The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History
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- Create Date：2022-01-15 09:51:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Andy Greene
- ISBN：1524744980
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Britt
，
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good ole days before you’ve actually left them”Oh this book was just so awesome。 I laughed， I cried， it made me nostalgic for a younger and simpler time。 It’s like revisiting all your old friends and hearing about old stories。 So good。 Great book for any fan of the office！
Natalie
，
As a long-time fan of both versions of The Office， this book was treasure。 So many interesting nuggets！！ It also really broadened my understanding of what goes into the making of a show。
Carman Sparks-Dugas
，
I was gifted this book for my birthday this year since I am an absolute super-fan of The Office series， and was extremely excited to delve into the history behind the show being created， deleted scenes/episodes， and the writing and acting process that went on behind the scenes。 The formatting of the book is what I found most interesting because it mostly consisted of interviews and excerpts of the cast and crew talking about experiences， and what not， but nonetheless is was interesting。 I appre I was gifted this book for my birthday this year since I am an absolute super-fan of The Office series， and was extremely excited to delve into the history behind the show being created， deleted scenes/episodes， and the writing and acting process that went on behind the scenes。 The formatting of the book is what I found most interesting because it mostly consisted of interviews and excerpts of the cast and crew talking about experiences， and what not， but nonetheless is was interesting。 I appreciated the way that the author not only used interviews from outside sources but that he also conducted ones of his own with the people who worked on the brilliant TV series。 I don't want to spoil all the fun facts， but if you are an fan of The Office in anyway shape or form and would like to learn more about the process of creating the mockumentary series and how it all came to be， then you should read this book！ 。。。more
Melissa Bartelman
，
Interesting to hear the back stories and how TV shows are written and made but also dragged on a bit long at the end
Livia Gy
，
TLDR: I recommend to listen to the Office Ladies podcast instead if you are curious particularly about the episodes rather than reading about the actors glorifying each other and the shooting conditions。My opinion a bit more detailed:I think the book started great but from the 464 pages length you can clearly feel some topics are unnecessary too long - sometimes it is 1，5-2 pages long just to read about repetitively mentioning the same cliche sentences by 3-4 people like "we miss our family" or TLDR: I recommend to listen to the Office Ladies podcast instead if you are curious particularly about the episodes rather than reading about the actors glorifying each other and the shooting conditions。My opinion a bit more detailed:I think the book started great but from the 464 pages length you can clearly feel some topics are unnecessary too long - sometimes it is 1，5-2 pages long just to read about repetitively mentioning the same cliche sentences by 3-4 people like "we miss our family" or "everyone was just sooo funny all the time。。。" In a sense the book is great for fans who did not read about the behind-the-scenes and just watched the tv show or if you did not read interviews because this book is an absolutely great summary of a loooot of interviews。 But for true fans who already know a lot about the show and what's behind it would have been nice to read about other character dynamics that were not really mentioned or to read about other things that must have been funny。 Like how did they shoot scenes between Michael and Carol knowing that the actress Nancy Carell who was playing Carol is the wife of Steve Carell。 I wonder how Nancy's character was able to show so much disgust and contempt toward Michael who is in real life her husband。 Or read more about season 6 when new characters come in - Erin， Gabe， Charles。。。 they were mentioned only for a couple of pages and the book was rather talking about the actors' behavior off-set than about creating the characters themselves。Overall it was a fun book to read but it was mainly about just the grief over the end of the show。 。。。more
Amber
，
I really loved the interview style of this book and learning behind the scenes information about The Office。 It has been my favorite show since it aired weekly。 To read about how the US version came to light and the journey throughout the show was fascinating。 It was funny reading some perspectives not lining up but that’s the joy of perspectives， they’re all different。 I would recommend this for anyone who loves the show。 Also， please don’t do a reboot。 I love the show for what it was。 A reunio I really loved the interview style of this book and learning behind the scenes information about The Office。 It has been my favorite show since it aired weekly。 To read about how the US version came to light and the journey throughout the show was fascinating。 It was funny reading some perspectives not lining up but that’s the joy of perspectives， they’re all different。 I would recommend this for anyone who loves the show。 Also， please don’t do a reboot。 I love the show for what it was。 A reunion would be fun but not a reboot。 。。。more
