The Office: 20 Mind-Blowing Facts About TV's Favorite Workplace

The Office: 20 Mind-Blowing Facts About TV's Favorite Workplace

"That's what she said!" - The joke that became a cultural phenomenon

1. The Show Was Almost Canceled After Season 1

NBC strongly considered canceling The Office after its first season due to low ratings and mixed reviews. The network only ordered six episodes initially, and critics compared it unfavorably to the British original. However, NBC executive Kevin Reilly fought to renew it, believing in the show's potential. The writers retooled the second season to make the characters more likable and the humor less cringe-worthy, which ultimately saved the series and turned it into a hit.

2. Steve Carell Wasn't the First Choice for Michael Scott

Before Steve Carell was cast, several actors were considered for the role of Michael Scott, including Bob Odenkirk (who later starred in Better Call Saul) and Paul Giamatti. Carell nearly turned down the role because he was busy with The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but producer Judd Apatow convinced him to take it. Interestingly, Carell's performance evolved significantly from Season 1, where he played Michael as more clueless and mean-spirited, to later seasons where he became more sympathetic and lovable.

3. Many Scenes Were Improvised

The Office was famous for its improvised moments. The "That's what she said" jokes were often ad-libbed by Steve Carell. The iconic "Parkour" cold open was largely improvised, with the cast genuinely surprised by each other's stunts (two crew members were actually injured during filming). John Krasinski (Jim) and Jenna Fischer (Pam) developed their characters' romantic chemistry through improvisation in early seasons, with many of their sweetest moments being unscripted.

4. The Dundies Were Real Awards

The infamous Dundie Awards from Season 2 were actual awards given to the cast and crew. Each actor received a personalized Dundie based on their real-life personality traits. The ceremony was filmed in a real restaurant with actual customers as background extras (many didn't realize they were witnessing a TV shoot). Steve Carell stayed in character as Michael Scott the entire night, even when cameras weren't rolling, much to the confusion of restaurant staff.

5. Creed Bratton Played a Fictionalized Version of Himself

Creed Bratton wasn't just an actor - he was a real musician (former member of The Grass Roots) playing a fictionalized, darker version of himself. Many of his bizarre lines and stories were based on his actual life experiences. The writers would often just let him improvise his dialogue, resulting in some of the show's most surreal moments. His final scene in the series finale, where he's arrested, was completely improvised.

6. Jim and Pam's Wedding Dance Wasn't Scripted

The viral wedding dance sequence in "Niagara" (Season 6) was completely unscripted. The producers told the cast to prepare a dance for Jim and Pam's wedding, but didn't tell them what the others were planning. The result was the hilarious, spontaneous dance-off that became one of the most memorable moments in the series. Rainn Wilson (Dwight) came up with his bizarre "worm" dance on the spot.

7. The Show Filmed in a Real Office Building

Unlike most sitcoms, The Office was filmed in an actual office building in Van Nuys, California. The production team took over an entire floor of a paper company that had gone out of business. This gave the show its authentic office feel, but created challenges - the space was much smaller than it appeared on camera, and the air conditioning had to be turned off during filming because of microphone noise.

8. Kevin's Character Changed Dramatically

Brian Baumgartner's Kevin started as a relatively normal accountant in Season 1, but gradually became more dimwitted as the series progressed. This wasn't planned - the writers noticed Baumgartner's hilarious line deliveries and physical comedy, and began writing Kevin as increasingly silly. By the final seasons, Kevin had essentially become the office simpleton, a far cry from his original characterization.

9. The Show's Famous Theme Song Almost Didn't Happen

The iconic theme song by The Scrantones was a last-minute addition. Originally, the show used a generic instrumental track. Producer Greg Daniels heard a demo tape from a local band and immediately knew it was perfect. The song was recorded in just a few hours, with the band improvising most of it. The handclaps in the song were added because the producers wanted something the audience could participate in during live tapings.

