- The Office Series Download
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- The Office Complete Series Download
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The Office | |
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Genre | Mockumentary Sitcom |
Based on | The Office by |
Developed by | Greg Daniels |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Jay Ferguson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 9 |
No. of episodes | 201 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Cinematography | |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 22–42 minutes |
Production company(s) |
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Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | NBC |
Picture format | 1080i (16:9HDTV) |
Audio format | Dolby Digital |
Original release | March 24, 2005 – May 16, 2013 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | The Office (UK) |
External links | |
Website |
The Office is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, lasting nine seasons.[1] It is an adaptation of the original BBCseries of the same name and was adapted for American television by Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons. It was co-produced by Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions, and Reveille Productions (later Shine America), in association with Universal Television. The original executive producers were Greg Daniels, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, Ricky Gervais, and Stephen Merchant, with numerous others being promoted in later seasons.
The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. To simulate the look of an actual documentary, it was filmed in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track. The series debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement and aired 201 episodes over the course of its run. The Office initially featured Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak as the main cast; the series experienced numerous changes to its ensemble cast during its run. Notable stars outside the original main cast include Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, James Spader, and Ellie Kemper.
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The Office was met with mixed reviews during its abbreviated first season, but the following four seasons received widespread acclaim from television critics. These seasons were included on several critics' year-end top TV series lists, winning several awards such as a Peabody Award in 2006, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award for Carell's performance, and four Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006. Later seasons were criticized for a decline in quality, with many seeing Carell's departure in season seven as a contributing factor. However, earlier writers oversaw the final season and ended the series' run with a positive reception. The series finale was viewed by an estimated 5.69 million viewers, preceded by an hour-long series retrospective.[2]
- 1Production
- 3Season synopsis
- 5Reception and legacy
- 5.3Ratings
- 6Other media
Production[edit]
Crew[edit]
List of showrunners throughout the series' run:
- Season 1–4: Greg Daniels
- Season 5–6: Paul Lieberstein & Jennifer Celotta
- Season 7–8: Paul Lieberstein
- Season 9: Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels served as the senior series showrunner for the first four seasons of the series and developed the British Office series for American television. He then left the position when he co-created the comedy series Parks and Recreation with fellow Office writer Michael Schur and divided his time between the two series.[3]Paul Lieberstein and Jennifer Celotta were named the series showrunners for the fifth season.[4] Celotta left the series after the sixth season and Lieberstein stayed on as showrunner for the following two seasons. He left the showrunner spot after the eighth season for the potential Dwight Schrute spin-off, The Farm, which was eventually passed up by NBC.[5][6] Daniels returned to the showrunner position for the ninth and final season.[7] Other executive producers include cast members B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling.[8][9] Kaling, Novak, Daniels, Lieberstein and Schur made up the original team of writers.[10] Kaling, Novak, and Lieberstein also serve multiple roles on the series, as they play regular characters on the show, as well as write, direct, and produce episodes.[11] Credited with twenty-four episodes, Kaling is the most prolific writer among the staff.[11]Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original British series, are credited as executive producer and wrote the pilot and the third-season episode, 'The Convict.'[12] Merchant later directed the episode 'Customer Survey' while Gervais appeared in the episodes 'The Seminar' and 'Search Committee.'[13][14]
Randall Einhorn is the most frequent director of the series, with 15 credited episodes.[11] The series also had several guest directors, including Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon,[15][16] both of whom are fans of the series,[17][18] and filmmakers Jon Favreau, Harold Ramis, Jason Reitman, and Marc Webb.[11] Episodes have been directed by several of the actors on the show including Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, and Brian Baumgartner.[11]
Development and writing[edit]
Prior to the second episode airing, the writers spent time conducting research in offices.[19] This process was used for Daniels' other series King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation.[19] The pilot is a direct adaptation of the first episode of the original British series.[20] Daniels chose to go this route because 'completely starting from scratch would be a very risky thing to do' owing to the show being an adaptation.[20] He had briefly considered using the idea for 'The Dundies' as the pilot episode.[21] After the writers knew who the cast was, they were allowed to write for the actors, which allowed the show to be more original for the following episode, 'Diversity Day'.[20] Following the mixed reaction toward the first season, the writers attempted to make the series more 'optimistic' and to make Michael Scott more likable.[22] They also established the supporting characters of the series more, giving them actual personalities. They also made the lights in the office brighter, which allowed the series to differentiate itself from the British series.[22]
A common problem with the scripts, according to Novak, is that they tended to run too long for the regular 22-minute time slot, leading to several cuts.[23] For example, the script for the episode 'Search Committee' was initially 75 pages, which was 10 pages too long.[23] A complete script was written for each episode; however, actors were given opportunities to improvise during the shooting process. Fischer said, 'Our shows are 100 percent scripted. They put everything down on paper. But we get to play around a little bit, too. Steve and Rainn are brilliant improvisers.'[24] These improvisations lead to a large number of deleted scenes with almost every episode of The Office, all of which are considered part of the show's canon and storyline by Daniels.[25] Deleted scenes have sometimes been restored in repeats to make episodes longer or draw back people who have seen the episode before to see the bonus footage. In an experiment, a deleted scene from 'The Return' was made available over NBC.com and iTunes, explaining the absence of a character over the next several episodes.[25] Daniels hoped that word of mouth among fans would spread the information, but he eventually considered the experiment a failure.[25]
Casting[edit]
According to Jenna Fischer, the series used an unusual casting process that did not involve a script. The producers would ask the actors several questions and they would respond as the characters they were auditioning for.[26] NBC programmer Kevin Reilly originally suggested Paul Giamatti to producer Ben Silverman for the role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined. Martin Short, Hank Azaria, and Bob Odenkirk were reported to be interested in the part.[27] In January 2004 Variety reported that Steve Carell, of the Comedy Central program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, was in talks to play the role. At the time, he was already committed to another NBC midseason replacement comedy, Come to Papa,[28] but the series was quickly canceled, allowing his full commitment to The Office. Carell later stated that he had only seen about half of the original pilot episode of the British series before he auditioned. He did not continue watching for fear that he would start copying Gervais' characterizations.[29] Other people who were considered or auditioned for the role included Ben Falcone, Alan Tudyk, Jim Zulevic, and Paul F. Tompkins. Rainn Wilson was cast as power-hungry sycophantDwight Schrute, and he watched every episode of the British series before he auditioned.[30] Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael, a performance that he described as a 'terrible Ricky Gervais impersonation'; however, the casting directors liked his audition as Dwight much more and hired him. Seth Rogen, Matt Besser, Patton Oswalt, and Judah Friedlander also auditioned for the role.[30]
John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were cast in their respective roles as Jim and Pam, the central love interests. Krasinski had attended school with B. J. Novak, and the two were friends.[31][32] Fischer prepared for her audition by looking as boring as possible, creating the original Pam hairstyle.[33] In an interview on NPR's Fresh Air, Fischer recalled the last stages of the audition process for Pam and Jim, with the producers partnering the different potential Pams and Jims (four of each) together to gauge their chemistry. When Fischer finished her scene with Krasinski, he told her that she was his favorite Pam, to which she reciprocated that he was her favorite Jim.[26]Adam Scott and John Cho both auditioned for the role of Jim, and Kathryn Hahn also auditioned for the role of Pam.[34]
The supporting cast includes actors known for their improv work: Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Melora Hardin, and David Denman.[35] Kinsey had originally auditioned for Pam. The producers thought she was 'too feisty' for the character, but they called her back for the part of Angela Martin, which she won.[36] Flannery first auditioned for the part of Jan Levinson-Gould, before landing the role of Meredith Palmer.[37] Baumgartner originally auditioned for Stanley, but was eventually cast as Kevin.[38]Ken Kwapis, the director of the pilot episode, liked the way Phyllis Smith, a casting associate, read with other actors auditioning so much that he cast her as Phyllis.[39] At the beginning of the third season, Ed Helms and Rashida Jones joined the cast as members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford. While Jones would later leave the cast for a role on Parks and Recreation, in February 2007, NBC announced that Helms was being promoted to a series regular.[40]
Four of the show's writers have also performed in front of the camera. B. J. Novak was cast as reluctant temp Ryan Howard after Daniels saw his stand-up act. Paul Lieberstein was cast as human resources director Toby Flenderson on Novak's suggestion after his cold readings of scripts.[35] Greg Daniels was originally unsure where to use Mindy Kaling on-screen in the series until the opportunity came in the script for the second episode, 'Diversity Day', where Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. 'Since [that slap], I've been on the show' (as Kelly Kapoor), says Kaling.[39]Michael Schur has also made occasional appearances as Dwight's cousin Mose, and consulting producer Larry Wilmore has played diversity trainerMr. Brown. Plans were made for Mackenzie Crook, Martin Freeman, and Lucy Davis, from the British series, to appear in the third season,[41] but those plans were scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.[42][43]
Filming[edit]
The Office was filmed with a single-camera setup in a cinéma vérité allowing the look of an actual documentary, with no studio audience or laugh track, allowing its 'deadpan' and 'absurd' humor to fully come across.[44] The primary vehicle for the show is that a camera crew has decided to film Dunder Mifflin and its employees, seemingly around the clock.[44] The presence of the camera is acknowledged by the characters, especially Michael Scott, who enthusiastically participates in the filming.[45] The characters, especially Jim and Pam, also look towards the camera when Michael creates an awkward situation.[26] The main action of the show is supplemented with talking-head interviews or 'confessionals' in which characters speak one on one with the camera crew about the day's events.[26] Actor John Krasinski shot the footage of Scranton for the opening credits after he found out he was cast as Jim. He visited Scranton for research and interviewed employees at actual paper companies.[46]
