saudi Arabia and the Arab World. In April 2007, the show began airing in the Netherlands under the title The Office US.

The series was canceled in Australia after only three episodes due to poorer than expected viewer ratings, but it returned to a late Sunday-night time slot on Ten in early 2006. The third season premiered on Australian television on Monday nights at 10:30pm after Californication, but has since been pulled off the air again. [56]

The series are also broadcast in Portugal, on TVI. However, since their premiere, they are broadcast at 4:30 am. The public has reacted badly to this measure, creating a petition to see The Office at a better time of the day. [57]

Season 2, which has already aired on ITV2, aired in the United Kingdom, on the cable channel Paramount Comedy 1 starting January 7, 2008 at 10pm with the episode The Dundies, and ending on January 21 with Casino Night.[citation needed] The first series will be shown on Paramount Comedy starting January 22, and Series 3 will start on ITV2 from January 31. [58]

Cast blogs

Many cast members maintain blogs on TVGuide.com and MySpace, posting updates on behind-the-scenes happenings or on-set photographs. Since actors must sit at their desks even when not actively participating in a scene, they have ample opportunities to use the functional, Internet-connected computers to browse the Internet, play games, and blog.[59]

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are the most active bloggers of the cast, posting regularly during the season. A variety of cast members have taken turns writing for TV Guide - B.J. Novak wrote for the site until December 2005.[60] Jenna Fischer assumed the duties during the second half of the show's 2005–06 season, posting every Thursday.[61] Brian Baumgartner wrote during most of the summer of 2006,[62] and Kate Flannery wrote during the 2006–07 season.[63]

Rainn Wilson writes in character on "Schrute Space" on NBC.com, which is updated periodically.[64] It is unknown whether the actor Creed Bratton authors "Creed Thoughts", the blog attributed to his character.

Awards

Major awards won
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 Winner 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 for "Casino Night" Dean Holland & David Rogers
2007 Winner Writers Guild of America Awards Best Comedy Series
2007 Winner Episodic Comedy Writing for "Casino Night" Steve Carell
2007 Winner Producers Guild Awards Episodic Television Comedy Greg Daniels & Kent Zbornak
2007 Winner NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Director in Comedy Series Ken Whittingham
2007 Honored Peabody Awards Outstanding Comedy Series
2007 Winner Webby Awards Best Comedy Short: Webisodes
2007 Winner Webby Awards Best Television Website
2007 Winner Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Broadband Program - Comedy for The Office: Accountants Producers: Vivi Zigler, Jeff Ross, Jordon Schlansky, Mike Sweeney, Robert Angelo; performers: Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez[65]
2007 Winner Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series for "The Job" Dean Holland and David Rogers
2007 Winner Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series for "Gay Witch Hunt" Greg Daniels
2008 Winner Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Preceded by Emmy Award Winner - Outstanding Comedy Series
2006 		Succeeded by

Online and DVD releases

Online

Episodes from The Office were among the first television shows available for download from the iTunes Store beginning in December 2005. The episodes have proven to be among the most downloaded of the NBC shows thus offered, consistently making the top ten downloads each week and often making the number one slot.[66] In the summer of 2006, ten internet-exclusive webisodes featuring the minor 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 became available for download from Amazon.com's Unbox video downloads in Fall 2006. Sales of new The Office episodes on iTunes ceased at the end of Summer 2007 due to a dispute between NBC and Apple ostensibly over pricing.[67]

DVD

DVD Releases
Season Region 1 Release Date Region 2 Release Date Episodes Discs Bonus Features
1 August 16 2005 April 10 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 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 PSAs, Olympics promos and "Steve on Steve" promos.
3 September 4 2007 25 4 Deleted scenes, 8 commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes,[68] 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 Primetime Emmy Awards excerpt.

Convention

Atrium of the Mall at Steamtown during convention.

The first The Office convention was held in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in October 2007. Notable landmarks that served venues include the University of Scranton, the Radisson Lackawanna Train Station Hotel and the Mall at Steamtown.

