123-676: The Office is an American television sitcom broadcast on NBC . Created as an adaptation by Greg Daniels of the British series of the same name , it is a mockumentary that follows the day-to-day lives of the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin , a fictional paper supply company. The series ran on NBC in the United States from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013. Additionally, nine spin-off series of webisodes of The Office have been aired on NBC.com. The Office aired
246-524: A buyout of the Michael Scott Paper Company, the three are rehired with Pam promoted to sales and Ryan returning as a temp. During the chaos a new receptionist, Erin , is hired to fill the vacancy originally left by Pam. The season ends with a scene that subtly alludes to Pam's (unplanned) pregnancy. The sixth season consists of 26 half-hours of material, divided into 22 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes. Jim and Pam marry and have
369-446: A midseason replacement for Committed . It carried over general plot ideas from the earlier British series created by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais , and particularly the threat of wholesale downsizing. However, only the pilot was a direct adaptation of one of the UK version's episodes. This season introduced the main characters, and established the general plot as a documentary crew
492-408: A 40-minute time slot. Season three introduced the first of occasional hour-long episodes (approximately 42-minute running time, also suitable for being shown as two separate normal episodes in reruns). The first season consists of six episodes; the shortest season of the series. The series starts by introducing Dunder Mifflin 's employees via a tour given by branch manager Michael Scott for both
615-471: A Comedy Series . Carell was reportedly paid $ 175,000 per episode starting in the third season. Krasinski and Fischer were paid around $ 20,000 at the beginning of the series, and around $ 100,000 per episode by the fourth season. A typical episode for a half-hour time slot runs 20 + 1 ⁄ 2 minutes. The final episode of season two introduced the first of what would be several "super-sized" episodes that had an approximately 28-minute running time for
738-422: A baby named Cecelia Marie Halpert. Meanwhile, Andy and Erin develop an interest in each other, but find their inherent awkwardness inhibits his attempts to ask her out on a date during a murder-mystery game meant to distract the members of the office. Jim is promoted as co-manager. Rumors of bankruptcy begin to surround Dunder Mifflin, and by Christmas, Wallace announces to the branch that Dunder Mifflin has accepted
861-544: A buyout from Sabre Corporation, a printer company. While Wallace and other executives are let go, the Scranton office survives due to its relative success within the company. Michael Scott is now the highest-level employee at Dunder Mifflin. In the season finale , Dwight buys the office park. Michael agrees to make an announcement to the press regarding a case of faulty printers. When Jo Bennett, Sabre CEO, asks how she can repay him, Michael responds that she could bring Holly back to
984-405: A date, which she joyfully accepts. In the final scene, we learn Ryan has been awarded Jan's job. NBC ordered a fourth full season of thirty half-hour episodes but ended with only 19 due to a halt in production caused by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike . The season consists of nine half-hour and five hour-long episodes for a total of 19 episodes of material created. Karen has left
1107-469: A documentary camera crew and first-day temp Ryan Howard . Salesman Jim Halpert has a crush on receptionist Pam Beesly , who helps him play pranks on co-worker Dwight Schrute , even though she is engaged to Roy Anderson, who works in the company's downstairs warehouse. Rumors spread throughout the office that Dunder Mifflin's corporate headquarters is planning to downsize an entire branch, leading to general anxiety. Still, Michael chooses to deny or downplay
1230-464: A fictional genre in which dramatic techniques are combined with documentary elements to depict real events. Nor should either of those be confused with docufiction , a genre in which documentaries are contaminated with fictional elements. They are often presented as historical documentaries, with B roll and talking heads discussing past events, or as cinéma vérité pieces following people as they go through various events. Examples emerged during
1353-558: A gas station halfway between Scranton and New York City, where they meet for a visit. Pam ultimately returns from New York to Scranton, where Jim has bought his parents' house for the two of them. Having avoided jail and only been sentenced to community service, Ryan bleaches his hair and starts working at a bowling alley. Michael initiates a romance with Holly until she is transferred to the Nashua, New Hampshire branch, Toby returns to Scranton to replace Holly, and their relationship ends. When Andy
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#17330945134361476-497: A horror film titled The 3rd Floor using Dunder Mifflin as a location, and workers such as Kelly, Erin, Gabe, Kevin and Meredith as actors. The 3rd Floor was written by Jonathan Hughes, Kelly Hannon and Mary Wall and directed by Mindy Kaling. Gabe attempts to record a podcast in the office about the Sabre website, hoping to impress corporate. The webisodes were made available on January 20, 2011, on NBC.com, but were previously included on
1599-465: A long-term liberal incumbent played by Gore Vidal . Man Bites Dog is a 1992 Belgian black comedy crime mockumentary written, produced, and directed by Rémy Belvaux , André Bonzel , and Benoît Poelvoorde . In 1995, Peter Jackson and Costa Botes directed Forgotten Silver , which claimed New Zealand "director" Colin McKenzie was a pioneer in filmmaking. When the film was later revealed to be
1722-602: A lovable but dim-witted man who revels in juvenile humor and frequently indulges in gambling; and Oscar Martinez ( Oscar Nuñez ), who is intelligent and cultured, but often patronizing, and whose homosexuality and Hispanic heritage made him a frequent target of Michael's unintentional off-color comments. Rounding out the office are the laconic salesman Stanley Hudson ( Leslie David Baker ), who cannot stand Michael's constant references to his Black American heritage (he also does not like to take part in time-wasting meetings and often solves crossword puzzles or sleeps during them);
1845-411: A millionaire, to repurchase Dunder Mifflin from Sabre, putting Sabre completely out of business and giving Andy the manager position once again. The final season consists of 25 episodes. Mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary ) is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary. The term originated in the 1960s but
1968-511: A mockumentary about the survival of the megalodon . The Canadian series Trailer Park Boys and its films (1998–present) were one of the first mainstream examples of Canadian mockumentaries. Popular examples in the US include sitcoms The Office (2005–2013), Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), and Modern Family (2009–2020); the American improv comedy Reno 911! (2003–2009); Derek (2012–2014);
