Obvious Answers to Simple Questions
Chuck Klosterman:
Here’s an unasked question about The Office: In both the American and British versions, the program is shot as a documentary. The characters are directly interviewed and often acknowledge the camera crew with knowing glances. But why is this office being filmed? Why is someone making an around-the-clock documentary of these ordinary people, even when they leave the building. What is the purpose? And when, in theory, would the filming conclude?
Someone decided to make a TV show about an average office; this is no less plausible than any other random reality TV show. They kept filming (and followed the workers home) because it made for so much good material. The filming will conclude when the show gets canceled.
The real question is: Why don’t the people in the office seem to watch the resulting TV show? Possible answers: 1) It hasn’t aired yet; the episodes are being filmed and possibly even post-produced but won’t air until the show gets canceled. 2) They do but all allusions to this get cut by the producers. 3) It is being aired in some foreign country in a different language and word never gets back to Scranton.
1 and 2 seem implausible, but the problem must be faced by other documentary TV shows. I remember when they were filming American High outside my house; there was only so much people could talk about themselves being on TV before they went on to live their lives. 3 also seems very plausible, especially with the American version; other countries love mocking Americans.
While we’re on the topic, an obvious answer to another question you might have: Does The Office (US) take place in the same universe as The Office (UK)? No, because there is no way they could have the same first episode.
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