“The Office” first debuted on March 24, 2005, and finished with nine successful seasons on May 16, 2013. This sitcom has pleased millions and has won multiple awards for its performance and quality. The show has created a fanbase and a legacy, but why do people like “The Office?”                     

To start, the show takes place at a small paper company called Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the series is about the everyday life of the workers there. The geographical manager of  Scranton is Michael Scott, a hilarious but sometimes awkward character. “If I had to tell you what I disliked about The Office, it would be the jokes that Michael makes. They’re very corny and cringy,” admitted seventh-grader O’Brien Sale.

Michael is joined with his co-workers, Jim Halpert, Dwight Schrute, Pam Beesly, and many more. In the series, Jim is the friendly employee who enjoys playing pranks on Dwight. Dwight is the overachieving, annoying salesman who is also a part-time beet farmer. Pam is the secretary (turned saleswoman) with artistic experience. Some of the more famous cast members of “The Office” include Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson.

This popular TV show fascinated millions of viewers for several reasons. Lots of people enjoy the mockumentary-style format. A mockumentary is when someone films a movie or TV show in a documentary format, although the events are fictional. Using a mockumentary type of shooting would make the show more realistic and believable. Roughly, half of an episode would show characters speaking directly into the camera, and have clips of them isolated in a room, talking to a camera.

Numerous people also enjoy the sweet connections between the co-workers. A friendship that many enjoy is seen between Phyllis and Stanley. They understand how they function and their likes and dislikes. Of course, no one can leave out Dwight and Jim’s difficult friendship. First, they were enemies, then later evolved into friends. One of the countless pranks that Jim pulled on Dwight is when Jim relocated Dwight’s desk to the bathroom. “They have a strange friendship since they prank one another, but they do agree sometimes,” explained seventh-grader, Elena Samayoa.

Some may argue that “The Office” was more popular in the early 2000s than today, but most will agree that this iconic sitcom still holds a special place in today’s pop culture.