The Office: A Peek Behind The Scenes

The Office began as a spin-off of a British sitcom by the same name and morphed into a shining example of on of the few American spin-offs that got it right. The show was one of the most popular sitcoms on NBC and ran for nine seasons. Learn more about the cast, fascinating trivia, and relationships that happened behind the scenes.

The Office Was a Spin-Off But Became Its Own Show

The Office may have been a spin-off of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant BBC series of the same name, but the spin-off quickly became its own show. Though the first season strongly mirrors the original series, the British version only lasted 2 seasons for a total of 12 episodes, while the spin-off ran for 9 seasons for a total of 201 episodes.

While both shows deal with incompetent bosses, Gervais’s David Brent (left) is often more mean-spirited than Carell’s Michael Scott (right). The length of the American show also gave supporting characters more time to grow and develop, and the overall tone of the spin-off is more hopeful.