There’s quite a lot to hate about television these days, but a few things make up for it. First, there’s the sarcastic voyeurism of “The Soup.” And I know of no male between the ages of 18 and 40 who doesn’t appreciate bowling tournaments from 1986 being shown on “ESPN Classic.” But most of all, every week there’s a little slice of hope for the hopeless over on NBC.
When “The Office” first started on the peacock network in the spring of ’05, a lot of people were pissed. Fans of the original show (a huge hit in underground circles here as well as the U.K.) thought it was sacrilege, while fans of “Good Morning, Miami” wondered what ever happened to that show — and then were struck down with boils and leprosy for their sins. But a lot of folks didn’t care about either of those; they (meaning me) knew a great show when they (again, me) saw it.
Sure, you’ve got Steve Carell channeling the inner Child of the Corn and Rainn Wilson (whose Dwight makes the UK’s Gareth seem warm and fuzzy by comparison), as well as other assorted characters who have grown into their own as the show enters its fourth season this fall. But you have to admit, the real reason to watch is because of Jim and Pam.
Arguably the most subtle “will they or won’t they” in television history, the Jim-Pam story arc (“JAM”, to loyal viewers) is the heart of the show. It’s a heart that isn’t on the show’s proverbial sleeve, like Ross and Rachel on “Friends” or Sam and Diane from “Cheers.” The show’s writers and producers have done a great job of making it the underlying dynamic of everything that happens. But they don’t force it down our throats.
TV romance is never compelling once the couple hooks up, though. All the angst and uncertainty of two star-crossed lovers is lost when one invites the other to some coffee on an angst-free afternoon. But “The Office” is supposed to be a documentary of a paper-supply company in Scranton, Penn. As such, we get to avoid all the “heartwarming music” when Jim and Pam smile at one another, the “danger music” when her lunkish former fiancÈe Roy shows up, or the “gasp” of a live studio audience when one or the other tries to advance their relationship to something more than just “best friends in the office.” It’s more real than most other TV hook-ups because in real life, it’s rarely as bombastically dramatic. Sometimes it’s a simple look, a moment between two people, that says everything that no amount of trained monkeys banging away at the latest script for “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” or “The Drew Carey Show” can.
Of course, I admit that I’m a little biased; since the show started in March 2005, I’ve been a fan. And what keeps me tuning in every week as well as buying the DVDs of the first three seasons is this: Jim and Pam. Call me a sap, a sucker, for what the show does with these two. But I figure there’s enough bullcrap in this world to merit a little oasis of calm. Come for the funny stuff, but stick around for the best romance on TV in a long time.
