NBC Series Ranked the Best Sitcom of All Time 21 Years Later
It's been 21 years since The Office originally premiered on NBC back in 2005 and ended back in 2013, but the show still holds up, and it is still receiving some high praise and accolades.
Even though it ended over a decade ago, The Office continues to have cultural relevance and is widely praised. Just this month, it was named the top sitcom of all time by a prominent outlet.
The Office
Premiering in 2005 on NBC, The Office is a mockumentary-style sitcom that follows the day-to-day work lives of employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
"The Office is a hilarious documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the world of 9-to-5," NBC's official synopsis of the show reads.
Adapted from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's British original by the same name, the American version of the show spanned nine seasons and became one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, only increasing in popularity following its cancellation, thanks to the popularization of streaming.
'Heart, chaos, cringe, and perfect writing'
Earlier this month, Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck of Collider put together a list of the 10 best sitcoms of all time. While the list included some legendary shows like I Love Lucy, Friends, and Seinfeld, it was ultimately The Office that took the top spot.
"How funny could a show about selling paper be? The answer is surprisingly hilarious, especially considering The Office is widely considered the best American sitcom. Set in a small Pennsylvania town, the employees of a paper company do anything but do their job because of their boss, who only wants to goof around and make life harder, yet more fun, for everyone," Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck wrote for Collider.
"Like many sitcoms, The Office fell off a cliff in later seasons, but even those lackluster episodes weren't enough to diminish the greatest legacy in sitcom history. It popularized the mockumentary style and even broke the fourth wall, recognizing the surreal nature of the events. The Office isn't just the best American sitcom; it is arguably the greatest sitcom of all time, and it did this through a balance of heart, chaos, cringe, and perfect writing."
Twenty-one years after its debut, The Office shows no signs of fading. And with spinoff series The Paper already airing on Peacock and a second season on the way, the Dunder Mifflin universe is far from finished.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2026 at 2:55 AM.