We've found that one of our favorite ways to escape from the craziness of 2020 is to periodically binge-watch a few episodes of The Office.  It's easy to do, considering that it's constantly playing on Comedy Central, and the entire series is available on Netflix.  You can jump in at just about any point and lose yourself to some well-written-and-performed comedy for an hour or two (although, be warned if you see Will Ferrell or James Spader on the screen.)  It was a brilliant show that deserved an insightful look at its history, and that's what Andy Greene provides in The Office:  The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000's.  (out now)

To be clear, this is an oral history of the show.  Greene, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, combined nearly 90 new interviews, (along with other materials) with many of the key figures in the show's history.  That includes the original U.K. show creators Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, as well as many of the producers, writers, directors, assorted cast members, and other involved figures.  Greene lays out in detail how the show came to fruition and stories about the creative process from start to finish.  That includes the key decisions that saved the program from an early cancellation (namely the reworking of Michael Scott), and how this talented group, led most of the time by brilliant showrunner Greg Daniels, produced so many quality episodes of a story about both love and family that happened to take place in an office.

We don't want to give away spoilers, but the discussion of the people who originally auditioned for The Office was fascinating.  A few of them might have been okay.  However, for the most part, any other lineup besides the one that made it to TV would have likely lasted one season at most and then been swept away into the history books as another unmemorable show.  Above all else, Steve Carrell was clearly the right choice for Michael Scott.  He was the linchpin of the series, and we saw what happened when they did two seasons after he left.  Speaking of which, there's also a review of some of the candidates who might have replaced him after his departure during the seventh season.  All we can say is, the idea of James Gandolfini as the new boss melts the brain. 

The book covers everything from the big picture notions of the show rising above traditional TV sitcom norms like slapstick humor and laugh tracks, to the nitty-gritty of the production details involving things like the creation of the set and other notable moments.  (We had no idea what went into the filming of Jim's proposal to Pam.)  The series was fortunate to have so many talented people working in every department.   The story of Steve Carrell's departure is weird.  It seems like he made an off-hand comment about leaving when his contract expired, and NBC executives just shrugged and said, "okay."  You have to wonder if both sides wish that situation had gone differently.

There's also a dash of some more gossipy stories.  It's easy to sense that one former cast member has some hard feelings about the show.  It's also not hard to tell who is being discussed when stories are told about certain egos getting bigger as the show grew more popular.  (It should be noted that none of these stories involve Steve Carrell, who everyone seems to think is the nicest guy in Hollywood.) 

If you need a break from binge-watching the show, treat yourself to the book.  Greene is clearly a big fan of The Office, and he produced a glowing tribute.  Hardcore fans will love all 400+ pages, which will leave them armed with all sorts of new knowledge to help them dominate the next Office trivia contest.  Definitely recommended.

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at an all-time great TV comedy.  (pic via penguinrandomhouse.com)

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Dutton (March 24, 2020)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1524744972
• ISBN-13: 978-1524744977