In order to get the feel of an actual documentary, the producers hired cinematographer Randall Einhorn, who is known for directing episodes of Survivor, which allowed the show to have the feel of 'rough and jumpy' like an actual documentary.[45] According to producer Michael Schur, the producers to the series would follow the documentary format strictly.[47] The producers would have long discussions over whether a scene could work under the documentary format.[47] For example, in the fourth-season episode 'Did I Stutter?,' a scene featured Michael going through a long process to go to the bathroom and not pass by Stanley. The producers debated whether that was possible and Einhorn walked through the whole scene in order to see if a camera man could get to all the places in time to shoot the whole scene.[47] Despite the strict nature in the early years of the series, later seasons seem to have loosened the rules on the format, with the camera crew often going into places that actual documentary crews would not, which also changed the writing and comedy style of the series.[48] This inconsistency has received criticism from critics and fans.[48][49]
Music[edit]
The song was written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones. | |
Problems playing this file? See media help. |
When it came to choosing the theme song for The Office, producer Greg Daniels had several tracks he was thinking of using:[50] existing songs including 'Better Things' by The Kinks, 'Float On' by Modest Mouse, and 'Mr. Blue Sky' by Electric Light Orchestra,[51] and several original pieces artists contributed to the producers via a cattle call.[52] Daniels decided that the cast would vote on what song to use and gave them four of the choices.[50] Most of them wanted 'Mr. Blue Sky,' but that option turned out to be invalid as it was already used in the drama series LAX (2004–2005).[51] Thus, the final choice was an original track written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones.[53]
The theme is played over the title sequence, which features scenes of Scranton, various tasks around the office and the main cast members. Some episodes of the series use a shortened version of the theme song. Starting with the fourth season, the theme song is played over the closing credits, which previously rolled in silence. The exteriors of buildings in the title sequence are actual buildings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and were shot by cast member John Krasinski.[54] Ferguson described his theme as 'against type; it has this vulnerability, this yearning to it that soon explodes into this overdone optimism which then gets crushed - which is pretty much what the show is about.'[52]
The mockumentary format of the show contains no laugh track, and most of the music is diegetic, with songs either sung or played by the characters or heard on radios, computers, or other devices.[55] However, songs have been played during montages or the closing credits, such as 'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John ('The Dundies') and 'Islands in the Stream' by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton ('E-mail Surveillance').[21] Featured music tends to be well known, and often songs reflect the character, such as Michael's attempt to seem hip by using 'Mambo No. 5' and later 'My Humps' as his cell phone ringtone.[55] Daniels has said that it does not count as film score as long as it already appeared in the episode.[21]
Characters[edit]
The Office employs an ensemble cast. Many characters portrayed by The Office cast are based on the original British series. While these characters generally have the same attitude and perceptions as their British counterparts, the roles have been redesigned to better fit the American show. The show is known for its relatively large cast size, with many of its actors and actresses known particularly for their improvisational work. Steve Carell stars as Michael Scott, regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch. Loosely based on David Brent, Gervais' character in the British series, Scott is a well-intentioned man whose attempts at humor, while seemingly innocent to himself, often offend and annoy his peers and employees, and in some situations lead to reprimanding from his superiors. Rainn Wilson portrays Dwight Schrute, based upon Gareth Keenan, who is a salesman and the assistant to the regional manager, a fictional title created by Michael.[56]John Krasinski portrays Jim Halpert, a salesman and, in later seasons, assistant manager or co-manager who is known for his wittiness and his practical jokes on Dwight (often accompanied by Pam Beesly). Halpert is based upon Tim Canterbury and, at the start of the series, is known to have feelings for Pam, the receptionist, who is engaged to a fellow employee.[57] Pam, played by Jenna Fischer, is based on Dawn Tinsley. She is shy, but in many cases a cohort with Jim in his pranks on Dwight.[58]B. J. Novak portrays Ryan Howard, who for the first two seasons is a temporary worker but is promoted to sales representative in the third season. He later ascends to the position of vice president, North East Region, and director of new media until his innovations are exposed as corporate fraud, and he is fired. He then gets a job in a bowling alley and later briefly works for the Michael Scott Paper Company. After this, and a stint in rehab, he again eventually ends up as a temporary worker at the Scranton branch.[59]
The accounting department includes Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), an uptight and judgmental woman who likes to keep things orderly and make sure situations remain as business-like as possible; Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), a lovable but dim-witted man who revels in juvenile humor and frequently indulges in gambling; and Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), who is intelligent and cultured, but often patronizing, and whose homosexuality and Hispanic heritage made him a frequent target for Michael's unintentional off-color comments. Rounding out the office are the laconic salesman Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker), who cannot stand Michael's constant references to his Black American heritage (he also doesn't like to take part in time-wasting meetings and often works on crossword puzzles or sleeps during them); eccentric quality assurance representative Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton); the shy and matronly saleswoman Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith), who dates and then marries Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafer) from Vance Refrigeration, a company whose office is across the hall from Dunder Mifflin; Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), a salesman from the Stamford, Connecticut branch of Dunder Mifflin introduced in season three who transfers to the Scranton branch after the two offices merge; the shallow and talkative customer service representative Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling); the promiscuous alcoholic supply relations representative Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery); human resources representative Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein), who is loathed, and often the target of abuse, by Michael; warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson); warehouse dock worker and Pam's fiancé Roy Anderson (David Denman), who is fired in the third season for attacking Jim; and the vice president for regional sales for Dunder Mifflin Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), who later becomes Michael's love interest.
Toward the end of season five, the bubbly and naive Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) is introduced as Pam's replacement at reception following Pam's short stint at the Michael Scott Paper Company and subsequent move to sales. A story arc at the end of season four has Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) transferred to the office as Toby's replacement. She becomes a love interest for Michael, as they share very similar personality traits. Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) is the CEO of Sabre, a company that takes over Dunder Mifflin, and Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods), introduced in the middle of season six, is a Sabre employee who is assigned to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch as the regional director of sales. In season seven, Bennett's friend Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate) is interviewed to replace Scott, and later serves as a replacement regional manager for Bernard in season eight. In season nine Clark Green (Clark Duke) and Pete Miller (Jake Lacy) join as new customer service representatives who attempt to catch up on the ignored customer service complaints that Kelly has neglected while working at Dunder Mifflin. Clark is later moved to sales.
Initially the actors who portray the supporting office workers were credited as guest stars, but then were named series regulars during the second season.[60] The show's large ensemble was mainly praised by critics and led to the series winning two Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.[61] Carell was reportedly paid $175,000 per episode starting in the third season.[62] Krasinski and Fischer were paid around $20,000 at the beginning of the series.[62] Starting with the fourth season, the two were paid around $100,000 per episode.[62]
Season synopsis[edit]
A typical episode for a half-hour time slot runs 20-1/2 minutes.[63] The final episode of season two introduced the first of what would be several 'super-sized' episodes that had an approximately 28-minute running time for a 40-minute time slot.[64] Season three introduced the first of an occasional hour-long episodes (approximately 42-minute running time, also suitable for being shown as two separate normal episodes in reruns).[65]
Season 1[edit]
The first season consists of six episodes.
The series starts by introducing Dunder Mifflin's employees via a tour given by branch manager Michael Scott for both a documentary camera crew and first-day temp Ryan Howard.[66] The audience learns that salesman Jim Halpert has a crush on receptionist Pam Beesly, who helps him play pranks on co-worker Dwight Schrute, even though she is engaged to Roy, who works in the company's downstairs warehouse. Rumors spread throughout the office that Dunder Mifflin's corporate headquarters is planning to downsize an entire branch, leading to general anxiety, but Michael chooses to deny or downplay the realities of the situation in order to maintain employee morale.
Season 2[edit]
The second season is the series' first 22-episode season, and has its first 28-minute 'super-sized' episode.
Many workers seen in the background of the first season are developed into secondary characters, and romantic relationships begin to develop between some of them. Michael makes out with and then spends the night with his boss, Jan Levinson, but does not have sex with her.[67] Dwight and Angela become romantically involved,[68] but keep their relationship a secret. Kelly develops a crush on Ryan, and they start dating off and on. When Roy finally agrees to set a date for his wedding to Pam,[69] at a company booze cruise, Jim grows depressed and considers transferring to the Stamford, Connecticut branch, but tells Pam in the season finale that he is in love with her. Even though Pam insists she is with Roy, the two kiss, and Jim transfers to the Stamford branch soon after.[70] The general threat of downsizing continues throughout the season as well.
Season 3[edit]
The third season consists of 17 half-hour episodes, four 40-minute 'super-sized' episodes, and two one-hour episodes.
The season starts with a brief flashback to (and additional footage from) the last episode of season 2, 'Casino Night', when Jim kissed Pam and confessed his feelings for her. Jim briefly transfers to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford branch after Pam confirms her commitment to Roy. Corporate is later forced to merge the Stamford branch with the Scranton branch.[71] Michael takes this merger very seriously. Transferred to the Scranton branch are saleswoman Karen Filippelli, whom Jim has begun dating, and the anger-prone preppy salesman Andy Bernard, along with other Stamford employees who all eventually quit within the first few episodes of being there. Pam is newly single after calling off her marriage to Roy, and Jim's unresolved feelings for her and his new relationship with Karen lead to shifting tensions amongst the three. Meanwhile, Michael and Jan's relationship escalates, which causes them both to behave erratically on the job. On the other hand, Dwight and Angela continue their steamy secret relationship. In the season's finale, Jim, Karen, and Michael interview for a corporate position that turns out to be Jan's, who is fired for poor performance. Jim is offered the job but rejects it off-screen,[72], opting instead to remain in Scranton without Karen and ask Pam out on a date, which she joyfully accepts. In the final scene, we learn Ryan has been awarded Jan's job.[73]
Season 4[edit]
NBC ordered a full fourth season of thirty half-hour episodes, but ended with only 19 due to a halt in production caused by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.[74][75] The season consists of nine half-hour and five hour-long episodes for a total of 19 episodes of material created.
