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

I have watched the Office since it’s first airing in 2005. I loved it from the start and along with my family, it continues to be our favorite show. We have seen the episodes many times and it is incredible how it holds up. The continued popularity of the show is astounding and extremely well deserved. However, until now,, there has never been a great book written about ‘The Office’. Andy Greene has changed that. Made up almost completely of quotes from interviews conducted with cast, creatives and crew, this fantastic book tells the story of ‘The Office’ in the words of the people that were actually there. This way of presenting the history of the show is both fascinating and authentic. As someone who thought I knew a lot about The Office, there were some revelations in this book that really surprised me. This book is a true gift for any fan of the show. Along with the ‘Office Ladies’ podcast, it provides an insiders view that is extremely entertaining. Sincere thanks to the author and to the people involved with the show who were interviewed for this excellent book! Highly recommended!

This book is almost perfect for this huge fan of The Office and highly recommended for anybody who loved the show. It contains anecdotes on the show as shared by the actors, producers and writers that are deeply personal, humorous and interesting. The Office is, in my opinion, the best comedy since Seinfeld and Michael Scott is the greatest comedic character in TV history so I had a lot of interest in this book and it did not let me down. I recommended it and lent it to my daughter and she is now enjoying it. If you loved the show you will love the book.

Would have liked to see more commentary from the cast. Was a bit heavy on the writers and other crew members, the only reason I dinged it one star. I don’t recall some cast members even directly contributing as far as quoted material goes and many of them it seemed like they had minimal input. Like the actor who played Kevin was only quoted seven times and several of those were pretty short and it mostly seems like Kevin was largely forgotten throughout the book. Devon and some of the warehouse crew who only had bit roles were quoted far more often. And it wasn’t just Kevin with little direct input, Stanley, Erin, Angela, Darryl, Phyllis, and Gabe also didn’t have much contributions. But I guess that is also kind of a reflection of the show. With so many regular characters involved, not everyone got to have any shining moments or had few. And some of them never or rarely got an episode focused on them like happened with Michael, Dwight, Jim, and Pam. But much like the show, once you rope in the guest characters, writers, producers, directors, and other crew and studio members, sometimes some people just don’t get to contribute as much as they are probably capable of contributing. Overall though it was a very enjoyable read and I learned a lot about the people, what was going on behind the scenes, what the day to day life was like on the show, about how decisions were made, and numerous things they talked about doing or considering that never happened that could have really changed the show. A must read for any fan of The Office.

(****UPDATE: finished this book and have binged most of the series (had not previously watched 95% of the shows). I was instinct was right in initial review - terrific book and a wonderful companion the show. Made watching the episodes for the first time much more enjoyable. A little surprised that Amy Adams didn't participate in providing insight in the book. After finishing it I can still give it 5 stars -- easily. )Ok...admission #1: I have yet to read most of this book. Why I am even bothering? Why am I bothering you? Because sometimes you just know. It's like meeting someone for the first time and after only a moment you just "know". You click. You're soul mates. You're in love. Or at least "in like". Admission #2: I haven't really watched the show. My daughter has been obsessed with it and my daughter is much more clever and intelligent and with-it than I can ever hope to be. If she says something is good then it's certainly worth my time to investigate, dabble and peruse. So, through her I've seen bits and pieces of it over the years. (Am I the only one who's experienced the oddity of never having seen something other than a snippet and then coming across it serendipitously channel surfing or looking over a daughter's shoulder find that you're seeing the exact same scene you saw the one other time you caught the program?). I've chuckled a time or two. Admission #3: I LOVE oral histories ('that's what she said') Seeing this was an oral history and having this program on my bucket list AND this being the second week of my life being on hold along with millions of others because of Covid-19 (I'm sensing a future 'oral history' of these strange days) I've decided to start Mr Greene's book AND begin binge-watching THE OFFICE starting with the original British version. I'll read along as I watch. Admission #4: Although true that I haven't actually read this book before audaciously 'reviewing' it, I have read through chapter 2 and have snuck enough of a peek at the rest to feel confident that my 5-Star rating will hold. Sometimes you just know.

