you just can't make this shit up!
i feel somewhat proud, but i know this is going to be a failure
Scranton prepares for its TV debut as backdrop for The Office
SCRANTON (AP) Greg Daniels isnt from Scranton.
As far as he knows, hes never even set foot in the city.
And yet, the acclaimed television writer and producer thinks he can successfully translate The Electric City to the small screen this winter. As many of you already know, Scranton will serve as the backdrop for the upcoming American version of the hit British sitcom "The Office." "The Office: An American Workplace" will begin airing on NBC sometime in early 2005.
The idea to set the show in The Electric City came from Daniels, the shows executive producer and "show runner," the showbiz term for a sitcoms head writer.
A quick glance of Daniels resume is reason enough to believe the show has a fighting chance of being funny, if not a bona fide hit.
An alum of Harvard Universitys famed humor magazine The Lampoon, a breeding ground for countless sitcom writers, Daniels has written for "Saturday Night Live" (where his writing partner was Conan OBrien), "The Simpsons" and the long-running Fox animated comedy, "King of the Hill," which he co-created with "Beavis and Butt-head" and "Office Space" creator Mike Judge.
During a recent telephone interview from his Los Angeles office, Daniels, 41, said he was inspired in several ways to give Scranton the TV treatment.
"You know those Valentines Day cards and Halloween cards you get when youre a kid?" said Daniels, a New York City native whose closest contact with Scranton has been a trip or two to the Poconos. "Youd turn them to the back and theyd say, Made in Scranton."
Turns out, those cards are produced at the Scranton-based Paper Magic Group. This is significant in that "The Office: An American Workplace" takes place at the fictitious Dunder-Mifflin paper distribution company (on the British version, whose reruns air on the cable channel BBC-America, the companys name is Wernham-Hogg).
"We were thrilled. Were so excited about it," said Karen Rickaby, a human resources specialist at Paper Magic.
She said a team of production people from the show met with officials from the Paper Magic Group several months ago to learn more about the business and gather details about life in northeastern Pennsylvania. "At first we didnt know whether to take them seriously. We made them show us all their credentials," she said with a laugh.
Another contributing factor to the show being set in Scranton was Daniels reverence for the writer John OHara, who set many of his short stories in Gibbsville, a fictional town modeled heavily after another eastern Pennsylvania city known for its coal mining days Pottsville.
In this respect, Daniels saw a natural correlation between Scranton and the backdrop of the original "Office," the English industrial town of Slough, located about 25 miles west of London.
"It seems to me that the people (of Scranton) have had an industrial history thats similar to England," he said.
"Also, its close to New York, but not close enough that people would commute," Daniels continued, noting his assumption that most Scrantonians dont visit New York all that much, just like the residents of Slough dont often travel to London.
Finally, Daniels said, Scranton is "a great name. It sounds good." So that explains Daniels reasoning behind picking it. But that still leaves an important question How does he intend to depict Scranton?
Its no secret the city has been the butt of wisecracks on shows like "All in the Family," "The Sopranos," "The Simpsons" and "Friends." Daniels, who claims ignorance of TVs penchant for Scranton slights, said his representation of Scranton would be neither good nor bad, but "realistic."
Makes sense, considering "The Office" is shot in faux-documentary style and Daniels has taken pains to capture the look and feel of contemporary Texas with "King of the Hill." "King of the Hill" is set in Arlen, Texas, which doesnt exist but is largely based on a suburb of Austin. Daniels and the shows writers have all visited Austin to get the nuances of the area and its people right.
"It helps with the tone of the show," he said. "When you pick a specific place, you tend to use stuff thats true about that specific place."
While Daniels hasnt visited Scranton yet, he has every intention of coming here should NBC renew the show after its initial run. One of the shows stars, John Krasinski, traveled to the city a few months ago with a small documentary crew and shot the outside of the building where Paper Magic is located and the long-closed downtown bar The Office. Coincidentally, the two buildings are located right across the street from each other on Adams Avenue.
"Seemed like good karma," Daniels said.
Daniels said another camera crew will soon travel to Scranton for additional exterior shots.
"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked a reporter.
The city wont come up a tremendous amount in the shows first six episodes, but Daniels assured its presence will be felt. Through the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the show has received a number of Scranton-specific props newspapers, phone books, posters that have been incorporated into the scripts.
For instance, in one episode, a character becomes obsessed with Red Barons Bobblehead dolls. In another, the office staff orders lunch from Cuginos in Dunmore.
"We found Cuginos right in the phone book," Daniels said.
However, since the taping of each show exceeds the standard sitcom length of 22 minutes, Daniels couldnt guarantee that those scenes will make it past the editing process.
One thing he can guarantee is a concerted effort to foster the kind of viewer familiarity achieved by "The Drew Carey Show" and its backdrop, Cleveland. That show proved beneficial to the Ohio city, which, like Scranton, was once a perennial entertainment industry doormat.
"We certainly hope people know its set in Scranton," Daniels said. "It feels good to me to put it in Scranton."
