Part ofThe Office’s success came from finding humor in an average, unremarkable office, and there was another workplace TV show airing on HBO that was likeThe Office’s dramatic, political counterpart:The Newsroom. Set at a fictional cable news office,The Newsroomwas a show that explored the lives of the people in front and behind the camera. BothThe OfficeandThe Newsroomuse the setting of a workplace as a way to tell the stories of the personal and interpersonal lives of the ensemble casts.
Fans of the show were not tuning in to hear about Dunder-Mifflin’s paper sales, butThe Newsroomwas more focused on the work of reporting the news. Created by Aaron Sorkin,The Newsroomcovered real news topicsfrom the hindsight of three years in the future from when the show is set. But the real hook ofThe Newsroomwas the relationships between the characters, and even ifThe Office’sJim Halpert and Pam Beesleyare an iconic will-they-or-won’t-they couple,The Newsroomhas its version as well.
The Newsroom’s Workplace Comedy Felt Strangely Similar To The Office
Even Their Titles Have Something Interesting In Common
The OfficeandThe Newsroomhave similarities, being ensemble workplace TV shows.The Officeutilized its mockumentary format to allow characters to share their thoughts and opinions directly to the camera.The Newsroomdelivered monologuesthrough the platform of a news broadcast, a similar effect to talk-head interviews but with more gravitas. WhileThe Newsroomis a scripted show, the camera style follows the characters closely in a way that can feel reminiscent of a documentary.
Aaron Sorkin is best known for creatingThe West Wing, another workplace series of sorts. He is known for his fast-paced dialogues and signature walk-and-talks, both featured inThe Newsroom.
Even the titles of the TV shows reflect the importance of the workspaceto the relationships between the characters:The OfficeandThe Newsroomare both names that are general descriptions of the workplace setting. Aaron Sorkin brings his characteristic levity and wit toThe Newsroom, breaking up the seriousness of the news stories. For a half-hour sitcom,The Officewas funny but not in a sentimental, light-hearted way, likeParks and Recreation, instead veering towards the uncomfortable or cringe.The OfficeandThe Newsroomfind a tonal space between comedy and drama.
The Newsroom’s Jim And Maggie Romance Was Its Version Of Jim And Pam
Jim and Maggie’s Relationship Timeline Follows This Jim And Pam Tradition
The Newsroomfollows the lives and romances of the ensemble cast, just likeThe Officedid with its cast. Jim and Pam were the new Ross and Rachel ofFriends, a will-they-or-won’t-they couple that audiences desperately wanted to get together.The Newsroomfollows its own rocky romance between two coworkers, John Gallagher Jr.’s Jim Harper and Alison Pill’s Maggie Jordan.
Jim, a new senior producer, immediately has feelings for Maggie, a rising associate producer, but Maggie has a boyfriend. Her boyfriend routinely ignores her concerns at work, while Jim goes out of his way to cover for Maggie when she makes a mistake, leaving viewers to root for Jim and Maggie’s unspoken attraction. This is reminiscent of audiences yearning for Pam to leave her endlessly long engagement for the office nice guy. By season 2, Maggie is single but Jim is now dating Maggie’s roommate. The stars finally align in season 3 by the series finale.
The Newsroommust be directly drawing inspiration fromThe Office, or the names Jim Halpert and Jim Harper are a complete coincidence.
This follows a similar timeline to Jim and Pam’s early relationship, as Pam’s engagement then Jim’s other relationship prevent them from becoming a couple until the season 3 finale ofThe Officewhen Jim finally asks Pam on a date. IfThe Newsroomhad run longer than three seasons, perhaps Jim and Maggie’s relationship would have continued to model Jim and Pam’s. While many shows since Sam and Diane inCheershave had a push-pull romance,The Newsroommust be directly drawing inspiration fromThe Office, or the names Jim Halpert and Jim Harper are a complete coincidence.
The Newsroom & The Office Are Very Different Shows That Somehow Belong Together
Workplace TV Shows Differ In These Tonal Ways
The TV shows have tonal commonalities for series with different genres, butThe Officeis ultimately much more comedic and absurdist, whileThe Newsroomthoughtfully covered weighty topics. Someone falling into a vat of their own famous chili or Jim Halpert trying to convince a coworker that he has always been Asian exists in a heightened universe that would not work inThe Newsroom, where they covered stories like the BP oil spill.
“I Apologize And I’d Like To Start Over:” Why Aaron Sorkin Apologized For His Controversial 3-Season HBO Drama
The West Wings' acclaimed screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, has apologized and expressed his regrets over this 3-season controversial HBO drama.
While at the extremes the tones diverge,The OfficeandThe Newsroomare wildly different shows that still make sense in conversation with each other. BothThe NewsroomandThe Officeare shows with humor and heart that focus on the lives of their ensemble casts at their workplace. WhileThe Newsroomfeatures more reporting thanThe Officedoes paper sales, fans ofThe Officemight want to check outThe Newsroom.
The Office
Cast
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
The Newsroom
At the fictional Atlantis Cable News station, lead anchor Will McAvoy and his staff work to put out a news show in the face of each week’s corporate challenges, political tension, and personal conflicts.
