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The Office
The Office is a well known American sitcom in the television industry. It is a docu-comedy where a television show or movie is based on fictional events but portrayed as a documentary in style. The story is plotted on the everyday lives of office employees who worked at a fictional company named Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The series was aired from March of 2005 to May of 2013, by the media company NBC. It has a total of 9 seasons with a total of 201 episodes.
The Office series was also an adaptation to BBC The Office, British counterpart, or version of the series. Like it’s the counterpart, the series used a single-camera method with no audience and laugh track within its film to keep the mood in tune with its documentary style. The series has featured notable artists in its cast and at the same time keeping it diverse and mixing it up with other notable artists along the way.
Like many other sitcom series, there have been some challenges met within the first seasons by receiving mixed reviews and critics. However, as the series progressed and the introduction of notable main characters, the series made its break and took the interest of many critics as the overall structure of the story has become unique.
Production
Greg Daniels is the lead producer that pioneered the first seasons of the series and like much other television series, there are different producers and directors per episode. Several episodes were also directed by the show actors.
The series developed initially from a full adaptation of the British The Office, as it came to the writers that new content would be too risky. Later on the series, they decided to make the series more optimistic by giving their characters and supporting characters distinct identities that would be noticeable all throughout. The changes that were made enables the series adaptation to create its own identity
They have a unique approach to collecting their cast. In their audition, there was no script given, only the panels would ask different questions and you should answer them as you play the role of the character.
The film studio set up was a single-camera method. This is to highlight the ideal documentary feels of the TV series. Without using side commentary, laugh tracks, and audience laugh, it gives the series deep absurd humor.
Characters
The series main characters are Steve Carell as Michael Scott, John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, Ellie Kemper as Erin Hannon, Ed Helms as Andy Bernard and Leslie Baker as Stanley Hudson. There are many more diverse characters and actors along with the series.
Awards and Ratings
The series has received a total of 42 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations and won awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. Won two awards for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Peabody Awards. Acknowledged by the American Film Institute as one of the best TV series.
In 2006 and 2007, one of the main actors of the series, Steve Carell, won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Comedy or Musical.
The Office series has brought NBC with a winning time slot of 11.2 million views in the US.
Filming Locations
The Office series story plot location takes place in a fictional office named Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, the show was mostly filmed in Van Nuys District, Los Angeles, California, while using some footage in Scranton, Pennsylvania to draw in some facts and reference to the actual place in the story.
As the story takes place in Scranton, it definitely shares a relationship with the series and plays a major role in influencing the environment. Remarkably, the producers were able to recreate the environment and feel in the movie. The characters of the series also play a deep role in setting the environment of the community in Scranton.
There were also notable filming locations that are included in the film series such as the Scranton welcome sign, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Tower, South Washington Avenue, and Mulberry Street, downtown Scranton and other Scranton landmarks.
The interior scenes of The Office series were filmed in a Los Angeles area, while the exterior of the office is filmed outside of the eastern building of the studio.
Together with the Chandler Valley Studios, there are many other film locations in the series that took place in California. Some of the notable places are Pickwick’s Pub in Woodland Hills – Scranton’s Poor Richard Pub scenes, Westfield Fashion Square Mall’s interior – Mall in Steamtown scenes and The Chili’s restaurant scene was taken from the Black Angus Steakhouse where both the interior and exterior of the place were changed for the episode.
Other seasons of the series also featured places and states like New York, Philadelphia, and Stamford in Connecticut.
