The Office
The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The untold stories behind The Office, one of the most iconic television shows of the twenty-first century, told by its creators, writers, and actors
When did you last hang out with Jim, Pam, Dwight, Michael, and the rest of Dunder Mifflin? It might have been back in 2013, when the series finale aired . . . or it might have been last night, when you watched three episodes in a row. But either way, long after the show first aired, it’s more popular than ever, and fans have only one problem—what to watch, or read, next.
Fortunately, Rolling Stone writer Andy Greene has that answer. In his brand-new oral history, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, Greene will take readers behind the scenes of their favorite moments and characters. Greene gives us the true inside story behind the entire show, from its origins on the BBC through its impressive nine-season run in America, with in-depth research and exclusive interviews. Fans will get the inside scoop on key episodes from "The Dundies" to "Threat Level Midnight" and "Goodbye, Michael," including behind-the-scenes details like the battle to keep it on the air when NBC wanted to pull the plug after just six episodes and the failed attempt to bring in James Gandolfini as the new boss after Steve Carell left, spotlighting the incredible, genre-redefining show created by the family-like team, who together took a quirky British import with dicey prospects and turned it into a primetime giant with true historical and cultural significance.
Hilarious, heartwarming, and revelatory, The Office gives fans and pop culture buffs a front-row seat to the phenomenal sequence of events that launched The Office into wild popularity, changing the face of television and how we all see our office lives for decades to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
First-time author Greene delivers a fascinating oral history of The Office, the NBC sitcom that started in 2005 with low ratings and became a cultural phenomenon during its nine-season run. Greene, a pop culture writer for Rolling Stone, illuminates the show thanks to nearly 100 interviews with cast members, writers, directors, producers, and crew along with various TV executives and critics. Starting with its birth as an American remake of the British series created by comedian Ricky Gervais, Greene shows how the series developed its take on the day-to-day life of everyday office workers "normal people, but they're really quirky." Greene includes chapters on fan-favorite episodes ("The Dundees," "Beach Games," "Threat Level Midnight," etc.) and makes clear that at the show's center is actor Steve Carell, whose portrayal of office boss Michael Scott is the show's pulse. Greene argues that Carell's "magic superpower" to take Gervais's rougher and meaner character and instead show his "vulnerability" and "empathy" was responsible for the show's success. With its wealth of anecdotes, this entertaining history will delight the series's many fans.
