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1Here is WMG for ''The Office'' in general. Specific ones for ''WMG/TheOfficeUS'' and ''WMG/TheOfficeUK'' go in their respective pages.
2
3[[WMG: There are no cameramen. Employees are just extremely schizophrenic.]]
4Think about it. This is one of the only ways that can really explain how so many episodes are able to feature such intimate personal lives of the employees and the tons and tons of FridgeLogic revolving around the show.
5
6Dunder Mifflin was constructed under a toxic runoff, which has seeped into their water supply. This has led the entire cast to believe that there's an invisible camera person documenting their entire lives. This also explains why many outsiders like David, Holly and Erin never once question the fact that there would be a camera crew at a paper company: they just [[ObfuscatingStupidity secretly roll with it]].
7* {{Jossed}} in Michael Scott's last episode when he takes off his microphone.
8
9[[WMG: Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. is real.]]
10The Office is a reality TV show focused around the personnel. The format mirrors that of a reality TV show with its "confessions" and everybody being instructed not to "notice" the camera, although people often glance at it and occasionally directly reference it.
11* If this was true, then shouldn't Michael have been fired numerous times over by now? For that matter, almost everyone in the office would be unemployed.
12** Creed has '''way ''' more blackmail material than anyone wants to be public. And he gives pieces to other people to ensure it can't all be seized.
13** The producers of the show likely have some influence as well. Producers of {{reality TV}} always do.
14
15[[WMG: Both the British and the American series are in the same continuity.]]
16And eventually, Michael and David will have an all-out duel between each other.
17* Let's hope Dwight and Gareth face off.
18* Dunder Mifflin will be bought out by newly successful British paper company Wernham Hogg, and Tim will be the new VP/CFO/whatever.
19* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' takes place in the same universe as well. When all three shows crossover, there will be a three-way fistfight between David, Michael, and Leslie which will somehow end up with them all in a threesome together. Also Karen Filippelli and Ann Perkins will be revealed to be twins SeparatedAtBirth and they will pull a TwinSwitch, ''[[Film/TheParentTrap1961 Parent Trap]]'' style.
20* '''CONFIRMED!''': In "The Seminar" (7x14), Michael meets David in a lobby and they discuss acting techniques.
21** Also, after Michael leaves, David Brent makes a brief return as one of the candidates for Michael's old job.
22
23[[WMG: The cameraman is a Watcher or Watcher-like agent.]]
24To allow him to observe without intruding, although he has been reprimanded for occasionally interfering more than he should. He has the ability to be in multiple places at once, including in front of moving cars. He has the ability to pause time and instantly pull a person aside for a quick interview. We have not heard him speak, which strongly implies that he has telepathic powers; his not speaking limits his influence on those around him, which is why he was chosen. What his true purpose is and what he is seeking to learn is unknown at this time.
25
26[[WMG: The show is being broadcast in a foreign country.]]
27The "show" has been on the air for several years; yet none of the employees appear to have watched it. (The British version's Christmas special demonstrates that their subjects did.) Jim and Pam's relationship would have been obvious from the get-go; Creed would have been canned any number of times; and Micheal and Jan's secret trysts would have seen the light of day instantly. The (implied) language barrier would also contribute to people giving such honest "confessions" about people they work every day. It airs in Germany. Or Japan.
28
29The show could also be shown in Communist countries as a satire of Capitalism.
30
31[[WMG: In the Officeverse, the show has not yet been broadcast.]]
32The documentary crew is doing a long-term project, like "What will these people be doing in ten years?" This is why they show things outside the office, such as Toby in Costa Rica and Pam at art school.
33* Semi-confirmed, at least as far as Michael Scott's last year. He asked if they would ever start airing it.
34
35[[WMG: The production crew airs the show in a foreign country AND is paying off Dunder Mifflin considerably to continue filming.]]
36With all of the terrible examples of employee and company behavior captured on camera, its a wonder why anyone at DM would still allow it to be taped and broadcast... unless the company is getting something big for it. Being a struggling business in a dying industry, it keeps itself afloat by allowing its branches (largely Scranton) to be filmed for broadcast as a documentary in other countries in exchange for a continual amount of money
37
38This explains why the cameras are allowed in the boardrooms, events, and stockholder meetings of Dunder Mifflin, its all in the contract. It can't be aired in North America so the company's reputation can be protected and all employees have signed away the right to use the footage for any lawsuit. .
39
40[[WMG: The cameramen aren't a documentary crew at all]]
41They were originally hired by the company to get material to fire Michael Scott. Michael saw them, and they quickly made up the lie about being a documentary crew. The reason he hasn't been fired yet is that he's keeping the "crew" around all the time, and they haven't found any way to escape.
42* But one of them follows Pam to New York to film her at art school. One of them hops on a plane to Costa Rica to see Toby. One of them heads to Utica to talk to Karen before anyone even knows she's trying to hire Stanley. They even follow Michael after he ''leaves'' the company (briefly) to form The Michael Scott Paper Company.
43** Could be a way to stave off suspicion and still keep tabs on Micheal. Also to expand the theory Toby could see through the ruse and find this a wrong move of power and wants to keep Michael employed but is foiled unintentionally by Michael. If anything the other employes know this and secretly want Michael fired so they take no part in the Toby/Michael feud. They tell him their secrets because they know he'll spill the beans so they can have a reason to have him fired.
44
45[[WMG: The documentary we see is the director's cut, not the InUniverse broadcast version]]
46The documentary team signed all sorts of agreements that prohibit them from broadcasting any of the illegal, personal, or remotely interesting things happening in the office. The version of the show being broadcast in the Officeverse is a much more serious and boring documentary of office life. The version we see is put together by the documentary crew for their own enjoyment. This explains why none of the characters appear to have watched the show - the show they see has the relevant events cut out.
