Ten Reasons Why NBC’s The Office is Still Around
A few weeks of reruns has led me to ponder some intensely pondersome thoughts about the intensely successful show we call The Office. I’ve come up with ten reasons why the show is still with us today.
1. The writers have stumbled onto the fact that comedy that makes people cringe (in a good way) has rarely been done. Can anyone say goldmine?
2. There is no annoying laugh track that the actors have to wait out before delivering the next line.
3. All of the characters are interesting, not just funny. Even the ones we don’t see every week. You still have to care about a comedy in order for it to be successful. Funny won’t do it alone.
4. There is still the eager anticipation of spontaneity for the viewers. You never know when Michael might do something like kiss a male co-worker or cancel Christmas.
5. The show is fairly creative. How do you think up something like putting someone’s stapler in jello?
6. The viewers look forward each week to see what kind of person Michael can inadvertently insult.
7. We don’t get the cliché, “Let’s have a moral to the story,� moment.
8. There’s the occasional treat of getting two storylines at once. Example: Michael speaking at Ryan’s business school while Jim convinces Dwight that he’s a vampire.
9. Looking at the camera. I love this part of the show and only The Office can do it.
10. Pam and Jim. Need I say more?
This is what I’ve come up with. I’m sure if I devoted another hour to this pondering, I could come up with a dozen more. Let me know what you think.
Don’t forget the remixed reruns on the 15th.
The Office, NBC, Carell, Krasiniski, Fischer, Wilson, cocktails
-Anna
March 11th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Liked your list, though I’m not sure I’d call The Office “intensely successful” as it’s lucky if it can get half the audience of the seemingly old-timey “Two and a Half Men.” Unless you meant “intense” as in, “the fans of ‘The Office’ are intense” in which case that makes perfect sense… I’ll stop typing now.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:08 am
I put intensely successful because the way I see it, even if they don’t have the audience that some other shows have, they have definitely beat the odds by securing at least two more seasons and winning a bunch of awards. Many of the cast members are being saught after for other work. It just seems that for the kind of show it is, it’s doing pretty well. Thanks for your commment.
March 12th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Great post! Another reason I think it’s so successful is that it is so jam packed (no pun intended!) of information and funny lines, that you can watch an episode multiple times and get something new out of it.
And as well, the unprecendented cast connection through myspace, tv guide blogs, etc., really helps the viewer feel connected to the show.
March 12th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Because just when you think your co-workers couldn’t be crazier, you realize they could be Dwight.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
My husband and I sit in awe of this show every week. We think of ourselves as fairly high-brow (and we both do improv), and we’re constantly floored at how well this show works to make us laugh, and then hit the heartstrings — HARD — with some unsuspecting moment of reality. LURVE IT.
March 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
you people are all crazy!!!!!!!!!! the office is the stupidest show on television!! it never makes any sense and it copies other shows!! you people should watch ugly betty or survivor. trust me those are way better shows. the office sucks teh nuttballs!!!!!!!!!1
March 25th, 2007 at 10:36 am
I guess everyone has their opinion. What other shows does it copy, besides the BBC version?
April 6th, 2007 at 11:04 am
In my opinion, this show is average at best. I’ve given it several chances and still have yet to be able to sit through an entire episode without my ADD kicking in and taking me away from paying attention. I really don’t get how this show wins awards, it’s dull and boring. I’ve heard people say this show is “brilliant”…please. If you’d like to see a comedy that was brilliant, do yourself a favor and watch all 3 seasons of Arrested Development.
May 14th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Arrested Development is really good, Ugly Betty and Survivor, however, are not. Most people that don’t like the office, arrested development, etc. don’t like it for some of the reasons that we do like it. No laugh track means they don’t know what’s funny or when they’re supposed to laugh.