Well find out in a few months if the feeling is mutual.
i feel somewhat proud, but i know this is going to be a failure
Scranton prepares for its TV debut as backdrop for The Office
SCRANTON (AP) Greg Daniels isnt from Scranton.
As far as he knows, hes never even set foot in the city.
And yet, the acclaimed television writer and producer thinks he can successfully translate The Electric City to the small screen this winter. As many of you already know, Scranton will serve as the backdrop for the upcoming American version of the hit British sitcom "The Office." "The Office: An American Workplace" will begin airing on NBC sometime in early 2005.
The idea to set the show in The Electric City came from Daniels, the shows executive producer and "show runner," the showbiz term for a sitcoms head writer.
A quick glance of Daniels resume is reason enough to believe the show has a fighting chance of being funny, if not a bona fide hit.
An alum of Harvard Universitys famed humor magazine The Lampoon, a breeding ground for countless sitcom writers, Daniels has written for "Saturday Night Live" (where his writing partner was Conan OBrien), "The Simpsons" and the long-running Fox animated comedy, "King of the Hill," which he co-created with "Beavis and Butt-head" and "Office Space" creator Mike Judge.
During a recent telephone interview from his Los Angeles office, Daniels, 41, said he was inspired in several ways to give Scranton the TV treatment.
"You know those Valentines Day cards and Halloween cards you get when youre a kid?" said Daniels, a New York City native whose closest contact with Scranton has been a trip or two to the Poconos. "Youd turn them to the back and theyd say, Made in Scranton."
Turns out, those cards are produced at the Scranton-based Paper Magic Group. This is significant in that "The Office: An American Workplace" takes place at the fictitious Dunder-Mifflin paper distribution company (on the British version, whose reruns air on the cable channel BBC-America, the companys name is Wernham-Hogg).
"We were thrilled. Were so excited about it," said Karen Rickaby, a human resources specialist at Paper Magic.
She said a team of production people from the show met with officials from the Paper Magic Group several months ago to learn more about the business and gather details about life in northeastern Pennsylvania. "At first we didnt know whether to take them seriously. We made them show us all their credentials," she said with a laugh.
Another contributing factor to the show being set in Scranton was Daniels reverence for the writer John OHara, who set many of his short stories in Gibbsville, a fictional town modeled heavily after another eastern Pennsylvania city known for its coal mining days Pottsville.
In this respect, Daniels saw a natural correlation between Scranton and the backdrop of the original "Office," the English industrial town of Slough, located about 25 miles west of London.
"It seems to me that the people (of Scranton) have had an industrial history thats similar to England," he said.
"Also, its close to New York, but not close enough that people would commute," Daniels continued, noting his assumption that most Scrantonians dont visit New York all that much, just like the residents of Slough dont often travel to London.
Finally, Daniels said, Scranton is "a great name. It sounds good." So that explains Daniels reasoning behind picking it. But that still leaves an important question How does he intend to depict Scranton?
Its no secret the city has been the butt of wisecracks on shows like "All in the Family," "The Sopranos," "The Simpsons" and "Friends." Daniels, who claims ignorance of TVs penchant for Scranton slights, said his representation of Scranton would be neither good nor bad, but "realistic."
Makes sense, considering "The Office" is shot in faux-documentary style and Daniels has taken pains to capture the look and feel of contemporary Texas with "King of the Hill." "King of the Hill" is set in Arlen, Texas, which doesnt exist but is largely based on a suburb of Austin. Daniels and the shows writers have all visited Austin to get the nuances of the area and its people right.
"It helps with the tone of the show," he said. "When you pick a specific place, you tend to use stuff thats true about that specific place."
While Daniels hasnt visited Scranton yet, he has every intention of coming here should NBC renew the show after its initial run. One of the shows stars, John Krasinski, traveled to the city a few months ago with a small documentary crew and shot the outside of the building where Paper Magic is located and the long-closed downtown bar The Office. Coincidentally, the two buildings are located right across the street from each other on Adams Avenue.
"Seemed like good karma," Daniels said.
Daniels said another camera crew will soon travel to Scranton for additional exterior shots.
"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked a reporter.
The city wont come up a tremendous amount in the shows first six episodes, but Daniels assured its presence will be felt. Through the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the show has received a number of Scranton-specific props newspapers, phone books, posters that have been incorporated into the scripts.
For instance, in one episode, a character becomes obsessed with Red Barons Bobblehead dolls. In another, the office staff orders lunch from Cuginos in Dunmore.
"We found Cuginos right in the phone book," Daniels said.
However, since the taping of each show exceeds the standard sitcom length of 22 minutes, Daniels couldnt guarantee that those scenes will make it past the editing process.
One thing he can guarantee is a concerted effort to foster the kind of viewer familiarity achieved by "The Drew Carey Show" and its backdrop, Cleveland. That show proved beneficial to the Ohio city, which, like Scranton, was once a perennial entertainment industry doormat.
"We certainly hope people know its set in Scranton," Daniels said. "It feels good to me to put it in Scranton."
Well find out in a few months if the feeling is mutual.
sarcasticmenace:
Haha! That's hilarious...and very cool. 