Karen has left the Scranton branch after her breakup with Jim and becomes regional manager at the Utica branch.[76][77] A self-employed Jan moves herself and her candle business into Michael's condo, until the dissolution of their relationship midway through the season during an intimate dinner party including Pam, Jim, Andy, Angela and Dwight. After Dwight's crude (though well-intentioned) method of euthanasia of Angela's ailing cat without her permission,[78] she leaves him for Andy, leading Dwight into depression. Ryan, in his new corporate life in New York City, attempts to modernize Dunder Mifflin with a new website for online sales; he also learns that his boss, David Wallace, favors Jim, and thus Ryan attempts to sabotage Jim's career. Ryan is soon arrested and fired for misleading the shareholders and committing fraud related to the website's sales numbers. Toby announces he is moving to Costa Rica and is replaced by Holly Flax, who quickly shows a liking for Michael. Pam decides to follow her artistic interests and attends a three-month graphic design course at the Pratt Institute in New York City. In the season finale, Jim almost proposes to Pam, but is interrupted by Andy proposing to Angela, who reluctantly agrees. Phyllis then catches Dwight and Angela having sex in the office.[79]
Season 5[edit]
The fifth season consists of 28 half-hours of material, divided into 24 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes, one of which aired after Super Bowl XLIII.[80]
Jim proposes to Pam at a gas station midway between Scranton and New York City where they are meeting for a visit. Pam ultimately returns from New York to Scranton, where Jim has bought his parents' house for the two of them. Having avoided jail and only been sentenced to community service, Ryan bleaches his hair and starts working at a bowling alley. Michael initiates a romance with Holly until she is transferred to the Nashua, New Hampshire, branch and their relationship ends. When Andy is made aware of Dwight and Angela's continued affair, both men leave her.[81] Newly hired Vice President Charles Miner implements a rigid managerial style over the branch that causes Michael to resign in protest.[82] Michael opens the Michael Scott Paper Company in the same office building, enticing Pam and Ryan to join as salespeople, and though his business model is ultimately unsustainable, Dunder Mifflin's profits are immediately threatened.[83] In a buyout of the Michael Scott Paper Company, the three are rehired with Pam promoted to sales and Ryan returning as a temp. During the chaos, new receptionist Erin is hired to fill the vacancy originally left by Pam. The season ends with a scene that subtly alludes to Pam's (unplanned) pregnancy.
The Office Series Download
Season 6[edit]
The sixth season consists of 26 half-hours of material, divided into 22 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes.
Jim and Pam marry and have a baby named Cecelia Marie Halpert.[84] Meanwhile, Andy and Erin develop mutual interest in one another, but find their inherent awkwardness inhibits his attempts to ask her out on a date. Rumors of bankruptcy begin to surround Dunder Mifflin, and by Christmas, Wallace announces to the branch that Dunder Mifflin has accepted a buyout from Sabre Corporation, a printer company. While Wallace and other executives are let go, the Scranton office survives due to its relative success within the company, and Michael Scott is now the highest level employee at Dunder Mifflin. In the season finale, Dwight buys the office park. Michael agrees to make an announcement to the press regarding a case of faulty printers. When Jo Bennet, Sabre CEO, asks how she can repay him, Michael responds that she could bring Holly back to the Scranton branch.[85]
Season 7[edit]
The seventh season consists of 26 half-hours of material, divided into 21 half-hour episodes, one 'super-sized' episode, and two hour-long episodes.[86]
This was the final season for Steve Carell, who plays Michael Scott, as Carell wanted to move on after his contract expired during this season.[87] Beginning with this season, Zach Woods, who portrays Gabe Lewis, was promoted to a series regular.[88] Erin and Gabe have begun a relationship, much to Andy's chagrin, and Andy attempts to win Erin's affection back. Michael's former girlfriend, Holly, returns to Scranton to fill in for Toby who is on jury duty for the 'Scranton Strangler' trial. Michael and Holly eventually restart their relationship. After the two get engaged, Michael reveals he will be leaving Scranton to move to Colorado with Holly in order to support her elderly parents. Angela starts dating state senator Robert Lipton, while Pam and Jim adjust to parenthood. After Michael's replacement (Will Ferrell) is seriously injured on the job, Jo creates a search committee to interview candidates and choose a new manager for the office. In the meantime, Dwight Schrute takes over as acting Manager.
Season 8[edit]
The eighth season consists of 24 episodes.
James Spader joins the cast as Robert California, the new CEO of Dunder Mifflin/Sabre.[89] Andy is then promoted to regional manager and works hard to make a good impression on Robert, asking Dwight to be his number two.[90] Pam and Jim are expecting their second child, Phillip, at the start of the season, to coincide with Fischer's real-life pregnancy.[91] Angela is also pregnant with her first son, also named Philip, with State Senator Robert Lipton (although it is implied that Dwight Schrute is actually the child's biological father). Darryl starts falling for new warehouse foreman, Val.[92] Dwight is tasked with traveling to Tallahassee, Florida, to assist Sabre special projects manager Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate) in launching a chain of retail stores, along with Jim, Ryan, Stanley, Erin, and new office temp Cathy Simms. Cathy is also revealed to have ulterior motives for the trip, as she intends to seduce Jim, but fails.[93] Robert later kills the retail store project, and Erin decides to stay in Florida as an elderly woman's live-in helper. Andy goes to Florida to win back Erin, allowing Nellie to claim the manager position as her own. Robert tells Andy that he has been demoted back to a salesman, but Andy refuses to accept the news, which causes him to be fired. Andy becomes motivated to begin a Dunder Mifflin comeback and joins with former CFO David Wallace to buy Dunder Mifflin back from Sabre, putting Sabre completely out of business and giving Andy the manager position once again.
Season 9[edit]
The final season consists of 25 episodes.
Andy, recently returning from Outward Bound manager training, reverts to his arrogant earlier season personality, abandoning both Erin and the office to travel around the Caribbean with his brother in their sailboat after the demise of his parents' relationship. In his absence, Erin strikes up a romance with new customer service rep Pete, who, along with other new customer service rep Clark, replaces Kelly, who leaves for Ohio with her new husband. (Ryan also moves to Ohio for 'unrelated reasons.')
Meanwhile, Jim receives an exciting opportunity from an old college friend who offers him a job at Athlead, a sports marketing company based in Philadelphia. Darryl also jumps on board, but the distance and dedication to Athlead hurts Jim's relationship with Pam.
Angela must deal with her husband's infidelity with Oscar. She also deals with her lingering attraction to Dwight, who inherits his family's beet farm. Dwight receives more good news when David Wallace handpicks him to be the new manager after Andy quits to pursue an acting career, which quickly ends when he embarrasses himself at an American Idol-like a cappella singing competition that turns into a viral web sensation. Dwight later makes Jim his assistant to the regional manager, and the two officially end their grudge.
After Jim reconciles with Pam, choosing to stay in Scranton over Philadelphia, Dwight professes his love for Angela and finally marries her. In the series finale, which takes place one year after the release of the documentary that has been shot during the entire series, the employees reunite for Dwight and Angela's wedding, for which Michael returns to serve as the best man (with help from Jim who was the person Dwight first asked to be best man).
Kelly and Ryan run away together, Nellie now lives in Poland and 'adopts' Ryan's abandoned baby, Erin meets her birth parents, Andy gets a job at Cornell, Stanley retires to Florida, Kevin and Toby are both fired, with the former buying a bar and the latter moving to New York City to become an author, and Oscar runs for State Senate. Jim and Pam, at her persuasion, move to Austin, Texas to open a new branch of Athleap (previously Athlead) with Darryl (Dwight 'fires' them to give them both severance packages), and Creed is arrested for his many crimes.
Product placement[edit]
The Office has had product placement deals with Staples[94] and the Olympic balers,[95] as well as mentioning in dialogue or displaying clear logos for products such as Sandals Resorts, HP, Apple, and Gateway computers, and Activision's Call of Duty video game series. In 'The Merger', Kevin Malone uses a Staples-branded shredding machine to shred a Staples-branded CD-R and many other nonpaper items, including a salad.[94] As with HP, Cisco Systems, a supplier of networking and telephone equipment, pays for product placement, which can be seen on close-up shots of the Cisco IP telephones. Some products have additional branding labels attached; this can be clearly seen with the HP photo printer on Toby's desk in season 6, and less noticeably with the Cisco phones.[96] In 'The Secret' Michael takes Jim to Hooters[97] to discuss Jim's feelings for Pam.
