Why The Office Deserves Its Place Among TV’s Greatest Sitcoms
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Originally making waves as a British series, The Office crossed the Atlantic to inspire a new wave of innovative comedy in the US and across the globe. Let’s dive into the show’s legacy and how it reshaped the television landscape and paved the way for other mockumentary sitcoms.
The Office UK: A Cringe Comedy Classic
Mockumentaries have been around in different forms since the 1930s, from Orson Welle’s The War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938 to Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-1974) and beyond. They present fictional events in a documentary format and allow characters to speak directly to the audience as they’re being “interviewed”.
The Office joined the ranks of great British mockumentaries in 2001. It was created and written by the legendary Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and followed the daily lives of office employees at Wernham Hogg Paper Company in Slough, England. With Gervais and Merchant’s characteristic humor, The Office leaned into awkward scenarios and cringeworthy interactions between the employees and their boss, David Brent, played by Gervais.
The cast was packed with well-known British actors, including Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock), Mackenzie Crook (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Detectorists), and Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). The series ran for 12 episodes between 2001 and 2002, followed by two special episodes in 2003 and a movie, David Brent: Life on the Road, in 2016.
The People Person’s Paper People
In 2005, inspired by the cult-status success of the British show, Greg Daniels created a US version. He adapted the show for American audiences and introduced a new location and cast of characters. Set in the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, the series maintained the mockumentary style and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. It ran for nine seasons and won over a legion of devoted fans.
Steve Carell became the face of the show, portraying the awkward but endearing boss, Michael Scott. The cast also included John Krasinksi, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, and many more familiar faces. Fans became immersed in the trials and tribulations of the colorful cast of characters, from daily frustrations and petty workplace rivalries to lasting love and heartache. With its relatable character dynamics and witty workplace humor, The Office struck the right balance between hilarity and heart.
How The Office Influenced Other Mockumentary Sitcoms
The Office paved the way for an influx of mockumentary-style sitcoms. The success of these shows can be attributed to the genre’s unpolished, intimate, and relatable nature and how it immerses viewers in the characters’ lives and experiences.
Parks and Recreation, created by Greg Daniels (co-creator of the US Office) and Michael Schur and released in 2009, followed in The Office’s footsteps. The show documented the daily lives of public officials in Pawnee, Indiana and drew inspiration from The Office’s heartwarming tone and quirky humor. Like The Office, it played on the character’s eccentricities and their many ridiculous situations.
Another standout sitcom is Modern Family. It followed the Pritchett-Dunphy clan over the course of eleven seasons and used its mockumentary style to bring the hilarious, dysfunctional, and loving family to life. As with The Office and Parks and Recreation, the characters’ direct interaction with the camera brought out the best of Modern Family’s smart, funny writing and endearingly ridiculous characters.
The Legacy Continues
Despite ending in 2013, The Office is still incredibly popular. As well as gathering new viewers all the time, old fans rewatch it constantly. It’s a show that has a meme or GIF for everything. People who can relate to the workplace dynamics at Dunder Mifflin keep the show’s legacy alive. Thankfully, it’s still available on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but many dedicated fans aren’t satisfied until they own the complete series so they can watch it again and again.
In 2024, happy news reached us: a spin-off of The Office is in the works at Peacock. Greg Daniels is back on board and is joined by Michael Koman. The show will center on the documentary crew who previously filmed Dunder Mifflin as they follow a publishing company trying to save a failing Midwestern newspaper. None of the original cast has been linked to the new project so far but we can always hope! With no production or release dates yet revealed, we likely have a wait ahead of us. If it’s anything like The Office, however, there’s no doubt it will be worth it.
One Of TV's Greatest Sitcoms
Ten years after its conclusion, The Office remains a cultural touchstone and a trailblazer in mockumentary sitcoms. From memes to quotes, it redefined TV comedy and even influenced real-life office culture. The show charmed audiences and spawned a new generation of mockumentary-style sitcoms. Its impact continues to be felt, proving that behind the humor, The Office offers a profound and endearing portrait of our shared human experience.
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