2091-415: A mockumentary refers to films, while the term comedy verite refers to TV series, though term is widely used here. The series Documentary Now! (2015–present) on IFC , created by Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Hader , Fred Armisen , and Seth Meyers , spoofs celebrated documentary films by parodying the style and subject of each documentary. Hight argues that television is a natural medium for
2214-456: A mockumentary, Jackson received criticism for tricking viewers. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan from 2006, and its 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm , are two controversial yet successful films that use this style, as does Brüno , a similar film from 2009 also starring Sacha Baron Cohen . Sony Pictures Animation released their second animated feature, Surf's Up in 2007, which
2337-446: A mockumentary, as it provides for "extraordinarily rich sources of appropriation and commentary". In 2018, the BBC released the series Cunk on Britain created by Charlie Brooker and starring Diane Morgan about British history with Philomena Cunk, an extremely dim-witted and ill-informed interviewer, asking various experts ridiculous questions. The follow-up Cunk on Earth featuring
2460-563: A new set of webisodes for the summer of 2008. The webisode series began its run on July 10, 2008, and ended on July 31, 2008. The webisodes feature Kevin, who pursues a unique solution in an effort to pay back his looming gambling debts. The other characters who appeared are Oscar, Stanley and Darryl. NBC ordered a new set of webisodes for the winter of 2008. The webisode series began its run on November 20, 2008. The webisodes feature all of The Office characters except for Michael , Pam , Jim , Dwight and Ryan . Oscar has an outburst in
2583-430: A new website for online sales; he also learns that his boss, David Wallace , favors Jim, and thus Ryan attempts to sabotage Jim's career. Ryan is soon arrested and fired for misleading the shareholders and committing fraud related to the website's sales numbers. Toby announces he is moving to Costa Rica and is replaced by Holly Flax , who quickly shows a liking for Michael. Pam decides to follow her artistic interests and
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#17330945134362706-580: A relationship, much to Andy's chagrin, and Andy attempts to win Erin's affection back. Holly, Michael's former girlfriend, returns to Scranton to fill in for Toby, who is on jury duty for the "Scranton Strangler" trial. Michael and Holly eventually restart their relationship. After the two get engaged, Michael reveals he will be leaving Scranton to move to Colorado with Holly to support her elderly parents. Jim and Pam adjust to parenthood, while Angela starts dating state senator Robert Lipton and gets engaged off-screen in
2829-503: A relationship. After eventually proving himself to her, the two get engaged, but Michael decides to move to Boulder, Colorado to help Holly take care of her elderly parents. After Michael leaves, the office is forced to choose a new manager. On March 17, 2011, NBC renewed The Office for an eighth season, consisting of 24 episodes. This season focuses on Andy Bernard becoming manager of the Scranton branch, before being replaced as manager by Nellie Bertram ( Catherine Tate ) midway through
2952-452: A secret. Kelly Kapoor develops a crush on Ryan, and they start dating off and on. When Roy finally agrees to set a date for his wedding to Pam, at a company booze cruise, Jim grows depressed and considers transferring to the Stamford, Connecticut branch, but tells Pam in the season finale that he is in love with her. Even though Pam insists she is with Roy, the two kiss, and Jim transfers to
3075-463: A seventh season, consisting of 26 half-hour episodes, four of which were paired as two hour-long episodes. Steve Carell confirmed the season would be his last on the series. The season premiered on September 23, 2010. The seventh season of The Office largely revolves around the character development and departure of Michael from the series. After Toby is called for jury duty, Holly returns, causing Michael to once again pursue her, despite her being in
3198-849: A short first season in 2005 that consisted of six episodes. This was followed by a full-length second season in 2005–06 that consisted of 22 episodes, and a third season in 2006–07, with 25 episodes. Due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike , the fourth season that aired in 2007–08 consisted of 19 episodes. The fifth season aired during 2008–09 and consisted of 28 episodes. The sixth season aired during 2009–10 and consisted of 26 episodes. The seventh season aired during 2010–11 and consisted of 26 episodes. The eighth season aired during 2011–12 and consisted of 24 episodes. The ninth season aired during 2012–13 and consisted of 25 episodes. A total of 201 episodes of The Office aired over nine seasons. The first set of webisodes, titled The Accountants , consisted of ten episodes and ran between
3321-507: A star. Dwight is then promoted to regional manager. NBC announced on March 16, 2006, that there would be ten original, stand-alone webisode shorts on NBC.com. They debuted on July 13, and concluded on September 7, 2006. They were directed by Randall Einhorn and written by Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein , and were edited by Michael Zurer, an assistant editor on the series. It took two days to film them, and in June 2007, The Accountants won
3444-411: Is a 1978 television film in mockumentary style about The Rutles , a fictional band that parodies The Beatles . The Beatles' own 1964 feature film debut, A Hard Day's Night , was itself filmed in mockumentary style; it ostensibly documents a few typical (and highly fictionalized) days in the life of the band as they travel from Liverpool to London for a television appearance. Since the beginning of
3567-699: Is a Cold-War era American "mockumentary" film that made use of archival government footage from the 1950s. Woody Allen's 1983 film Zelig stars Allen as a curiously nondescript enigma who is discovered for his remarkable ability to transform himself to resemble anyone he is near, and Allen is edited into historical archive footage. In 1984, Christopher Guest co-wrote and starred in the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap , directed by Rob Reiner . Guest went on to write and direct other mockumentaries including Waiting for Guffman , Best in Show , and A Mighty Wind , all written with costar Eugene Levy . In Central Europe,
3690-515: Is a salesman and the Assistant to the Regional Manager, an imaginary title created by Michael. John Krasinski portrays Jim Halpert , a salesman and, in later seasons, assistant manager or co-manager who is known for his wittiness and his practical jokes on Dwight. Halpert is based upon Tim Canterbury and, at the start of the series, is known to have feelings for receptionist Pam Beesly , who