Many products featured are not part of product placement agreements, but rather inserted by writers as products the characters would use to create realism under the guise of a documentary. Chili's restaurants were used for filming in 'The Dundies' and 'The Client,' as the writers believed they were realistic choices for a company party and business lunch.[98][99][100] Though not an explicit product placement, the producers of the show had to allow Chili's to have final approval of the script before filming, causing a scene of 'The Dundies' to be hastily rewritten when the chain objected to the original version.[99]Apple Inc. received over four minutes of publicity for the iPod when it was used as a much-desired gift in 'Christmas Party,' though the company did not pay for the placement.[101] The travel website TripAdvisor.com was featured during Season 4 when after a visit to Dwight's 'agritourism' bed and breakfast, Schrute Farms, Jim and Pam post an online review about their stay. The show reportedly approached the travel review website about using their name on the show and TripAdvisor set up a review page for the fictional B&B, which itself received hundreds of reviews.[102] The appearance of Second Life in the episode 'Local Ad' was rated eighth in the top ten most effective product placements of 2007.[103]
Reception and legacy[edit]
Critical reviews and commentary[edit]
Before the show aired, Ricky Gervais acknowledged that there were feelings of hesitation from certain viewers.[104] The first season of The Office was met with a mixed response from critics with some of them comparing it to the short-lived NBC series Coupling, which was also based on a British version.[105][106] The New York Daily News called it 'so diluted there's little left but muddy water,' and USA Today called it a 'passable imitation of a miles-better BBC original.'[107] A Guardian Unlimited review panned its lack of originality, stating that Steve Carell 'just seems to be trying too hard.. Maybe in later episodes when it deviates from Gervais and Merchant's script, he'll come into his own. But right now he's a pale imitation.'[108]Tom Shales of The Washington Post said it was 'not the mishmash that [the Americanized version of Coupling] turned out to be, but again the quality of the original show causes the remake to look dim, like when the copying machine is just about to give out.'[106]
—Travis Fickett of IGN in June 2007[109]
The second season was better received. James Poniewozik of Time remarked, 'Producer Greg Daniels created not a copy but an interpretation that sends up distinctly American work conventions .. with a tone that's more satiric and less mordant.. The new boss is different from the old boss, and that's fine by me.'[110] He named it the second best TV show of 2006 after Battlestar Galactica.[110]Entertainment Weekly writer Mark Harris echoed these sentiments a week later, stating, 'Thanks to the fearless Steve Carell, an ever-stronger supporting cast, and scripts that spew American corporate absurdist vernacular with perfect pitch, this undervalued remake does the near impossible—it honors Ricky Gervais' original and works on its own terms.'[111]The A.V. Club reviewer Nathan Rabin expressed its views on the show's progression: 'After a rocky start, The Office improved immeasurably, instantly becoming one of TV's funniest, sharpest shows. The casting of Steve Carell in the Gervais role proved to be a masterstroke. The American Office is that rarest of anomalies: a remake of a classic show that both does right by its source and carves out its own strong identity.'[112]
The series has been included on several top TV series lists. The show placed #61 on Entertainment Weekly's 'New TV Classics' list.[113]Time's James Poniewozik named it the second-best TV series of 2006,[110] and the sixth-best returning series of 2007, out of ten TV series.[114] He also included it on his 'The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME' list.[115] The show was also named the best show of 2006 by BuddyTV.[116] while Paste named it the sixth-best sitcom of 2010.[117] In 2013 the Writers Guild of America placed it at #66 on their list of 101 Best Written TV Series.[118]
The show has some superficial similarities to the comic strip Dilbert, which also features employees coping with an inept superior. John Spector, CEO of The Conference Board, says that they both show the impact a leader can have, for good or bad. Dilbert creator Scott Adams also touts the similarities: 'The lesson from The Office and from Dilbert is that people are often dysfunctional, and no amount of training can fix it.'[119] A labor-affiliated group praised the second-season episode 'Boys and Girls' for what it considered an unusually frank depiction of union busting on American television.[120]Metacritic, a review aggregation website, graded only the first, third, sixth, and final seasons. However, it denoted that all four of them received 'generally favorable reviews' from critics, awarding a 61, 85, 78, and 64 score—out of 100—to each of them, respectively.[121][122][123][124] It later named it the thirteenth most mentioned series on 'Best of Decade' top-ten lists.[125]
—Alan Sepinwall of HitFix in September 2011, during the show's eighth season.[126]
The last few seasons were criticized for a dip in quality. The sixth season received criticisms for a lack of stakes for the characters.[127][128][129] Other critics and fans have also criticized the dragging out of the Jim and Pam romance.[130]The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais wrote in his blog, referring to 'Search Committee,' particularly Warren Buffett's guest appearance, 'If you're going to jump a shark, jump a big one,' and compared the episode to the Chris Martin episode of Gervais' other series, Extras (although he later said on his website, 'I fucking didn't [diss The Office], that's for sure').[131] Some critics said the series should have ended after the departure of Steve Carell.[132][133] In an IAmA interview on Reddit, Rainn Wilson felt that the eighth season possessed some mistakes 'creatively,' such as the chemistry between Spader and Helms, which he called 'a bit dark' and argued that the show should have gone for a 'brighter and more energized' relationship.[134] Despite this, there are later-series episodes that have received critical acclaim, including 'Stress Relief,'[135] 'Niagara',[136] 'Garage Sale',[137] 'Goodbye, Michael',[138] 'Dwight Christmas',[139] 'A.A.R.M.',[140] and 'Finale'.[141]
Awards[edit]
The series received 42 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, with five wins.[142] It won for Outstanding Comedy Series in season two, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Greg Daniels for 'Gay Witch Hunt'), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Jeffrey Blitz for 'Stress Relief'), and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series (David Rogers and Claire Scanlon for 'Finale'). Many cast and crew members have expressed anger that Carell did not receive an Emmy award for his performance in the series.[143][144] Despite this, Carell won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Comedy or Musical in 2006. The series was also named the best TV series by the American Film Institute in 2006 and 2008,[145][146] won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2006 and 2007[61] and won a Peabody Award in 2006.[147]
Ratings[edit]
Premiering on Thursday, March 24, 2005, after an episode of The Apprentice on NBC, The Office brought in 11.2 million viewers in the U.S., winning its time slot.[107] When NBC moved the series to its intended Tuesday night slot, it lost nearly half its audience with only 5.9 million viewers.[148] The program averaged 5.4 million viewers, ranking it #102 for the 2004–05 U.S. television season.[149] 'Hot Girl,' the first season's finale, rated a 2.2 with a 10 audience measurement share. Episodes were also rerun on CNBC.[150]
As the second season started, the success of Carell's hit summer movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin and online sales of episodes at iTunes helped the show.[151] The increase in viewership led NBC to move the series to the 'Must See TV' Thursday night in January 2006, where ratings continued to grow. By the 2005–06 season, it placed #67 (tied with 20/20). It averaged 8 million viewers with a 4.0/10 rating/share among viewers ages 18–49, and was up 80% in viewers from the year before and up 60% in viewers ages 18–49.[152] The series ranked as NBC's highest rated scripted series during its run.[153] The highest rated episode of the series was 'Stress Relief,' which was watched by 22.9 million viewers. This episode was aired right after Super Bowl XLIII.[154] While later seasons dropped in the ratings, the show was still one of NBC's highest rated shows, and in October 2011 it was reported that it cost $178,840 per 30-second commercial, the most for any NBC scripted series.[155]
Nielsen ratings[edit]
Season | TV season | Timeslot (ET) | Premiered | Ended | Viewership rank | 18-49 rank | Viewers (in millions) | 18-49 rating | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Premiere viewers (in millions) | Date | Finale viewers (in millions) | |||||||
1 | 2004–05 | Thursday 9:30 pm ('Pilot') Tuesday 9:30 pm | March 24, 2005 | 11.20[156] | April 26, 2005 | 4.80[156] | 102[157] | 82[157] | 5.40[157] | 2.5/6[157] |
2 | 2005–06 | Tuesday 9:30 pm (September 20 – December 6, 2005) Thursday 9:30 pm (January 5 – May 11, 2006) | September 20, 2005 | 9.00[156] | May 11, 2006 | 7.70[156] | 67[158] | N/A | 8.0[158] | 4.0/10[158] |
3 | 2006–07 | Thursday 8:30 pm | September 21, 2006 | 9.10[156] | May 17, 2007 | 7.90[156] | 68[159] | 28[159] | 8.30[159] | 4.1/11[159] |
4 | 2007–08 | Thursday 9:00 pm | September 27, 2007 | 9.70[156] | May 15, 2008 | 8.07[156] | 77[160] | 8.04[160] | 2.8[160] | |
5 | 2008–09 | September 25, 2008 | 9.20[161] | May 14, 2009 | 6.72[162] | 52[163] | 9.04[163] | 3.1[163] | ||
6 | 2009–10 | September 17, 2009 | 8.20[164] | May 20, 2010 | 6.60[165] | 41[166] | 11[166] | 8.73[166] | 4.5/11[166] | |
7 | 2010–11 | September 23, 2010 | 8.40[167] | May 19, 2011 | 7.29[168] | 53[169] | 11[169] | 7.73[169] | 4.0/10[169] | |
8 | 2011–12 | September 22, 2011 | 7.64[170] | May 10, 2012 | 4.49[171] | 78[172] | 29[172] | 6.51[172] | 3.4/9[172] | |
9 | 2012–13 | September 20, 2012 | 4.28[173] | May 16, 2013 | 5.69[174] | 88[175] | 41[175] | 5.06[175] | 2.6/7[175] |
Cultural impact[edit]
The city of Scranton, long known mainly for its industrial past as a coal mining and rail center,[176] has embraced, and ultimately has been redefined by the show. 'We're really hip now,' says the mayor's assistant.[54] The Dunder Mifflin logo is on a lamppost banner in front of Scranton City Hall, as well as the pedestrian bridge to The Mall at Steamtown. The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company, whose tower is shown in the opening credits, plans to add it to the tower as well.[177] Newspapers in other Northeastern cities have published travel guides to Scranton locations for tourists interested in visiting places mentioned in the show.[176][177][178] Scranton has become identified with the show outside the United States as well. In a 2008 St. Patrick's Day speech in its suburb of Dickson City, former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Bertie Ahern identified the city as the home of Dunder Mifflin.[179]
The inaugural The Office convention was held downtown in October 2007. Notable landmarks, some of which have been settings for the show, that served as venues include the University of Scranton, the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel and the Mall at Steamtown. Cast appearances were made by B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, Melora Hardin, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Bobby Ray Shafer, and Andy Buckley. Writer appearances, besides Novak and Kaling, were made by Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, Jennifer Celotta, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky, Justin Spitzer, Anthony Ferrell, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, and Jason Kessler. Not present were writer-actor Paul Lieberstein (who was originally going to make an appearance), Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Jenna Fischer.[180]
On an episode of The Daily Show, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, reportedly a devoted fan of the show, jokingly told Jon Stewart he might take Dwight Schrute as his running mate.[181] Rainn Wilson later accepted on Dwight Schrute's behalf while on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After the airing of 'Garage Sale', where the character of Michael Scott decides to move to Colorado, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper issued a press release appointing Scott to the position of director of paper distribution in the Department of Natural Resources.[182]
The show is often paid tribute by the band Relient K. Frontman Matt Thiessen is a fan of The Office, and during concerts will often perform a self-described 'love song' about the series, titled 'The Ballad of Dunder Mifflin,' followed by him and the band playing the show's opening theme.[183]
Other broadcasts[edit]
Aside from NBC, The Office has gone into off-network syndication in the United States. It previously ran on local stations and TBS. After a few years absent from conventional television, it was announced in December 2017 that Comedy Central had picked up the entire series, for its second syndication cycle. Comedy Central started airing The Office on January 15, 2018.[184] The series began to occasionally air weeknights on Cozi TV and Nick at Nite starting January 1, 2019, and later on Paramount Network.[185][186] In the United Kingdom, the show was named in listings magazines (but not onscreen) as The Office: An American Workplace when it was originally aired on ITV2.[187]
Other media[edit]
Online releases[edit]
Episodes from The Office were among the first shows available for download from the iTunes Store beginning in December 2005. In 2006, ten internet-exclusive webisodes featuring some of the characters on The Office aired on NBC.com. 'Producer's Cuts' (containing approximately ten additional minutes of material) of the episodes 'Branch Closing' and 'The Return' were also made available on NBC.com. The Office also became available for download from Amazon.com's Unbox video downloads in 2006. Sales of new The Office episodes on iTunes ceased in 2007 due to a dispute between NBC and Apple ostensibly over pricing.[188] As of September 9, 2008 The Office was put back on the iTunes Store, and can be bought in HD and Regular format. Netflix also offers the show for online viewing by subscribers, in addition to traditional DVD rental. The Office is the most watched show on Netflix coming in at 7.19% in all-time viewing which Friends comes in second with 4.13% of all time viewing. NBC has considered taking the show off of Netflix including other shows such as Friends and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to provide more income to their own streaming site. The Office is also available on the Microsoft Movies & TV store. On December 13, 2017, Comedy Central announced that they had acquired all nine seasons of the show from NBCUniversal in a non-exclusive deal, and some episodes will be made available to stream on Comedy Central's official website and mobile app after January 15, 2018.[189]
Of the 12.4 million total viewings of 'Fun Run', the fourth season's premiere, 2.7 million, or 22%, were on a computer via online streaming. 'The Office', said The New York Times, 'is on the leading edge of a sharp shift in entertainment viewing that was thought to be years away: watching television episodes on a computer screen is now a common activity for millions of consumers.' It was particularly popular with online viewers, an NBC researcher said, because as an episode-driven sitcom without special effects it was easy to watch on smaller monitors such as those found on laptops and iPods.[190] Between the online viewings and those who use digital video recorders, 25–50% of the show's viewers watch it after its scheduled airtime.[191]
The show's Internet success became an issue in the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Daniels and many of the cast members who double as writers posted a video to YouTube shortly after the strike began, pointing out how little, if any, they received in residuals from online and DVD viewing. 'You're watching this on the Internet, a thing that pays us zero dollars,' Schur said. 'We're supposed to get 11 cents for every two trillion downloads.' The writers were particularly upset that they weren't compensated for the Daytime Emmy Award-winning summer webisodes 'The Accountants', which NBC considered promotional material despite the embedded commercials.[192]
Promotional[edit]
The show's success has resulted in expansion outside of television. Characters have appeared in promotional materials for NBC, and a licensed video game--The Office—was released in 2007.[193][194] In 2008 two games were introduced via Pressman Toy Corp: The Office Trivia Board Game and The Office DVD Board Game.[195] In 2009, The OfficeClue was released, and The OfficeMonopoly was released in 2010. Other merchandise, from T-shirts and a bobblehead doll of Dwight Schrute[196] to more office-specific items such as Dunder Mifflin copy paper[197] and parodies of the Successories motivational poster series featuring the cast[198] are available. Dunder Mifflin had two websites,[199] and the cast members maintain blogs both as themselves and in character.
