Andy Greene | Through the Shattered Lens

The American version of The Office was so good that it has led to not one but two oral histories! And I’m such a fan that I’ve got both of them.

The first oral history that I read was Andy Greene’s The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s. First published in 2020, Greene’s book was full of interesting facts and anecdotes, though a careful reading revealed that a lot of the “oral” part of the oral history was lifted from old interviews, DVD commentaries, and an article that Greene had previously written. The book was notable for 1) establishing that Steve Carell is one of the nicest guys in show business, 2) putting the blame squarely on Jeff Zuker for Carell not returning after Season 7, and 3) getting some of the behind-the-scenes people to talk about why seasons 8 and, to a lesser extent, season 9 were so uneven.

The other oral history, which was published earlier this year, was Welcome to Dunder Mifflin. It was written by Brian Baumgartner (who played Kevin Malone on the show) and Ben Silverman, one of the show’s producers. Probably because Baumgartner and Silverman were both involved in the show, they apparently were able to get a lot more people to talk to them personally. Unlike Greene’s book, which relied heavily on previously published interviews, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin features recent interviews with people like Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Craig Robinson, Ed Helms, Amy Ryan and many others. In fact, nearly the entire cast seems to have been interviewed for Welcome to Dunder Mifflin. Presumably because their schedules wouldn’t allow it, neither BJ Novak or Mindy Kaling are interviewed and their absence is definitely felt. Also not interviewed is James Spader but that’s not really a surprise. (Spader played Robert California during the season of The Office that everyone seems to agree was the worst, Season 8.) While everyone in both of the oral histories is quick to compliment Spader as an actor and a person, there’s a general agreement that the show never figured out what to do with the Robert California character and that Spader’s vibe didn’t quite meld with the show. One gets the feeling that his time on The Office is something that Spader is more than happy to put behind him.

(Personally, of all the celebrities who were brought in to “interview” for the management position after Steve Carell left the show, I thought Ray Romano was the one who seemed like he would best fit in with the show’s ensemble. Then again, I always felt that the best solution would have been to cast some total unknown for as Michael’s replacement and then keep him off-screen as much as possible. But I’m getting distracted. Someday, I’ll post my big ‘What the Office Should Have Done’ screed. Of course, it’ll be like 20 years too late but whatever….)

The books are both full of love for The Office but they each take a somewhat different approach. The Untold Story takes a very structured and very chronological look at the show and focuses a lot on what went on behind the scenes, both on set and with the network. (If you didn’t already dislike Jeff Zucker, you will after reading Greene’s book.) Welcome to Dunder Mifflin takes a far looser approach to the material and focuses more on what it was like to be a part of television’s funniest ensemble. Welcome to Dunder Mifflin is full of interviews of people gushing about how much they loved working together and how proud they were to work on The Office and what’s interesting is that, even though you’re just reading their words on the printed page, you never doubt that they’re totally telling the truth. Perhaps because it was Baumgartner who was doing the interview, the cast seems to let down their guard in a way that you really don’t see very often when it comes to performers talking about their time on a classic show.

Welcome to Dunder Mifflin focuses on the positive aspects of being on the show. Whereas The Untold Story spends a lot of times on Seasons 8 and 9 and on the difficulty of integrating James Spader and Catherine Tate into the main cast, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin devotes only a few pages to those seasons and instead focuses on the Carell years. One thing that both of these oral histories have in common is that Steve Carell comes across as being the nicest guy who ever lived. How nice is Steve Carell? I’d rather live next door to him than Tom Hanks. Actually, I take that back. I would want Carell next door and Tom Hanks living across the street. It’s a big neighborhood.

Both of these oral histories nicely compliment each other. If you want a chronological history of the show, Greene’s book is for you. If you want a book that focuses on what it felt like to be a member of The Office crew, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin has you covered. I would recommend buying both and getting the full Office experience.

And remember, there’s no party like a Scranton party.

I have to admit that I’m a little bit disappointed in myself. Considering that I pretty much spent 9 months on lockdown, I didn’t read anywhere near as much as I should have in 2020.

Certainly, when I was first told that I’d be working from home, I thought to myself, “Finally! I can work my way through my library!” I thought I was going to read a book a day and watch 100 movies every week. It didn’t work out that way. To be honest, I got so frustrated with the whole endless lockdown thing that I often couldn’t focus enough to do anything productive with my time. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

That said, I may not have read as much as I was hoping to read but I still read some very good books. So, without further ado, here are my top eight non-fiction books of 2020!

Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny — Goodfellas is one of the best films of all time and Glenn Kenny’s examination of both the movie and it’s place in pop culture is perhaps one of the best film books of all time. Kenny not only details the true story behind Goodfellas but he also examines the film scene-by-scene. This book is full of unexpected insight and behind-the-scenes trivia. It’s everything you could want from a film book.
Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused by Melissa Maerz — This is a frequently fascinating oral history about one of the greatest Texas films of all time, Dazed and Confused. Maerz was able to interview almost everyone involved with the film and the end result is funny, touching, and thought-provoking look at a classic film. This is worth it just for the chapters on Shawn Andrews.
Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello — This fun book details everything you could possibly want to know about the film version of Valley of the Dolls. Especially interesting are the chapters that deal with the actresses and actors who were considered for the film. There are indeed some surprising names to found.
Taking Shape II: The Lost Halloween Sequel by Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins — Probably the only thing I like more than a good book about the production of a film is a good book about a film that didn’t go into production. Taking Shape II is an exhaustive look at all of the sequels that have been proposed for Halloween over the years. The book not only details what each film could have been but also why they ultimately weren’t produced. If you’re a horror fan, this is essential reading.
Cinema ’62: The Greatest Year at the Movies by Michael McClellan and Stephen Farber — Was 1962 the greatest year in film? This book makes a good case that it may have been.
The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood by Sam Wasson — This is another fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a classic film. The Big Goodbye not only tells you everything you could want to know about Chinatown but it also places it in its correct cultural and historical context.
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene — This oral history of my favorite sitcom is both a funny tribute to a great show and also a rather sad look at how The Office was often screwed over by NBC. The only thing keeping this book from being ranked higher is the lack of fresh interviews with Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and some of the other principles. Indeed, much of the “oral history” is lifted from various DVD commentaries. Still, Greene does a good job of organizing the information and the book will definitely make you want to sit down and rewatch the show.
Gone at Midnight: The Tragic True Story Behind the Unsolved Internet Sensation by Jake Anderson — This is a thought-provoking examination of the mysterious death of Elisa Lam and the internet culture that sprung up around the video of her final hours.