Every generation has a television show that forever changes the pop culture landscape. In the 1980s, it was the feel-good presentation of Cheers; in the 1990s, it was the hilariously mundane atmosphere of Seinfeld. And in the 2000s, it was the tongue-in-cheek narrative depicted in The Office quite possibly the most beloved comedy series of the 21st century thus far.Breaking every sitcom rule in the book, The Office humorously explored the day-to-day operation of an average corporate workplace, accomplishing a feat no other American TV show had yet accomplished: establishing the run-of-mill office as a bold and exciting setting for a mainstream sitcom. Based on Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervaiss 2001 BBC comedy, the American iteration of The Office soon found a life of its own with the arrival of its second season. Distancing itself from the drier tone of its British predecessor, The Office instead embraced its deadpan comedic style and the obvious eccentricities of its lead characters, from the lovable absentmindedness of branch manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) to the rural aloofness of veteran salesman Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson).While everyone recognizes the numerous accomplishments prevalent through The Offices nine-season run on NBC, one notable reason for the series success has to do with its mockumentary format first and foremost. Just as the original series helped redefine what TV mockumentaries could look like for modern television, the U.S. version of The Office proved the imminent potential for mockumentaries centered around every block of American life, from small-town politics and inner-city school systems to underfunded hospitals and upper-middle class suburbia.As the series celebrates its historic 20th anniversary, we wanted to take a look at exactly how The Office changed the television medium, not just in terms of its iconic quotes (Thats what she said!) but more specifically in terms of its immediate influence on the TV landscape.How The Office (U.K.) Revitalized the Mockumentary GenreBefore the start of the new millenia, mockumentaries were something of a novelty for mainstream viewers, with few directors (and even fewer TV showrunners) utilizing the format for their overarching narrative structure. Rather, the genre remained synonymous with offbeat directors known for their irreverent comedic background, as seen with filmmakers like Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner and their work on films like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and perhaps most famously 1984s This Is Spinal Tap.Traditionally, mockumentaries were often reserved for an off-brand setting or subject matter, focusing on otherwise surreal topics in the course of their main storylines. Throughout the late 20th century, audiences saw mockumentaries specifically centered around cutthroat beauty pageants (Drop Dead Gorgeous), temperamental serial killers (Man Bites Dog), and far-right American politics (Bob Roberts). No matter their differences or specific comedic styles, almost every mockumentary tackled subjects considered otherwise easy targets, with most filmmakers seldom looking to relatable topics for their narrative premise.In 2001, all of that changed with the debut of BBC Twos The Office. Setting the stage for a dramatic resurgence for the mockumentary genre, Merchant and Gervais illustrated mockumentaries clear promise on primetime TV. More than that, though, the two proved you didnt need to focus on outlandish concepts for the sake of a remarkable comedy series. Conversely, you can choose to explore everyday topics people could easily understand and relate to such as the daily lives of low-level office employees.Though a mere two seasons long, The Office captured every facet of life in an average workplace, from the rigid boredom most employees experience throughout the day to the often awkward nature of interoffice relationships. Drawing on the same sense of humor as This Is Spinal Tap or Waiting for Guffman, Gervais and Merchant managed to revolutionize cringe-comedy for the 2000s, thanks in large part to their unflinching look at daily office life, warts and all.When it came time for NBCs remake of The Office, the American showrunners brought that same sense of humor across the Atlantic, changing very little about the series underlying narrative, setting, or characterization. Beginning with season 2, however, the American version of The Office gradually embraced its key differences that separated itself from the original, allowing it to grow, expand, and transform into the cultural juggernaut it eventually became by the end of the decade.How The Office (U.S.) Popularized Mockumentaries For Contemporary AudiencesWith each new season, NBCs The Office seemed to gain more confidence in its comedic timing and subjects, ushering in one of the most influential, well-written, ceaselessly quotable sitcoms of the 2000s. On the surface, one can look to The Offices satirical treatment of its setting (the Scranton-based paper company, Dunder Mifflin) as the primary reason for the series success. But viewers shouldnt ignore how closely tied The Offices success is to the mockumentary format itself.Like the British version of The Office, the American remake ingeniously inverted the basic tropes of the mockumentary, taking an otherwise unassuming setting and presenting it in a comically straightforward manner. By doing so, The Office relied on sharp writing, relatable characters, and altogether approachable episodic storylines, standing in clear contrast to the high-concept plots of most mockumentary films. Through this, the show truly explored every facet of its mockumentary presentation, providing an intensive look at a corporate workplace most Americans had an in-depth knowledge of.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!While The Office did poke an endless amount of jokes at the frustration, boredom, and tedious nature of life in white-collar establishments, it never did so maliciously as with, say, Office Space. Instead of underscoring the soul-crushing hopelessness of a corporate environment, The Office made a habit of portraying its subject matter as it was, free from any pointed comments or sobering satirical observations. If the end of The Office is any indication, the series excelled at showing the various joys and frustrations that come with an ordinary office environment. As The Office routinely illustrated, yes, characters could run afoul of their employers or grapple with the stress and uncertainty of company-wide layoffs. But they can also establish friendships and relationships with their coworkers that could last a lifetime. (Or, as Scrantons shadiest employee Creed Bratton so poetically put it, No matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift of making that place their home.)Its this factor above all else that makes The Office so unique, as well as why its mockumentary presentation is so important. Just as Cheers showed that you didnt necessarily need to base a sitcom around a dysfunctional family like the Bradys or the Bunkers, The Office used its mockumentary approach to explore a relatable part of most peoples existence: e.g., life inside in an innocuous office setting.It was a blessedly simple albeit extraordinarily important lesson that impacted the entire television medium in the years ahead. Throughout the remainder of the decade and well into the 2010s and 20s, numerous showrunners would look to the mockumentary genre as the basis for their own TV series. While each of these series came equipped with a distinct style of comedy, they nevertheless looked to equally understandable aspects of everyday life in modern America. Parks and Recreation, for example, looked to the small-town machinations of local government departments. Likewise, Modern Family offered an introspective look at the changing nature of suburban middle-class households, as seen through the alternating perspectives of same-sex, blended, and traditional nuclear families.While the golden age of mockumentaries may have ended sometime in the 2010s, the format still seems to be going relatively strong with newer series like Abbott Elementary and St. Denis Medical. And while each series certainly possesses its own specific style, characters, and mode of storytelling, each owes an overwhelming debt of gratitude to The Office and the trailblazing presentation of the shows narrative.