"The Office" is a terrific comedy full of laugh-out loud moments.
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There's always a sense of trepidation when a remake is announced. Why tread on hallowed ground? Fans had every right to worry when NBC decided to do their own version of the British hit series, "The Office." The peacock network already failed twice with their remakes of "Men Behaving Badly" and "Coupling." Without any reason to believe that the third time would be the charm, NBC surprised a lot of people by giving them one of the funniest shows in years.
"The Office" is shot in a documentary style with talking head interviews sprinkled throughout the show. Think "The Real World", but in the workplace and much, much more entertaining. The show is set in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder-Mifflin, a paper manufacturer. The boss is Regional Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) who is, to put it bluntly, an ass. But, he's an ass in a different way from Bill Lumbergh of "Office Space" fame. Michael won't make you come in on weekends, however, he will most likely make fun of your appearance, weight, or ethnicity.
Despite being incompetent, insensitive, lazy, and obnoxious, Michael has an incredibly high opinion of himself and believes he's the funniest man on the planet, even though most of his jokes are racially offensive. He is completely oblivious to how much everyone detests him. It's amazing how he got promoted to any sort of authority or how he hasn't been fired already. Then again, this show wouldn't be nearly as fun without him.
Also slaving away at the office is Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), the mild-mannered salesman who survives the daily grind by pulling pranks on the nebbish Dwight (Rainn Wilson). Dwight may be the only other person people hate more than Michael. He is even more annoying, a huge suck-up, and possesses no social skills whatsoever. Rounding out the main cast is Pam (Jenna Fischer), the receptionist who has to put up with Michael's bewildering behavior. Pam has been engaged for the past three years to Roy, a warehouse worker who comes off as Stanley Kowalski-lite. Unbeknownst to Pam, Jim harbors strong feelings for her and their budding relationship is one of the driving plotlines throughout the series.
The show takes a cue from "The Simpsons" by filling out the office with an incredibly strong supporting cast. Not surprisingly, the executive producer of "The Office" is Greg Daniels, a former writer/producer for "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill." Some of the background characters include: Ryan, a temp that usually gets finagled into performing degrading tasks for the boss; Angela, the ultra-religious and uptight head of accounting; and Todd Packer, a traveling salesman and Michael's BFF (best friend forever). Packer prides himself on his dirty jokes and piggish behavior.
A combination of smart writing and fantastic performances have won "The Office" numerous acclaim during awards season. Thanks to "The Daily Show" and "The 40-Year Old Virgin", Carell proves himself adept as a funnyman on the big and small screen. As Michael Scott, Carell absolutely steals nearly every scene he's in with his idiotic actions. Even better are the nonplussed reactions of the employees. Some of the show's funniest moments don't lie with the jokes, but rather with the awkward silences or facial expressions that follow them.
"The Office" debuted in 2005 as a mid-season replacement. The first season consisted of only 6 episodes and many fans consider it a slight rehashing of the BBC version. The second season is when the show really blossoms by allowing the characters to grow and evolve. The sexual tension between Jim and Pam isn't the only office romance that develops as Dwight and Angela carry on a secret relationship and Michael grows closer (at least in his own mind) to his boss, Jan.
The episodes in this set are as follows:
-Disc 1-
The Dundies - Michael gears up for the annual office awards, an event nobody is looking forward to.
Sexual Harassment - Michael tries to lighten the mood when the office must attend a seminar on sexual harassment.
Office Olympics - When the cat's away the mice will play. Jim organizes a series of office games when Michael (with Dwight as his toady) is out buying a condo.
The Fire - The employees get to know each other a little better in the parking lot after a fire breaks out. Meanwhile, Dwight is concerned that Ryan and Michael are getting a little too close.
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