Although “The Office” has been off the air since 2013, there were enough jokes and hidden details packed into the show’s nine season run to keep fans laughing for years to come. These easter eggs are just a few of the subtle ways the writers and cast members made a show about a paper company a comedy hit.
Dunder Mifflin’s Address Is a Nod to the Original Version of the Show
Dunder Mifflin’s address is 1725 Slough Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania. This is one of many references to the original British version of the show. In the UK, “The Office” took place in Slough, Berkshire and featured Ricky Gervais in the role Steve Carrell would become famous for portraying.
Dwight Grows Beets at His Desk
It’s not a secret that Dwight loves beets, his family even grows them on their farm. But, some sharp-eyed fans noticed that in later seasons of the show, there is a beet plant by the potted plants that are usually on the desk. There’s even a growing lamp above it!
Pam Uses Jim's Teapot for The Finer Things Club
The Christmas episode where Jim gifts Pam mementos of their relationship in a blue teapot is one of the sweetest moments of the series and a moment that cemented Jim and Pam’s relationship in pop culture history. The same teapot continues to make appearances throughout the show with Pam, Oscar and Toby at the Finer Things Club.
Jim Wears a Wig in Season Three
John Krasinski may regret Jim’s floppy hair in the early seasons of the show, but if his mop seemed strange later on, there’s a good reason for it. Krasinski had to cut his hair for a role in the film “Leatherheads,” which lead to him needing to wear a wig for six episodes in the third season.
Michael Scott Framed a Certificate of Authenticity
In many early episodes of “The Office” you can see a framed document above Michael’s desk. Anyone would reasonably assume that it’s a diploma. But upon further inspection, the frame actually holds a certificate of authenticity for a “Seyko” timepiece. Which means, at some point, Michael proudly bought a counterfeit Seiko watch.
David Wallace Also Has a World’s Best Boss Mug
If you thought that Michael Scott was the only boss who bought himself a world’s best boss mug, you’d be wrong. In the season two episode, “Valentine’s Day” the mug is visible. It has a noticeably different font than Michael’s, so we know for sure that it wasn’t taken from the break room.
Michael Uses His Own Brand of Salad Dressing
In a deleted scene from season four, Michael explains that he makes his own salad dressing by “mixing Newman’s Ranch with Newman’s Italian.” Even though this joke was cut from the episode, Michael’s salad dressing, complete with his face featured on the label, is still visible in the show.
The Dunder Mifflin Newsletter Has a Hidden Message From the Crew
In the fourth episode of the first season, viewers can catch a glimpse of an old Dunder Mifflin employee newsletter, which features a message from the crew. Instead of writing a newsletter to fit in the plot of the episode, they wrote a bit of gibberish and nonsense information including, “As anybody can easily tell, this newsletter doesn’t really have a lot to say.”
The Copier in the Utica Branch is Padlocked
When Michael visits the Utica branch in the episode titled "Lecture Circuit," the copier in their office is padlocked to the wall next to a sign that reads "Report any suspicious activity near the copier." The last time Michael was in Utica, he and Dwight tried to steal this copier.
Kevin Keeps Important Reminders by His Desk
If you catch a glimpse of the wall by Kevin’s desk in the accountants’ corner, you may see some fascinating tidbits of information. Who needs a reminder not to eat yellow snow? Perhaps the accountant who couldn’t figure out that four plus seven equals eleven.
Creed Wore Sweatpants to Work
Although he was wearing a tie and jacket, no one seemed to notice that in at least one episode, Creed wore sweat pants to work. He is the enigma of the office, so it isn’t surprising that many of his eccentricities go unnoticed by his coworkers and everyone watching the show.
Jim Signs Meredith’s Cast “John Krasinski”
Remember when Michael hit Meredith with his car and she got a cast on her pelvis? There is a scene in season four shortly afterwards when Meredith invites Jim to sign her cast and he does so, but not as Jim Halpert. Actor John Krasinski naturally signed his own name, forgetting that he was in character.
