In 2001, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant created what is considered one of the funniest British television programs of all time called The Office. The series lasted for two seasons and a two part Christmas special. The series followed a documentary format, although the entire pretense of the show was fictional.
The show was noted because of its emphasis on characters that functioned like regular (in some cases not so regular) people with desires, flaws, mannerisms, and traits that were different from their co-workers. Each character received their own back story and face time in the series. A particular standout performance on the show was Gervais himself as David Brent who could easily be compared to any rude boss that anyone may have had.
The show proved to be so popular in Britain, that in the United States the National Broadcasting Company received the rights to do an American take on the series, also titled The Office. The show premiered in 2005 as a mid-season replacement. For the Americanization of the show, all of the characters were renamed, reworked, and redesigned with the American audience kept in mind.
The show still retained its premise, but it took place in Stanford, Pennsylvania at the Stanford Branch of the fictional Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. This new version of The Office featured Steve Carell as Michael Scott, the American counterpart of David Brent. It also features Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, and B.J Novak as Ryan.
The series also humorously features Creed Bratton, former member of the band The Grass Roots, as a fictionalized version of himself who exhibits eccentric, possibly psychotic, behavior throughout all of his appearances on the show. The show has been notable for the will they or wont they relationship between Jim and Pam that was constant throughout the first three seasons of the show.
It was for those three seasons that many fans found a point of focus. This romantic tension between characters changed when in the fourth season it was revealed that the two had begun dating. This had led to some fans thinking that the quality of episodes would decline, but other fans say that the decision helped keep the plot point from wearing thin.
Unfortunately, in late 2007, production on the second half of the fourth season was put on hold due to the Writers Guild of America Strike that has affected television and film everywhere. However, fans remain patient in the hopes that the strike will end soon and the rest of the seasons episodes will air.
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