3813-597: Is accepted to attend a three-month graphic design course at the Pratt Institute in New York City. In the season finale, Jim almost proposes to Pam but is interrupted by Andy proposing to Angela, who reluctantly agrees. Phyllis then catches Dwight and Angela having sex in the office. The fifth season consists of 28 half-hours of material, divided into 24 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes, one of which aired after Super Bowl XLIII . Jim proposes to Pam at
List of The Office (American TV series) episodes - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-455: Is an American mockumentary sitcom television series based on the 2001–2003 BBC series of the same name created by (and starring) Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant . Adapted for NBC by Greg Daniels , a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live , King of the Hill , and The Simpsons , the show depicts the everyday work lives of the office employees at Scranton, Pennsylvania , branch of
4059-420: Is another example of this. Daniels has said that it does not count as film score as long as it already appeared in the episode. The Office features an ensemble cast . Many of its characters are based on characters in the original British series. While these characters generally have the same attitudes and perceptions as their British counterparts, the roles were modified to fit the American show. The show
4182-491: Is engaged to warehouse worker Roy. Pam, played by Jenna Fischer , is based on Dawn Tinsley . She is shy but often collaborates with Jim in his pranks on Dwight. B. J. Novak portrays Ryan Howard , who for the first two seasons is a temporary worker but is promoted to a sales representative in the third season . He later ascends to be the company's youngest vice president, North East Region, and director of new media until his innovations are exposed as corporate fraud and he
4305-545: Is fired in the third season for attacking Jim; and the vice president for regional sales for Dunder Mifflin Jan Levinson ( Melora Hardin ), who later becomes Michael's rather toxic love interest. Toward the end of season five, the bubbly and naive Erin Hannon ( Ellie Kemper ) is introduced as Pam's replacement at the reception and develops a unique bond with Michael when he becomes almost a father figure in her life. A story arc at
4428-506: Is fired. He then gets a job in a bowling alley and later briefly works for the Michael Scott Paper Company. After this and a stint in rehab, he again eventually ends up as a temporary worker at the Scranton branch. The accounting department includes Angela Martin ( Angela Kinsey ), an uptight and ultra-religious woman who likes to keep things orderly and make sure situations remain as businesslike as possible; Kevin Malone ( Brian Baumgartner ),
4551-666: Is known for its relatively large cast, and many of its actors and actresses are known particularly for their improvisational work. Steve Carell stars as Michael Scott , regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch. Loosely based on David Brent , Gervais' character in the British series, Scott is a well-intentioned man whose oblivious attempts at humor often offend and annoy his peers and employees, and sometimes draw reprimands from his superiors. Rainn Wilson portrays Dwight Schrute , based on Gareth Keenan , who
4674-588: Is later forced to merge the Stamford branch with the Scranton branch. Michael takes this merger very seriously. Transferred to the Scranton branch are saleswoman Karen Filippelli , whom Jim has begun dating, and the anger-prone preppy salesman Andy Bernard , along with other Stamford employees who all eventually quit within the first few episodes of being there. Pam is newly single after calling off her engagement to Roy, and Jim's unresolved feelings for her and his new relationship with Karen lead to shifting tensions between
4797-521: Is made aware of Dwight and Angela's continued affair, both men leave her. Newly hired Vice President Charles Miner implements a rigid managerial style over the branch that causes Michael to resign in protest. Michael opens the Michael Scott Paper Company in the same office building, enticing Pam and Ryan to join as salespeople, and though his business model is ultimately unsustainable, Dunder Mifflin's profits are immediately threatened. In
4920-548: Is recording the lives of the employees of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In a mockumentary format, it shows Michael Scott ( Steve Carell ), regional manager of the Scranton branch office, as he tries to convince the filmmakers of the documentary that he presides over a happy, well-running office. Meanwhile, sales rep Jim Halpert ( John Krasinski ) finds methods to undermine his cube-mate, Dwight Schrute ( Rainn Wilson ); receptionist Pam Beesly ( Jenna Fischer )
5043-461: Is slowly destroying the company. Dwight—along with Jim, Stanley, Ryan, Erin, and Cathy ( Lindsey Broad )—travel to Florida to help set up a Sabre Store, where Nellie Bertram ( Catherine Tate ) is introduced. Eventually, former CFO of Dunder Mifflin David Wallace buys back the company, firing California. On May 11, 2012, NBC renewed The Office for a ninth season, which was later announced to be
List of The Office (American TV series) episodes - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-475: Is that a camera crew is filming 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. The characters, especially Jim and Pam, also look towards the camera when Michael creates an awkward situation. The show's main action is supplemented with talking-head interviews or "confessionals" where characters speak one-on-one with
5289-470: Is the child's biological father). Darryl starts falling for the new warehouse foreman, Val. Dwight is tasked with traveling to Tallahassee, Florida , to assist Sabre special projects manager Nellie Bertram ( Catherine Tate ) in launching a chain of retail stores, along with Jim, Ryan, Stanley, Erin, and new office temp Cathy Simms . Cathy is also revealed to have ulterior motives for the trip, as she intends to seduce Jim. Still, she fails. Robert later kills
5412-398: Is then promoted to regional manager and works hard to make a good impression on Robert, asking Dwight to be his number two. Pam and Jim are expecting their second child, Phillip, at the start of the season, to coincide with Fischer's real-life pregnancy. Angela is also pregnant with her first son, also named Philip, with State Senator Robert Lipton (although it is implied that Dwight Schrute
5535-472: Is trying to deal with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and the temporary employee Ryan Howard ( B. J. Novak ) is acting mostly as an observer of the insanity around him. Season two of The Office premiered on September 20, 2005, and ended on May 11, 2006. NBC initially ordered only six episodes for the season, then in September ordered seven more. On November 3, 2005, NBC ordered an additional three, and in
