‘The Office’ Convention Takes Over Scranton

SCRANTON, PA. (October 29, 2007) – Andy Bernard, an overconfident paper salesman who will do anything to woo a lady, would have died for this kind of adulation.

Ed Helms, who plays the character on NBC’s cult hit “The Office,” said he felt like one of the Beatles — “We’re the Beatles in Scranton” were his precise words — when thousands of adoring fans descended on this northeastern Pennsylvania city over the weekend to celebrate their favorite TV show.

A remake of the acclaimed British series of the same name, “The Office” is shot in mock-documentary style and follows the exploits of an egomaniacal boss, Michael Scott (series star Steve Carell), and his quirky underlings at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin paper-supply company. The Emmy-winning show, in its fourth season, anchors NBC’s Thursday night lineup.

More than 3,000 tickets were sold for the inaugural “Office Convention,” the brainchild of local fans who wanted to showcase the city of about 75,000 residents. With several cast members making appearances, the convention drew fans from as far away as Australia, Ireland and Canada.

“I’ve never felt connected to a show like this. I’ve never fallen in love with the characters like I have on this show,” said Audrey Remington, 22, of Grand Rapids, Mich., who was attending with her mother.

Fans were instantly recognizable around town by their convention lanyards, Dunder Mifflin umbrellas and shopping totes filled with NBC swag. Many dressed like their favorite characters — “Office” lovebirds Jim and Pam were particularly well-represented — for a lookalike contest.

It was a weekend filled with inside jokes and appropriately ridiculous moments, like when cast member Angela Kinsey got into character and sternly told hundreds of fans at a pep rally, “Try not to be whorish this weekend.” (She plays Angela, a prim, uptight accountant.) Or when cast member Kate Flannery (Meredith) hopped up on stage with the Scrantones, the band that recorded the show’s theme music, for a slightly off-key rendition of “Pennsylvania Polka.”

In the University of Scranton gym, fans competed in the Office Olympics — officially, the Games of the 1st Dunder Mifflin Infinity Olympiad — a takeoff on a second-season episode in which the Scranton branch amuses itself with games like “Dunderball” while the boss is away. Winners got medals fashioned from yogurt lids, just like on the show.

The Games’ highlight: a bizarre contest called Flonkerton (allegedly an Icelandic sport), in which participants stuck their feet in empty paper boxes and slip-slided their way to the finish line.

“You want a wide stride,” advised contestant Theresa Black, 25, who grew up near Scranton but lives in Baltimore.

Part of the convention was washed out by soaking rains, though fans hardly cared. Hundreds patiently stood in line under a large white tent to get autographs and buy “Office” stuff, including Michael Scott Talking Bobble Heads, replica “Dundies” (small trophies handed out by Michael on the show), and T-shirts that read, “Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure.” (Don’t ask.)

Clutching two freshly purchased Dundies, Cindy Foss said she is “freakishly obsessed” with the show.

“I’m a huge fan of TV. I watch, like, everything. But very few shows would make me want to drive seven hours to see the cast,” said Foss, 24, of Toronto.

While most events were held on the university campus, executive producer Greg Daniels and his writing staff tooled around the city in a minivan, seeking inspiration and story ideas. They wound up at Nay Aug Park, where they marveled at a gigantic handicapped-accessible treehouse built by the city. (Look for it in a future episode.)

Daniels said it was “completely weird” to finally see the city that serves as the backdrop for the show, which is shot in Van Nuys, Calif. (A favorite sport among Scrantonians is to count the references to real-life places and things.)

“We’ve been imagining this town for five years. It’s been a very big part of our lives,” Daniels said. “It’s as if we’ve been reading the Oz books and then actually visited Emerald City.”