| The Office season 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season 1 DVD cover |
|||
| Country of origin | United States | ||
| No. of episodes | 6 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original channel | NBC | ||
| Original run | March 24, 2005 – April 26, 2005 | ||
| Home video release | |||
| DVD release | |||
| Region 1 | August 16, 2005 | ||
| Region 2 | April 10, 2006 | ||
| Season chronology | |||
|
|||
| List of The Office episodes | |||
The first season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States on NBC 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 format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
Season one of The Office aired on Tuesdays in the United States at 9:30 p.m. The season was released in a single-DVD on August 16, 2005.[1] The DVD contained all six episodes, as well as commentaries from creators, writers, actors, and directors on most of the episodes, as well as deleted scenes from all of the episodes. The DVD was released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
Contents |
The first season of the show was produced by Reveille Productions and Deedle-Dee Productions, both in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show is based upon the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who are executive producers on the show, and it is produced by Greg Daniels, also an executive producer, along with consulting producers Larry Wilmore[2] and Lester Lewis.[3] The show's writers include Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, and Michael Schur,[4] while Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, 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", 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, directed the first two episodes "Pilot" and "Diversity Day", and would go on to direct another seven episodes as of season four. Ken Whittingham, who directed "Health Care" would go on to direct another five episodes as of season four. Daniels both produced and directed the episode "Basketball". The Office was almost entirely filmed in an actual office building in Los Angeles, California for its first season. Aside from Los Angeles, the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the show is set, was also used for shots for the opening theme.[5]
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. Steve Carell stars as Michael Scott, Regional Manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch.[6] Loosely based on David Brent, Gervais' character in the British version,[7] 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 portrays Dwight Schrute, who, based upon Gareth Keenan, is the Assistant to the Regional Manager, although the character frequently intentionally omits the "to the" in his title.[8] John Krasinski portrays Jim Halpert, a sales representative and prankster, who is based upon Tim Canterbury, and is in love with Pam Beesly, the receptionist.[9] Pam, who is based on Dawn Tinsley, is shy, but is often a cohort with Jim in his pranks on Dwight.[10] B. J. Novak portrays Ryan Howard, who is a temporary worker.[11]
The show includes many minor characters playing roles of office workers, working in various positions around the office. Angela Martin, Oscar Martinez, and Kevin Malone are the office's accountants, and are portrayed by Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, and Brian Baumgartner, respectively. Schrute, Halpert, Phyllis Lapin (portrayed by Phyllis Smith), and Stanley Hudson (portrayed by Leslie David Baker), compose the sales division of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Kate Flannery portrays Meredith Palmer, the promiscuous Supplier Relations Representative, writer-actress Mindy Kaling portrays Kelly Kapoor, the pop culture-obsessed Customer Service Representative, writer-actor Paul Lieberstein portrays Toby Flenderson, the sad-eyed Human Resources Representative, and Creed Bratton plays a fictionalized version of himself as the office's Quality Assurance Officer. Other characters include Roy Anderson, Pam's fiance played by David Denman, Warehouse Supervisor Darryl Philbin, played by Craig Robinson, and Jan Levenson, Michael's main love interest, who is portrayed by Melora Hardin.
The first season of The Office received mixed reviews among both viewers and critics.[12] After the initial episodes, critics thought The Office would be another failed remake of a British comedy, much like how the American version of Coupling was in relation to the original British series.[13] 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."[14]
Despite these criticisms, a few thought the show achieved success in its first season. Time magazine wrote that "It's ironic that NBC's most original sitcom in years is a remake, but who cares? The Office is a daring, unflinching take on very American workplace tensions."[12] Boston.com felt that the first season of The Office was good, and the differences between the characters of the American and the original series added to the popularity of the series.[15] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette felt that The Office succeeded in its first season, and that although NBC had failed in the past with television shows such as Coupling, it had found achievement with The Office.[16]
The first episode of The Office scored well in ratings, gaining over eleven million viewers in the 18–49 demographic, as well as ranking third for number of viewers on its night.[17] 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 5.9 million viewers, just over half that of the previous episode.[18] The first season finale "Hot Girl" received the lowest rating in the show's history, earning just a 2.2 rating with a 10 share.[19] The Office averaged 5.4 million viewers for its entire season, ranking it #102 for the 2004–2005 U.S. television season.[20]
In the following table, "№" refers to the episode's number within the entire series, whereas "#" indicates the episode's number within that particular season. "U.S. viewers (million)" refers to the number of Americans who viewed the episode on the night of broadcast. Episodes are listed by the order in which they aired, and may not necessarily correspond to their production codes.
| № | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | U.S. viewers (million) |
Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Ken Kwapis | Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant and Greg Daniels | 11.2[21] | March 24, 2005 | 100 |
| A documentary crew arrives at the Scranton, Pennsylvania offices of Dunder Mifflin to observe the employees and learn about modern management. Manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) tries to paint a happy picture in the face of potential downsizing from corporate. The office also gets new employee Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) as a temporary worker, while Jim Halpert's (John Krasinski) pranks antagonize Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Diversity Day" | Ken Kwapis | B. J. Novak | 6.0[21] | March 29, 2005 | 101 |
| Manager Michael Scott's controversial imitation of a Chris Rock routine forces the staff to undergo a racial diversity seminar. A consultant (Larry Wilmore) arrives to teach the staff about tolerance and diversity, but Michael insists on imparting his own knowledge—aggravating both the consultant and the entire office staff—and creates his own diversity seminar. He eventually assigns each staff member an index card with a different race on it, causing tempers to slowly simmer until they finally snap. Meanwhile, Jim struggles to keep hold of a lucrative contract extension, but Dwight makes the sale for himself. Nevertheless, when Jim's love interest, Pam Beesly, falls asleep on his shoulder at the end of the meeting, he concludes that it was "not a bad day." | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Health Care" | Ken Whittingham | Paul Lieberstein | 5.8[21] | April 5, 2005 | 105 |
| In an effort to save money to prevent downsizing, Michael puts Dwight in charge of choosing the company's new health care plan. Dwight's chosen plan slashes benefits, much to the chagrin of the other employees. In an attempt to appease them, Michael promises the entire office a surprise, and then spends the rest of the day scrambling to come through with his promise. The employees wait for Michael's surprise, which he awkwardly never delivers. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam amuse themselves with Dwight's medical forms. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Alliance" | Bryan Gordon | Michael Schur | 5.4[21] | April 12, 2005 | 103 |
| As downsizing rumors swirl, paranoia takes over the members of the office. Dwight forms a Survivor-esque alliance with Jim against the other employees—later adding Pam also. Meanwhile, Michael arranges a morale-boosting birthday party for Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery)—although her birthday is more than a month away. Michael agonizes over writing the perfect greeting in her birthday card, and in the end, his joke (and subsequent rejected ones) falls flat, ruining the party. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Basketball" | Greg Daniels | Greg Daniels | 5.0[21] | April 19, 2005 | 104 |
| Michael and the office staff take on the workers in the warehouse in a basketball game. Through racist and sexist ideals, Michael chooses many of the lesser skilled office workers over their more athletic peers. Michael claims a "flagrant personal intentional foul," stops the game, and declares his team as the winners. The warehouse finds the call unfair and Michael caves under pressure, and concedes the victory to the warehouse staff. Michael eventually tells the office that they don't have to come in on Saturday either, but it does little to calm them: "Like coming in an extra day is going to prevent us from being downsized." | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Hot Girl" | Amy Heckerling | Mindy Kaling | 4.8[21] | April 26, 2005 | 102 |
| When an attractive purse saleswoman named Katy (Amy Adams) comes to the office, Michael and Dwight openly vie for her attention. Meanwhile, the corporate office allocates $1,000 for a prize for the top office salesman, but Michael spends the money on an espresso machine in order to try to impress Katy. However, in the end she actually ends up leaving with Jim, devastating both Michael and Dwight. | |||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||