Nishka Nanani
In the world of quarantine, there is nothing more rewarding than finding a new series with a sufficient number of seasons that could last me at least a few weeks. With that being said, however, I managed to finish nine seasons worth of the US version of ‘The Office’ in just about five days. Thanks to the world's new streaming services, in those five days I was able to witness nine years’ worth of character development, storylines, and the rise and fall of one of the most popular TV shows in the world.
The US office was originally based off of Ricky Gervais’s UK version of the office where characters were borrowed and names were changed, adopting the UK versions mockumentary style where characters gave interviews and were fully aware of the camera giving is quick glances and acknowledgment. The first episode of the show brings us an exact remake of the UK version; introducing the series’ most prominent character, Michel Scott, regional manager of Dunder Mifflin. Michel Scott’s character, adopted directly from the UK office, can be described as immature, self-centred, completely oblivious to his surroundings, with no friends and a desperate need for approval from his subordinates. Much of the comedy form the show derives from the awkward situations that Michel Scott creates, and the uncomfortable reactions of the other saner characters to their boss, with Jim Halper’s famous judgmental looks to camera. The reason why this show is set in a mundane office in a mockumentary style is only to add another layer of comedy and relatability. For the show to be set in a mundane office with dim LED lights and depressed middle-aged faces makes the absurd situations that the characters get into entertaining. The show also uses its mockumentary style in order to use its camera as a sort of the third character making all other characters completely self-aware at all times. The shows main love story, Jim and Pam, also become so popular with audiences because of the otherwise boring and mundane situations in which it grew from; in an environment where so many people around the world are familiar with, Jim and Pam’s love story was like finding a cute and innocent diamond in the rough.
Believe it or not but the ‘The Office’ did not garner great ratings form its first season despite being the season most like the UK’s version. For some reason, American audiences did not apricate the same dark, unapologetic, subtle, sometimes depressing humour that British audiences appreciated. For this reason, there are some fundamental aspects of the show that are changed in the second season form the first, which attentive audiences can pick up on. In the first season Michel Scott, the character with the most screen time on the show, is so unempathetic and in his own world that it is almost impossible to feel for him. There was no likability to his character giving people no reason to root for him. Paraphs this is why Ricky Gervais decided to end his show after three seasons as this sort of character is not sustainable if you wanted a long-running show; people have to want to root for the characters they see on screen or they will eventually lose interest. This is why I believe the showrunners made an important decision in season two to make Michel Scott more likable. In contrast to season one where an episode would end with the entire office hating Michel Scott for not being able to provide a good health plan, an episode in season two would end by the office rewarding him with a gold medal in the office Olympics, showing a more empathetic and human side of Michel Scott. Even the way the show looked was changed drastically in the first two seasons; with the scenes in the first season having a lower saturation of colour looking almost gray, whereas in the second season the scenes and lighting look brighter and more hopeful. Even the way Michel Scott dressed was altered with his slick back hair in the first season giving the impression that he was losing his hair, and tight clothes making him look overweight; to shorter cut hair and looser clothes. These subtle but effective changes brought us the glorious seasons two and three, in my opinion, the best seasons of the show.
The show's downfall came slowly and steadily, with viewership gradually decreasing as the seasons went on; But this feels inevitable for any show. Either way, The Office was able to change the faith of its show with only a few adjustments, creating a long-lasting legacy and a template for many sitcoms that came later.
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