"The Office" (2005)TV series 2005-????

Creators:

Greg Daniels
Ricky Gervais
Stephen Merchant

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

24 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

America's stuck in (crossed out) on the office.

Plot:

A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium. Based on the hit BBC series.

Plot Keywords:

Awkward Silence | Accountant | Pretzel | Prank | Downsizing

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 39 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 26	8:00 PM	NBC	Branch Wars	#4.6
Sat. July 26	8:30 PM	NBC	Survivor Man	#4.7

Cast

Steve Carell	...	Michael Scott (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Rainn Wilson	...	Dwight Schrute / ... (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
John Krasinski	...	Jim Halpert / ... (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Jenna Fischer	...	Pam Beesly (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
B.J. Novak	...	Ryan Howard / ... (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Leslie David Baker	...	Stanley Hudson / ... (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Brian Baumgartner	...	Kevin Malone (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Angela Kinsey	...	Angela Martin / ... (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Phyllis Smith	...	Phyllis Lapin (66 episodes, 2005-2008)
Kate Flannery	...	Meredith Palmer (65 episodes, 2005-2008)
Mindy Kaling	...	Kelly Kapoor (63 episodes, 2005-2008)
Paul Lieberstein	...	Toby Flenderson (62 episodes, 2005-2008)
Creed Bratton	...	Creed / ... (58 episodes, 2005-2008)
Oscar Nuñez	...	Oscar Martinez / ... (55 episodes, 2005-2008)
Melora Hardin	...	Jan Levinson / ... (36 episodes, 2005-2008)
Ed Helms	...	Andy Bernard (33 episodes, 2006-2008)
David Denman	...	Roy Anderson / ... (28 episodes, 2005-2007)
Rashida Jones	...	Karen Filippelli (24 episodes, 2006-2007)
Craig Robinson	...	Darryl Philbin (23 episodes, 2005-2008)

Also Known As:

The Office: An American Workplace (USA) (working title)
The Office: US Version (Australia)
Büro, Das (Germany) [de]
Konttori (Finland) [fi]
Office (Hungary) [hu]
Oficina, La (Spain) [es]
The Office (Greece) [el]
The Office: An American Workplace (Finland) (DVD box title) [fi]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (self applied) (DVD) (2006) | USA:TV-PG (Some episodes) | USA:TV-14 (some episodes) | Australia:M (some episodes) | Singapore:M18 (season 3) | Australia:G (one episode) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:PG (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Reveille Productions

Trivia:

Michael Scott has a "Certificate of Authenticity" on his wall that states he is the "Proud Owner of a Quality Seyko Timepiece."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Although the show is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, every episode set outside during the winter features an unrealistically warm climate. Although characters always wear overcoats and pretend to shiver, numerous things reveal the actual California filming location. Some of these include: no visible breath, no snow, full lawns and trees covered with green leaves.

Quotes:

Michael Scott: [just arrived at party, uninvited, and notices I.T. guy, who wears a turban] Aw, come on! That guy?
[pauses, looks at camera]
Michael Scott: He is a good guy, not a terrorist.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Steve Carell/Usher (#33.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Office Theme

Just a little overplayed

I have watched both series. Both series are good and capable of standing on their own. However, I could do without the US version but I would be upset to have missed the British version. Particularly the exceptional finish to the show, they really managed to build the whole series towards a fantastic send off.

I found the British version was more subtle and, for me, a lot funnier. The US version feels like a plastinated version of the British version. The actors being a little too good-looking, the over-acting is uncomfortable in the wrong way and script develops caricatures and not characters. I think the major cause of this difference is highlighted when you look at the writing and directing credits for the two shows. The British version had two writers and two directors. The US version has 8 directing credits and 10 writing credits. If you adopt the simpsons model for your show you probably shouldn't expect cohesive character and plot development.