Cast blogs[edit]
Several members of the cast maintained blogs on MySpace, including Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, and Brian Baumgartner, who posted regularly during the season.[200]Rainn Wilson wrote in character as Dwight for the 'Schrute Space' blog on NBC.com, which was updated periodically. However, he stopped writing the blog himself.[201] It is unknown whether Creed Bratton authors 'Creed Thoughts,' the blog attributed to his character.[202]
Home media[edit]
Season | Region 1 release date | Region 2 release date | Region 4 release date | Episodes | Discs | Bonus features |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 16, 2005 | April 10, 2006 | August 16, 2006 | 6 | 1 | Deleted scenes from all episodes, five commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes. |
2 | September 12, 2006 | January 28, 2008 | April 4, 2007 | 22 | 4 | Deleted scenes from every episode, ten commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes, The Accountants webisodes, Faces of Scranton video, blooper reel, 17 fake public service announcements, Olympics promos and 'Steve on Steve' promos. |
3 | September 4, 2007 | July 21, 2008 | August 20, 2008 (Part 1) April 22, 2009 (Part 2) | 25 | 4 | Deleted scenes, eight commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes,[203] 'Kevin Cooks Stuff in The Office', 2006 NBC Primetime Preview, Toby wraparound promos, Dwight Schrute music video, Joss Whedon interview, blooper reel, Lazy Scranton video, and a 58th Annual Emmy Awards excerpt. A special edition for Target called the 'Nifty Gifty' set also contains footage from the Museum of TV festival and script facsimile. |
4 | September 2, 2008 | June 14, 2010 | September 2, 2009 (Part 1) December 2, 2009 (Part 2) | 19 | 4 | Deleted scenes, outtakes, Second Life footage, The Office Convention invitation, The Office Convention: Writer’s Block Panel, 'Goodbye, Toby' music video, four commentary tracks by cast and crew on select episodes.[204] |
5 | September 8, 2009 | February 7, 2011 | September 29, 2010 (Part 1) March 2, 2011 (Part 2) | 28 | 5 | Deleted scenes, outtakes, ten commentaries by the cast and crew, 'The Academy of Art and Sciences presents, 'The Office,' Summer Olympic promos, Super Bowl promos, Kevin's Loan webisodes, and The Outburst webisodes.[205] |
6 | September 7, 2010 | January 30, 2012 | August 4, 2011 (Part 1) November 9, 2011 (Part 2) | 26 | 5 | Deleted scenes, outtakes, gag reel, cast and crew commentaries, two extended episodes, minisode The Podcast, 'Welcome to Sabre' corporate welcome video, promos.[206] |
Overtime | November 16, 2010 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 | The Accountants, Kevin's Loan, The Outburst, Blackmail, Subtle Sexuality and The Mentor webisodes, The Podcast minisode, The Office Convention: Cast Q&A, Paley: Inside The Writer's Room, Subtle Sexuality commentary with Mindy Kaling, B. J. Novak, and Ellie Kemper, Blackmail video commentary with Creed Bratton, Subtle Sexuality music video, Dwight Schrute music video, Lazy Scranton video, Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin ad and fake PSAs.[207] |
7 | September 6, 2011 | September 3, 2012 | August 22, 2012 (Part 1) November 7, 2012 (Part 2) | 26 | 5 | Deleted scenes, blooper reel, 'The Third Floor' webisodes, cast and crew commentaries on five episodes, producer's extended cuts of 'Training Day' and 'Search Committee,' Threat Level Midnight: The Movie (A Michael Scott Joint) |
8 | September 4, 2012 | April 7, 2014 | February 13, 2013 (Part 1) August 8, 2013 (Part 2) | 24 | 5 | Deleted scenes, blooper reel, 'The Girl Next Door' webisodes, producer's extended cuts of 'Angry Andy' and 'Fundraiser' |
9 | September 3, 2013[208] | September 15, 2014 | February 13, 2014 (Part 1) June 19, 2014 (Part 2) | 25 | 5 | Deleted scenes, gag reel, rare audition footage |
Proposed spin-offs[edit]
A spin-off to the series was proposed in 2008,[209] with a pilot episode expected to debut as the Super Bowl lead-out program in 2009.[210] However, The Office's creative team instead decided to develop Parks and Recreation as a separate series.[211] The idea created by the writers was that a copy machine breaks in The Office and then it is shipped to Pawnee, Indiana, the setting of Parks and Recreation, to be fixed. Also actress Rashida Jones was to portray a different character in both, causing a problem for the potential spin-off.[212]
Another spin-off starring Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute running a bed-and-breakfast and beet farm, titled The Farm, was proposed in early 2012.[5][213] In October 2012, however, NBC decided not to go forward with the series.[214] A backdoor pilot episode was produced, which aired during the ninth season as 'The Farm'.[213][215]
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Mr. McCain seemed to set himself up again last Wednesday when, in an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he jokingly proposed Dwight Schrute, a sycophantic character on the NBC sitcom The Office, as his running mate.. But Mr. McCain’s fondness for The Office seems sincere. The next day he seemed slightly star-struck upon meeting B.J. Novak, a writer and actor on the show, at a gala sponsored by Time magazine. Mr. McCain started rattling off the details of 'Dinner Party,' a recent episode that he apparently enjoyed and remembered.
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- ^'Nick at Nite to Clock in at 'The Office' on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019'. NickALive!. Blogspot. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^'THE OFFICE: AN AMERICAN WORKPLACE'. ITV.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^Grossberg, Josh. NBC Universal Ditches iTunes.Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Eonline.com, August 31, 2007. Retrieved on April 12, 2008.
- ^Staff (December 13, 2017). 'Comedy Central® acquires 'The Office' from NBCUniversal'. Comedy Central Press. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^Stelter, Brian (March 10, 2008). 'Serving Up Television Without the TV Set'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- ^Stelter, Brian (May 12, 2008). 'In the Age of TiVo and Web Video, What Is Prime Time?'. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
Many of the top-rated broadcast shows now have 20 percent to 25 percent ratings gains when DVR viewing is calculated. In urban areas, the gains are even greater. In Los Angeles, fully half the 18- to 49-year-old viewership for some shows, including The Office and another NBC sitcom, 30 Rock, happens on a time-shifted basis.
- ^Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, Mindy Kaling, B. J. Novak, and Paul Lieberstein (November 6, 2007). The Office is Closed (online video). YouTube. Event occurs at 00:36. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
- ^Fritz, Ben (June 19, 2007). 'Office sets videogame deal'. Variety. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
- ^'The Office'. MSN Games. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
- ^'Games & Puzzles'. Pressman Toy Corporation. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
- ^'NBC's The Office: T-Shirts, Books, Mugs and Caps'. NBC. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
- ^Szalai, Georg (November 28, 2011). ''The Office's' Dunder Mifflin Paper Company to Become Real'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^'Motivational Posters'. NBC. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
- ^Dunder Mifflin PaperArchived August 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, the main website, and Dunder Mifflin InfinityArchived December 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, the intranet. Retrieved on April 2, 2008.
- ^'Brian Baumgartner's TV Guide blog!'. OfficeTally. July 13, 2006. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^Interview: Rainn Wilson (March 14, 2006). The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC.
- ^Creed Thoughts.Archived March 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine NBC.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2008.
- ^'Traveling Salesmen' and 'The Return', originally aired as separate half-hour episodes, share one commentary track.