5658-401: The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike shut down production for nearly five months in the middle of the season (between the episodes " The Deposition " and " Dinner Party "). Because of the shutdown, the fourth season of The Office only consisted of 19 half-hour episodes, ten of which were paired as five hour-long episodes. The season premiered on September 27, 2007. Season four marked
5781-406: The 1950s when archival film footage became available. A very early example was a short piece on the " Swiss Spaghetti Harvest " that appeared as an April Fools' prank on the British television program Panorama in 1957. Mockumentaries can be partly or wholly improvised . Early work, including Luis Buñuel 's 1933 Land Without Bread , Orson Welles 's 1938 radio broadcast of The War of
5904-405: The 1980s, the mockumentary format has gained considerable attention. The 1980 South African film The Gods Must be Crazy (along with its 1989 sequel ) is presented in the manner of a nature documentary , with documentary narrator Paddy O'Byrne describing the events of the film in the manner of a biologist or anthropologist presenting scientific knowledge to viewers. In 1982, The Atomic Cafe
6027-465: The British Office series for American television and served as the showrunner for the first four seasons. He then left the position when he co-created the comedy series Parks and Recreation with fellow Office writer Michael Schur and divided his time between both series. Paul Lieberstein and Jennifer Celotta were named the showrunners for the fifth season. Celotta left the series after
6150-445: The British series, to appear in the third season, but scheduling conflicts prevented them; however, Ricky Gervais made two appearances in the show's seventh season as David Brent . The Office was filmed with a single-camera setup in cinéma vérité style to create the look of an actual documentary, with no studio audience or laugh track, allowing its " deadpan " and "absurd" humor to fully come across. The show's primary premise
6273-616: The Comedy Short Award at the inaugural Webby Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy. In November 2007, the webisodes became a point of argument for the Writers Guild of America for the 2007 strike , as none of the writers or actors featured in the webisodes were paid residuals for their participation. Major characters Michael, Jim and Pam do not appear in The Accountants webisodes. Instead,
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#17330945134366396-497: The Money and Run (1969), The Clowns (1970) by Federico Fellini (a peculiar hybrid of documentary and fiction , a docufiction), Smile (1975) , Carlos Mayolo 's The Vampires of Poverty (1977) and All You Need Is Cash (1978). Albert Brooks was also an early popularizer of the mockumentary style with his film Real Life , 1979, a spoof of the 1973 reality television series An American Family . Woody Allen 's Take
6519-427: The Money and Run is presented in documentary style with Allen playing a fictional criminal, Virgil Starkwell, whose crime exploits are "explored" throughout the film. Jackson Beck , who used to narrate documentaries in the 1940s, provides the voice-over narration. Fictional interviews are inter-spliced throughout, especially those of Starkwell's parents who wear Groucho Marx noses and mustaches. The style of this film
6642-749: The Scranton branch after her breakup with Jim and becomes the regional manager at the Utica branch. A self-employed Jan moves herself and her candle business into Michael's condo, until the dissolution of their relationship midway through the season during an intimate dinner party including Pam, Jim, Andy, Angela and Dwight. This episode showcases what has become a very toxic and unhealthy relationship between Michael and Jan. After Dwight's crude (though well-intentioned) method of euthanasia of Angela's ailing cat without her permission, she leaves him for Andy, leading Dwight into depression. Ryan, in his new corporate life in New York City, attempts to modernize Dunder Mifflin with
6765-499: The Scranton branch after the two offices merge; the shallow and talkative customer service representative Kelly Kapoor ( Mindy Kaling ); the promiscuous alcoholic supply relations representative Meredith Palmer ( Kate Flannery ); human resources representative Toby Flenderson ( Paul Lieberstein ), who is loathed, and often the target of abuse, by Michael; warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin ( Craig Robinson ); warehouse dock worker and Pam's fiancé Roy Anderson ( David Denman ), who
6888-431: The Scranton branch, Michael dating Pam's mother, Dwight attempting to get Jim fired, and Dunder Mifflin facing an uncertain future due to rumors of insolvency, eventually becoming part of a larger corporation called Sabre. The season also prominently features the long-awaited wedding between Jim and Pam, as well as the birth of their first child. On March 5, 2010, NBC officially announced that it had renewed The Office for
7011-418: The Scranton branch. The seventh season consists of 26 half-hours of material, divided into 21 half-hour episodes, one "super-sized" episode, and two hour-long episodes. This was the final season for Steve Carell , who plays Michael Scott , as NBC did not renew Carell's contract. Beginning with this season, Zach Woods , who portrays Gabe Lewis , was promoted to a series regular. Erin and Gabe have begun
7134-554: The Stamford branch soon after. The general threat of downsizing continues throughout the season as well. The third season consists of 17 half-hour episodes, four 40-minute "super-sized" episodes, and two one-hour episodes. The total number of episodes is 25. The season starts with a brief flashback to (and additional footage from) the last episode of season two, "Casino Night", when Jim kissed Pam and confessed his feelings for her. Jim briefly transfers to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford branch after Pam confirms her commitment to Roy. Corporate
7257-472: The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon , both of whom are fans of the series, and filmmakers Jon Favreau , Harold Ramis , Jason Reitman , and Marc Webb . Episodes have been directed by several of the actors on the show including Steve Carell , Rainn Wilson , John Krasinski , B. J. Novak , Ed Helms , Brian Baumgartner , Mindy Kaling and Paul Lieberstein . Before the second episode airing,
7380-485: The World ". The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour (1970–1971) also featured mockumentary pieces that interspersed both scripted and real-life man-in-the-street interviews, the most famous likely being "The Puck Crisis" in which hockey pucks were claimed to have become infected with a form of Dutch elm disease . All You Need Is Cash , developed from an early series of sketches in the comedy series Rutland Weekend Television ,
7503-547: The Worlds , various April Fools' Day news reports, and vérité -style film and television during the 1960s and 1970s, served as precursor to the genre. Early examples of mock-documentaries include various films by Peter Watkins , such as The War Game (1965), Privilege (1967), and the dystopic Punishment Park (1971). Further examples are " The Connection " (1961), A Hard Day's Night (1964), David Holzman's Diary (1967), Pat Paulsen for President (1968), Take
