The Funny and Cool Boss of The Office

The NBC sitcom The Office was based on the British comedy series of the same name, co-created by Ricky Gervais, who in the original series had also starred as David Brent, terminally disingenuous office manager of Wernham Hogg Paper Merchants (Slough Branch).

The American version stars Steve Carell as Michael Scott, regional manager in a branch office of the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Forever trying to put a "happy face" on office conditions where he worked, Michael was cursed with two fatal flaws: he thought he was funny and cool, and worse yet, he thought he was actually competent.

Salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) has always loved receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and loves sabotaging his cube-mate, the know-it-all Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) started as a young, smart, self-possessed temp, but quickly figured out the real office politics despite Michael's attempts to instill the official point-of-view, and gets himself a job at corporate HQ in New York.

The staff is rounded out by quiet Phyllis Lapin Vance (Phyllis Smith), beaten down by the working life Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker), office alcoholic Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery), up-tight Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), formerly closeted homosexual Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez), stocky and uncouth Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), ambivalent kleptomaniac Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton), Sad Sack HR rep Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein), persistently love-struck Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling), icy corporate manager turned Michael's girlfriend Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), former Stamford branch denizen and Cornell graduate Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson), and Pam's ex-fiancé Roy Anderson (David Denman.

Filmed in a faux documentary style, The Office began its first season (actually a six-episode trial run) on March 24, 2005.

The original BBC version enjoyed significant success in the UK and abroad, and won two Golden Globes. NBC then commissioned a U.S. version.

The Office is currently one of NBC's best rated shows, and consistently delivers a very high 18-49 demographic rating.

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