Great book! Made me want to rewatch the show for the millionth time. Once armed with new insight into the making of this incredible show, you can then watch it over again and really feel the care and attention that the writers and actors put into every episode. You know which emotions were real, which scene was agonized over. You diligently watch people in the background and see their real reactions. It's fantastic. The Office is some of the best tv ever made and this book makes you appreciate it - and the people behind it - all the more. Thanks Andy Greene!

I love "The Office." Completely, totally, fanatically. I kill at those Office trivia games. I listen to the Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey "Office Ladies" podcast. When I need to self-soothe, I watch "The Office." And I loved this book. Andy Greene does an exemplary job of telling the story of "The Office" from its unsure beginning to the finale. He even throws in some opinions of those connected to the show about a reboot or reunion. Mr. Greene structures the book like an oral history. Each chapter begins with a brief intro paragraph, but the information is delivered in quotes from people -- directors, show runners, writers, actors, the boom operator, the hair and makeup person -- anyone who put their time in on the show. The result is a comprehensive look at the series. I love "behind the scenes" information and stories, and Mr. Greene delivers. There were even a couple of surprises for this fanatic who reads anything and everything she sees about the show. I spent nine long years in corporate America. Granted, the company I worked for was much bigger in scope than Dunder Mifflin, however, my "corner" of it was about the same size. I related, laughed and cringed to so much of "The Office" that it felt like a real documentary to me rather than the "mockumentary" style the show pioneered in television shows. I'm always disappointed when my younger friends and colleagues say they TRIED to watch it, but it's just too uncomfortable and "cringe-y" for them. Then I remind myself that they didn't endure an office atmosphere and people like those with a boss like that trapped in an office together in Scranton, Penn., just trying to make it to 5 p.m.

I purchased this book as a gift for my son, who is a big fan of The Office. I purchased the hard cover as I knew it would be a book he would like to keep, and it was purchased from a bookseller, so I did not receive free shipping. Normally, I would not do this, but the price of the book and the shipping was very reasonable. The book was delivered very quickly and in excellent condition.

I really wanted to love this book. I really did. I watch The Office constantly on Netflix, and am actually going to buy the DVD set since it will be leaving Netflix by the end of the year. But this book has errors that I just can't overlook. First was a typo of a name. NcNutt instead of McNutt. Simple to catch if proofreading was done. So if the author reads this, maybe see about getting that one corrected. Now. This wasn't so much a "behind the scenes" look as it was about the writers and other staff trying to shape your view of the show, episodes, and characters. I was really annoyed with the entire James Spader segment. We get it. The author didn't like that season, he made it very clear. He actually didn't like that season so much that he made quite a few errors when discussing people who appeared in that season. Like stating Catherine Tate's character Nellie was manager in Season 9, when that wasn't the case. It's little things like that, which actually aren't little things, that ruined the book for me overall. That was one of many. The constant talking about how Steve Carrell leaving was the end, so to speak. Yes, it's tough when a main character leaves. But there were still 2 more years after that. Anyhow, for the die hard fan? I'd actually pass on this book. You won't really learn a lot, other than to see what the author felt were the best episodes. And how he dislikes James Spaders Robert California. But for a casual fan? You may enjoy the book.

excellent livre donnant de très bons détails sur la série

Voor fans van the office een echte traktatie. Achter de schermen, hoe het begon, hoe de acteurs en crew het maken vd serie ervaarden. Echt héél interessant. Samen met de podcast The office ladies ideaal om helemaal mee te zijn in de wereld van The office.

I've watched the series several times and am always interested on finding out new information about the show. I'm not usually a fan of reading, but this book is brilliant and I struggle to put this book down. Its full of interesting stories from a range of actors, directors, writers, etc covering many iconic moments from the series both on and stuff that happened off screen. There is lots of behind the scenes information and I'm always finding new information out about the show. It's worth every penny.

Product is good

... y muy disfrutable. También recomendable para gente que le interese saber sobre producción y realización de cine y televisión.