Harrison
，
8/10。 Great read for a super fan of the series。 It was amazing how little the author actually interjected， instead shaping a narrative from quote after quote obtained from nearly 100 interviews。 Probably exhausting to write， but very， very good。 Boy did they not like James Spader。
Snogged
，
Office Ladies and The Michael Scott Podcast company are frequently my most listened to podcasts。 I also got a Peacock subscription so I could keep watching the show （and all the bonus content。）I thought this book was a great companion for any Office fan。
Tsudaya
，
This was an enjoyable read and gave some background information to decisions that were made for casting， set design， the writing of the episodes， etc。 But a lot of sections consist of 10 people basically watching the same thing and if these parts were skimmed， it’s much more readable。 I probably skipped through about 15-20% of the book due to the redundancies
Eugene
，
A fun read。
Mac
，
Easy five。 Could have read a couple hundred more pages。
Angel White （Bookn。All。Night）
，
I am a huge Office fan and I absolutely loved this book。 It's so much fun to see what went behind the characters， the actors who eventually made it to the cast， the episodes and the entire thinking process behind it。I don't remember another Non-Fiction book I've had this much fun reading。 It's funny how many real life moments in the writers' lives became episodes in the show， or the basis for one。 That is one of the things that had me hooked， how normal and real the setting and people of The Off I am a huge Office fan and I absolutely loved this book。 It's so much fun to see what went behind the characters， the actors who eventually made it to the cast， the episodes and the entire thinking process behind it。I don't remember another Non-Fiction book I've had this much fun reading。 It's funny how many real life moments in the writers' lives became episodes in the show， or the basis for one。 That is one of the things that had me hooked， how normal and real the setting and people of The Office are。I also really loved the format and enjoyed where everyone gets a short blip to get their thoughts in。 There were so many people involved！Now I need to go back and rewatch the show again。 🤣🤣🤣 。。。more
Alice Daniels
，
Great book if you're a hard core office fan but may be hard to follow otherwise。 I listened to it which made it trickier to digest。 My true love for the office carried my through。 Great book if you're a hard core office fan but may be hard to follow otherwise。 I listened to it which made it trickier to digest。 My true love for the office carried my through。 。。。more
Shae McDaniel
，
So many of the people involved with the creation of this show come off， in their own words， as horrible people， it's fascinating。 So many of the people involved with the creation of this show come off， in their own words， as horrible people， it's fascinating。 。。。more
chels marieantoinette
，
I savored this book all year and it was the perfect way to end 2021 - laughing while reading “the dinner party” episode and crying while reading the behind the scenes creation of “niagra falls。” This is a great nightstand book to pick up and savor when you need a little extra office。 Highly recommend to any fan。Be warned: it is pretty “educational，” but excellently well done。
Tammie
，
Reading this book filled me with so much nostalgia that I had to go back and rewatch some of the key scenes。 Super insightful read into one of the most successful and funniest sitcoms （IMO） of all time and even though some jokes didn't age well， and the show peaked around Season 6， I still feel it's a classic sitcom。 I also like how Greene didn't always show The Office's success - there was a dip in popularity somewhere around Season 7 to 8 and they （author and the interviewees） didn't shy away Reading this book filled me with so much nostalgia that I had to go back and rewatch some of the key scenes。 Super insightful read into one of the most successful and funniest sitcoms （IMO） of all time and even though some jokes didn't age well， and the show peaked around Season 6， I still feel it's a classic sitcom。 I also like how Greene didn't always show The Office's success - there was a dip in popularity somewhere around Season 7 to 8 and they （author and the interviewees） didn't shy away from this fact。 。。。more
Melissa Cameron
，
I am one of the world’s biggest fans of The Office， but this did fall a bit flat for me。 The interview style is not my favorite and the book felt a bit negative overall。 The editing could have given the reader a more concise product in the end， overall the book felt quite wordy and a bit repetitive in places。 Honestly I would have to say this is a no go for me and probably for other die hard fans。 It left a bit of a bitter taste which I will immediately get over as soon as I hear that theme song I am one of the world’s biggest fans of The Office， but this did fall a bit flat for me。 The interview style is not my favorite and the book felt a bit negative overall。 The editing could have given the reader a more concise product in the end， overall the book felt quite wordy and a bit repetitive in places。 Honestly I would have to say this is a no go for me and probably for other die hard fans。 It left a bit of a bitter taste which I will immediately get over as soon as I hear that theme song play next time。 。。。more
