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“The Office” is a TV series made between 2005 and 2013 in the U.S. and conceived by Ricky Gervais. In particular, it is an American remake – commissioned by NBC – of the British version created by Ricky Gervais himself.
It consists of 9 seasons and it has won several awards, such as “Best Comedy Series” in 2006. Recently there has been a reunion of the actors in “Some Good News”, a format that one of the actors created during lockdown in 2020.
The episodes are set in the small town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the offices of Dunder Mifflin, a paper company.
In the first episode we understand that the protagonists are filmed by a television crew with the aim of making a documentary. The main characters who work in this company are: Micheal Scott, the manager, who is incapable in his job and always tells a lot of offensive jokes; Pam Beesly, the secretary, who dreams of being an artist; the sellers Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute, who are a little bit clumsy and often childish; Stanley Hudson, a grumpy man; Oscar Martinez, a know-it-all, and Angela Martin, a fussy cat lover.
Over the course of the seasons we take a close look at the lives of each character and their evolution. We can see the development of friendships and love relationships: there are many characters, but we can get a complete view of what they do, growing fond of each of them.
The series is about how simple colleagues can become your family. It’s interesting to note that the characters know they are being filmed and they often address the viewers in order to tell them how they feel in a very direct and spontaneous way.
The episodes are shot without a studio audience, in a single-camera setup, to give the idea that it is a real documentary. It’s almost always set in the offices and although the characters are working it is entertaining, because they manage to joke around, so much that you end up wishing to work with them.
The Office is based on a “odd” kind of humor, which might not appeal to everyone. It might seem boring at first, but you shouldn’t stop at the first couple of seasons. There are always new dynamics and it never gets boring: it’s a series that keeps you glued to the screen. It is definitely a must-see.
Giulia, Liceo Artistico Foppa – indirizzo Architettura e Ambiente
