The first season of the American
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
''
The Office
''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries.
The original series o ...
'' premiered in the United States on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
on March 24, 2005, concluded on April 26, 2005, and consists of six episodes. ''The Office'' is an American adaptation of the
British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
branch of the fictitious
Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars
Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
,
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'', for which he earned three consecutive Em ...
,
John Krasinski,
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer (born March 7, 1974) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...
, and
B. J. Novak.
This season introduced the main characters, and established the general plot, which revolves around
Michael Scott (Carell), regional manager of the Scranton branch office, trying to convince the filmmakers of the documentary that he presides over a happy, well-running office. Meanwhile, sales rep
Jim Halpert (Krasinski) finds methods to undermine his cube-mate,
Dwight Schrute (Wilson); receptionist
Pam Beesly (Fischer) tries to deal with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and temporary employee
Ryan Howard (Novak) is acting mostly as an observer of the insanity around him.
Season one of ''The Office'' aired on Tuesdays in the United States at 9:30 p.m. The season debuted to high numbers, and garnered moderately positive reviews from critics aside from the pilot which received mixed reviews. While some enjoyed the pilot, others opined that it was a mere copy of the original British version.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...
released season one in a single DVD on August 16, 2005. The DVD contained all six episodes, along with commentaries from creators, writers, actors, and directors on most of the episodes, as well as deleted scenes from all of the episodes.
Production
The first season of the show was produced by
Reveille Productions
Endemol Shine North America is the American division of Endemol Shine Group that was founded on March 15, 2002 as a merger of Shine Americas, Shine USA, and Reveille Productions.
Endemol Shine North America produces and distributes scripted and ...
and Deedle-Dee Productions, both in association with
NBC Universal Television Studio
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...
s. The show is based upon the British series created by
Ricky Gervais and
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer.
Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
, who are executive producers on the show, and it is produced by
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin Daniels (born June 13, 1963) is an American screenwriter, television producer, and director. He has worked on several television series, including writing for ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''The Simpsons'', adapting ''The Office (Am ...
, also an executive producer, along with consulting producers
Larry Wilmore
Elister Larry WilmoreThe name Elister L. Wilmore is given at This matches the birth date and birthplace for "Larry Wilmore" at (born October 30, 1961) is an American comedian, writer, producer, and actor. He served as the "Senior Black Corresp ...
and
Lester Lewis
Lester "Les" Lewis (November 26, 1966 – March 19, 2013) was an American television writer and producer, whose credits included sitcoms such as ''Flight of the Conchords'', '' Caroline in the City'' and ''The Larry Sanders Show.'' He was a supe ...
. The show's writers include Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, and Michael Schur, while
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the N ...
,
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein (born February 22, 1967) is an American actor, screenwriter, television director and television producer. A Primetime Emmy Award winner, he is best known as writer, as executive producer, and as supporting cast member Tob ...
, and
B. J. Novak double as writers as well as actors in the show, and between them, wrote three episodes on the season. For this season, Schur was a co-producer, Kaling was a staff writer, Lieberstein was a consulting producer, and Novak was an executive story editor. The first episode, "
Pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
", was written by Daniels, but the majority of the episode was adapted from "
Episode One" of the British series, with many scenes being transferred almost verbatim.
Season one featured episodes directed by five different directors. ''The Office'' features both a "team of directors" as well as several directors who are freelanced.
Ken Kwapis
Kenneth William Kwapis (born August 17, 1957) is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and author. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as '' Sesame Street Presen ...
directed the first two episodes, "Pilot" and "
Diversity Day", and would go on to direct another eleven episodes in total, including the final episode of the series.
Ken Whittingham
Ken Whittingham is an American television director.
Some of his directing credits include ''American Housewife'', ''Gilmore Girls'', '' Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'', '' Ugly Betty'', '' Still Standing'', '' Community'', '' Yes, Dear'', ''30 Rock ...
