The Office
The Office is an American sitcom based on a British sitcom of the same name, set -- surprise! -- in an office. Usually there is no actual work done.
Just The Facts
- The original British version of The Office lasted only two six-episode seasons, in the fear that audiences would grow sick of it. The American version has increased in popularity through the years and just finished season 5. Suck it, Britain!
- According to Nielsen ratings, it offers more bear-safety education per minute than any other network program.
- It's also #1 in Nielsen's coveted "social awkwardness" category.
Wazzzzzzzzup?
You know that cubicle job you had one summer, with the paperwork and the coffee and the three months of slow excruciating shuffle towards death? Yeah, someone decided to make a TV show out of it, and that dude was Ricky Gervais.
You know you want me.
So off in Britain, while us Americanos sat on our asses eating marshmallow fluff and checking Homestar Runner, Ricky Gervais and a bunch of other pasty people put together a show about the inner workings of a workplace when there's no actual work getting done. Oh, and the boss was a total dick. Think your boss sucks? Well, your boss probably doesn't compare himself with Jesus. At least not aloud.
The US version was spawned to ride the coattails of the original, at first, but then they stopped using the same jokes as the Brits and decided to replace that with interoffice romance and ugly bobblehead dolls. The show gained higher ratings, but NBC -- notoriously the greediest network -- wasn't satisfied. They added lessons on fighting bears and voila! The show has been a hit ever since.
Makes a perfect gift for your girlfriend in Canada!
Meet Your Co-Workers
Michael Scott. The boss. Ironically, NSFW.
Dwight Schrute. Beet farmer, cuckolder and occasional werewolf hunter. Straightedge. Owns bobblehead of himself. (Should be noted that Rainn Wilson, the dude who plays Dwight, has a bitchin' Twitter feed.)
Jim Halpert. Ostensibly a salesman. Pranks Dwight all the time. Most bangable dude in the office. In love with Pam.
Pam Beesly. Receptionist-cum-saleswoman. In love with Jim. Most bangable woman in the office.
Ryan Howard. Temp-cum-salesman-cum-corporate-exec-cum-coke-addict-cum-embezzler-cum-temp again. Subject of mancrush by Michael. Makes bad hair decisions.
Angela Martin. Accountant. Token uptight Christian chick. Cheated on Andy with Dwight. Has been caught making out with her many cats.
Kevin Malone. Accountant. Speaks slowly enough that he's been mistaken mentally retarded. Drums in a Police cover band.
Oscar Martinez. Accountant. Token homosexual. Least flamboyant person in the office.
Meredith Palmer. Job uncertain. Token alcoholic. Likes to flash people at company parties.
Andy Bernard. Salesman. Resident doofus. Has three battle techniques: singing a capella, talking about when he went to Cornell, and giving awkwardly-worded compliments.
Stanley Hudson. Salesman. Token black/crossword guy in the office. Hates his job and lets people know it.
Phyllis Lapin. Saleswoman. Wants to steal the Party Planning Committee from Angela's death grip. Married to Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration.
Kelly Kapoor. Customer service rep. Token ethnic female. Talks about Brad Pitt, shoes, and getting married for eight hours a day. Obsessed with on/off boyfriend Ryan.
Creed Bratton. Job unknown. Token klepto. Used to be in cults, now sells fake IDs to high-schoolers. Faked his death years ago for tax benefits.
Toby Flendersen. Human resources rep and all-around nice guy. Hated by Michael for no reason. Incredibly, incredibly unlucky. The Paul Giamatti of the office.
Surely it doesn't take 5 years to make a documentary about office life? It was a good idea for Britain to finish up after two series. It made it more believable.
ReplyI think at this point everyone forgot about the documentary. I don't care about that, I just like the show.
The original may have only lasted 12 episodes, but as the great saying goes "Quality, not quantity!"
ReplyOriginal is still 200 times better than the crappy US ripoff.
Both the US and the UK had good versions. But the Polish version sucked.
Everything there is good but really that's it?
ReplyCreed's job is quality assurance, although he doesn't really remember that fact all the time.
Replyyou should mention that despite constantly braggibg about how he is into hot women (like Jay from the View Askewniverse) Michael seems to have a crush on Ryan
Replyalso, being a kelpto who sells fake IDs is probably the *least* criminal thing Creed is involved with
Can't believe I'm the first to say this, but the Wii avatars are amazing.
ReplyDwight & Stanley are obvious, and the upper-left and lower-right are probably Pam & Jim
are the others supposed to be Ryan & Creed?
Michael: We will. Um, did you do the thing I asked you to do about the magazines?
ReplyPam: Yeah, I changed them to your new address.
Michael: Good. The Small Business Man?
Pam: Yup.
Michael: Maxim? American Way? Cracked?
Pam: Yes, I changed your Cracked magazine subscription.
Michael: How about, uh, Fine Arts? Aficionado Monthly?
Pam: [shakes head]
Michael: NO, well can you get on that, because I don't just read Cracked. Thank you.
Are there actually jokes in The Office? I'm not trying to insult it, it's just that every episode I've seen was more like a drama that mixed in some uncomfortable, vaguely-office-related "humor", like you'd get in a REAL cubicle hell where there are no funny people. I always figured it was meant to be a parody, because I've never seen someone laugh at it.
ReplyI agree... in a way
it's not as "LOL" hilarious as Scrubs, but it does have it's moments
you just have to wait for them
get TiVo, and just fast-forward to whenever Dwight is on-screen
creed is the quality checker of the paper!
ReplyCreed is the Quality Assurance guy, and Meredith is in Supplier Relations
Reply