Greg Daniels’ “The Office” thrust Scranton onto the national stage under a bright spotlight. Pop culture references to our region have not always been kind. So NBC’s announcement of a sitcom set in Scranton and based on famously acerbic comedian Ricky Gervais’ British hit caused trepidation. But the audience didn’t jeer. The network ordered a second season. Ratings picked up. The show started winning awards. And amid it all, the national perception of Scranton as a city past its prime began to shift. The city was still making people laugh, but it was no longer the butt of the joke.
National ripple
The Americanized version of the award-winning British sitcom premiered March 24, 2005. Daniels had never set foot in Scranton, but chose it as the show’s backdrop in part because of his reverence for John O’Hara, a writer who set short stories in Gibbsville, a fictional town modeled after Pottsville. Daniels saw a natural correlation between Scranton and the backdrop of the British “Office,” the English industrial town of Slough.
Scranton’s role in the show seemed limited at first to a handful of harmless mentions and product placements. As the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce sent the show Scranton-specific props, writers faithfully incorporated them into scripts, along with references to restaurants, sports teams, colleges and the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour.
Fans and members of the show’s cast began to develop a relationship with the city. While some had been to Scranton before, no prior visit compared to “The Office” Convention, a three-day event that took the city by storm in October 2007 (good thing Al Roker was there). The events only got bigger. Organizers estimated more than 20,000 people lined the parade route during “The Office” Wrap Party, a farewell celebration ahead of the show’s May 16, 2013, series finale.
Steve Carell answers a fan question at “The Office” Wrap Party at PNC Field. (FILE)
“The Office” cast member Phyllis Smith poses for a photo with University of Scranton sophmore, Bridget Marrine from Poughkeepsie, New York, after she appeared on the “Today” show at the University of Scranton on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007. (FILE)
“The Office” cast member Angela Kinsey poses for a photo with fans after appearing on the “Today” show at the University of Scranton on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007. (FILE)
“The Story of Us,” a mural dedicated to “The Office” in Scranton. (FILE)
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Steve Carell answers a fan question at “The Office” Wrap Party at PNC Field. (FILE)
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Living legacy
Fans from around the world make pilgrimages to the city that has come to represent their favorite show, said Tim Holmes, CEO of the Everhart Museum. “Scranton became a character on ‘The Office,’ and much like the show’s leading man Michael Scott, the more you got to know its funny quirks, the more endearing the character became,” he said.
Dozens of TV shows have mimicked the show’s mockumentary format and cringe-comedy style, said former Times-Tribune Staff Writer Josh McAuliffe, who covered “The Office” from the initial news of the pilot episode being shot in early 2004. The show inspired books, documentaries, memes and podcasts. It also found a new audience with a younger generation of viewers through streaming. “’The Office’ is essentially the 21st century’s ‘Seinfeld,’ which in my view only makes its Scranton connection that much more special,” McAuliffe said.
Sidelight
Local establishments the show name-dropped have felt a tangible economic impact from the show. Since the Everhart Museum opened “The Office Exhibition” eight months ago, its attendance numbers and revenue have more than doubled each month, Holmes said. “The show’s impact is now helping to stabilize the financial footing of a 119-year-old Scranton institution.”
About the series
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