The Office

The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History

By: Andy Greene

Narrated by: Holter Graham, P.J. Ochlan, Oliver Wyman, Ari Fliakos, Fred Berman, Brittany Pressley, Thérèse Plummer, Jonathan Davis, Sean Runnette, Sullivan Jones, Obi Abili, Josh Cohen, Various

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The untold stories behind The Office, one of the most iconic television shows of the twenty-first century, told by its creators, writers, and actors

When did you last hang out with Jim, Pam, Dwight, Michael, and the rest of Dunder Mifflin? It might have been back in 2013, when the series finale aired . . . or it might have been last night, when you watched three episodes in a row. But either way, long after the show first aired, it’s more popular than ever, and fans have only one problem—what to watch, or read, next.

Fortunately, Rolling Stone writer Andy Greene has that answer. In his brand-new oral history, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, Greene will take readers behind the scenes of their favorite moments and characters. Greene gives us the true inside story behind the entire show, from its origins on the BBC through its impressive nine-season run in America, with in-depth research and exclusive interviews. Fans will get the inside scoop on key episodes from "The Dundies" to "Threat Level Midnight" and "Goodbye, Michael," including behind-the-scenes details like the battle to keep it on the air when NBC wanted to pull the plug after just six episodes and the failed attempt to bring in James Gandolfini as the new boss after Steve Carell left, spotlighting the incredible, genre-redefining show created by the family-like team, who together took a quirky British import with dicey prospects and turned it into a primetime giant with true historical and cultural significance.

Hilarious, heartwarming, and revelatory, The Office gives fans and pop culture buffs a front-row seat to the phenomenal sequence of events that launched The Office into wild popularity, changing the face of television and how we all see our office lives for decades to come.

I really enjoyed this

it was an easy listen - I agree with others that the attempted voices were a lose, but the story itself was great. it's helped me to watch the series in a new light - thinking about how producers were behind the fax machine. or that the actors were struggling not to break :)

Enjoyed it

I really enjoyed this book
Huge office fan and loved the juicy bits in here

Extremely Entertaining

Loved it! I listened to it when I would go for a walk, but would find myself still listening it to an hour after I was done!
Disclaimer: I'm an office fanatic!

Great insight

Excellent insight for fans of the show. Lots of great tidbits of the inner workings

Great Oral History (That's What She Said)

Everything you ever wanted to know about The Office, told in the style of oral history where most of the text is made up of direct quotes from the participants -- actors, writers, directors, producers, crew members, TV executives, and others. Mostly about the U.S. version, but with a complete history as well of the original British show. With a broad range of narrators taking on the roles of the interviewees.

If you're a fan of The Office, this is a must listen, you will absolutely love it, especially in this format, which is perfect for pop culture histories (there's an awesome oral history of SNL, to cite just one example). If you're not familiar with The Office, this will mostly be irrelevant. And both of those things for the same reason -- the book covers all 11 seasons (US and UK) in minute detail, as well as a dozen key episodes, and every major actor and character (and even many minor actors and characters, including extras!).

If I have one criticism (and it doesn't even rise to causing any deduction from 5 stars across the board) it is that many of the major figures (especially US showrunner Greg Daniels and most of the major actors) are underrepresented, with the writers getting the bulk of quotes -- I suspect most of what you hear from the major figures comes from prior interviews, while most of the others were done for this book (the author says as much at the start).

No matter -- great stuff full of detailed information that every serious fan wants to know.