The Office: This theory gives the Scranton documentary a whole new meaning

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office UK might have lasted only two seasons, but it paved the way for Greg Daniels' US version, which ran for nine seasons and was immensely popular.

The mockumentary style of a crew filming the ordinary co-workers at Dunder Mifflin, a paper company, gave the show a unique stance. While the US version was creatively inspired by its British counterpart behind the scenes, a popular fan theory suggests that the Scranton documentary was also inspired by its counterpart at Slough.

According to this theory, the Wernham Hogg paper merchants' documentary exists in the US version's universe. Seeing its popularity, the crew approached Dunder-Mifflin to shoot a similar documentary. This theory ties both shows into the same universe, and there is incidental evidence to support this, too.

More on The Office US' popular fan theory in our story.

*Disclaimer- This article is based on the author's opinion and a popular The Office fan theory. Reader discretion is advised.*

The Office: Exploring the Scranton documentary theory

While The Office UK's success paved the way for its American version, a popular fan theory believes it also inspired the Dunder-Mifflin documentary in-universe.

While the creators of both versions have remained tight-lipped about their shared universes, this popular fan theory suggests that the UK documentary not only exists in The Office (US) universe but the Dunder-Mifflin crew modelled their documentary after the UK Version, since it was so popular.

This theory becomes more interesting the more you think about it and adds deeper meaning to the Scranton documentary. Since it was never really mentioned why the crew was filming the Scranton branch, the theory provides a plausible answer and enriches the viewing experience.

This added understanding makes the Scranton project not individual but a global experiment, aimed at showing mundane office culture in different countries. The interconnectedness and shared universe add another layer of depth to the storytelling and also answer some of the bizarre behaviors in the show.

Exploring in-universe hints that tie the Scranton documentary to its British counterpart

If you look closely at this theory, The Office US Season 1 is eerily modelled very similarly to its British counterpart. The general hopelessness and mundanity in Wernham Hogg are recreated in Dunder Mifflin, and the placement of almost everything feels exactly similar to the British branch.

This also explains Michael Scott's inappropriate behavior, Dwight's focus and attention to detail, and Jim's famous camera glances as he sees his colleagues trying to impersonate what they saw in the British documentary.

This theory suggests that the US characters are trying to act out a part they have already seen in another documentary and are modelling them after it. Dwight's character and even his desk arrangement are eerily similar to how Gareth Keenan is portrayed in the UK version.

If none of this was convincing enough, Ricky Gervais' David Brent exists in the US version of The Office. Brent is shown as the famous branch manager who appears in two episodes, one where he meets Michael in front of the elevator and the other where he applies to Scranton via a webcam.

Gervais' Brent's appearance in the show was not a cheeky nod, but it established him and the Wernham Hogg documentary in the show's universe. Michael's awkwardness around him and Brent's celebrity status suggest that after the UK documentary, he and his branch became famous, and the crew wanted to shoot in more office environments.

While this theory is not confirmed, it is fascinating and neatly ties both versions together in a shared universe.

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