The Office got off to a rocky start during its abbreviated first season, but grew into its own during Season Two. If you still haven’t boarded the hype wagon, the newly arrived Season Two DVD box set is now available to get you up to speed.
The show is based on the original UK version of the same name that launched Ricky Gervais into stardom and led to his ongoing current TV show Extras (shown on HBO in the US), as well as movie roles, occasional stand-up specials, and a long-running radio show with his writing partner and Office co-creator Stephen Merchant. In other words, Gervais blew up as a direct result of this show, and now US star Steve Carrell is following in his footsteps with the same results.
Although Carrell isn’t as instrumental in the show’s success from a behind-the-scenes creative standpoint, he’s the poster boy and the only member of the cast with any built-in recognition due to his previous work on The Daily Show and his breakout role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. His burgeoning film stardom is quite possibly the only reason this show was allowed to exist long enough to build an audience, so — if for no other reason — he should be respected for his continuing involvement with the show.
So what’s it all about? The show focuses on the employees of a non-descript paper company called Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, PA. Like most office employees, their lives are caught up in the boring 9-5 grind of a bland, gray, cube-farm work environment. Nobody except the company kiss-up really wants to be there, some of them have other aspirations, but they’re all stuck in the slow lane to nowhere. Although that doesn’t sound like the makings of hilarious comedy and it hits painfully close to home for many viewers, the show delights in roasting the conventions of a safe, politically correct workplace.
Carrell plays the idiotic office manager, Michael Scott, who likes to think he’s funny, charming and intelligent but comes across as rude, dim, and completely non-PC. His underlings know he’s a dolt but usually play along with his ludicrous ideas for enhancing morale, such as a booze cruise and a Christmas gift exchange. His only ally is the show’s most interesting character, the Assistant to the Manager who thinks everything Michael says and does is gold. As Dwight Schrute, co-star Rainn Wilson gets the juiciest, most ridiculous material and makes the most of it, always bordering on the buffoonish but also most memorable actions.
Article comments
1 - Bryan
This really is a great show. I was extremely skeptical at first being a huge fan of the BBC version, but I think the writers have done a really good job translating the concept to an American concept. And, I mean, how can you not love Steve Carrell?
The way I kinda see it is that the US version is funnier and more accessible than the BBC version, but I still think the BBC version is better television, functioning more like a self-contained mini-series with a great dramatic arc (and tearful conclusion!). Though if the US show keeps up the pace, my opinion just might change on this one...