The Office (1995 TV series)

The Office
Created by Susan Beavers
Barbara Corday
Written by Susan Beavers
Ken Estin
Tami Yellin
Directed by Jay Sandrich
Starring Valerie Harper
Dakin Matthews
Debra Jo Rupp
Lisa Darr
Kristin Dattilo-Hayward
Kevin Conroy
Andrea Abbate
Gary Dourdan
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 6 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producer(s) Paul Junger Witt
Tony Thomas
Susan Beavers
Producer(s) Gilbert Junger
Location(s) Sunset Gower Studios
Hollywood, California
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Witt/Thomas Productions
Distributor Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network CBS
Original release March 11 – April 15, 1995

The Office is an American sitcom starring Valerie Harper which aired on CBS from March 11, 1995 to April 15, 1995 as a mid-season replacement during the 1994–95 television season. The series, billed as an office version of Upstairs, Downstairs, centered on the camaraderie of executives and their secretaries of a busy corporate office at a design-packaging company. [1]

Synopsis

Rita Stone (Valerie Harper) is a divorcée and 19-year veteran of a secretarial pool at the executive office of a package design company in Chicago called Package Inc. She is outspoken and mainly the glue that holds things together at the company, seeing that everything gets done on time, mediating disputes and trying to be a good listener to both job-related and personal problems.

While Rita is responsible for the company's inept CEO, Frank (Dakin Matthews), she also manages three other secretaries: Beth (Debra Jo Rupp), a flustered mother of four who works for the company's only female executive, Natalie (Lisa Darr); Mae (Andrea Abbate), a free-spirited, thrice-divorced former temp who works for the firm's temperamental artist (Gary Dourdan); and Deborah (Kristin Dattilo-Hayward), a naive MBA student who works for a sleazy salesman (Kevin Conroy).

Cast

Episodes
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Pilot: The Office"Jay SandrichSusan Beavers, Barbara CordayMarch 11, 1995
Rita and the secretaries are upset and stage a job action when the boss announces that overtime pay is being eliminated by corporate headquarters.
2"Laboring Pains"Jay SandrichSusan BeaversMarch 18, 1995
Beth is forced to bring her sick, havoc-wreaking 4-year-old son to the office on a day when Frank hopes to close a major deal.
3"Rita & Frank"Jay SandrichKen EstinMarch 25, 1995
Frank is jealous of Rita's new romance; meanwhile, Beth attempts to put the spark back into her marriage.
4"Power Playing"Jay SandrichSusan BeaversApril 8, 1995
Mae enjoys a position of power when a former boyfriend (Mars Callahan) visits and shows interest in Package Inc.
5"Judgement Day"Jay SandrichSusan BeaversApril 15, 1995
The staff is unhappy with newly instituted merit evaluations; meanwhile, Beth earns low marks on her household skills from Rita.
6"My Guy"Jay SandrichTami YellinUNAIRED
Rita mediates when Deborah and Natalie unwittingly date the same man.

Reception

The Office was the fourth starring vehicle for Harper, following her previous television ventures in Rhoda (1974–78), Valerie (1986–87) and City (1990). However, the series did not catch on with the public and was cancelled after five episodes, with one episode remaining unaired. It was broadcast Saturday nights on CBS at 9:00 p.m. throughout its brief run.

References

  1. ↑ The Office Reviewed by Bruce Fretts, April 7, 1995 - Entertainment Weekly

External links

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