The debut season of The Office encountered some initial bumps on its journey, but the series demonstrated resilience and ultimately achieved a triumph. John Krasinski, the talented actor behind the character Jim Halpert, revealed that the challenges were so pronounced that the specter of cancellation loomed over the show each week during its inaugural season.
The Office didn’t experience instant runaway success and faced the looming threat of cancellation. In a 2018 interview with SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Krasinski shed light on the grim state of the show’s ratings, highlighting that the series faced the genuine possibility of being axed every single Friday.
The Office Wasn’t A Successful Show At First
The notion of the show going anywhere significant never crossed our minds. In fact, we were not just threatened with cancellation; we were, in reality, on the verge of being canceled every single Friday. John Krasinski provided this insight.
“We never thought it would go anywhere. I mean we actually … we were not only threatened to be canceled, we were legit canceled every single Friday,” Krasinski explained. “That’s not a joke.”
The historical significance of our show’s pick-up is undeniable, Krasinski continued to explain. Our initial renewal was tied for the lowest ever, with just four episodes greenlit. However, it was thanks to the bold decision of executive producer Greg Daniels, who pushed for a total of six episodes for our first season, that we had the privilege of experiencing this incredible journey.
“And every single Friday I remember this amazing guy Jeff, this really handsome cool guy from NBC, being like ‘This is my favorite show. Unfortunately, the network doesn’t see that. You will not be doing this show,'” Krasinski recalled.
But despite the challenges, the show managed to run for many seasons. But it also required Steve Carell’s star power.
Steve Carell’s Film Helped The Show Get Popular
Steve Carell’s lead role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin significantly contributed to boosting exposure for The Office and instilled confidence in the network that viewership could see an uptick. In a fascinating revelation during the July 21, 2020 episode of Brian Baumgartner’s An Oral History of The Office podcast, writer Mike Schur detailed how creator Greg Daniels collaborated with The Office’s writing team to fine-tune the Michael Scott character for the second season.
“I watched The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The reason we’re back is largely because of The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” Schur said Daniels told them. “We need to take 20% of what is so endearing and likable about that character and swirl it into Michael Scott and we need to take 20% of the optimism of that movie and swirl it into the show. And I want every episode end with a little upswing.”
During the second season, Michael displayed a more complex character, balancing his awkward boss persona, as discussed in the podcast. Notably, he demonstrated redeeming qualities, like offering Jim advice regarding Pam, and showcasing remarkable sales skills, even if his abilities in office management were lacking.
Source: Spotify