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#17330945134367626-507: The beginning of the third season, Ed Helms and Rashida Jones joined the cast as members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford. Jones later left the cast, becoming a regular on Parks and Recreation in February 2007, and NBC announced that Helms was being promoted to a series regular. Four of the show's writers have also appeared in the show. B. J. Novak was cast as the reluctant temp Ryan Howard after Daniels saw his stand-up act . Paul Lieberstein
7749-409: The camera. Actor John Krasinski shot the footage of Scranton for the opening credits when he found out he was cast as Jim. He visited Scranton for research and interviewed employees at actual paper companies. To create the show's documentary style, the producers hired cinematographer Randall Einhorn , known for directing episodes of Survivor , who gave the show its "rough and jumpy" feel. This
7872-616: The characters or heard on radios, computers, or other devices; however, songs have been played during montages or the closing credits, such as " Tiny Dancer " by Elton John (" The Dundies ") and " Islands in the Stream " by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (" E-mail Surveillance "). Featured music tends to be well known, and often songs reflect the character, such as Michael's attempt to seem hip by using " Mambo No. 5 " and later " My Humps " as his cell phone ringtone. Michael confusing Lady Gaga 's " Just Dance " with Britney Spears ' " Gimme More "
7995-408: The characters. Producer Michael Schur said that the series would strictly follow the documentary format. The producers and directors had long discussions on how scenes could work in the documentary format. For example, in the fourth-season episode " Did I Stutter? ", a scene featured Michael going through a long process to go to the bathroom without passing Stanley. The producers debated whether it
8118-660: The comedy series The Muppets (2015); People Just Do Nothing (2011–2018) and the Australian Chris Lilley shows Angry Boys , Summer Heights High , We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year , Ja'mie: Private School Girl , Jonah from Tonga and Lunatics . Shows currently running in this format include What We Do in the Shadows (2019–present) and Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Strictly speaking,
8241-459: The departure of Karen Filippelli as a regular character, although she appeared for a few seconds in the first episode, " Fun Run "; and was featured as the regional manager of the Utica branch in the sixth episode, " Branch Wars ". Relationships emerged as the main theme of the season, with Jim and Pam's and Michael and Jan's rising, as well as Dwight and Angela's declining. Technology was another theme as
8364-520: The economic downturn. However, when a new boss is hired Michael feels slighted by his controlling manner. The theme of the beginning and middle of the season was mostly personal relationships with Dwight, Angela, Andy, Jim, Pam, Michael, Jan, and Holly. However, the theme transformed into career growth, as Ryan, Pam, and Michael set up the Michael Scott Paper Company, Pam and Michael go on a lecture circuit, Charles takes Jan's and Ryan's job, and Jim has trouble getting on with Charles. The last few episodes of
8487-838: The end it had ordered a full season of 22 episodes. The second season storyline further delved into the fear of company downsizing, along with the introduction of new characters and developing some of the minor ones—especially that of Dwight. As Michael begins a relationship with his boss Jan Levinson ( Melora Hardin ), Pam and Jim's relationship becomes one of the focal points of the season. Their compatibility becomes more obvious as Jim's feelings for Pam continue to grow, while she struggles with her engagement to warehouse worker Roy Anderson ( David Denman ). Season three premiered on September 21, 2006, and ended on May 17, 2007. It featured 25 episodes, including two hour-long episodes, six "super-sized" episodes, and guest directors such as J. J. Abrams , Joss Whedon and Harold Ramis . The season marked
8610-541: The end of season four has Holly Flax ( Amy Ryan ) transferred to the office as Toby's replacement. She becomes a love interest for Michael, as they share very similar personality traits. Jo Bennett ( Kathy Bates ) is the CEO of Sabre. This company takes over Dunder Mifflin, and Gabe Lewis ( Zach Woods ), introduced in the middle of season six, is a Sabre employee who is assigned to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch as
8733-504: The end of the sixth season and consisted of four episodes. The 3rd Floor aired during the beginning of the seventh season and consisted of three episodes. The Podcast aired near the middle of the seventh season (was previously available on the season 6 DVD) and consisted of three episodes. The latest webisode series, The Girl Next Door aired at the end of the seventh season and had two episodes. All nine seasons are available on DVD in regions 1, 2, and 4. Starting with season five,
8856-520: The end of the year. He booked his role in The Office just three weeks later. Fischer prepared for her audition by looking as boring as possible, creating the original Pam hairstyle. In an interview on NPR 's Fresh Air , she recalled the last stages of the audition process for Pam and Jim, where the producers paired up the potential Pams and Jims (four of each) to gauge their chemistry. When Fischer finished her scene with Krasinski, he told her that she
8979-600: The fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company , and aired from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, with a total of nine seasons consisting of 201 episodes . The show was co-produced by Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions , Reveille Productions (later Shine America) and 3 Arts Entertainment (although uncredited) in association with Universal Television . The original executive producers were Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, Howard Klein and Ben Silverman , with numerous others being promoted in later seasons. Like its British counterpart,
9102-696: The fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission in the run-up to the 2012 Summer Olympics ), and W1A , which follows the main characters of Twenty Twelve as they start work at the BBC, as well as The Office (2001) and its many international offshoots , and Come Fly with Me (2010), which follows the activity at a fictional airport and its variety of staff and passengers. British comedy duo Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French often presented short mockumentaries as extended sketches in their TV show French & Saunders . Discovery Channel opened its annual Shark Week on 4 Aug 2013 with Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives ,
