One of the most popular genres to ever exist, sitcoms have long ushered as the cherished favorites for many to wind down and let themselves loose in the content. The early 2000s, in particular, saw the rise of many of these shows, which soon went on to affix their place prominently in the audience’s hearts.
At a time when Friends reigned supreme on television and streaming did not yet exist, Steve Carell and his cast representing the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. came to the spotlight with The Office.
Frequently recommended as one of the best comedies and heart-pleasers to watch, the show has now gone on to record highs in streaming charts. However, contrary to these victories, the initial days of the show felt quite uncertain. Scary admissions from Kevin Malone actor Brian Baumgartner revealed that the studio had very little faith in the project ever taking flight and almost gave the cast an idea of being axed.
The Office rose out of uncertainty and near-cancellation
Beginning in 2005 and running for nine seasons, the deadpan humor show based its inception on the original UK show of the same name. Largely helmed by producer Greg Daniels’ Deedle-Dee Productions, its initial days were numbered. In talks with Lightweights Podcast on Youtube, Brian Baumgartner responded to the host’s query of whether the show was not picked up after the pilot by recalling how they originally only received the green light for six episodes.
“That’s not done,” he pointed out the studios’ decision of not allowing them to film more than six episodes even when they returned for a second season. The Office did not pick up its pace immediately after the first season, which led to low ratings and comparison with the UK original leading to apprehensions and the cast almost packing up and ready to leave.
The pilot happens and the only people who see it are the networks and they have to decide if they want to make this like a real show. They said well you can do five more so a total of six and then when we came back for season two.
We were like ‘Are you going to bring us back and do a full season,’ and they were like ‘Well we’ll bring you back but you can do six more’, which is not done. That’s not done.
The acclaimed actor also added that,
We packed up and like packed up our trailers and, like we were done, like we were leaving and thought we may never be back.
Almost packed up with their trailers and ready to leave, Baumgartner and the cast soon received good news. The ratings started picking up, and the show received the go-ahead to start filming full seasons of 22-25 episodes, a trend which continued until the very end except for the 19 episodes of Season 4, as a result of the Writers Guild strike.
Brian Baumgartner throws light on the moment when The Office left Friends behind
The actor opened up on the widespread acclaim for the show, kicking in with full force with increasing streaming numbers. In 2020, The Office overthrew Friends as the most-watched comedy on Netflix with 57 billion minutes of watch-time. With a broad smile on his face, Baumgartner remarked that it raked in those numbers from the streamer alone and even without accounting for cable TV channels such as Comedy Central, where it aired “24 hours a day”.
On its merits, the Steve Carell-led show largely differed from the Central Perk comedy from its setting to its style. Unlike Friends, The Office did not feature laugh tracks or have a live audience. Additionally, the show became renowned for its heartfelt episodes, camera movements, close-ups, and mockumentary style, adding to its celebrated ratings and still-standing legacy.