47
48[[WMG: Dunder Mifflin is the official paper supplier of all of Creator/{{NBC}}.]]
49Possibly the rest of GE as well.
50* And also the [[Series/ThirtyRock Sheinhardt Wig Company]].
51
52
53[[WMG: The camera crew has long since expired their stay, and they are only sticking around and filming because they personally are so curious about what goes on in the office. ]]
54Hey, it makes as much sense as anything else.
55
56[[WMG: The camera crew are shooting a [[StrawmanPolitical Political documentary]] that has failed to prove it's intended point.]]
57The intention of the project was to do a profile of a company that was hurt by the economic policies of the Bush and Blair Administrations. Dunder Mifflin Scranton and Wernham Hogg were picked due to both appearing to be mere months away from total collapse, thus fulfilling his goal of demonstrating that those policies were making things worse. The filmmaker is too proud to abandon the project and is collecting footage until the company does collapse and he can be proven right. The project is currently many millions over budget.
58
59
60
61[[WMG: The documentary was never meant to be aired.]]
62It's a class project for a local college, and is never broadcast at all. The crews have been there for so long because (from the assigning teacher's point of view) they keep getting great material and (from the company's point of view) Michael sees it as giving back. The crew sometimes follows people (e.g., Pam to New York) for extra credit. This also explains why they never film in the summer.
63
64[[WMG: The tapes aren't getting shown because they're blackmail.]]
65When the documentary crew started, they intended to get honest footage of how a paper company works. Dunder Mifflin happily went along to get their name out there, paying the documentary crew to film at the Scranton branch. However, both the documentary creators and the executives realized the massive amount of lawsuits and bad PR they'd be swimming in if the tapes got released. Dunder Mifflin pays the documentary crew to never release the tapes, and the crew keeps on filming so they have more to blackmail with. Sabre picked up the deal where Dunder Mifflin went off.
66
67[[WMG: The camera crew does not exist...]]
68...and is a product of David Brent's Walter Mitty-style attempts to compensate for the grey little failure that is his life. The vitriol he's subject to by other characters when he's not present is imagined by him as a manifestation of his self-loathing; he is in reality a moderately well-liked, if somewhat quiet and withdrawn, boss.
69
70[[WMG: Aliens.]]
71They are filmed by aliens.
72
73[[WMG: There is no reality show and it's not a documentary.]]
74The cast is just [[NoFourthWall aware]] they're TV characters.
75
76
77[[WMG: Two different sentient species share the Earth of The Office]]
78"The Cameras" are a second sentient species within the universe of The Office, they are human looking creatures who can record events exactly like a video camera does in our world. Their memories are flawless and can easily be converted from brain waves to video feed. They mostly work in the entertainment industry. Some people are more used to this creatures than others, when some characters seem to react more visibly to the presence of "the cameras", it actually means they are a variety of racist, or spesist that feels uncomfortable with these other species. Michael Scott, who thinks of himself as an entertainer, of course is the one that feels more comfortable with these "camera people". The main difference from our universe with that of The Office is that Reality Shows can last years, even entire generations, thanks to the fact that the "camera crew" is basically a single individual who is recording with his or her own eyes. In fact, the "camera people" may be a sub species of humans that are indistinguishable from us, which allows them to be present at events where actual camera crews could not be present, such as Michael's negotiations with Jan for a pay rise, Jan thought it was just a Dunder Miffling clerk, when it actually was one of the "camera people" who are working on The Office reality show, and had infiltrated Corporate to get juicier bits. As of the end of season 7, no "camera people" working on The Office reality show has infiltrated the Sabre Headquarters.
79People is mostly used to the notion that they can be being filmed at all times by the "camera people", and the notion of having to sign waivers to allow their image to be on film is non existent in The Office universe, that being the reason we never see people with blurred faces. The "camera people" may be required by law to reveal themselves as such when working, but they may not always do so, if it benefits the filming. Also, the "camera people" undergoes, since very young, a conditioning to actually see genitals and female nude breasts as pixelated patches, and to hear some swear words as beeping sounds.
80The Office reality show is of a format that is intended to be aired after some 10 to 15 years of material ha been recorded by "camera people", shows on that format are happening all over the place in that universe.
81
82[[WMG: The show takes place in an Orwellian alternate universe]]
83* Everybody in this universe knows that they're being monitored, and everybody knows it's not for the purpose of obtaining dirt or criminal evidence against people so much as evaluating the results of The Party's social engineering programs. Everyone, that is, except Michael Scott, who believes the SecretPolice when they tell him it's a reality show. ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' also takes place in this universe.
84
85[[WMG: Philip Halpert was conceived in the workplace.]]
86The episode "PDA" aired February 10, 2011. In that episode, Pam and Jim were trying to have sex in the office. Pam's last episode before going on maternity leave was "Gettysberg," which aired November 17, 2011. The math adds up.
87
88[[WMG: Andy became more likeable after season 3 because of the anger management seminar.]]
89He is nearly unlikeable prior to that seminar.
90
91[[WMG: Karen Filippelli is [[ActorAllusion Karen Scarfolli]].]]
92Considering the fact that she was a teenager in high school during ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'', which took place 1980-1981, Karen looks very good for her age.
93
94[[WMG: Company cars]]
95Inspired by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsMFQZa8os this real 1992 documentary]]. Wertham Hogg has a "user-chooser" policy but everyone just ends up with Vauxhall Astras anyway. Dunder Mifflin has an old Chrysler 200 assigned to the Scranton office as a pool vehicle - weirdly, registered in Indiana rather than Pennsylvania - but nobody uses it because they pay mileage reimbursements for company use of employees' personal cars in cash, and the interior always, always smells like day-old tuna salad.

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