The Office is an Emmy-Award winning American television sitcom airing on NBC and developed by Greg Daniels. It is an American adaptation of the BBC series with the same name. Unlike many American sitcoms, The Office is shot in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track, and is made in the form of a documentary, or "mockumentary". It depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the show takes the form of a documentary, with the presence of the camera openly acknowledged.

The Office was adapted for American audiences by executive producer Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Original series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who wrote "The Convict" episode, have production credits. It is co-produced by Greg Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions, in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005, replacing the sitcom Committed.93084|1|,00.html Office, Jury Report for NBC Duty in March. Zap2It.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.

For autumn 2008, The Office commands an average cost of $213,164 for a 30-second commercial, according to an Advertising Age survey of media-buying firms. [http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=131471]

Michael Gary Scott (born March 15, 1964) is a fictional character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original version. Michael, the central character of the series, is the regional manager of the Scranton branch of paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin.

Michael insists everyone in the office think of him as a friend first, a boss second, and "probably an entertainer third", as did David Brent in the original version. Michael holds inflated views of himself and considers himself an office comedian, but his attempts at humor tend to fail. Often he says things that are inappropriate, offensive, or unwittingly mean in the hopes of getting a laugh. For instance, he objectifies his female employees and holds stereotypical views of African-Americans, such as his employees Stanley and Darryl. However, despite his general air of braggadocio, Michael can be very insecure and spineless when dealing with his staff. He lacks maturity and self-awareness, has few friends, and is quite lonely, made worse because his efforts to make friends with people usually backfire. Indeed, he seems to have a knack for putting people into awkward situations. His subordinates, with the exception of Dwight Schrute, think of him as inept. Before he was promoted to regional manager he was a great salesman, which sharply contrasts with his social awkwardness, or perhaps, contributes to it.

In spite of everything he does wrong, Michael often comes off as a sympathetic character due to his general lack of malice and a genuine desire to make people happy. On the other hand, Michael purposely points out peoples' character flaws and personal problems and will be rude or insensitive when it serves his agenda. For example, Michael is quick to bring up Toby's troubled marital history whenever he feels angry with Toby.

Pamela "Pam" Morgan Beesly is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom The Office, played by Jenna Fischer. Her counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Dawn Tinsley.

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Jim Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office. The character is named after Jim Halpert, a childhood friend of executive producer Greg Daniels.Wolgemuth, Liz (2008-03-24, "Breaking Out of the First-Job Trap". U.S. News & World Report. 144 (9):56-58 (accessed on 2008-08-23)

Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a fictional character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. His counterpart in the original UK version of The Office is Gareth Keenan. Despite lacking social skills and common sense, Dwight is the top salesman for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won countless awards for his successes."Traveling Salesman", The Office Season Three (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. Additionally, despite his personal dislike of Jim Halpert, the two have been shown to be a very effective sales team. Dwight's ability as a salesman, though, has rarely commanded the respect of his peers or led to higher levels of professional success. He is a physically imposing man at http://www.celebheights.com/s/Rainn-Wilson-46985.html with little if any sense of humor.

In an episode commentary on the season-one DVD, Wilson refers to Dwight as a "fascist nerd." In a featurette on the season-three DVD, Wilson describes Dwight as "someone who does not hate the system, but has a deep and abiding love for it"."The Office Season Three", (DVD) (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios.

Dwight is a volunteer sheriff; He has been trained in the art of surveillance. He is sexist and bigoted. He enjoys Battlestar Galactica, the "Harry Potter" franchise, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Lost. Dwight lives on his family's 60-acre farm, in a nine bedroom farmhouse, with his cousin Mose (played by producer/writer Michael Schur), where they grow beets. Dwight also likes paintball and Karate"The Fight", The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version), 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. and many weapons. Not much is revealed about Dwight's parents except that his father used to take him hunting. Dwight once mentioned that his grandfather fought in WWII and ended up in an Allied Prison Camp.