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Although fans have bid adieu to the weekly release ofThe Officeepisodes, the show never truly went away—over the years, Steve Carell’s sitcom has been living through syndication, streaming services, podcasts, and more. But you’ll be stunned to know that whenThe Officedebuted in 2005 on NBC, the sitcom was inches close to getting canceled due to low ratings.
Apparently, there weren’t a lot of expectations surrounding the show, as it was considered yet another American reworking that would destroy the originality of Ricky Gervais’ BBC series. Moreover, there was only one renowned face in the series, and it was Steve Carell, playing Michael Scott. But then, one particular episode from season 2, saved the sitcom earning nearly 10M viewers, leading it to finally make history.
Steve Carell’s Single-Handed Responsibility Almost KilledThe Office
When NBC first adaptedThe Officein 2005, fromRicky Gervais‘ original BBC series, it was a sheer gamble, as no one had predicted the show would become a pop culture phenomenon. So much so that people even had low expectations from the sitcom, which resulted in low ratings and few episodes.
“No, you dummies, I’m going to do it this way”: Greg Daniels’ Genius Saved ‘The Office’ from Getting Axed That Not Even Steve Carell Could’ve Saved Alone
For many fans of the original BBC series, the NBC sitcom even appeared as a mere American remake that might ruin the essence that made Ricky Gervais’ show so great. Thereafter, these prejudices and preconceived notions aboutThe OfficeUS caused a fall in rating, that even Steve Carell’s star power couldn’t save.
Well, to be fair, whenThe Office(US) first debuted, there was no other actor on the show who was as famous asSteve Carell. Therefore, although the mockumentary show wasn’t all about Carell’s cocky and awkward boss, Michael Scott, NBC attempted to capitalize on Carell’s Hollywood fame fromThe Daily Show, andAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Eventually, this particular move and the uncountable obstacles that came its way almost ledThe OfficeUS to be canceled due to low ratings around season 2.
The Office’s First Christmas Episode Saved the Show to Make History
EnterThe Office’s second-season Christmas episode, “TheChristmas Party”. Well, according toCollider, this was the change that the show needed, while the NBC sitcom was inches close to getting shelved after season 2. As per the outlet, episode 10 of the second installment which shifted its spotlight from just Michael Scott to focus on the other characters, ended up being a significant move for the series.
“We were trying to get him at his most pathetic”: Steve Carell Had to Take the Worst Shot in the Greatest Episode of ‘The Office’ to Make It Work
While NBC was initially worried that the ensemble cast won’t be enough to earn success, it seemed that Steve Carell was actually the one, who was not enough to keep the show afloat, single-handedly. Therefore, asThe OfficeUS redeemed Michael’s self-centered character, by showing him buying alcohol for his employees and making everyone happy by the end of the night, the sitcom witnessed significant success.
Thereafter, season 2 episode 10 of the sitcom became the highest rated yet, earning nearly 10M viewers, and later winning two Emmy nods. Meanwhile, the astronomical success was so shocking that Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on the show, addressed the growth and toldYahoohow NBC’s decision to focus on every character equally, ended up being the savior move.
We were almost canceled two, three, four, 10, 12 times at the beginning. We had declined rapidly and then came back and [that episode] really served as a significant event for us. And from there, we really took off.
I think it’s really hilarious. And the other thing is while some of the secondary characters had storylines before that, it was an episode that was truly an ensemble. Everybody had something, or some moment, some storyline around the Secret Santa swap.
So it seems that asThe OfficeUS began to become more than the Michael, Dwight, Jim, and Pam show, it started earning popularity among fans. While Michael’s absurdities were hilarious, and Jim and Pam’s relationship was sweet, the series needed more than that to survive. Thereafter, as the show focused on every Dunder-Mifflin co-worker, it started finding its footing.
And once NBC found its own groove and realized they had to do something original—because they weren’t the British version—The OfficeUS ended up being even better.
The Officeis currently available to watch on Peacock.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
