‘The Office’ turns 20: The 6 classic episodes that helped win the show’s only Best Comedy Series Emmy
Twenty years ago, NBC premiered a new sitcom based on a hit U.K. series. The Office debuted on March 24, 2005, and was not an immediate hit in its initial six-episode run. The show struggled to find its footing out of the block, with several episodes virtually xeroxed from the storylines of its British predecessor created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and transplanted, often clunkily, to Scranton, Pa. But soon enough showrunner Greg Daniels found his groove and leaned into the strengths of his formidable ensemble, led by Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson.
The Office would go on to become a must-see TV staple, running nine seasons and earning five Emmys in 42 nominations — and then becoming a hit all over again as a new generation rediscovered and binged The Office when it hit streaming. Until 2023, The Office held the record as most-streamed series, with more than 57 billion minutes watched.
Despite its accolades, The Office only won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series once, in 2006. Competing against Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scrubs, and Two and a Half Men, Daniels and company had to select their six best-representative episodes to submit to the TV Academy.
For the series’ 20th anniversary, we dove into the Gold Derby archives to discover which half-dozen now-classic installments were submitted to help The Office win its sole Best Comedy Series statuette. Surprisingly, such notable episodes as “Sexual Harassment,” “Office Olympics,” “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” and “Performance Review” didn’t make the cut. But here’s what did.
“The Dundies”
Season 2, Episode 1. Airdate: Sept. 20, 2005. Written by Mindy Kaling. Directed by Greg Daniels. Logline: Michael (Carell) hosts the annual Dundie Awards at a local restaurant, but the night takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, Jim (Krasinski) and Pam (Fischer) share a moment that could change everything.
“Christmas Party”
Season 2, Episode 10. Airdate: Dec. 6, 2005. Witten by Michael Schur. Directed by Charles McDougall. Logline: Seeing the party is headed for disastrous boredom, Michael breaks corporate policy to buy alcohol for the staff.
“Booze Cruise”
Season 2, Episode 11. Airdate: Jan. 5, 2006. Written by Daniels. Directed by Ken Kwapis. Logline: The Dunder Mifflin staff go on a mandatory "booze cruise" to hear Michael give a motivational talk.
“The Injury”
Season 2, Episode 12. Airdate: Jan. 12, 2006. Written by Kaling. Directed by Bryan Gordon. Logline: Michael's "injury" from a George Foreman Grill distracts the staff from Dwight (Wilson), the one with the real injury.
“The Secret”
Season 2, Episode 13. Airdate: Jan. 19, 2006. Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Directed by Dennie Gordon. Logline: Jim fears the secret he told to Michael, in confidence, will be revealed to the staff.
“Valentine’s Day”
Season 2, Episode 16. Airdate: Feb. 9, 2006. Written by Schur. Directed by Daniels. Logline: When Michael visits Dunder Mifflin corporate headquarters in New York on Valentine's Day, he and Jan (Melora Hardin) are both in for a surprise. Meanwhile, back in Scranton, the office staff celebrates Valentine's Day grade school style.
All episodes of The Office are streaming on Peacock.