Sydne
，
This book gives a great insight into The Office; it's a great read for any fan as it is really in depth。 This book gives a great insight into The Office; it's a great read for any fan as it is really in depth。 。。。more
Kenneth
，
exquisite！This is a top-drawer look at TV’s greatest show。 Bravo！ A terrific and candid study of the show’s ups and downs。 Highly recommended！
Jessica-Rae Wallace
，
This book was great。 Big problem was there was nothing from the amazing Catherine Tate who played Nellie。 I understand there were people that didn’t like her character but she is an amazing actress and I was very disappointed there wasn’t a single note from her。 If it wasn’t for leaving her personal thoughts out， I would have given this book 5 stars。 Also there was a line that was completely unnecessary and just annoying。
Claire Smeltzer
，
Probably a 4。5。 Very interesting and informative read！
Donna Heitmann
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 ‘:Alan Sepinwall: “Greg Daniels is one of the underrated geniuses of the last 25 years of television。”’🎯💯As an Office super junkie fan， This was a must read。 My love for the Office has so much more to do with the behind the scenes as I’m completely fascinated by the whole process with which this show was created and evolved throughout the nine seasons。 The characters are so rich and have such depth that I am obsessed with delving into all the details that reveal how they were created and how dec ‘:Alan Sepinwall: “Greg Daniels is one of the underrated geniuses of the last 25 years of television。”’🎯💯As an Office super junkie fan， This was a must read。 My love for the Office has so much more to do with the behind the scenes as I’m completely fascinated by the whole process with which this show was created and evolved throughout the nine seasons。 The characters are so rich and have such depth that I am obsessed with delving into all the details that reveal how they were created and how decisions were made about each character arc。 To this end I was not disappointed！！ （My secret dream job fantasy would be to work in the writers’ room of a great show like this， and especially to work for Greg Daniels， - or just in whatever capacity- be a part of that whole creative team！！ 🎶I want to be in the room were it happens！！🎶”）。Any avid Office Ladies podcast listeners out there that are considering reading this should know that much of the first third （maybe even half） of the book contains information that has been covered in the podcast。 As of today （12/12/21） the podcast has covered up to S5E26。 I was more excited for the all the commentary beyond that episode， such as a whole chapters on Greg Daniels and Michael’s Goodbye。 I learned a lot about how and why they brought new characters on and about scenes that were rewritten/replaced/omitted （some of which I am sad to miss out on and others I am completely thankful that they didn’t go through with filming！）。I would definitely recommend this to any Office junkie， like myself， who can never get their full of beets， office pranks， and “that’s what she said” jokes！！！ 。。。more
Ondine
，
I had a lot of fun with this book， because I'm a huge fan of the show。 I don't think this book would really hit with someone who wasn't a loyal fan， because there is so much backstory about the evolution from the British version to the American， dynamics between the writers and the actors， the big personalities， who was up for the roles， etc。 I thoroughly enjoyed it though and I laughed out loud a few times， or would wander around my house telling my partner about how the producers were consider I had a lot of fun with this book， because I'm a huge fan of the show。 I don't think this book would really hit with someone who wasn't a loyal fan， because there is so much backstory about the evolution from the British version to the American， dynamics between the writers and the actors， the big personalities， who was up for the roles， etc。 I thoroughly enjoyed it though and I laughed out loud a few times， or would wander around my house telling my partner about how the producers were considering James Gandolfini as the boss after Michael Scott， or that Steve Carell wouldn't cross the picket link during the writers strike， etc。。 My understanding is that most of this book is a compilation of other source material， with a little sprinkling of new content。 The only thing that I didn't really love were the chapters where the writers would each comment on the same person over and over， those felt a little dull。 But overall， I think a must-read for fellow Officers。 。。。more
Rose
，
