The Office is known for carving out its spot as an iconic sitcom, and unlike so many other series, it did its run without relying on too many of the traditional TV sitcom gimmicks, like crossover events with other TV shows. That said, The Office did manage to pull off one kind of crossover, but the show flipped the script on convention by pulling off the only kind of crossover that ever made sense for its unique comedic vision. And fans loved it.
It was 15 years ago now when The Office aired Season 7, Episode 14, “The Seminar”, and gave fans the surprise of a lifetime!
The Office Brings Its Two Crazy Managers Together
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By the time of The Office Season 7, series star Steve Carell was ready to make his exit. The Office showrunners and writers gracefully accommodated Carell, via a seasonal story arc about his character, regional manager Michael Scott, choosing love over work, and pursuing his love interest Holly Flax to her new home in New England. The entire season became a bucket list of items to check off before Carell left the set of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company for the last time – and that included meeting the actor who served as the prototype for the Michael Scott character: David Brent.
NBC’s The Office was actually an American import of a UK show of the very same name, which had aired a year or so before. That series was centered around Regional Manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais), a man who was completely devoid of self-awareness. British ironic humor was never drier or more cutting than when David Brent was displaying his version of “cool,” whether that meant dancing poorly in front of a stunned crowd or creepily trying to woo the ladies. When The Office came over to America, Carell softened Gervais’s edge by infusing Michael Scott with an undercurrent of genuine heart to balance out his cringeworthy obliviousness. Before Michael Scot left the show, there had to be a meeting between Michael and David.
The Office always included a teaser scene as the opening to an episode; “The Seminar” uses its opener for the big crossover moment, as Michael Scott bumps into David Brent while leaving the Dunder Mifflin offices. The two have a deeply cringe exchange which involves several (intentionally) offensive ethnic jokes, complete with accents, as they bond over their respective “careers” as would-be character actors, as well as their shared penchant for “that’s what she said” entendres.
It’s a very brief scene, but it’s actually deeply funny on many levels, including Gervais having some fun with Carell and The Office (US) for essentially lifting the mold of his character. The Michael Scott/David Brent meeting has since gone on to become one of the most iconic moments of The Office, precisely because of the understated manner in which it pulls off the massive crossover. At the time, if you’d seen the UK version of The Office, your jaw was on the floor; if you hadn’t, this was your backdoor introduction to Ricky Gervais and his acerbic wit, not to mention a perfectly good free promo for The Office (UK).
Carell would leave The Office and go on to have a very successful career as a film actor, including his Oscar-nominated role in the biopic Foxcatcher. Ironically enough, Ricky Gervais would go on to be a very successful TV star, winning two Primetime Emmys for his Hollywood satire series, Extras. Needless to say, when Michael Scott and David Brent bump into one another today, it’s in much fancier places than Dunder Mifflin.
You can stream The Office (US) on Peacock. Discuss your favorite moments from the show with us over on the ComicBook Forum!