- ^'The Office – A look at the 'Rental-Ready' Disc Case Art for The Office – Season 4 DVD'. tvshowsondvd.com. August 3, 2008. Archived from the original on August 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
- ^'The Office Season 5 DVD Buying Guide'. OfficeTally.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
- ^'The Office – Universal's Formal Season 6 Press Release Reveals DVD and Blu-ray Bonus Material'. TVShowsonDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^'The Office DVD news: Announcement for The Office – Overtime: Digital Shorts Collection'. TVShowsonDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
- ^Lambert, David (June 14, 2013). 'The Office - Finalized Street Date for 'Season 9: The Farewell Season' on DVD, Blu-ray'. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^Juarez, Vanessa (April 2, 2008). 'NBC's new lineup: 'The Office' gets a spinoff; 'Friday Night Lights' and 'ER' return'. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^'Spinoff of The Office coming next season on NBC'. CBC News. April 3, 2008. Archived from the original on December 26, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^Bianco, Robert (August 4, 2009). ''Parks' is like a bad day at 'The Office,' even with likable Poehler'. USA Today. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^Fitzpatrick, Kevin (May 9, 2013). ''The Office' Final Season: Parks and Rec spinoff'. ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ abHitFix Staff (January 25, 2012). 'Dwight Schrute 'Office' spin-off starring Rainn Wilson in the works at NBC'. HitFix. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^Ausiello, Michael (October 29, 2012). 'NBC Nixes Dwight-Centered Office Spin-Off'. TVLine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^'NBC to Air 'Office' Spin-Off 'The Farm' on Thursday, March 14'. The Futon Critic. March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- The Office on IMDb
- The Office at TV.com
![Office Office](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a6/61/10/a661101a8a21af28fd362d24f7e3e4a8.jpg)
Preceded by House 2008 | The Office Super Bowl lead-out program 2009 | Succeeded by Undercover Boss 2010 |
Did you know that you can download TV shows from Netflix onto your laptop or phone, so you can watch your favorite shows even when you don't have an internet connection? Well, better late than never, buddy! Not only does the streaming service rotate its offerings every month, it's constantly looking for ways to deliver the movies and TV shows you want, wherever you are.
You'll need to download the Netflix app (iTunes and Android), and once you start browsing, you'll see a downward-pointing arrow for titles you can download (unfortunately, not everything is downloadable.. yet). To get you started, we picked our favorite downloadable TV shows, but if you can't find something you like, your best bet is to check out the complete list of the best shows on Netflix. Never buffer again!
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3% (2016- )
If you relish the dystopian drama of The 100, The Hunger Games, or other narratives about attractive people living under unattractive regimes, then this Brazilian Netflix Original is for you. The hook of 3% is simple: The world is divided between a world of wealth called the Offshore and a world of poverty called the Inland. (Sounds familiar, right?) The Elysium-like premise is explored with real emotional depth, and director César Charlone, the cinematographer responsible for City of God's stunning visuals, shoots everything with a gritty glow.
The 4400 (2004-2007)
Produced by The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, this underrated sci-fi series imagines what would happen if 4,400 people suddenly vanished from the face of the planet in the early 20th century.. then flashed back into reality decades later. The mystery unfolds through the eyes of some superlative performances, including Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as a US Air Force pilot who disappeared but somehow has a daughter in the present.
Altered Carbon (2018- )
Adapted from the 2002 Richard K. Morgan novel of the same name, Altered Carbon is a flashy, jargon-y, and, at times, dizzying descent into sci-fi decadence. The show follows a 22nd-century mercenary (Joel Kinnaman) who's hired to solve the murder of a highly influential aristocrat. The catch? Said aristocrat is still alive, because in this version of the future, the wealthy can't really die -- instead, their consciousness is essentially uploaded to the cloud and downloaded into new bodies. In a world without death, the ensuing caper boasts the same jaw-dropping visuals and world-building as Blade Runner and the same thought-provoking intrigue as HBO's Westworld. And over the course of 10 episodes, what looks like a complicated murder mystery detours as a complicated love story and a complicated look at social stratification. In other words, showrunner Laeta Kalogridis packs A LOT to digest in here, but that means there's A LOT to appreciate if you're patient. Though it takes a few episodes for Altered Carbon's dense story to really take off, it's an ambitious ride that's well worth sticking around for. In fact, we can't wait to see more.
American Horror Story (2011- )
Why do people love Ryan Murphy shows so much? Because they're infused with equal parts camp, drama, suspense, and humor -- even this ostensibly scary one. Whether you're watching the Murder House, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, or the 2016 election-inspired Cult installment, you're in for unforgettable characters, stomach-curdling gore, jaw-dropping plot twists, and brutal finales.
American Vandal (2017- )
American Vandal, about teen documentarians who investigate the innocence of a classmate accused of vandalism (Jimmy Tatro), is much more than a four-hour dick joke. After the first couple episodes, the phallic material fades into the background, allowing the show to satirize high school and today's criminal justice system in a meaningful way. To pull it off, the co-creators studied the techniques that made them so invested in such true-crime titans as Serial, Making a Murderer, and The Jinx. It's parody, homage, addictive teen drama all wrapped in one -- an underrated win for the streaming service.
Being Mary Jane (2013- )
Mara Brock Akil's rom-dram stars the ageless Gabrielle Union as a single 30-something TV news anchor trying to juggle her intense professional ambitions with her needy family and a steamy sex life. Mary Jane embraces its contradictions: it's soapy as all get-out, with nonsensical plotlines involving the acquisition of an ex-lover's sperm, while still confronting race and gender issues head-on.
Better Call Saul (2015- )
It wasn't all that long ago that Bob Odenkirk, long a comedy icon, was stealing scenes in AMC's Breaking Bad. Now, he's signed on to appear in Steven Spielberg's new film and carries the Breaking Bad prequel as its star. With the (re)introduction of ice-cold supervillain Gus Fring, this slow show shows no signs of slowing down.
BoJack Horseman (2014- )
Netflix's animated series goes all in on the depression, failure, and slovenly behavior of its titular star, who's always on the verge of a comeback that never actually happens, at least not the way BoJack thinks it will. With plenty of gags to lighten the mood between the morose moments, BoJack Horseman asks us to laugh -- and we do, because we can't imagine this beleaguered equine's life getting any worse, which, invariably, it does.
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Despite originally airing on AMC, Breaking Bad is the ultimate Netflix show. Filled with moments of shocking violence and wry humor, the rise and fall of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) -- and his co-conspirators Jesse, Skyler, Gus, and Mike -- is probably best experienced in wild, indulgent weekend binges. That's what many fans did throughout the show's five-season run, catching up on old episodes on Netflix to prepare for the must-see moments that occurred during its final stretch. With the acclaimed spinoff Better Call Saul now inspiring similar conversations, there's never been a better time to take the dive. You don't just watch this show; it consumes you.
Cheers (1982-1993)
![The office complete series unboxing The office complete series unboxing](https://www.zoom.co.uk/assets/images/0/0/1/0/0/mm00100353.jpg?width=450)
For the days when you want to hang out at the bar without changing out of pajamas. Starring Ted Danson as the ex-Red Soxxer and reformed alcoholic slinging drinks, Cheers, too, had a very long run -- 271 episodes! -- so you'll invest a ton of time if you're a completist, but luckily, you'll feel like a regular in no time.
Chef's Table (2015- )
With an explosion of food television comes elevated standards; Netflix's Chef's Table forages for those standards, brings them to the restaurant for dinner service, treats them with respect, turns them into a whimsical play on a dish remembered from childhood, and earns a couple Michelin stars and the admiration of its peers in the process. The point is that Chef's Table, from creator David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi), is an exceptional food show that manages to make humans the centerpiece.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012- )
Jerry Seinfeld has a shitload of expensive cars lying around, so he decided to film himself giving other funny people rides in them. It's pretty entertaining! And after a run as Crackle's only viable original program, Seinfeld took his talents to the king of the streaming game (for now).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015- )
Many armchair critics tried to dismiss former YouTube sensation Rachel Bloom's CW series for what they presumed to be a sexist title -- a notion she bites back at from the opening credits on. In fact, the series is quietly revolutionary, offering sharp yet subtle commentary about the way women treat each other and themselves, and casually featuring one of the most diverse casts on TV. CXG draws its rom-com antics from heroine Rebecca's compulsive behavior and past traumas, all while satirizing the conventions of musicals with song-and-dance numbers worthy of Sondheim. It's a downward spiral, for sure, but psychosis has never been this entertaining.
Dear White People (2017- )
Justin Simien's scorching send-up of post-racial America received the green light from Netflix for 10 30-minute episodes, with Logan Browning stepping in for Tessa Thompson. As in the movie, the streaming version follows a diverse group of students pushing back against discrimination at a mostly white Ivy League school. Contrary to what the trolls want you to believe, Simien's work is not white-genocide propaganda; it's an illuminating look at what equality means in the 21st century. As he's explained already, 'I'm a storyteller. My job isn't to protect your feelings. It's to show you who you are. Sometimes that will be joyful. Sometimes it'll hurt.'
The End of the F***ing World (2017- )
Somehow, a show about a teenager who's convinced he's a psychopath and wants to find his first human kill manages to come off as a charming love and coming-of-age story. The tone demands a lot of the audience: Can you empathize with the human struggle of a kid who wants to kill, kill, kill? It's a compelling premise that tackles the question with necessary nuance.
Fauda (2015- )
Fauda, an action thriller about an elite team of undercover Israeli commandos working in Palestine, is perhaps the best of Netflix's recent foreign-language shows, a frantically paced and politically charged melodrama filled with sequences of white-knuckle suspense straight out of Homeland or 24. But unlike those spy dramas, Fauda spends nearly as much time on the private lives of Palestinians as it does on its gun-toting heroes. It's got a moral complexity that its more simplistic American counterparts often lack.
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
Like its awkwardly dressed and perpetually yearning protagonists, Paul Feig and Judd Apatow's ode to the pain of adolescence was destined to be an outcast from the start. Its presciently selected cast -- including Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco, John Francis Daley, and Martin Starr -- anchored a show that was perhaps too prickly and personal to catch on with NBC's mainstream audience, but it lives forever on Netflix. So, like Starr's achingly joyful Bill Haverchuck watching Garry Shandling after school, make yourself a grilled cheese, grab a glass of milk, and get ready to find some pockets of transcendence amidst the misery.
