The Office
A single-camera workplace comedy set in a paper company office.
Where The Office comes up1 episode or test
- Story feels like nothing happens
- A quick apology ends it
- Core to the characters
- Someone takes extreme measures
Bigger means meaningful, not giant
From Steven Levitan on writing
What was said about The Office
Once Jim and Pam were together, The Office found its conflict elsewhere. Jim and Pam gave the show its heart, but as a couple they had little conflict of their own. The writers had to draw the conflict from other places.
Steven Levitan cites this while teaching a rule from his own writing: when a story feels like nothing is happening, the conflict is probably too small. He says to make it "Bigger not in terms of giant, but in terms of meaningful", so it is core to the characters and someone has to take extreme measures. A quick apology that ends it is not enough.
How to Write Freakishly Fast — Steven Levitan
Jim and Pam gave it heart, but once they were together they had little conflict, so the conflict had to come from elsewhere. It aimed for more and smarter jokes than early dramedy-style single-cam shows.
Once Jim and Pam were together, The Office found its conflict elsewhere. Jim and Pam gave the show its heart, but as a couple they had little conflict of their own. The writers had to draw the conflict from other places.
Steven Levitan cites this while teaching a rule from his own writing: when a story feels like nothing is happening, the conflict is probably too small. He says to make it "Bigger not in terms of giant, but in terms of meaningful", so it is core to the characters and someone has to take extreme measures. A quick apology that ends it is not enough.
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