The List (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"The List" is the eighth season
premiere of the American comedy
television series
The Office, and the show's 153rd episode overall. The episode original aired on NBC
in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak
. In the episode, Robert California stops by for the first time as CEO and leaves behind a mysterious list that has a line down the middle and every member of the office on either one side or the other. The office members frantically try to figure out what it means. Meanwhile, the new manager Andy Bernard faces a crisis.
The episode received mostly positive reviews with many commenting that it proved the series could survive without the lead actor, Steve Carell
. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "The List" drew an estimated 7.63 million viewers and received a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18-49 demographic making it the lowest rated season premiere since the first-season premiere.
(James Spader
) is appointed Regional Manager of the Scranton Branch, but quits on his first day, travels to Florida and convinces Jo Bennett
(Kathy Bates
) to give him her position as CEO of Dunder Mifflin-Sabre. Andy
(Ed Helms
) is then appointed Regional Manager in Scranton, and makes it his goal for the office to receive a half day off on the Friday before the Columbus Day
weekend.
Erin Hannon
(Ellie Kemper
) finds Robert's notebook recording a list of Scranton's employees on two columns with a line down the middle. This causes the office to become frantic with what the list attributes to. Andy asks Robert about it, who brushes it off as "doodles," and conspicuously moves Andy's name from the left column to the right. Later that day, Robert invites the employees on the left column to lunch, including Jim
(John Krasinski
), Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
), Angela
(Angela Kinsey
), Kevin
(Brian Baumgartner
), Phyllis (Phyllis Smith), Toby
(Paul Lieberstein
) and Oscar
(Oscar Nunez
). After they leave, Andy treats the remaining staff to a pizza party, but they are not happy about being left behind and do not respond to his sincere efforts to make them feel better.
During lunch, the "left-siders" pester Robert about the list, who, in-between beers, informs them that the left-siders are "winners" while the right side are "losers". Jim is astonished, but the others become cocky. Kevin sends a mass text to the right-siders, mocking them as "losers", and later squirts Meredith with a water pistol. Andy does not like this and confronts Robert with a demand to alter the list. Robert refuses, and then speaks to everyone by admitting to calling certain members of the office losers, but also saying he will be working with them a long time and that his opinions on certain people may very well change, finishing with "Winners, prove me right; losers, prove me wrong". Andy, unfazed, lists off the qualities the right-siders have, stating that Stanley
(Leslie David Baker
) may be a grump, but has the best sales record in the office (something Robert admits to being unaware of); Meredith
(Kate Flannery
) is persistent and does not know what the word "no" means; and Pam (Jenna Fischer
) is one of the kindest people he knows. Andy concedes to Robert that putting Gabe
(Zach Woods
) in the losers' column was "astute". Andy then demands the Columbus half day, responds to Robert's comment about Columbus being responsible for genocide with "I DON'T CARE" and exits, prompting a respecting smile from Robert. Though the office annually gets the half day in any case, they happily wish him good evening as they depart, and Andy looks very pleased with his work as the boss.
Pam is pregnant with her and Jim's second child (revealed to be a boy) and is emotional, easily brought to tears throughout the day. Angela is also pregnant, having married the state senator Robert Lipton over the summer, and says that she's "Little Preg" to Pam's "Big Preg". When Jim picks up his things to leave for the day, he knocks over a piece of paper. Pam picks it up and sees Jim's personal winners and losers list: Pam, CeCe and their new baby are on the left, and everything else is on the right. Pam tearfully vows to frame it.
, who also portrays Ryan Howard
in the series. It is Novak's fourteenth writing credit and third directing credit for the series. It marks the second appearance of James Spader, having appeared in the previous episode, the seventh season finale. He will appear in at least 15 episodes and will serve as a replacement for Jo Bennett as CEO of Sabre, portrayed by Kathy Bates, who left the series due to her commitment for the NBC drama series, Harry's Law
. The episode revealed who the new office manager would be after lead actor Steve Carell
—who portrayed Michael Scott
—left the series the previous season. Executive Producer Paul Lieberstein
had told Ed Helms his character, Andy, would be the manager during lunch in June. The writers had gone through the main contenders for the job, Darryl, Dwight and Andy, with Andy being the best choice. The episode also confirmed that Pam is pregnant with her second child, which corresponds to Jenna Fischer's real-life pregnancy.
The official website for The Office included three cut scenes from "The List" within a week of its release. In the first 73-second clip, Ryan explains where trends comes from and Gabe explains why he's back in a talking head. In the second 61-second clip, Andy attempts to calm everybody down while they try to figure out what the list means. The third 127-second clip features more scenes with the winner's lunch and the loser's pizza party.
", an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Throughout the episode, Pam is seen crying at a commercial for The Travelers Companies featuring a dog trying to keep his dog bone safe.
