The Office (1995 TV series)

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

Not to be confused with The Office (British TV series) or The Office (American TV series).
The Office
Created bySusan Beavers
Barbara Corday
Written bySusan Beavers
Ken Estin
Tami Yellin
Directed byJay Sandrich
StarringValerie Harper
Dakin Matthews
Debra Jo Rupp
Lisa Darr
Kristin Dattilo-Hayward
Kevin Conroy
Andrea Abbate
Gary Dourdan
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producer(s)Paul Junger Witt
Tony Thomas
Susan Beavers
Producer(s)Gilbert Junger
Production location(s)Sunset Gower Studios
Hollywood, California
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s)Witt/Thomas Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseMarch 11 –
April 15, 1995

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.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot: The Office"Jay SandrichSusan Beavers & Barbara CordayMarch 11, 1995 (1995-03-11)
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 (1995-03-18)
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 (1995-03-25)
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 (1995-04-08)
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 (1995-04-15)
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 the sitcoms 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
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