Cast appearances were made by Greg Daniels, 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 Schafer and Andy Buckley. Not present were writer-actor Paul Lieberstein (who was originally going to make an appearance) and the four main actors, Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer [69].

References

  1. ^ Press Association, Ltd. "Gervais to write US office episode", Scotsman.com News February 6, 2006.
  2. ^ Benson, Jim. 4 June, 2007. The Office Set for 2009 Syndication. Broadcasting & Cable.
  3. ^ The Office Will Be Repurposed on TBS This Fall, Daily Airings Coming in Fall 2009 on TBS and Locals; Fox Renews American Dad Through 2009
  4. ^ Gary Younge (2004). "America remakes The Office, but no one's laughing". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Dundies" [Commentary track], The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version) [DVD], 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
  6. ^ Fischer, Jenna. Hailing The Office's Unsung Heroes! TVGuide.com February 23, 2006.
  7. ^ Carter, Bill. September 17 2006. The Whole World Is Watching, and Ben Silverman Is Watching Back, The New York Times.
  8. ^ Susman, Gary. "Daily Show's Carell may star in Office remake". Entertainment Weekly, January 29, 2004
  9. ^ Carell, Steve (Actor). 2005. "Pilot" [Commentary track], The Office Season One (U.S./NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
  10. ^ Wilson, Rainn (Actor). 2005. "Pilot" [Commentary track], The Office Season One (U.S./NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
  11. ^ Krasinski, John (Actor). 2005. "Pilot" [Commentary track], The Office Season One (U.S./NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal
  12. ^ Fischer, Jenna (February 9 2006). "The Office Presents: "Valentine's Day"" TVGuide.com
  13. ^ a b Chun, Wing. March 2 2006. "The B.J. Novak Interview", Page 4–5. Televisionwithoutpity.com
  14. ^ Murphy, Joel. "One on one with... Angela Kinsey" Hobotrashcan.com Retrieved March 2, 2006.
  15. ^ Baumgartner, Brian. (July 27 2006.) Hot Fun in the Summer, TVGuide.com
  16. ^ a b Wolk, Josh. "The Drudge Report: A Visit With 7 More 'Office' Mates." Entertainment Weekly February 24, 2006: 24–25.
  17. ^ Comics join "Office" payroll, a July 2006 Reuters article
  18. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly. Helms gets promotion at 'Office', The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved February 1, 2007.
  19. ^ Mitovich, Matt. July 10 2006. The Office's U.K. Mates to Cross Over, TVGuide.com
  20. ^ Johns, Anna. July 11 2006. British cast to appear on American version of The Office, TVSquad.com
  21. ^ The Water Cooler: "We're Talking Code: Spoilers." Retrieved March 16, 2007.
  22. ^ Daniels, Greg. The Office: Live Blog, November 2006
  23. ^ Novak, B.J. (Actor/Writer). 2005. "The Alliance" [Commentary track], The Office Season One (U.S./NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
  24. ^ NBC Press Release. 17 January, 2007. NBC renews hit series The Office, My Name is Earl, Heroes, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for full season of episodes in 2007-'08. NBC Universal.
  25. ^ Strike Support: Office, Stars Call In Sick, E! News, Published: November 7, 2007
  26. ^ Chun, Wing. March 2 2006. "The B.J. Novak Interview", Page 7. Televisionwithoutpity.com
  27. ^ Fischer, Jenna. February 16 2006. "The Office: Your Questions Answered!", TVGuide.com.
  28. ^ Fischer, Jenna. September 24 2006. "BIG Winners, BIG Ratings and BIG New York Wrap-Up with Pictures!, Myspace.com.
  29. ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (2007-02-25). "On the Web, a new life for deleted scenes". The Newark Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2007-02-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ a b Rosanthal, Phil (2006-12-06). "`Office' makes pitch to viewers: Watch and buy". Chicago Tribune. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |retrieved= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "NBC's "The Office" Warehouse Features Vertical Baler From Olympic Wire and Equipment in "Safety Training" Episode on April 12". Market Wire. 2007-04-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |retrieved= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Cisco on product placement during TV shows".
