Although The Office is considered one of the greatest sitcoms, it has had its share of awkward moments. Adapted from a British series of the same name, it premiered in 2005 and spanned nine seasons. Nonetheless, some of the humor did not resonate with all viewers.
The Office is known for making racial and s*xual jokes, several of which cross the line. And one of them made it into a Christmas special, and let’s just say it wasn’t holiday-worthy.
The Office’s one racially-charged joke that went too far
The Office usually walks a very thin line between light-hearted humor and insensitivity. However, Season 3, Episode 10 – ‘A Benihana Christmas‘ crossed that line. The episode sees Andy, Michael, Jim, and Ryan visit a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, Benihana.
They meet two young waitresses there and invite them to the office party organized by Angela and her committee. However, upon returning to Dunder Mifflin, Michael admits he cannot distinguish between them and marks the arm of the one he prefers with a pen.
Actress Kat Ahn, who portrayed the waitress Amy, has publicly addressed her experience of accepting a “racist role.” In a TikTok video (via Newsweek), Ahn expressed: “I actually understand why BIPOC actors play racist roles. You know, sometimes you’ve gotta pay your rent; sometimes you enjoy the union; sometimes you just don’t want your agent to drop you.” She further described the episode in question as “problematic.”
It might’ve been this problematic nature of the show that made it so difficult to take flight in the first place.
The Office was almost canceled after the first season
Primarily steered by Greg Daniels’ Deedle-Dee Productions, the early days of the show were uncertain. During a discussion with Lightweights Podcast on YouTube, Brian Baumgartner addressed the host’s question about the show’s continuation post-pilot by reminiscing that they were initially approved for only six episodes.
He criticized the studio’s decision to limit them to filming only six episodes, even after being renewed for a second season. The Office struggled to gain momentum after its first season, resulting in low ratings and unfavorable comparisons to the UK version, which nearly caused the cast to consider leaving.
As Baumgartner and the cast were nearly finished packing their trailers and preparing to depart, they were uplifted by promising news. The show’s ratings began to improve, leading to the green light for filming full seasons of 22-25 episodes. This pattern persisted until the final season, with the exception of Season 4, which comprised only 19 episodes due to the Writers Guild strike.
The Office is currently streaming on Peacock.
