Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office

by Brian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels (Foreword by)

Overview

New York Times Bestseller

"The ultimate behind-the-scenes account.” —Washington Post

“The definitive history of the landmark TV show.” —USA Today

Join the entire Dunder Mifflin gang on a journey back to Scranton: here's the hilarious and improbable inside story behind the beloved series.

Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with the cast and creators and illustrated with 100 behind-the-scenes photographs, here, at last, is the untold inside story of The Office, featuring a foreword by Greg Daniels, who adapted the series for the U.S. and was its guiding creative force, and narrated by star Brian Baumgartner (aka “Kevin Malone”) and executive producer Ben Silverman..

In Welcome to Dunder Mifflin, the entire Office gang reunite after nearly a decade to share their favorite untold stories, spill secrets, and reveal how a little show that barely survived its first season became the most watched series in the universe. This ultimate fan companion pulls back the curtain as never before on all the absurdity, genius, love, passion, and dumb luck that went into creating America's beloved The Office.

Featuring the memories of Steve Carell, John Krasinkski, Jenna Fischer, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Craig Robinson, Brian Baumgartner, Phyllis Smith, Kate Flannery, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez, Amy Ryan, Ellie Kemper, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, Ben Silverman, Mike Schur, and many more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063082212
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/16/2021
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	93 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Brian Baumgartner played Kevin Malone on the NBC sitcom The Office. He is the host of the podcasts An Oral History of “The Office” and “The Office” Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner. He is an Emmy, SAG, and Webby Award winner.

Ben Silverman, the Emmy and Golden Globe Award–winning producer behind The Office, is the chairman of Propagate Content. Silverman executive produced The Office, Ugly Betty, Biggest Loser, Jane the Virgin, and The Tudors, among others.

Greg Daniels is the Emmy-winning TV writer, director, and producer who developed The Office for NBC and was the original showrunner.

Editorial Reviews

Dazzling. … Will delight any reader. … Fans of The Office will enjoy Welcome to Dunder Mifflin.” — New York Times Book Review, "Best Books to Give This Season"

“This definitive oral history…is as sharp and well crafted as the comedy that inspired it. … A true insider’s guide filled with sweet surprises for fans and the brainy charm to make new ones.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Fascinating. … The ultimate behind-the-scenes account.” — Washington Post

“A must for fans of The Office. With a foreword by Greg Daniels and interviews with cast members, behind-the-scenes photos and more, it’ll put you right back in Scranton, Pennsylvania.” — CNN.com

“The definitive history of The Office. … Spills all of the tea on NBC's iconic sitcom. … The perfect gift for your cousin who is currently on their fifth rewatch.”  — E! Online, Top Books to Read This Month

 "Any Office stan worth their salt needs a copy." — Bon Appétit

“The definitive history of the landmark TV show, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the cast and creators who share their favorite stories and untold secrets, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs.” — USA Today

“Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the beloved show.” — People

"A pretty package, large and wide, full of production art; it’s solace that a sitcom about a paper company generated a warm printed artifact on nice paper. Like the show itself, there are also recollections here so tender, I felt myself tearing up, and rejected plots so ridiculous, I convulsed with belly laughs. Of these TV oral histories, it’s also the smartest on how actual creative choices play out." — Chicago Tribune

From the Publisher

The definitive history of The Office. … Spills all of the tea on NBC's iconic sitcom. … The perfect gift for your cousin who is currently on their fifth rewatch.” 

E! Online

A must for fans of The Office. With a foreword by Greg Daniels and interviews with cast members, behind-the-scenes photos and more, it’ll put you right back in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

CNN.com

"A pretty package, large and wide, full of production art; it’s solace that a sitcom about a paper company generated a warm printed artifact on nice paper. Like the show itself, there are also recollections here so tender, I felt myself tearing up, and rejected plots so ridiculous, I convulsed with belly laughs. Of these TV oral histories, it’s also the smartest on how actual creative choices play out."

Chicago Tribune

The definitive history of the landmark TV show, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the cast and creators who share their favorite stories and untold secrets, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs.

USA Today

Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the beloved show.

People

"Any Office stan worth their salt needs a copy."

Bon Appétit

Fascinating. … The ultimate behind-the-scenes account.

Washington Post

The definitive history of the landmark TV show, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the cast and creators who share their favorite stories and untold secrets, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs.

USA Today

"A pretty package, large and wide, full of production art; it’s solace that a sitcom about a paper company generated a warm printed artifact on nice paper. Like the show itself, there are also recollections here so tender, I felt myself tearing up, and rejected plots so ridiculous, I convulsed with belly laughs. Of these TV oral histories, it’s also the smartest on how actual creative choices play out."

Chicago Tribune

Fascinating. … The ultimate behind-the-scenes account.

Washington Post

★ 2021-09-15
A comprehensive view of the landmark TV show.

Don’t be fooled by Baumgartner’s character on The Office, the lovable oaf Kevin Malone. This definitive oral history he created with executive producer Silverman is as sharp and well crafted as the groundbreaking comedy that inspired it. The American version of The Office made stars out of those on both sides of the camera. Steve Carell and John Krasinski became A-list celebrities, while creator and showrunner Greg Daniels has developed hits like Parks and Recreation. Baumgartner gets all of them, as well as nearly everyone else involved with the show, to talk about how it came together and why it became such an enduring success. (Notably absent from the discussions are writers/actors Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak.) Because he was a part of the process, Baumgartner is able to steer the conversations in well-informed ways—e.g., explaining why the ratings were even more important than usual to the experimental show and why they dictated NBC’s approvals of only a handful episodes at a time in the early years. Because Baumgartner’s Kevin was not the fake documentary’s central character (Carell’s awkward regional manager Michael Scott) or part of the love story (Krasinski’s Jim and Jenna Fischer’s Pam) at its core, he is able to observe more of the big picture than those in the eye of the publicity storm. He and Silverman also do a great job showing how shifting viewing habits—especially The Office’s stunning popularity on iTunes and now in reruns on streaming services—pushed it to new levels of popularity. Comedy is rarely simple, but the authors show how complex it was to make such a forward-thinking product. The contributors discuss their wide-ranging influences, including Molière, Aristophanes’ The Frogs, the visual style of Survivor, and the comedic timing of King of the Hill. They also discuss the agonizing decision-making processes behind the show’s major moments.

A true insider’s guide filled with sweet surprises for fans and the brainy charm to make new ones.

Kirkus Reviews