After 9 seasons of pure entertainment, The Office is finally coming to an end. That means and end to Jim’s pranks, Dwight’s inane and irrelevant facts, and of course, Michael Scott’s lovable stupidity. This show has seen ups and downs, but in the end it remains a favorite to many Americans.
The show started in the United Kingdom under the guidance of comedic genius Ricky Gervais. His vision gave birth to the awkward, cold, laugh track lacking environment that makes the cutting humor of The Office really sink in. Unfortunately, though, the show only continued in England for two years before being cancelled in 2003. It was then picked up two years later by NBC.
NBC’s writing took The Office in a new direction. Instead of bleak sarcasm and cutting wit, the American version featured a lovable cast of misfits, including a budding romance between Jim and Pam. The show focuses on relationships between characters and the juxtaposition of mundane office activities with outrageous antics to draw the audience in.
But every good show has a “jump the shark” point. When Steve Carell left The Office, the show began to take a turn for the worse. Carell’s character, Michael Scott, was not the protagonist, but he was a major character. The absence of his goofy antics coupled with the crazy new boss caused the atmosphere to become extremely serious.
So far in the last season, they’ve brought back old characters, introduced Dwight’s brother and sister completely out of the blue in an attempt to start a spin-off show, and tried to incorporate the invisible camera crew into the plot. In the end, no matter how good a show is, it has an expiration date.