Much like the show， the first third or so of The Office: The Untold Story is amazing。 The behind the scenes and backstory for seasons 1-4 is fascinating and generally well told。 The rest of the book is kind of all over the place。 Parts of it were interesting while other parts could have been significantly cut down or cut out altogether。 I didn't read this book to hear whole chapters about the process of finding the bosses for the last couple of seasons of the show and why certain actors did/didn Much like the show， the first third or so of The Office: The Untold Story is amazing。 The behind the scenes and backstory for seasons 1-4 is fascinating and generally well told。 The rest of the book is kind of all over the place。 Parts of it were interesting while other parts could have been significantly cut down or cut out altogether。 I didn't read this book to hear whole chapters about the process of finding the bosses for the last couple of seasons of the show and why certain actors did/didn't work out well or whether or not there will ever be a reboot or some sort of reunion special。I listened to The Office: The Untold Story。 The audiobook would have greatly benefited from having the majority of the cast and crew narrate their own interviews。 As so many of the cast have read their own audiobooks， like Mindy Kaling， and/or hosting their own， participated in， etc。 multiple podcasts over the years， I find it surprising that they didn't get anyone for this audiobook。 Having the original cast and crew narrate would have bumped it up to 3。5/5 stars， possibly even 4/5。 。。。more
Danish Prakash
，
It's a collection of excerpts from conversations/interviews with people behind The Office。 It lets you in on the level of detail， the creativity and the amount of hardwork that goes into producing something of the level that you finally get to watch and enjoy。 There's also a rundown on some famous milestones/events that took place during the show's lifetime for e。g。 Steve Carrel leaving（not really） the show， the writers getting cast on the show。 It's a good read if you're into The Office。 It's a collection of excerpts from conversations/interviews with people behind The Office。 It lets you in on the level of detail， the creativity and the amount of hardwork that goes into producing something of the level that you finally get to watch and enjoy。 There's also a rundown on some famous milestones/events that took place during the show's lifetime for e。g。 Steve Carrel leaving（not really） the show， the writers getting cast on the show。 It's a good read if you're into The Office。 。。。more
H。L。 Cherryholmes
，
Fun， but just a collection of interviews and articles from other place。 Even so， cobbled together as they are each chapter offers insights。
Kevin Thang
，
A detailed nostalgic trip down memory lane of The Office US。 Interviews from every cast member， every writer， director， guest stars， and the like are chronicled and transcribed throughout this book as they go through seasons 1 through 9 of The Office in detail。 All the memorable moments， character developments， storylines are brought up and the reader gets a behind the scenes look into the decision making process from the decision to re-create The Office UK to the decision to ultimately end the A detailed nostalgic trip down memory lane of The Office US。 Interviews from every cast member， every writer， director， guest stars， and the like are chronicled and transcribed throughout this book as they go through seasons 1 through 9 of The Office in detail。 All the memorable moments， character developments， storylines are brought up and the reader gets a behind the scenes look into the decision making process from the decision to re-create The Office UK to the decision to ultimately end the show at its 9th season。Solid read for all Office fans looking for more in-depth look into their favorite show。 。。。more
Bobby O'Rourke
，
An uncritical but not unpleasant salute to the television The Office， the book is a collection of interviews charting the unlikely success of the show and its staying power as a streaming-age giant。 Easy to digest in large chunks or little bites， it's a fun distracting read， even if you don't close the book with any profound insights into how television works。 Indeed， part of the thesis of the actors， writers， producers， and creators is that no one person or entity was responsible for The Office An uncritical but not unpleasant salute to the television The Office， the book is a collection of interviews charting the unlikely success of the show and its staying power as a streaming-age giant。 Easy to digest in large chunks or little bites， it's a fun distracting read， even if you don't close the book with any profound insights into how television works。 Indeed， part of the thesis of the actors， writers， producers， and creators is that no one person or entity was responsible for The Office's success， that it was a lot of talent interacting at the right ratio and with a little luck in timing。 The book is funny， though， that even the book loses interest in the show after season 5， as I do！ 。。。more
Teresa
，
This must've been so much fun to write！ All of the conducted interviews with literally everyone who has been involved with making The Office one way or another were so interesting。 The chapters made a lot of sense and it was all just edited together beautifully。 The added pictures in the middle were also a great bonus。 This must've been so much fun to write！ All of the conducted interviews with literally everyone who has been involved with making The Office one way or another were so interesting。 The chapters made a lot of sense and it was all just edited together beautifully。 The added pictures in the middle were also a great bonus。 。。。more
Alex Monseth
，