The Best Books, Movies, Video Games, and Podcasts to Check Out After Watching ‘The Office’[html]
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Anyone who has ever worked in an office (or imagined themselves working in one) immediately connects with The Office. In fact, we connected with that show so hard we still watch it today, more than a decade after the series finale. While things like the fire drill, the dinner party, and the reveal that Jim has always been an Asian man will never not be hilarious, you might need a little more variety in your viewing life. If you’ve already burned through the shows that bring that Scranton vibe, here are the books, movies, podcasts, and games that will scratch that itch.
The best books like The Office
Whether you want some deep background about this innovative and hilarious sitcom, or you want to linger in a similarly absurd fictional universe, books have got you.
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History, by Andy Greene
Need to know how something as perfect as The Office actually happened? Check out Andy Greene’s book. Billed as an “oral history,” it details the development and production of the show through interviews with the people actually involved. From its BBC origins created by Ricky Gervais through nine seasons on NBC here in America, you’ll get all the insider tea about background struggles, attempts to cancel the show, and how some of the most hilarious moments came to be.
Then We Came to the End, by Joshua Ferris
If you’re looking for an absurdist, hilarious story set in an office that hides a lot of humanity and emotion under its humor, Then We Came to the End is the ticket. Set in a Chicago advertising agency going through a tumultuous period of layoffs, you’ll find the quirky, belligerent staff in these pages is the ideal substitute for the Scranton gang. Arguments over chairs, incoherent personal grudges, and a growing sense of desperation as the firings continue until morale improves all mix together to form the perfect Office replacement.
Several People Are Typing, by Calvin Kasulke
The Office was never afraid to bend reality a little for a good joke. Several People are Typing goes a lot further into the crazy than the show ever did, but the tone is spot-on. Gerald works for a grim PR firm, and has somehow been absorbed into its Slack channel. No one else in his office believes he’s trapped inside their chats, however, and Gerald has to turn to everyone’s least-favorite AI, Slackbot, for assistance. It’s grimly hilarious and hits all the late-stage capitalist horrors that The Office thrived on.
I Hope This Finds You Well, by Natalie Sue
Have you ever wondered what it must be like to be Dwight Schrute? Read I Hope This Finds You Well. Jolene has never fit in at her office, and she knows people mock her. To cope, she begins writing snarling insults to people in small, white font at the end of her emails. When her passive-aggressive stunt is exposed, new security is installed on her computer—but the new software also allows her to read all of her coworkers' emails and messages, and she immediately begins weaponizing the information for personal gain. Like The Office, it all leads to a surprisingly warmhearted ending.
Lucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis
The trope of the clueless, casually offensive man in a position of authority has been around for a long time—and Amis’ 1954 novel is a perfect companion to the show. Jim Dixon is a college lecturer trying to secure a permanent job at the university where he works—but everything Jim touches goes hilariously wrong. From scholarly papers that are stolen and translated into Italian to drunkenly burning down buildings, Jim’s misadventures are very Michael Scott-coded.
The best movies like The Office
The Office wasn’t just terrific comedic writing—it was also collectively one of the best comedic performances of the modern TV age. If you want more visuals with your office-based comedy, check out these hilarious movies.
Office Space (1999)
The Office often pivoted off the absurdities and frustrations of working in an office with a group of people you might not have chosen to hang out with for eight hours a day. Office Space lives in that precise mood. When a hypnosis session leaves programmer Peter Gibbons freed from any concern over his job, he begins living and working in a more joyous, free way. Even as the effect fades, it leaves Peter’s eyes open to the way work has robbed him of life. It’s a sharp satire of modern work that fans of the show will absolutely love. Rent Office Space on Prime Video.
Nine to Five (1980)
Want more narratives about terrible bosses? This film, starring a powerhouse cast including Lili Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Dabny Coleman, tells the story of three women working under a sexist boss who thinks way too highly of himself. The comedic scenes depicting the women’s violent fantasies of revenge remain hilarious, and anyone who has ever wished that someone would finally teach Michael a lesson about how awful he can be will enjoy the way the story plays out. Stream Nine to Five on Fubo or rent it on Prime Video.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
What would life be like if Michael Scott had actually made Threat Level Midnight for real, or actually pursued his improv comedy more seriously? Waiting for Guffman (or, honestly, any of Christopher Guest’s “mockumentary” films) might be close. In the small town of Blaine, Missouri, the local community theater troupe plans a performance to celebrate the town’s 150th birthday, led by director Corky St. Clair, who is Michael Scott-levels of deluded when it comes to his talent and capabilities. Like The Office, it’s a character-driven story where the humor comes from the bizarre-but-lovable personalities of everyone involved. Rent Waiting for Guffman on Prime Video.
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Coen Brothers’ least successful film is a stealth gem, and its story of a deluded, kind of dim man’s rise from the mailroom to the boardroom of Hudsucker Industries echoes Michael Scott’s rise from salesman to regional manager. The Hudsucker Proxy has a different tone—it was inspired by 1930s screwball c
Topic: The Best Books, Movies, Video Games, and Podcasts to Check Out After Watching ‘The Office’ (Read 9 times)
Similar topics (5)
July 19, 2025, 04:03:32 PM