10. Many Episodes Were Inspired by Real Office Stories

Writers frequently drew from their own office experiences. The "Fire Drill" cold open was based on writer Mindy Kaling's college fire drill panic. "Scott's Tots" was inspired by a writer's guilt over unfulfilled promises to his niece. The infamous "Pretzel Day" was a real tradition at NBCUniversal. Even Michael's inappropriate behavior often came from writers' real-life bad boss experiences.

11. The Cast Didn't Know About Michael's Departure

When Steve Carell decided to leave after Season 7, the writers kept his departure a secret from most of the cast to preserve genuine reactions. Only John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were told in advance. The emotional final scene where Jim tells Michael "Good luck" was completely real - Krasinski was saying goodbye to his friend as much as Jim was saying goodbye to Michael.

12. Dwight's Beet Farm Was Real

The Schrute Farms seen in later seasons was a real working farm in California. Rainn Wilson (who grew up on a farm) insisted on this authenticity. Many of Dwight's farming stories were based on Wilson's own childhood experiences. The bed and breakfast set was built on the farm property, and some scenes used actual farm workers as extras.

13. The Show Popularized "Talking Head" Interviews

While mockumentaries existed before The Office, the show perfected the "talking head" interview format. These scenes were often filmed after main production wrapped, with actors improvising responses to questions from an off-camera producer. Many of the funniest lines came from these sessions, like Jim's famous "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica."

14. Angela's Cats Were Actually the Producer's

Angela Kinsey's love of cats wasn't just acting - she's a huge cat lover in real life. Many of the cats featured on the show belonged to producer Kent Zbornak. The famous scene where Sprinkles is "frozen" used a realistic prop, but the live cats often wandered onto set during filming, adding unscripted moments.

15. The Show's Finale Broke a Record

The series finale in 2013 broke a Super Bowl record... sort of. The emotional final episode aired right after NBC's Super Bowl coverage, giving it the largest post-Super Bowl audience in 20 years. The episode was originally much longer but had to be cut down - deleted scenes included more cameos and a longer look at where the characters ended up.

16. Many Actors Were Almost Cast in Different Roles

Several cast members auditioned for different parts: Krasinski originally read for Dwight, while Wilson tried out for Michael. Ellie Kemper (Erin) auditioned for Pam. Even famous faces like Seth Rogen and Adam Scott were considered for roles. Kathy Bates' role as Jo Bennett was written specifically for her after producers saw her in Misery.

17. The "Subtle Sexuality" Video Was a Real Music Video

Andy's cringe-worthy music video in "Weight Loss" (Season 5) was actually shot as a full-length music video. Ed Helms performed the song live with writer Mindy Kaling and actress Ellie Kemper. The video was later released online and became a cult hit, with the cast performing it at fan events.

18. The Show's Writers Appeared Frequently Onscreen

Many writers appeared as background characters throughout the series. Writer/actor Mindy Kaling famously played Kelly, while writer B.J. Novak played Ryan. Other writers appeared as various office workers, clients, or even in deleted scenes. This created a unique dynamic where the writers could test jokes on set.

19. The "Bears. Beets." Line Was Improvised

One of the show's most quoted moments - Jim's "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - was completely improvised by John Krasinski. The producers loved it so much they built an entire cold open around it. The Battlestar Galactica reference came from Krasinski being a fan of the show, and the writers later incorporated more sci-fi references as nods to this improvised moment.

20. The Show's Legacy Continues to Grow

Despite ending in 2013, The Office has become more popular than ever thanks to streaming. It was Netflix's most-watched show for years before moving to Peacock. The show has spawned podcasts, college courses analyzing its humor, and even business seminars on its management styles. In 2020, it was reported that the show earns about $100 million per year in syndication - proving that Dunder Mifflin is still in business.

By the Numbers

• ➤ 9 seasons (2005-2013)
• ➤ 201 episodes
• ➤ 42 Emmy nominations (5 wins)
• ➤ $100 million/year in syndication
• ➤ 15 million+ daily streams at peak
• ➤ 16.7 million viewers for finale

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." - Andy Bernard, summing up why The Office remains beloved