", making it the lowest rated season premiere since the pilot episode. The episode ranked second in its timeslot beating Person of Interest
which received a 3.1 rating/8% share in the 18-49 demographic and The Secret Circle
which received a 0.9 rating/2% share, but was defeated by The X Factor
which received a 4.4 rating/11% share and tied with Grey's Anatomy
which received a 3.9 rating/10% share. "The List" was the twenty-second most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49.
reviewer Alan Sepinwall complemented the final scene featuring Andy confronting Robert calling it "sweet and felt genuine, in the way that made the show's early days feel special." Despite this, he said the "story fell a little flat." Linda Homles of NPR
praised the choice of adding James Spader
, making Andy the manager, and praised the writers for differentiating Andy as manager from Michael. IGN
writer Cindy White praised the episode for being an "ensemble affair" writing that "And when you've got an ensemble this strong, that's a smart way to go". She concluded that "In context with the rest of NBC's hilarious Thursday-night lineup [...] The Office can't help but seem a little long in the tooth. But you can always rely on it for at least a few laugh-out-loud moments [...] I'm not ready to call time of death on this show just yet. She ultimately gave the episode an 8.0/10. TV Guide
writers Joyce Eng and Kate Stanhope called the promotion of Andy as manager the third best television moment of the week. James Poniewozik
of Time
gave the episode a positive review commenting that it "it at least showed that a season 8 Office is capable of delivering the funny as well as the character grace notes".
The Office (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton,...
premiere of the American comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The Office, and the show's 153rd episode overall. The episode original aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
. In the episode, Robert California stops by for the first time as CEO and leaves behind a mysterious list that has a line down the middle and every member of the office on either one side or the other. The office members frantically try to figure out what it means. Meanwhile, the new manager Andy Bernard faces a crisis.
The episode received mostly positive reviews with many commenting that it proved the series could survive without the lead actor, Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, "The List" drew an estimated 7.63 million viewers and received a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18-49 demographic making it the lowest rated season premiere since the first-season premiere.
Plot
Robert CaliforniaRobert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
(James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) is appointed Regional Manager of the Scranton Branch, but quits on his first day, travels to Florida and convinces Jo Bennett
Jo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
(Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
) to give him her position as CEO of Dunder Mifflin-Sabre. Andy
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
(Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
) is then appointed Regional Manager in Scranton, and makes it his goal for the office to receive a half day off on the Friday before the Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
weekend.
Erin Hannon
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
(Ellie Kemper
Ellie Kemper
Elizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
) finds Robert's notebook recording a list of Scranton's employees on two columns with a line down the middle. This causes the office to become frantic with what the list attributes to. Andy asks Robert about it, who brushes it off as "doodles," and conspicuously moves Andy's name from the left column to the right. Later that day, Robert invites the employees on the left column to lunch, including Jim
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
), Dwight
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
(Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
), Angela
Angela Martin
Angela Noelle Martin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by American actress Angela Kinsey. She is an original character, and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
(Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey is an American actress. She currently appears as the uptight accountant Angela Martin on the hit NBC television series The Office.-Personal life:...
), Kevin
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
(Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
), Phyllis (Phyllis Smith), Toby
Toby Flenderson
Toby Wyatt Flenderson, M.S.W. born 1971 is a character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Paul Lieberstein. He is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
(Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
) and Oscar
Oscar Martinez
Oscar Jual Paul Martinez is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Oscar Nunez.-Overview:Oscar Martinez is an accountant at the paper distributor Dunder Mifflin. He is a first generation Mexican-American. Oscar is also openly homosexual after being...
(Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez , sometimes credited as Oscar Núñez, is a Cuban American actor and comedian.He currently appears as Dunder Mifflin's paper supply accountant, Oscar Martinez, on NBC's The Office.-Career:...
). After they leave, Andy treats the remaining staff to a pizza party, but they are not happy about being left behind and do not respond to his sincere efforts to make them feel better.
During lunch, the "left-siders" pester Robert about the list, who, in-between beers, informs them that the left-siders are "winners" while the right side are "losers". Jim is astonished, but the others become cocky. Kevin sends a mass text to the right-siders, mocking them as "losers", and later squirts Meredith with a water pistol. Andy does not like this and confronts Robert with a demand to alter the list. Robert refuses, and then speaks to everyone by admitting to calling certain members of the office losers, but also saying he will be working with them a long time and that his opinions on certain people may very well change, finishing with "Winners, prove me right; losers, prove me wrong". Andy, unfazed, lists off the qualities the right-siders have, stating that Stanley
Stanley Hudson
Stanley James Hudson is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Leslie David Baker. Stanley's counterpart in the UK series is Malcolm.-Overview:...
(Leslie David Baker
Leslie David Baker
Leslie David Baker is an American film and television actor who plays Stanley Hudson on The Office. He also had several small roles in Scrubs and appeared on That '70s Show as a janitor after a Ted Nugent concert and played an office worker in several of OfficeMax's "Rubberband Man" series of...
) may be a grump, but has the best sales record in the office (something Robert admits to being unaware of); Meredith
Meredith Palmer
Meredith Elizabeth Palmer is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. She is played by Kate Flannery. She is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office....
(Kate Flannery
Kate Flannery
Katherine Patricia "Kate" Flannery is an American actress best known for playing the role of Meredith Palmer on the NBC hit series The Office.-Personal life:...
