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How to watch The Office, The Paper, their spinoffs, and more in release and chronological order

That’s what she said: How to watch The Office in release and chronological order

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Tue Nov 04 2025

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Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.

Actually, this is Popverse, and we’re here to help you find your way around The Office.

Created by Ricky Gerveis and Stephen Merchant for the BBC, The Office is a workplace sitcom that finds comedy in the dull and awkward moments of the workday. NBC developed their own version of the show for American audiences, and it went from sleeper hit to pop culture juggernaut. Characters like Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, Dwight Schrute, and Pam Beesly created classic television moments, and launched a thousand internet memes.

Today, the legacy of The Office continues with The Paper, a new spinoff streaming on Peacock. If you’re looking to brush up on your Office lore, or watch the series for the first time, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to watch the hit workplace comedy and all its spinoffs.

How to watch The Office in release order

The Office franchise is bigger than you think. Most of you know about the American workplace comedy, which premiered in 2005, and ran for nine seasons before ending in 2013. That series is a remake of a British series, which ran for two seasons before concluding with a 2-part Christmas special.

(By the way, the UK and US versions of The Office are set in the same universe, which we’ll cover later in this guide)

The American version of The Office has multiple webisode series, which we’ve included in this watch order as well. Ricky Gervais has also reprised his role as David Brent in a special internet short and a movie. The latest entry to the franchise is The Paper, a sequel to the American Office which is currently airing on Peacock.

If you’re confused about what order to watch all of this in, simply refer to our list below.

How to watch The Office in chronological order

Watching The Office in chronological order is the exact same as watching it in release order. This isn’t Star Wars or Lost where it jumps around the timeline. The only thing that isn’t entirely clear is the placement of the webisodes. The assumption is they take place around the seasons they aired, so we’ve placed them in our watch order as such.

The bottom line, if you want to watch The Office in chronological order, simply refer to our release order list that we posted in the previous section.

Wait, is the UK Office set in the same universe as the US Office?

Yes, the British Office and the American Office are set in the same universe. This was confirmed when David Brent met Michael Scott in the Office (US) season seven episode ‘The Seminar.’ Brent would later show up to do a video interview for the regional manager job in the season seven finale ‘Search Committee.’

There are some interesting implications from this revelation. The pilot episode of the American Office is almost a shot for shot remake of the first episode of the British Office (albeit with names changed). This means that both offices had the exact same day, with almost the exact same dialogue. It’s a pretty big coincidence.

However, The Office is a comedy, and when it comes to comedies, it’s best to suspend disbelief and have fun. In fairness, there could be a version of you in another country having the exact same day you’re having, and you would never know it. Besides, accepting this coincidence means we get Michael Scott and David Brent in the same universe, which is too fun of an idea to pass up.

What’s the deal with the camera crew in The Office?

We don’t learn the true nature of the camera crew until The Office season nine. In the season nine premiere, we hear the crew speak for the first time, explaining to Jim and Pam that they’re exploring the lives of Dunder Mifflin’s employees. They’re shooting footage for a documentary called ‘The Office: An American Workplace,’ which finally airs in the penultimate episode ‘A.A.R.M.’

Is Parks and Recreation set in the same universe as The Office?

No, Parks and Recreation is not set in the same universe as The Office. However, there’s a reason many people think it is. The show follows the same mockumentary format that The Office does, and it was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, two writers and producers of the show. When Parks and Recreation was first being developed, early industry articles reported that the series would be a spinoff of The Office.

However, once Rashida Jones joined the cast as Ann Perkins, that put an end to the idea. Jones had previously played Karen Filippelli on The Office during season three, a role which she reprised a few times over the remainder of the series.

Justin Spitzer, a writer for The Office, told author Andy Greene that he believed Shur and Daniels sent a clear message when they cast Jones, cementing the fact that the shows are in their own worlds. “I think in the casting of Rashida Jones as a different character on Parks and Rec, that was them saying, 'This is definitely not a spin-off. We have the same actor playing two different parts. These two shows can't even exist in the same world.'"