9225-540: The film ( David Koechner , Eric Roberts , Chaz Bono , Ed Begley Jr. ), performing arts ( Ja Rule , Billy Morrison ), and TV ( Lindsey Shaw , Pierson Fode , Johnny Bananas ) to play fictional versions of themselves. In television, the most notable mockumentaries in the 2000s have been ABC Australia 's The Games (1998–2000), the Canadian series Trailer Park Boys (1999–present), the British shows Marion and Geoff (2000), Twenty Twelve (2011–2012) (which follows
9348-497: The final season. The season consists of 25 episodes. The ninth season largely focuses on the relationship between Jim and Pam Halpert. After Jim decides to follow his dream and start a sports marketing company in Philadelphia, Pam begins to worry about moving, and the couple's relationship experiences stress. Meanwhile, Andy abandons the office for a three-month boating trip, and eventually quits his job to pursue his dream of becoming
9471-478: The first time that viewers were exposed to mockumentary was in 1988 when the Czechoslovakian short film Oil Gobblers was shown. For two weeks, TV viewers believed that the oil-eating animals really existed. Tim Robbins ' 1992 film Bob Roberts was a mockumentary centered around the senatorial campaign of a right-wing stock trader and folksinger, and the unsavory connections and dirty tricks used to defeat
9594-570: The focus is on the three members of the accounting department: Oscar, Angela and Kevin—who appear in each webisode—as they try to find $ 3000 missing from the office budget. The series won an Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy" category at the 34th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2007. Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly graded the series with an "A−" and wrote, "While we miss Jim and Pam (not to mention star Steve Carell ), these shorts prove that spending time with their excessively awkward co-workers can be just as sweet." NBC ordered
9717-403: The idea for " The Dundies " as the pilot episode. After the writers knew who the cast was, they were allowed to write for the actors, which allowed the show to be more original for the following episode, " Diversity Day ". Following the mixed reaction toward the first season, the writers attempted to make the series more "optimistic" and to make Michael Scott more likable. They also established
9840-452: The ignored customer service complaints that Kelly has neglected while working at Dunder Mifflin. Clark is later moved to sales. Initially, the actors who portray the supporting office workers were credited as guest stars , but then were named series regulars during the second season. The show's large ensemble was mainly praised by critics and led to the series winning two Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in
9963-453: The information, but he eventually considered the experiment a failure. According to Jenna Fischer , the series used an unusual casting process that did not involve a script. For example, the producers asked the actors several questions and they responded as the characters they were auditioning for. NBC programmer Kevin Reilly originally suggested Paul Giamatti to producer Ben Silverman for
10086-399: The latter half of the season, inter-office relationships also became a major plot point. Metacritic , which assigns normalized ratings out of 100 to critics' reviews, calculated an average score of 85/100 based on five collected reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". NBC ordered a full fourth season of The Office consisting of 30 episodes, which included five one-hour specials. However,
10209-447: The main love interests. Krasinski attended school with B. J. Novak , where the two were best friends. Before Krasinski landed the role, he considered quitting acting. He discussed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he moved to New York City and gave himself two to three years for his acting career to succeed or he would quit. He did not enjoy waiting tables and struggling to find roles, but his mom told him to wait it out until
10332-464: The matronly saleswoman Phyllis Lapin ( Phyllis Smith ), who dates and then marries Bob Vance ( Robert R. Shafer ) from Vance Refrigeration, a company whose office is across the hall from Dunder Mifflin; eccentric quality assurance representative Creed Bratton ( Creed Bratton ), who has a mysterious criminal history; Andy Bernard ( Ed Helms ), a salesman from the Stamford, Connecticut branch of Dunder Mifflin introduced in season three who transfers to
10455-425: The middle of the office and his coworkers start an investigation. Creed decides to take up blackmail, and attempts to get money out of Oscar, Andy, Kelly, Angela, and Meredith. Kelly and Erin form their own girl group, Subtle Sexuality, and get Ryan and Andy to assist them with their first music video, "Male Prima Donna". Erin wants to make a career change and finds herself a mentor: Angela. Ryan attempts to make
10578-476: The move of main character Jim Halpert from Scranton to Stamford, and also introduced Rashida Jones as Karen Filippelli , and Ed Helms as Andy Bernard (both members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford) as recurring characters. Helms would later be promoted to series regular. The main plot for the early episodes of the season deals with a recurring problem in seasons one and two—the problem of company downsizing—while in
10701-417: The office staff struggled with initiatives introduced by Ryan to modernize the company. On April 10, 2008, NBC ordered a fifth season consisting of 28 half-hour episodes, four of which were paired as two hour-long episodes. The season premiered on September 25, 2008. This season highlighted Michael's roller coaster relationship with corporate, as he is first praised and rewarded for impressive numbers despite
10824-437: The original main cast include Ed Helms , Rashida Jones , Amy Ryan , Mindy Kaling , Craig Robinson , James Spader , Ellie Kemper , and Catherine Tate . The Office received moderately positive reviews from critics (except for the pilot episode which received mixed reviews) during its short first season , but the following seasons, particularly Carell's performance, received significant acclaim from television critics as
10947-435: The original team of writers. Kaling, Novak, and Lieberstein also served multiple roles on the series, as they played regular characters on the show, as well as wrote, directed, and produced episodes. Credited with twenty-four episodes, Kaling is the most prolific writer among the staff. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant , who created the original British series, are credited as executive producers and wrote both pilot and
11070-524: The realities of the situation to maintain employee morale. The second season is the series' first 22-episode season and has its first 28-minute "super-sized" episode. Many workers seen in the background of the first season are developed into secondary characters and romantic relationships begin to develop between some of them. Michael makes out with and then spends the night with his boss, Jan Levinson , but does not have sex with her. Dwight and Angela become romantically involved, but keep their relationship