, who directed "
Health Care", would go on to direct another eight episodes in total. Daniels both produced and directed the episode "
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
". ''The Office'' was almost entirely filmed in an actual office building in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
for its first season. Aside from Los Angeles, the city of
Scranton
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, where the show is set, was also used for shots for the opening theme.
Cast
Many characters portrayed by ''The Office'' cast are based on the British version of the show. While these characters normally have the same attitude and perceptions as their British counterparts, the roles have been redesigned to better fit the American show. The show is known for its generally large cast size, many of whom are known particularly for their
improvisational work.
Main
*
Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
as
Michael Scott, regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch. Loosely based on
David Brent
David Brent is a fictional character in the BBC television mockumentary ''The Office'', portrayed by the show's co-creator, co-writer and co-director Ricky Gervais. Brent is a white-collar office middle-manager and the principal character of ...
, Gervais' character in the British version, Scott is a dim-witted and lonely man, who attempts to win friends as the office comedian, usually making himself look bad in the process.
*
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'', for which he earned three consecutive Em ...
as
Dwight Schrute, who, based upon
Gareth Keenan
Gareth Keenan (born 17 April 1971) is a fictional paper salesman on BBC's comedy ''The Office'', portrayed by Mackenzie Crook. Gareth is a self-important team leader proud of his alleged Lieutenant status in the Territorial Army. He spends his d ...
, is the assistant to the regional manager, although the character frequently intentionally omits the "to the" in his title.
*
John Krasinski as
Jim Halpert, a sales representative and prankster, who is based upon
Tim Canterbury
Timothy Canterbury is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom ''The Office'', portrayed by Martin Freeman. He is a sales representative at the Slough branch of Wernham Hogg Paper Merchants. He has a self-deprecating and ironic sense of humour.
...
, and has a crush on
Pam Beesly, the receptionist.
*
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer (born March 7, 1974) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...
as
Pam Beesly, a
receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed t ...
based on
Dawn Tinsley, is shy, but is often a cohort with Jim in his pranks on Dwight.
*
B. J. Novak as
Ryan Howard, who is a
temporary worker
Temporary work or temporary employment (also called gigs) refers to an employment situation where the working arrangement is limited to a certain period of time based on the needs of the employing organization. Temporary employees are sometimes ...
.
Recurring
*
Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress, known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's ''The Office'' and Trudy Monk on USA Network's ''Monk'', and Tammy Cashman on Amazon Prime Video's '' Transparent'', for which she received ...
as
Jan Levinson-Gould, vice president of regional sales.
*
David Denman
David Denman (born July 25, 1973) is an American actor. He made his film debut in '' The Replacements''. His other feature credits include ''Big Fish'', '' Fair Game'', ''The Nines'', '' Shutter'', ''Smart People'', '' Fanboys'', '' Let Go'', '' ...
as Roy Anderson, a warehouse worker and Pam's fiancé.
*
Leslie David Baker
Leslie David Baker (born February 19, 1958) is an American actor. He is known for playing disgruntled paper salesman Stanley Hudson in ''The Office'' for nine seasons (2005–2013).
Early life
Baker was born on February 19, 1958 in Chicago, Il ...
as Stanley Hudson, a grumpy salesman.
*
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner (born November 29, 1972) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Kevin Malone, a character in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013).
Early life and career
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Baumgartner attended Holy In ...
as
Kevin Malone
Kevin Malone is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Office''. He is portrayed by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK TV series is Keith Bishop, who shares Kevin's lack of communication skills, musical int ...
, a dim-witted accountant.
*
Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton (born William Charles Schneider, February 8, 1943) is an American actor, singer and musician. A former member of the rock band the Grass Roots, he is best known for playing a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' ...
as Creed Bratton, the office's strange quality assurance officer.
*
Kate Flannery
Kate Destiny Flannery (born June 10, 1964) is an American actress. Following her early theatre work, Flannery had her screen breakthrough playing Meredith Palmer on the NBC series ''The Office'', which won her two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Sh ...
as Meredith Palmer, the promiscuous supplier relations rep.
