How Game of Thrones inspired long term story arcs in The Office

Game of Thrones was the biggest TV show of the 21st century, and it has inspired a lot of shows, games and movies. There’s a reason why every TV show that shines a bit brighter than the others and shows promise is being compared with HBO’s epic fantasy. It set the bar for quality TV series really high. The Office is one of the most popular sitcoms that was produced in the last decade. And Game of Thrones had an important role to play in many of its storylines.

Brian Baumgartner played Kevin Malone in the NBC comedy series The Office. During one interview, the actor uncovered how the Game of Thrones series inspired The Office.

During a chat with Baumgartner on The Office Deep Dive, writer, director, and producer Brent Forrester explains how Game of Thrones played a role in the story arcs The Office features. “I remember Greg [Daniels] figured out TV shows should have arcs before anybody did,” says Forrester. He explains how, historically, television shows would tell a singular story in an episode. “You could tune in whenever a show came on, especially in syndication, and know what was happening.”

“Greg recognized that arcing out was the new way of doing things — he was reading Game of Thrones,” Forrester adds. “When Daniels saw Game of Thrones on HBO and realized the production benefitted from know where the story would go long term, he started applying that methodology to The Office.”

Have you ever noticed any similarities between The Office and Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments below!