11193-437: The regional director of sales. In season seven, Bennett's friend Nellie Bertram ( Catherine Tate ) is interviewed to replace Scott and later serves as a replacement regional manager for Bernard in season eight after Robert California ( James Spader ) has become the new CEO of Sabre. In season nine, Clark Green ( Clark Duke ) and Pete Miller ( Jake Lacy ) join as new customer service representatives who attempt to catch up on
11316-479: The retail store project, and Erin decides to stay in Florida as an elderly woman's live-in helper. Andy goes to Florida to win back Erin, allowing Nellie to claim the manager position as her own. Robert tells Andy that he has been demoted back to a salesman, but Andy refuses to accept the news, which causes him to be fired. Andy becomes motivated to begin a Dunder Mifflin comeback and joins with former CFO David Wallace, now
11439-515: The role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined. Martin Short , Hank Azaria and Bob Odenkirk were reported to be interested in the part. In January 2004, Variety reported that Steve Carell , of the 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
11562-401: The role. Carell was later joined by his wife Nancy Carell when she was cast to play Carol Stills, a love interest of Michael Scott. When asked what it was like working with her husband, Carell said she was intimidated at first as she had retired from acting years prior, but they had so much fun together. John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were cast in their respective roles as Jim and Pam,
11685-547: The season 6 DVD release. The series focuses on Kelly and Erin's girl group called Subtle Sexuality. The first webisode documents the behind-the-scenes aspects of their second single "The Girl Next Door", while the second and final webisode is the music video itself, which features Ryan. The webisodes were made available on May 4, 2011, on NBC.com. For the ninth season, see "The Office: Season Nine Ratings" . TV Series Finale . May 18, 2013 . Retrieved December 14, 2017 . The Office (American TV series) The Office
11808-427: The season finale. After Michael's replacement Deangelo ( Will Ferrell ) is seriously injured on the job, Jo creates a search committee to interview candidates and choose a new manager for the office. In the meantime, Dwight Schrute, and later Creed Bratton, took over as acting manager. The eighth season consists of 24 episodes. James Spader joins the cast as Robert California, the new CEO of Dunder Mifflin/Sabre. Andy
11931-491: The season focused on relationships once again, with major events taking place in Jim and Pam's relationship, and also with Holly and Michael. On January 15, 2009, it was announced that NBC renewed the series for a sixth season, consisting of 26 half-hour episodes, four of which were paired as two hour-long episodes. The season premiered on September 17, 2009. Story arcs in the sixth season include Jim becoming co-manager with Michael of
12054-417: The season. James Spader also became a regular cast member, playing the role of Robert California , the new CEO of Sabre. Also, Jim and Pam welcome their second child. The eighth season of The Office largely centers around the antics of the new Sabre CEO, Robert California. Initially, he appears calm, collected, and calculating. However, as the season progresses, it becomes obvious that his management style
12177-422: The second and third seasons. Kevin's Loan consisted of four episodes and ran between the fourth and fifth seasons. The Outburst aired in the middle of the fifth season and consisted of four episodes. Blackmail aired during the end of the fifth season and consisted of four episodes. Subtle Sexuality aired during the beginning of the sixth season and consisted of three episodes. The Mentor aired near
12300-543: The series is available on Blu-ray . This list is ordered by the episodes' original air dates and not by the production code numbers provided by NBC's official episode guide, which show the order in which episodes were filmed. After the acquisition of the series by the streaming service Peacock , extended format episodes designated "Superfan Episodes" were released beginning in 2021 exclusive to Peacock, including deleted scenes and additional footage. Season one aired between March 24 and April 26, 2005. It originally debuted as
12423-469: The series was filmed in a single-camera setup without a studio audience or a laugh track , to mirror the look of an actual documentary. It debuted on NBC as a mid-season replacement and ended its nine-season run on May 16, 2013, with a two-part series finale . Its original main cast was Steve Carell , Rainn Wilson , John Krasinski , Jenna Fischer , and B. J. Novak . It experienced numerous changes to its ensemble cast during its run. Stars outside
12546-449: The series was quickly canceled, allowing his full commitment to The Office . Carell later said that 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. Other people who were considered or auditioned for the role included Ben Falcone , Alan Tudyk , Jim Zulevic , and Paul F. Tompkins . Rainn Wilson
12669-437: The show's canon and storyline by Daniels. Deleted scenes have sometimes been restored in repeats to make episodes longer or draw back people who have seen the episode before to see the bonus footage . In an experiment, a deleted scene from " The Return " was made available over NBC.com and iTunes , explaining the absence of a character over the next several episodes. Daniels hoped that word of mouth among fans would spread
12792-438: The show's characters, content, structure, and tone diverged considerably from the original British series. These seasons were included on several critics' year-end top TV series lists, winning several awards including a Peabody Award in 2006, two Screen Actors Guild Awards , a Golden Globe Award for Carell's performance , and four Primetime Emmy Awards , including one for Outstanding Comedy Series , in 2006. The eighth season
12915-449: The sixth season and Lieberstein stayed on as showrunner for the following two seasons. He left the showrunner spot after the eighth season for the potential Dwight Schrute spin-off, The Farm , which was eventually passed on by NBC. Daniels returned to the showrunner position for the ninth and final season. Other executive producers include cast members B. J. Novak and Mindy Kaling . Kaling, Novak, Daniels, Lieberstein and Schur made up
13038-422: The supporting characters of the series more, giving them relatable personalities. They also made the lights in the office brighter, which allowed the series to differentiate itself from the British series. A common issue with the scripts, according to Novak, is that they tended to run too long for the regular 22-minute time slot, leading to several cuts. For example, the script for the episode " Search Committee "
13161-442: The theme song is played over the closing credits , which previously rolled in silence. Ferguson described his theme as "against type; it has this vulnerability, this yearning to it that soon explodes into this overdone optimism which then gets crushed - which is pretty much what the show is about." The mockumentary format of the show contains no laugh track , and most of the music is diegetic , with songs either sung or played by
