The Office has been off the air for more than seven years now, but in many ways it seems like NBC’s hit is currently more popular than it ever was before. It’s one of Netflix’s biggest hits, reruns are constantly airing on cable, and Office-related memes are in every corner of the internet. However — this may be hard to believe, fellow lover of comedic television — there is life beyond The Office.
It’s OK to watch something other than Kevin spill a big bowl of chili for the 136th time, which is why we’ve compiled this list of shows that will help you ween yourself off The Office by expanding your TV watching just beyond Scranton. Some share the mockumentary format, some are great workplace comedies, and some feature the creative minds behind The Office. And because you’ve already scoured the internet for more shows like The Office, we’ve left the obvious picks off this list — there’s no Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, The Office (U.K.); they’re great and you’ve watched them already — and searched deeper for other shows you maybe haven’t seen.
Looking for more recommendations of what to watch next? We have a ton of them! We also have recommendations for the best stand-up specials on Netflix and best comedy shows to binge-watch in a weekend.
Space Force
Where to watch: Netflix
Steve Carell, Space Force
If it’s more of The Office you’re looking for, then how about another show with Steve Carell and created by Greg Daniels? Netflix’s comedy stars Carell as the head of Space Force, the new branch of the Armed Forces that’s the laughingstock of the Army, Navy, and Marines. It’s a spoof of our own incompetent government, with Carell feeling the heat from POTUS to get America back on the moon ASAP while his science advisor (John Malkovich) frustratedly explains how that’s not possible. Warning: Reaction to the series has been mixed so far; some fans love it while critics mostly roasted it. Also, though Carell plays a bad boss, it’s not exactly The Office in space.
The IT Crowd
Where to watch: Netflix
Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, and Katherine Parkinson, The I.T. Crowd
The Office may be the best crowd-pleasing workplace comedy ever, but The IT Crowd is a close second when it comes to showing the humdrum life of an office drone trapped in a corporation that only hires buffoons. The series stars Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, and Katherine Parkinson as the IT team of a corporation that does, uhhh, well, we don’t know what exactly, because it doesn’t really matter. All that really matters is it’s a perfect mash-up of The Office‘s coworker comedy and The Big Bang Theory‘s nerd culture, making it a hilarious combo of British alt-comedy and mainstream appeal.
Corporate
Where to watch: Comedy Central
Matt Ingebretson, Jake Weisman; Corporate
The Office‘s focus on workplace absurdity and budding coworker friendships has made it a classic for everyone, but if you’re sick of your job and looking for the workplace absurdity slathered with a dose of soul-sucking satire, Corporate might hit home a little too hard, and have you doubling over at the same time. The vastly underrated Comedy Central show looks at life through a corporate-approved prism of strict email regulations, acceptable interoffice behavior, and social lives burdened with the fear that another Monday is just around the corner. There’s no Jim and Pam hanky-panky here; it’s just the empty, Nihilistic, and hilarious lives of the workforce.
Better Off Ted
Where to watch: Hulu
Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi, Better Off Ted
Another overlooked workplace comedy, ABC’s Better Off Ted lasted only two seasons from 2009-2010 because people are dumb and don’t know a good thing when they get it. A direct answer to the growing popularity of The Office, the comedy followed the employees of a mysterious, evil corporation that does everything from sway presidential elections to build military-grade weapons out of gourds, and their friendships in the shadow of corporate oversight. The show’s protagonist, Ted (Jay Harrington), even pulls a few Jims by breaking the fourth wall and looking into the camera to talk to the audience. Better Off Ted was appreciated by critics, but not by viewers, who didn’t watch it because it was opposite NCIS and American Idol, which were Top 5 shows at the time.
What We Do in the Shadows
Where to watch: Hulu
Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, and Matt Berry, What We Do in the Shadows
If it’s straight mockumentary comedy you’re after, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows is the current king of the format. The vampire parody has nothing to do with office work, unless you consider coffins to be cubicles and the Johnson account to be Johnson’s arteries, but it still uses the format well with confessionals, absurd access to its subjects, and a camera crew that occasionally makes an appearance when they’re getting attacked inside a vampire nest. But like The Office, the real draw here is the cast and the character relationships, so who are we to say that drinking the blood of virgins and turning into bats isn’t as important or relatable as selling paper?
Borderline
Where to watch: Netflix
Borderline
Borderline might be more like The Office than The Office is like The Office. The mockumentary follows workers at an airport, with all the shaky cams and confessionals of NBC’s hit, as they sort of do their jobs but mostly just get on each other’s nerves. There’s even a Jim-Pam thing going on between two of the employees! Though some parts of The Office were improvised, Borderline takes that a step further by bring mostly improv, with the actors — including a pre-fame Guz Khan as a disgruntled baggage handler — following an outline and adding their own flourishes to their characters. The comedy has aired two seasons so far, the most recent airing in 2017, but it hasn’t officially been canceled yet.
Superstore
Where to watch: Hulu
Superstore
The Office‘s formula of a workplace with unique and nutty coworkers was clearly the influence for Superstore, another NBC comedy that’s a lot better than ratings give it credit for. Swapping out a paper sales company for a big-box store called Cloud 9, Superstore has a slightly different feel because of the retail experience, which leads to great gags. But again, it’s the relationships between the characters, particularly between Amy (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman), whose romance has evolved five (and counting) seasons.
The Office is now available on Netflix.