Jim’s Last Name Was Spelt Wrong at His Rehearsal Dinner
It took a long time for Jim and Pam to get together, so by the time they finally got engaged and planned their wedding, we assumed details would have been in order. But in the episode “Niagara Pt. 1,” their rehearsal dinner had many setbacks, not just including the typo in the room reservation.
Michael Kept His Broken TV On the Wall
After all hell broke loose when Michael and Jan broke up, Michael was left with a mini plasma TV shattered by a Dundie Award. In the episodes that follow, we can see that he didn’t even bother to take down the old set before buying a new one and placing it directly under the smashed one.
Stanley’s Resolution Reveals That He is Cheating On His Wife
When Pam made a resolution board, some of the goals on it ended up being more personal than others. Stanley’s simply reads, “Be a better husband and boyfriend.” Later in the show, there are plot lines about Stanley cheating on his wife, but this Post-it note was the first mention of it.
Dunder Mifflin Was Given an Award for “One Million Cut Trees”
If you look closely in the background of the set, you may notice a framed certificate from the “Rain Forest Harvesters Association” for Dunder Mifflin’s contribution to the harvesting of trees. It reads, “Whereas the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company has demonstrated excellence in the total disregard of the environment in its utilization of the vast resources of rain forests across the globe.”
Michael Ate the Tiramisu that Pam Threw Away
The episode “The Surplus” has a hidden storyline that may go unnoticed on your first watch. Jim brings back tiramisu from lunch as a peace offering to Pam, who rejects it by throwing it away. In a later scene we see Michael eating a piece of tiramisu at his desk. When Pam notices what he’s eating, her expression is priceless.
Michael Pours Sugar in His Soda
Michael constantly shows his love for sugar throughout the series. On pretzel day, he literally gets every sweet topping poured onto his pretzel as possible. But that is not to be outdone by the time he literally pours sugar into a can of soda in the break room.
Phyllis and Bob Vance’s Wedding Cake Had a Refrigerator Topper
Bob Vance of Bob Vance Refrigeration makes it well known what industry he is in every time he appears on screen. So, it comes as no surprise that even his wedding would include many references to his career in refrigeration. Aside from the cake topper, a separate small refrigerator cake is also on the buffet at the wedding.
Palm Trees Are Visible Outside of Dunder Mifflin
The crew did a great job making the audience forget that the show wasn’t actually filmed in Pennsylvania, except when it came to one episode when a palm tree is in the shot. Most of the show was filmed in Van Nuys, California; specifically on Saticoy Street. The name Saticoy appears in the show as the name of Charles Miner’s previous employer.
There Was a Fake Meredith In The Pilot
In the pilot of the show, a different red haired woman sat in the seat where Meredith usually works. The pilot featured many other unnamed extras in the workspace, but by the second episode, they were gone and replaced by the characters we know and love.
Creed’s Fake Name Was the Actor’s Real Name
In a season four episode, Creed explained that whenever he gets into financial trouble, he transfers his debt to a man named “William Charles Schneider.” It turns out that, as diehard fans might know, that is the actor’s real name. The passport with that name on it shown in another episode is Schneider’s actual passport.
Michael Celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with an Italian Flag
To be fair, the Italian flag is pretty similar to the Irish flag, but that wasn’t enough to make Michael’s obvious mistake go unnoticed. The Italian flag is green, white and red while the Irish flag is green, white and orange. But getting the details right is hard when you’re decorating an office on short notice, as the party planning committee would know.
The Highlighted Paper in the Opening Credits is a Production Document
The paper that's being highlighted in the opening credits is actually a Los Angeles Department of City Planning document. It was one of many forms that the crew had to fill out before filming of the show could start. This specific document had to do with the use of one of the filming locations.
Water in the Cooler Was Dyed Green for St. Patrick’s Day
Dunder Mifflin's St. Patrick's Day celebrations were more festive than you realized. In one episode, the water in the cooler behind Stanley is dyed a bright green for the holiday. It’s anyone’s guess who colored the water, but knowing his love for the holiday, it was probably Michael.