13284-435: The third-season episode " The Convict ". Merchant later directed the episode " Customer Survey ", while Gervais appeared in the episodes " The Seminar " and " Search Committee ", reprising his role as David Brent from the British series. Randall Einhorn is the most frequent director of the series, with 15 credited episodes. The series also had several guest directors, including Lost co-creator J. J. Abrams , Buffy
13407-464: The three. Meanwhile, Michael and Jan's relationship escalates, which causes them to behave erratically on the job. On the other hand, Dwight and Angela continue their steamy secret relationship. In the season's finale , Jim, Karen, and Michael interview for a corporate position that turns out to be Jan's, who is fired for poor performance. Jim is offered the job but rejects it off-screen, opting instead to remain in Scranton without Karen and ask Pam out on
13530-424: The writers spent time conducting research in offices. This process was used for Daniels' other series King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation . The pilot is a direct adaptation of the first episode of the original British series. Daniels chose to go this route because "completely starting from scratch would be a very risky thing to do" owing to the show being an adaptation. He had briefly considered using
13653-473: Was "too feisty" for the character, but 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 , the director of the pilot episode, liked the way Phyllis Smith , a casting associate, read with other actors auditioning so much that he cast her as Phyllis . At
13776-409: Was already used in the drama series LAX (2004–2005). Thus, the final choice was an original track written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones. The theme is played over the title sequence, which features scenes of Scranton, various tasks around the office, and the main cast members. Some episodes of the series use a shortened version of the theme song. Starting with the fourth season,
13899-744: Was cast as human resources director Toby Flenderson on Novak's suggestion after his cold readings of scripts. Greg Daniels was originally unsure where to use Mindy Kaling on-screen until the opportunity came in the script for the second episode, " Diversity Day ", where Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. "Since [that slap], I've been on the show" (as Kelly Kapoor ), Kaling said. Michael Schur has also made several guest appearances as Dwight's cousin Mose , and consulting producer Larry Wilmore has played diversity trainer Mr. Brown . Plans were made for Mackenzie Crook , Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis , from
14022-428: Was cast as power-hungry sycophant Dwight Schrute , and he watched every episode of the British series before he auditioned. Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael, a performance that he described as a "terrible Ricky Gervais impersonation"; however, the casting directors liked his audition as Dwight much more and hired him. Seth Rogen , Matt Besser , Patton Oswalt , and Judah Friedlander also auditioned for
14145-465: Was criticized for declining quality, with Carell's departure in season seven seen as a contributing factor. However, the ninth and final season ended the series with a generally positive response. The series finale , which originally aired on May 16, 2013, was viewed by an estimated 5.7 million viewers and garnered critical acclaim. In 2016, Rolling Stone named The Office one of the 100 greatest television shows of all time. Greg Daniels developed
14268-428: Was facilitated by the main set's open floor plan, purposely designed by showrunner Daniels, production designer Donald Lee Harris (Matt Flynn became production designer later), and pilot director Ken Kwapis to allow camera operators to catch characters "unaware". Unlike most sets, the office layout was built with immovable walls to emphasize its airless, claustrophobic atmosphere—"trapping" the documentary film crew with
14391-462: Was his favorite Pam, to which she reciprocated that he was her favorite Jim. Adam Scott and John Cho both auditioned for the role of Jim, and Kathryn Hahn also auditioned for the role of Pam. 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 originally auditioned for Pam. The producers thought she
14514-490: Was initially 75 pages, which was 10 pages too long. A complete script was written for each episode; however, actors were given opportunities to improvise during filming. Fischer said, "Our shows are 100 percent scripted. They put everything down on paper. But we get to play around a little bit, too. Steve and Rainn are brilliant improvisers.". These improvisations led to a large number of deleted scenes with almost every episode of The Office , all of which are considered part of
14637-477: Was popularized in the mid-1990s when This Is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues in a satirical way by using a fictional setting, or to parody the documentary form itself. While mockumentaries are usually comedic , pseudo-documentaries are their dramatic equivalents. However, pseudo-documentary should not be confused with docudrama ,
14760-456: Was possible, and Einhorn walked through the scene to see if a camera operator could get everywhere to shoot the whole scene. Later seasons relaxed the format, with the camera crew often going where actual documentary crews would not. This also changed the series' writing and comedy styles, an inconsistency criticized by some reviewers and fans. When it came to choosing the theme music for The Office , producer Greg Daniels had several tracks he
14883-551: Was the first of its kind to incorporate the mockumentary style into animation. REC , a 2007 Spanish film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, uses journalism aesthetics to approach a horror universe set up in a real building in Barcelona . The film was remade in the United States as the 2008 film Quarantine . Ivo Raza's 2020 mockumentary Reboot Camp is a comedy about a fake cult that uses an ensemble cast of celebrities from
15006-434: Was thinking of using: existing songs including " Better Things " by The Kinks , " Float On " by Modest Mouse , and " Mr. Blue Sky " by Electric Light Orchestra , and several original pieces artists contributed to the producers via a cattle call . Daniels decided that the cast would vote on what song to use and gave them four of the choices. Most of them wanted "Mr. Blue Sky", but that option turned out to be invalid as it
15129-408: Was widely appropriated by others and revisited by Allen himself in films such as Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story (1971), Zelig (1983) and Sweet and Lowdown (1999). Early use of the mockumentary format in television comedy can be seen in several sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974), such as " Hell's Grannies ", " Piranha Brothers ", and " The Funniest Joke in
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