*
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the N ...
as
Kelly Kapoor
Kelly Rajanigandha Kapoor is a fictional character from the American television series ''The Office'', portrayed by Mindy Kaling. She is the customer service representative at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin from seasons 1 to 8. Followin ...
, the pop-culture obsessed customer service representative.
*
Angela Kinsey
Angela Faye Kinsey (born June 25, 1971) is an American actress. She played Angela Martin in the sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013) and appeared in the sitcoms '' Your Family or Mine'' (2015) and ''Haters Back Off'' (2016–2017). Since ''The ...
as
Angela Martin, a judgemental accountant, who also serves as Dwight's love interest.
*
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein (born February 22, 1967) is an American actor, screenwriter, television director and television producer. A Primetime Emmy Award winner, he is best known as writer, as executive producer, and as supporting cast member Tob ...
as Toby Flenderson, the sad-eyed human resources representative.
*
Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez (born November 18, 1958), sometimes credited as Oscar Nuñez, is a Cuban-American actor. He is best known for his role as the Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar Martinez on NBC's ''The Office''.
He was a member of The Groundlings and l ...
as
Oscar Martinez, an intelligent accountant.
*
Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin, the warehouse supervisor.
*
Phyllis Smith
Phyllis Smith (born July 10, 1951) is an American actress and casting associate. She is best known for playing Phyllis Vance in the television series '' The Office'' and her critically acclaimed voice role as Sadness in the film '' Inside Out'' ...
as Phyllis Lapin, a motherly saleswoman.
* Devon Abner as Devon White, a supplier relations representative.
Notable guests
*
Toby Huss
Tobias Huss (born December 9, 1966) is an American actor, known for portraying Artie in the Nickelodeon series '' The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' (1993–1996). He is also known for his voice-over work on the long-running animated series ''King of ...
as the voice of Todd Packer, a rude and offensive traveling salesman, and Michael's best friend (
David Koechner
David Michael Koechner ( ; born August 24, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing roles such as Champ Kind in the ''Anchorman'' films and Todd Packer on NBC's ''The Office''.
Koechner first became involved in perf ...
would play the character in later seasons).
*
Larry Wilmore
Elister Larry WilmoreThe name Elister L. Wilmore is given at This matches the birth date and birthplace for "Larry Wilmore" at (born October 30, 1961) is an American comedian, writer, producer, and actor. He served as the "Senior Black Corresp ...
as Mr. Brown, a consultant who arrives to teach the office about tolerance and diversity.
*
Patrice O’Neal as Lonny Collins, a warehouse worker.
*
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
as Katy Moore, a handbag saleswoman.
Broadcast and reception
Ratings
The first episode of ''The Office'' scored well in ratings, gaining over eleven million viewers, as well as ranking third in its timeslot on the night of its airing.
[ But the episode aired on a Thursday evening, and between the change from the first episode and the second episode, ''The Office'' moved to its regular time slot on Tuesday evenings. ''The Office'' tumbled in the ratings, averaging under 6.0 million viewers, just over half that of the previous episode.][ The first-season finale "Hot Girl" received one of the lowest ratings in the show's history, earning just a 2.2 rating with a 10 share.] After the lackluster reception of the episode, many critics erroneously predicted that "Hot Girl" would also serve as the ''de facto'' series finale.[ ''The Office'' averaged 5.4 million viewers for its entire season, ranking it #102 for the 2004–2005 U.S. television season.
]
Reviews
The series premiere, "Pilot", received largely mixed reviews from critics.["Office Remake Has its US TV debut"](_blank)
''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
''. BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. Retrieved March 9, 2008. After the first episodes, critics thought ''The Office'' would be another failed remake of a British comedy, much like how
. ''The Deseret Morning News'' believed ''The Office'' was a failed remake, and said "Maybe, after ''The Office'' dies a quick death on NBC, the network will decide that trying to Americanize British TV comedies isn't such a great idea." ''
'' said the show was "neither daring nor funny", adding that "NBC's version is so diluted there's little left but muddy water".