The Office, based off the U.K show of the same name, follows the workers of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, a paper company located in Scranton, PA. Regional manager Michael Scott thinks he's the coolest, funniest, best boss ever - which, of course, makes him the uncoolest, most obnoxious and annoying boss as far as his staff is concerned. His co-worker Jim lusts after engaged receptionist Pam when he's not sabotaging his cube-mate, the know-it-all Dwight. Ryan Howard is a young, smart, self-possessed temp, who quickly figures out the real office politics despite Michael's attempts to instill the official point-of-view.

The Office debuted on March 25th, 2005, as a midseason replacement. It has since garnered a huge fanbase and positive reception from critics. It was developed for American audiences by producer Greg Daniels, of Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill and The Simpsons fame. Original series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have production credits on the show, but they are not otherwise involved on a regular basis, although the producers do send various scripts to the pair for suggestions and critiques. The two also wrote an episode for the show's current season (Season 3).

The series was nominated for three Writers Guild of America Awards for Television in 2005, including "Best Comedy Series", "Best New Series", and "Best Episodic Comedy" ("Diversity Day"). It was also nominated for three Television Critics Association Awards in 2006 for "Program of the Year", "Comedy Series," "Individual Achievement in Comedy" for Carell. It won for the latter two.

Steve Carell won a Golden Globe in 2006 for his portrayal of Michael Scott (in the category "Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy"). Creator Ricky Gervais had received the same award for his performance in the original version in 2004.

Also in 2006, the series won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and was nominated in four other categories including "Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series" (Steve Carell), "Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series" (Dean Holland, "Booze Cruise" and David Rogers, "Christmas Party"), and "Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series" (Michael Schur for "Christmas Party").

In 2007, The Office was nominated for "Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical", and Steve Carell was nominated for "Best Performance By An Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical" at the Golden Globes.