Frontier (2016 - )
A showcase for the charismatic brutality only Jason Momoa can muster, Frontier is a rollicking Netflix and Discovery Channel Canada co-production about the (literally) cutthroat 18th-century North American fur trade. The adventure series has more in common with breezy syndicated fare like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys than it does with Momoa's star-making Game of Thrones, but if you squint hard enough at the right moment you'll swear that it's Khal Drogo himself cutting off that poor sap's ear.
GLOW (2017- )
It's odd that it took so long for someone to make a fun comedy about professional wrestling. Where Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler turned the plight of a washed-up grappler into a Sisyphean struggle in spandex, GLOW, which was inspired by a real-life wrestling women's wrestling promotion from the '80s, takes a sunnier but still no-holds-barred approach. Community's Alison Brie excels as an actress who gets cast by a washed-up filmmaker (Marc Maron) to play the villain in the rag-tag operation, but, like producer Jenji Kohan's Orange Is the New Black, it's the side characters, like Britney Young's second-generation brawler Machu Picchu, who really help this show get over. It's one of the few pieces of pop culture that actually captures this 'fake' sport's very real appeal.
The Good Place (2016- )
Created by Parks and Rec mastermind Michael Schur, this whimsical comedy sends the World's Most Selfish Woman, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), to the afterlife. More specifically: the titular Good Place, something like heaven minus all the religious stuff. Things go swimmingly until Eleanor realizes she's been mistaken for someone else -- a glitch in the system that sends the utopia into a downward spiral. It's tons of fun seeing Bell and her onscreen soulmate Chidi (William Jackson Harper) try to fool everyone into believing this Eleanor can be a good person and deserves to stay. As we noted last year, 'By the time you get to the incredible season finale, it's clear you've been sent straight up to TV heaven.' Or, as Eleanor herself might put it: This show is forkin' good!
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Grace and Frankie (2015- )
Netflix users of a certain age have likely overlooked this dramedy from Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (The Starter Wife), about two septuagenarian friends (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) who shack up together after their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) announce they're in love and intend to marry. With notes of The Odd Couple and The Brady Bunch -- both couples have grown kids as equally knocked out by the news -- Grace and Frankie is down-to-earth viewing that's rich with observational wit on the progressive notion of being true to one's identity, and the time-worn cliche that everyone gets older with age. If you've indulged in the low-key, picture-perfect comedies of Nancy Meyers (It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give), give this one a try.
Happy Valley (2014- )
A police sergeant (Sarah Lancashire) is investigating the kidnapping of a local businessman's daughter by conspiring West Yorkshire locals; one of them is connected to the rape of her own daughter, who committed suicide eight years earlier. Tension builds at crime scenes and in familial moments, as Catherine swallows her suffering to parent her daughter's illegitimate son. The series leaves room for flawed characters to make mistakes: Catherine isn't Sherlock Holmes, nor are her culprits Moriarty types. On this show, murders happen by accident -- which is even scarier than premeditation.
Lady Dynamite (2016-2017)
Maria Bamford's semi-autobiographical, surreal spin on mental illness in Hollywood was a summer sleeper hit for Netflix. The comedian's self-aware hijinks share obvious DNA with Arrested Development: Mitch Hurwitz and Pam Brady are executive producers; there are sight gags, wordplay, and mockery of Los Angeles idiocy galore; and it features countless comedy-world cameos, extended fantasy sequences, and genuine self-introspection. It'll take you a few episodes to get invested, or even to wrap your head around WTF you're watching. But once you're hooked, you're hooked.
Law & Order: SVU (1999- )
Law and Order: SVU was designed for bingeing YEARS before on-demand streaming was invented, and while the original Law & Order was canceled in 2010, Special Victims Unit perfected the form and chugs along into its 18th season. Now that streaming is standard, you don't have to surf cable for a late-night insomnia salve or a hungover Sunday time-killer. You can drop in on Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson whenever you desire the simple satisfaction of fighting for justice in an unjust world.
Luther (2010-2016)
Idris Elba looks really good in a suit. There are plenty of reasons to watch Luther, but The Wire actor's calming sartorial presence has to be what draws most fans into this psychologically rich British detective drama. The Affair's Ruth Wilson also impresses as Alice Morgan, a manipulative murderer who becomes an obsession for Elba's weary cop John Luther. It's a cat-and-mouse game worthy of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Plus, the whole Idris Elba-in-suits thing.
The Office Complete Series Download Download
Mad Men (2007-2015)
Matthew Weiner knew where it was all going from the start -- and the AMC show's creator even warned us in the third-season premiere, via a Don Draper line to Roger Sterling: 'I keep going to a lot of places and ending up somewhere I've already been.'
The series spans many eras as we travel throughout time: the 1960s change the people around Don, and the second half of the final season, set in 1970, is momentous. Betty confronts her own mortality. Peggy discovers that true independence isn't as clean-cut as she thinks. Pete breaks his life in two so that he can put it back together again.
And then there's Don Draper: well-meaning, self-destructive, creative genius Don Draper, who dreams big and falls hard over and over and over again. Mad Men asserted itself as the Great American Television Show by being hyper-specific -- designed down to the desk stapler -- and universally opaque. We’ll never stop talking about the ending, the beginning, and everything in between, so you'd better hurry up and get on our level if you're not already.
Making a Murderer (2015)
What begins like a standard-issue Dateline episode about Steven Avery, a rural Wisconsin ne'er-do-well wrongfully convicted of rape, turns, over the course of its 10 episodes, into a sharp, twin rebuke of unchecked law enforcement and the entire criminal justice system.
As the documentary team behind this essential Netflix binge, which rivals The Staircase and Serial season one in its capacity to inspire righteous anger and rabbit-hole quests for the truth, details without exceeding skill, justice for Avery and his nephew, tragically swept up in the deplorable affair, has most definitely not been served. This one is the bleakest on the list, so we advise you spread out your binge as much as possible.
Manhunt: Unabomber (2017)
This eight-episode miniseries (which may or may not spawn follow-up series -- we'll see!) plays loose with the facts of the FBI Unabomber investigation and it won't teach you how to remember to spell Ted Kaczynski. But sometimes you just can't stop yourself from bingeing a nicely paced true-crime dramatization with unlikely actors in the crucial roles, like we have here with Avatar's Sam Worthington (as a dogged FBI agent who uses linguistics to track down the Unabomber), Avengers: Age of Ultron's Paul Bettany (as the hermetic, manifesto-writing mad bomber), and Party Down's Jane Lynch (as Janet Reno!).
Mindhunter (2017- )
David Fincher loves serial killers. The director of Seven, Zodiac, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo launched Netflix into the world of original television when he applied his dark, brooding aesthetic to a different kind of sociopath: obscenely ambitious politician Francis Underwood, focal point of House of Cards. But where House of Cards feels a bit like a desperate child crying out for attention -- 'Look at me!' -- Mindhunter arrives fully mature, concerned more with exploring the depths of headlines already written than creating new ones. The show follows a young, self-assured FBI agent, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff); his mentor, Bill Tench (Holt McCallany); and psychologist-turned-consultant Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) as they establish a division of the Bureau tasked with solving a 'new kind of crime' that lacks what most law enforcers think of as rational motives. In short, they're inventing what will become the famous 'FBI profiler' department, responsible for ferreting out criminal sociopaths, but Mindhunter's success arises from its ability to generate what serial killers lack: empathy and nuance. You feel not only for the agents and their decidedly second-priority romantic partners, but also for the killers, some of whom possess knife-edge intelligence and a caustic self-awareness, while others inspire near-instant revulsion. Add in the time-tested conventions of true crime mysteries, plus a steadfast unwillingness to write another FBI hagiography, and Mindhunter is highly bingeable, yet offers a depth that rewards slow-burn viewing.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (2017- )
Could a new crew of comedians revive the effortless magic of public-acess-born Mystery Science Theater 3000. Absolutely. With the nerdy Jonah Ray (The Meltdownwith Jonah and Kumail) locked in the new spaceship, once again backed by Crow and Tom Servo (but with new voices, Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn), spearheaded by former Daily Show head writer Elliot Kalan, and produced by original host Joel Hodgson, the new incarnation pelts jokes at late-night schlock and half-assed blockbusters with relentless force. There's a musicality to the jokes in MST3K: The Return, punctuating every bit of dead air in the god forsaken movie choices, and everyone is at the top of their game. 'Cry Wilderness,' about a little kid who pals around with Bigfoot, stands up to any of the classic episodes.
Narcos (2015- )
This thriller is a treat for history buffs, unpacking the horrifying, drug-laden history of Colombia during the reign of legendary kingpin Pablo Escobar. As Escobar, Wagner Moura is both terrifying and captivating, and his opposition, two DEA agents fighting their way through a convoluted mystery, give a scarily real sense of the American efforts to end the war on drugs. Moura is SO convincing that I'd probably spit on him if I ran into him on the street on behalf of the Colombian people -- he's that good at being bad. Narcos' mix of archival footage and contemporary fictionalization keeps you engaged, and reminds you that a literal genocide had to happen just so yuppies could blow coke in the Hamptons during the '80s (only kind of kidding).
Nobel (2016- )
Amid the Homelands and Zero Dark Thirtys of the world, it's easy to forget that the United States' decades-long global war on terror is just that: global. The coalition of nations that fought with America in Afghanistan included Norway, and it's in a foreign camp that the show begins with a tense military operation to take out a suspected suicide bomber. Make no mistake, though: This is not a war series, but a political one, focusing on the treacherous ripples terrorism sets off through national politics. In this case, the political implications are told through the lives Erling Riiser (Aksel Hennie), who served in Afghanistan, and his wife, Johanne (Tuva Novotny), a government worker who must navigate the business interests related to Norway's involvement in the region.
The OA (2016- )
If Stranger Things was a little too basic for you, give this wonky sci-fi series from co-creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij a shot. The otherworldly Marling stars as Prairie, a blind woman who returns to society after years in captivity and quickly starts a youth group with some troubled teens. It gets crazier from there. Yes, there's interpretive dance. Yes, there are weird flashbacks to Russia. Yes, it will leave you scratching your head and searching the internet for clues. But sometimes the crazy shows are the ones you love the most.