) is persistent and does not know what the word "no" means; and Pam (Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
) is one of the kindest people he knows. Andy concedes to Robert that putting Gabe
Gabe Lewis
Gabriel Stuart "Gabe" Lewis is a fictional character on NBC's The Office. He first appears in the sixth season, where he is the Coordinating Director of Emerging Regions for the Sabre Corporate headquarters in Florida...
(Zach Woods
Zach Woods
Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. From 2010-11, he portrayed Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom The Office. He was promoted to a series regular beginning in Season 7....
) in the losers' column was "astute". Andy then demands the Columbus half day, responds to Robert's comment about Columbus being responsible for genocide with "I DON'T CARE" and exits, prompting a respecting smile from Robert. Though the office annually gets the half day in any case, they happily wish him good evening as they depart, and Andy looks very pleased with his work as the boss.
Pam is pregnant with her and Jim's second child (revealed to be a boy) and is emotional, easily brought to tears throughout the day. Angela is also pregnant, having married the state senator Robert Lipton over the summer, and says that she's "Little Preg" to Pam's "Big Preg". When Jim picks up his things to leave for the day, he knocks over a piece of paper. Pam picks it up and sees Jim's personal winners and losers list: Pam, CeCe and their new baby are on the left, and everything else is on the right. Pam tearfully vows to frame it.
Production
The episode was written and directed by executive producer B. J. NovakB. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, who also portrays Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan Bailey Howard , played by B. J. Novak, is a fictional character on the US television sitcom The Office. He is based upon Ricky Howard from the original version of The Office , but his role is significantly expanded and he is a main character.-Character profile:Little is known about Ryan's...
in the series. It is Novak's fourteenth writing credit and third directing credit for the series. It marks the second appearance of James Spader, having appeared in the previous episode, the seventh season finale. He will appear in at least 15 episodes and will serve as a replacement for Jo Bennett as CEO of Sabre, portrayed by Kathy Bates, who left the series due to her commitment for the NBC drama series, Harry's Law
Harry's Law
Harry's Law is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley. which premiered on January 17, 2011.On May 12, 2011, NBC renewed the show for a second season, which premiered Wednesday September 21, 2011...
. The episode revealed who the new office manager would be after lead actor Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
—who portrayed Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
—left the series the previous season. Executive Producer Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
had told Ed Helms his character, Andy, would be the manager during lunch in June. The writers had gone through the main contenders for the job, Darryl, Dwight and Andy, with Andy being the best choice. The episode also confirmed that Pam is pregnant with her second child, which corresponds to Jenna Fischer's real-life pregnancy.
The official website for The Office included three cut scenes from "The List" within a week of its release. In the first 73-second clip, Ryan explains where trends comes from and Gabe explains why he's back in a talking head. In the second 61-second clip, Andy attempts to calm everybody down while they try to figure out what the list means. The third 127-second clip features more scenes with the winner's lunch and the loser's pizza party.
Cultural references
The cold open features multiple workers "plankingPlanking (fad)
"Planking" is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Both hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and...
", an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Throughout the episode, Pam is seen crying at a commercial for The Travelers Companies featuring a dog trying to keep his dog bone safe.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast on September 22, 2011, "The List" was viewed by an estimated 7.63 million viewers and received a 3.9 rating/10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 3.9% of all 18–49 years olds, and 10% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a 11 percent fall in the demographic from the seventh-season premiere, "NepotismNepotism (The Office)
"Nepotism" is the seventh season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 127th episode overall. Written by Daniel Chun and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on September 23, 2010...
", making it the lowest rated season premiere since the pilot episode. The episode ranked second in its timeslot beating Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
which received a 3.1 rating/8% share in the 18-49 demographic and The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle (TV series)
The Secret Circle is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network. It was developed by Andrew Miller, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. On May 17, 2011, The CW announced they had picked up the pilot as a series...
which received a 0.9 rating/2% share, but was defeated by The X Factor
The X Factor (U.S.)
The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox....
which received a 4.4 rating/11% share and tied with Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
which received a 3.9 rating/10% share. "The List" was the twenty-second most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49.
Reviews
"The List" received mostly positive reviews. HitFixHitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
reviewer Alan Sepinwall complemented the final scene featuring Andy confronting Robert calling it "sweet and felt genuine, in the way that made the show's early days feel special." Despite this, he said the "story fell a little flat." Linda Homles of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
praised the choice of adding James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, making Andy the manager, and praised the writers for differentiating Andy as manager from Michael. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
writer Cindy White praised the episode for being an "ensemble affair" writing that "And when you've got an ensemble this strong, that's a smart way to go". She concluded that "In context with the rest of NBC's hilarious Thursday-night lineup [...] The Office can't help but seem a little long in the tooth. But you can always rely on it for at least a few laugh-out-loud moments [...] I'm not ready to call time of death on this show just yet. She ultimately gave the episode an 8.0/10. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
writers Joyce Eng and Kate Stanhope called the promotion of Andy as manager the third best television moment of the week. James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
gave the episode a positive review commenting that it "it at least showed that a season 8 Office is capable of delivering the funny as well as the character grace notes".
External links
- "The List" at NBC.comNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...