So, unless Karen has a long-lost twin sister named Ann Perkins, The Office is not in the same universe as Parks and Recreation.

When do Jim and Pam get together on The Office?

If you’re reading this section of the guide, you’re probably binging the show and decided to Google when Jim and Pam’s ‘will they, won’t they’ dance will end. Jim and Pam officially get together in The Office season three finale ‘The Job.’ Jim is up for a job at corporate and intends to move to New York with his girlfriend Karen if he gets it. Realizing that his home is in Scranton, and his heart is with Pam, not Karen, Jim returns to New York and asks Pam out on their first date.

Jim had previously confessed his feelings to Pam in the season two finale ‘Casino Night,’ which was followed by their first real kiss (the drunken Chili’s kiss in ‘The Dundies’ doesn’t count). However, the season three premiere ‘Gay Witch Hunt’ reveals that Pam rejected Jim, causing him to temporarily take a job at Dunder Mifflin’s Stamford branch. Don’t worry Jim/Pam shippers, because it all worked out in the end.

Do Dwight and Angela end up together on The Office?

Yes, Dwight and Angela end up together and get married in The Office series finale. After years of secret meetings, love contracts, and passionate arguments, the two finally got together for good in ‘A.A.R.M.,’ the penultimate episode of the series. Angela had secretly fathered Dwight’s child but lied to him saying her ex-husband Robert Lipton was the father. After Dwight confesses his love for Angela, she reveals that Phillip has been his son all along, and the two get engaged. The series finale skips ahead one year, and we see Dwight and Angela’s wedding.

What’s the difference between the regular episodes and the Peacock Superfan episodes?

Peacock’s Superfan Episodes of The Office are more than just extended cuts. Each episode contains alternate takes, unused talking heads, deleted scenes, and in some cases, deleted storylines. For example, if you watch the Superfan Episode for ‘Free Family Portrait Studio’ you’ll see a deleted storyline where Robert California tries to have a threesome with Jim and Pam.

Even if you’ve seen all the deleted scenes on the DVDs, the Superfan Episodes still have content that has never been seen before. Each episode is carefully edited by Dave Rogers, who edited the original series. According to an interview on The Office Ladies podcast, Rogers goes through hours of footage in the video archives for each episode, and every editing choice is deliberate.

Personally speaking, I’ve binged the series numerous times, and watching the Superfan Episodes was still a new experience filled with lots of fun surprises.

Is The Office coming back?

No, there are no plans for The Office to return. Over the years there have been rumors that NBC was interested in a reboot or revival of the workplace comedy, but nothing ever came to fruition. The closest we’ll get to more of The Office is The Paper, Peacock’s spinoff series. Speaking of The Paper….

How is The Paper connected to The Office?

The Paper is a spinoff/loose sequel to The Office. As explained in the show’s first episode, in 2019 Dunder Mifflin was sold to a toilet paper company called Enervate, which is headquartered in Toledo. The Scranton branch closed down for good, and their office is now the home of a small plastic surgery company. The documentary crew from The Office sets up shop in Toledo, where they focus on the Truth Teller, a small newspaper owned by Enervate. Oscar Martinez is a regular cast member, having accepted a job as one of Enervate’s accountants (evidently his senate bid didn’t work out).

In short, Dunder Mifflin was absorbed by Enervate, and Oscar stayed on as an accountant, and the show follows his new workplace. As of this writing, only the first season has aired, and Oscar is the only Office cast member to show up, aside from a Bob Vance cameo in the first episode. Oscar does talk to Stanley on the phone, but Stanley isn’t seen.

Where can I watch The Office?

If you want to watch The Office, then Peacock is your best bet. The NBCUniversal streaming service is home to both the UK and the US series. Peacock is also the streaming home for The Paper, and all The Office webisodes. As a bonus, they have The Office Superfan Episodes, which contain alternate talking heads, extended and deleted scenes, and in some cases, deleted storylines. That alone is worth the price of the Peacock subscription. Please note, the availability of The Office might change if streaming licenses expire and new deals are made, or if you’re in another region.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.