The Office (2005-2013)
Go ahead and try to prevent your brain from firing off loads of oxytocin as soon as those opening piano notes hit your eardrums. As scenes from Scranton and the Dunder Mifflin office play across the screen, you'll find it difficult to resist falling into a wormhole of nostalgia, knowing all along that (SPOILER) Jim and Pam get together in the end. If you're watching for the first time, you'll understand why so many people fell for Michael Scott and the soft-bellied, straight-faced humor that reinvented network television.
One Day at a Time (2016- )
Like The Ranch, its red state cousin, One Day at a Time is a throwback family sitcom in a world that can be unkind to audience laughter, big comedic performances, and that stage-bound multi-camera look. But single-camera purists should get over their hang-ups. This clever remake of Norman Lear's '70s hit about a single mother raising two teenage daughters is more charming and funny than many of its seemingly 'edgier' peers. Anchored by a lived-in performance from Justina Machado (Six Feet Under), the show finds familiar laughs in the way generations clash and families wage war, but it's also culturally specific, socially engaged, and leisurely paced in a way that makes it stand out from your average CBS family show -- or Netflix's own dire Fuller House.
Orange Is the New Black (2013- )
The scripted original that put Netflix on the map (sorry, House of Cards!), Orange is a comedy that will make you cry or a drama that will make your sides split, depending on how you want to categorize it. Featuring one of TV's best ensembles made up largely of unknown actresses, Jenji Kohan’s show about life in a women’s prison is full of fascinating, nuanced characters from all walks of life, who elicit empathy even as they make difficult -- sometimes morally reprehensible -- choices in order to get by.
Ozark (2017- )
It's easy to see why early critics compared Ozark to Breaking Bad: Drug money and morally gray characters abound in both. But as Marty Byrde -- a brilliant Chicago-based financial advisor who moves his family to Missouri's Ozarks on a life-or-death deadline to wash truck loads of cash for Mexico's second biggest drug cartel -- Jason Bateman never goes full Heisenberg. In fact, his character's main motivation for doing anything is to protect his family. Along with Bateman, Laura Linney (Marty's wife), Jason Butler Harner (an undercover fed), and Julia Garner (one sketchy family's substitute don) deliver particularly memorable turns to help make this slow-burn work wonders over its tense 10-plus hour runtime. The Byrde saga might not yet be as good as its spiritual forefather, but it's better than a lot of its cousins (even Bloodline!). It'd be a mistake to not give it a shot.
Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
In the vein of workplace 'reality' comedies like The Office, creator Michael Schur's take on a local parks and rec department finds humor in the mundane -- like bosses who take themselves way too seriously. Watching this show now is like being treated to a buffet of comedic royalty; there's Amy Poelher! Adam Scott! Donald Glover! Aubrey Plaza! Aziz Ansari! And more! Their performances cemented Parks and Rec's place in network comedy lore.
Peaky Blinders (2013- )
Cillian Murphy stars in this early-20th-century period drama as Thomas Shelby, a World War I vet-turned-patriarchal crime boss who wants to up his family's social and financial status in England. The Shelbys' story plays out as historical fiction, loosely inspired by the exploits of real-life gangs based in Birmingham around the late 1800s and early 1900s. Rivaling bands of thugs clash for underworld influence here in a way that is not unlike on Game of Thrones just on a less fantastical scale: high-stakes political power plays, shady back-room dealings, and gritty tussles abound, with enough blood to rival the Red Wedding. (The show's name comes from the razor blades stitched in the Shelbys' flat caps, after all.) And if you still miss GoT, take comfort in appearances from Locke (Noah Taylor), Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig), and the Night King (Richard Brake).
Riverdale (2017- )
A modern CW take on the yuk-yuk teen comic Archie may sound like a shot of arsenic to prestige TV binge-watchers, but with a murder mystery undercurrent, soap drama worthy of The O.C., and a sheen that looks like Twin Peaks by way of 300, Riverdale rises above everything you think you should be watching. Each young actor on the show is a discovery (OK, maybe not Arch himself, but this is why the comics always emphasized '& Friends') and the fully packed episodes earn all the twists and turns. Watch Riverdale and you'll be sifting through grocery store comic shelves in a week.
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Robotech (1985)
This is the godfather of anime television in the United States. Robotech -- released as an American adaptation of three unrelated sci-fi robot series -- first introduced American audiences to classic space opera anime tropes. Newcomers should expect awkwardly dubbed accents, silly musical numbers, a sweeping orchestral score, and cosmic battles over some Cold War analogue called 'Protoculture.' The mixture is potent drama; as Seth Green recently declared: '[Robottech] took its material so seriously and had such gravity….I still remember when [redacted for spoilers] got killed and came home to his girlfriend because he had such vicious internal bleeding, and she was so excited to see him, horrified that he might not have made it through the battle. And then he died in her arms on the couch.' Oh, right. It also has transforming robots.
She's Gotta Have It (2017- )
Nola Darling is an artist, an activist, a Brooklynite, and a sex-positive polyamorous pansexual with three emotionally volatile boyfriends. But who is she? Spike Lee made his directorial debut with 1986's She's Gotta Have It, and 30 years later, expands the character study (with the help of a writer's room including his sister Joie Lee, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage) into his first TV series, a rhythmic exploration of sex, Brooklyn, and black life. Lee's signature, syncopated style -- bright colors, up-close-and-personal confessionals, jolts of pop music and album art, Bruce Hornsby's melancholy piano filling the gaps -- is intact, tracking Nola through the gentrifying brownstone labyrinth of Fort Greene like an epistolary novel. The joy of the series is in the updated casting, DeWanda Wise's Nola beams with wisdom, fear, artistic knowledge, and carnal desire, while the men and women in her life are fleshed out and… fleshed out, allowing the many sex scenes to play to the senses while reaching for something deeper.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
After a string of The Original Series-inspired movies and miscalculations on how to revive the sci-fi franchise for television, Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek boldly went where no concept had gone before with The Next Generation, a shinier, headier, all-around better (yeah, we said it) saga in the United Federation of Planets' history. Led by Patrick Stewart and helped by an iconic supporting cast, The Next Generation followed the TOS mission to speculate about and empathize with social issues of the day, filtered through a lens of A-grade sci-fi writing that stands the test of time.
Stranger Things (2016- )
If you haven't binged Netflix's '80s paranormal throwback.. what gives? It's all your friends talked about last summer, and the second season, due in October, looks bonkers. If you've already done your time in the Upside Down, bide your time with the time-jumping Travelers, the alien-invasion saga Colony, the goofy fantasy series Shannara, and the one-season mind-bender Awake.
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Every lauded sci-fi movie or television show owes Rod Serling residuals. Over 156 episodes, Serling speculated and dreamed, refracting his present day through the trippiest scenarios to ever beam through mild-mannered American homes. The Twilight Zone’s visual prose took us to jungles, to space, to 20,000 feet, and to the sunny block from every person’s childhood, where the worst existential revelations tended to lurk. The Twilight Zone still speaks volumes. Buckle up and fly into a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
David Lynch and Mark Frost's detective series is often credited with instilling television with artful potential. Without Twin Peaks, there'd likely be no Mad Men or Breaking Bad, (and both shows nodded to the ABC series). And yet, the show's dreamy, saturated look is really a cherry on top. Twin Peaks is a steady stream of oddball characters and fantastical twists, encountered by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as he hunts for the murder of a small town teenager. Your weird friends love this show. You should, too. It's finally time to understand those Log Lady Halloween costumes.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015- )
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Tina Fey and 30 Rock producer Robert Carlock’s comedy tracks the adventures of an Indiana naïf after she is freed from being held captive by a doomsday cult leader for 15 years -- what a premise! Ellie Kemper plays the freed kidnapping victim, who heads to the Big Apple without a clue on how to exist in the modern world. Luckily, Titus, a penny-pinching, Broadway-belting man in desperate need of a roommate, takes her in and trains her in the art of living. Kimmy Schmidt clings to 30 Rock’s goofy sense of humor and drops the cynicism. Beware: it’ll take three binges just to catch all the jokes.
The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017)
Here's the pitch: not one, but two hot vampire brothers. While it premiered back in 2009 at the sparkly peak of Twilight mania, this supernatural teen soap has more in common with co-creator Kevin Williamson's witty '90s work -- Dawson's Creek and Scream -- than it does with Stephenie Meyer's po-faced novels. Based on a series of books by YA writer L. J. Smith, the show brings you into the inner life of a newly orphaned high-schooler named Elena (Nina Dobrev) who gets pursued by sultry, good vamp Stefan (Paul Wesley) and his equally sultry, evil bro Damon (Lost's Ian Somerhalder). There are love triangles, complicated mythology, crazy plot twists, and countless scenes where yokels get bit in the neck by pale guys with great hair. But it's the wry, almost Buffy-like comic tone that keeps you coming back.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp/10 Years Later
Reboots and spinoffs often fall flat; not so with Netflix's prequel and sequel to the 2001 cult comedy classic Wet Hot American Summer. The strength of this series is its willingness to poke fun at the very nature of the repetitive, sequel-driven boom TV and movies are experiencing, with the same actors playing the characters they originally portrayed as though no time has passed in the decade-and-a-half since the movie appeared. A-listers Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks give game performances that are bolstered by new faces like John Slattery and Jordan Peele. The show never makes you feel as though you're participating in a cynical nostalgia play (though, let's face it, you kind of are), and while 10 Years Later took a dip in quality, succumbing to the dopiness of its own premise, the steady laughs have us recommending both seasons.
Wynonna Earp (2016- )
Wynonna Earp is a faster, sexier, funnier show than it has any right to be. The pitch is simple: the great-great-granddaughter of legendary gunslinger Wyatt Earp must lead the charge against an army of zombies. A hero fighting the undead? A badass woman in charge? If you love action TV, this one's for you. Earp totes a gigantic, legendary magic pistol called Peacemaker. She has a bumbling, moronic Justin Bieber-lookalike as a sidekick/comic relief. There are several love triangles with the undead. One of those love triangles happens to involve Doc Holliday in the present. Perhaps the best summary of the show is this one-liner in its pilot: 'I am the girl. With the big-ass gun.' If you can't get on board, you may not like fun.
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