The U.S. office was actually a recreation of a British show from the past. It is based around office worker going through hilarious misadventures at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. As I binge-watched it for the first time in quarantine it came to me the Michael Scott is the true Protagonist of the show. From season 1 to season 7 Michael serves as the Regional Manager of Paper Company. As much as the show tries to center the attention on all the characters of the show, Michael Scott is who the show mainly revolves around.
After the pilot was aired, the show was meant to come to an end. Though, after season 2 the whole dynamic of the show changes, the main reason being the character of Michael Scott is modified. The initial role didn’t really fit as they were trying to mimic the British original. As you can see from the picture the appearance change of his character is extreme. For example, the receding hairline to the new hair, baggy clothes to more proper wear, and a tight collar that would make his double chin apparent to a less overweight look. Also, his inner personality was changed as well. The character was initially torturous to everyone around for comedian purposes. Through the seasons the character was changed to a more likable person after the pilot. The show runs on this idea of an unlovable character evolving over the seasons as he, makes friendships, becomes a better human, finds love and comes to understanding. I, as an audience mostly empathized with Michael Scott’s character development which is the heart of the show. His obsession with being a people-pleaser is another reason he really connects to the audience, as it’s human nature for us to be liked by others. As well, the fan’s love for Michael Scott comes from the relatability factor.
Sadly, the show lost its touch after Steve Carell left the show at season 7. The episode where Michal leaves is one of the saddest moments of television history personally. I couldn’t bring myself to not cry throughout the episode. In good-nature, here are some of the best moments of Michael Scott:
Some questions to discuss:
Can you think of any shows that came to an end and how you’d make adjustments in order for it to keep airing?
Imagine your favorite movie/ tv show/ book and so on were to remove the protagonist, how would that make you feel?
For The Office fans, What are your predictions on to why Steve Carell left The Office? 🙁
I’ve heard a lot of great things about The Office. And it’s curious how sometimes what makes a show so likeable isn’t the story itself, but a specific actor. In one of my favorite sitcoms, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the role of Aunt Vivian was recast due to issues that the actress had with Will Smith. The show’s atmosphere changed after that because the other actress portrayed Vivian with less sass — the sass that I loved to much. When it comes to TV, there’s so much pressure from the audience to have specific actors to make the show more popular rather than having a great story. For example, if the character of Holt in Brooklyn Nine Nine wouldn’t exist or to be played by another actor, the whole show’s atmosphere will change. The jokes will change. In a way, characters like Holt and Michael are keystone species of an ecosystem. Without them, the balance is tipped