  33. ^ a b Kehaulani Goo, Sara (2006-04-15). "Apple Gets a Big Slice Of Product-Placement Pie". The Washington Post. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |retrieved= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ Blankenship, Mark (2007-01-25). "'Office' Songs in the Unhip Keys of Life and Karaoke". The New York Times. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |retrieved= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ "The Client" [Commentary track], The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version) [DVD], 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
  36. ^ ""The Office" (2005) - Soundtracks". Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  37. ^ Wolk, Josh. "The Office bosses on bringing the Brit hit to NBC", Entertainment Weekly March 14, 2005.
  38. ^ Chun, Wing. March 2 2006. "The B.J. Novak Interview", Page 3. Televisionwithoutpity.com
  39. ^ a b Timms, Dominic. U.S. version of The Office scores ratings victory Guardian Unlimited March 29, 2005
  40. ^ Wollaston, Sam. "You just can't get the staff" Guardian Unlimited 15 June 2005.
  41. ^ Poniewozik, James. "Best of 2005: Television" Time Magazine, December 16 2005
  42. ^ Harris, Bob. "2005's 10 Best Shows" Entertainment Weekly, December 22 2005
  43. ^ Rabin, Nathan. "Inventory: Eight Sure-Fire Fiascoes That Unexpectedly Succeeded", The Onion A.V. Club, March 29 2006
  44. ^ Poniewozik, James; Top 10 New TV Series; time.com
  45. ^ Deans, Jason. U.S. remake of The Office loses half its audience Guardian Unlimited March 31, 2005
  46. ^ "Hollywood Reporter: Final audience and ratings figures for 2004-05". May 27 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)
  47. ^ Media Life Magazine. April 27 2005. Lower the lights for NBC's 'The Office', medialifemagazine.com
  48. ^ The Hollywood Reporter, 2005–06 primetime wrap, hollywoodreporter.com
  49. ^ September 21 2006. ABC Changes 'Anatomy' of Thursday, Zap2it.com
  50. ^ The Hollywood Reporter, 2006–07 primetime wrap, hollywoodreporter.com
  51. ^ Berman, Marc (2007-09-28). "Prime-Time Ratings: Thursday 9/27/07". The Programming Insider. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  52. ^ "Primetime series". The Hollywood Reporter. 2005-05-27. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  53. ^ "Series". The Hollywood Reporter. 2006-05-26. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  54. ^ "2006-07 primetime wrap". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  55. ^ "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  56. ^ Australian Associated Press."US office remake axed" June 28, 2005, Sydney Morning Herald
  57. ^ "Petição online contraexibição tardia das séries" Jornal de Notícias
  58. ^ UK."The Office: The American Workplace tv times" January 21, 2008, Locate TV
  59. ^ Interviews & Features
  60. ^ Interviews & Features
  61. ^ Jenna's Blog
  62. ^ Brian's Office Blog
  63. ^ Kate's Blog - The Season 3 Premiere
  64. ^ Interview: Rainn Wilson (March 14 2006). The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC.
  65. ^ 34th Annual Creative Arts & Entertainment Emmy Awards, from the Emmy Awards website
  66. ^ Whitney, Daisy. "NBC: iPod Boosts Prime Time" TVWeek.com January 16, 2006.
  67. ^ E! Online But for now Seasons 1-3 are still available for download. "NBC Universal Ditches iTunes" Eonline.com August 31, 2007.
  68. ^ "Traveling Salesmen" and "The Return", originally aired as separate half-hour episodes, share one commentary track.
  69. ^ [www.theofficeconvention.com] "The Office" Convention in Scranton PA Official Website

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Office (US).

Selected fansites


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Office_(American_TV_series)&oldid=190619223"