It has been nearly two decades since the workplace mockumentary "The Office" first set an episode inside a Chili's, where Michael Scott handed out Dundie awards to his ever-tolerant employees, including trophies for the whitest sneakers and for stinking up the bathroom.
Over nine seasons, "The Office" regularly name-dropped real places and products associated with Scranton, where the Emmy-winning show was set. There's the big pirate ship restaurant known as Cooper's Seafood House and Poor Richard's Pub inside a bowling alley. But in 2005, there was no Chili's in the Pennsylvania city.
An Chili's restaurant under construction is seen in Dickson City, Pa., Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
So, at last, the chain is filling a hole in Office lore by opening a Chili's in Dickson City, about 6 miles north of Scranton.
New Chili's, old look
The restaurant will be decorated as it would have been in the mid-2000s with old signs and chalkboard art. It will also feature direct nods to the show's fictitious paper company, Dunder Mifflin. In one episode, Scott, played by Steve Carell, orders an awesome blossom 鈥 a deep-fried onion with a cheese dipping sauce 鈥 while trying to win a new client over lunch at Chili's. That item, long struck from the Chili's menu nationwide, is being reintroduced in the Scranton-area restaurant only.
People are also reading…
The new Chili's will open April 7, when a "Scranton marg" will be available nationwide for the day.
This undated photo provided by Chili's, shows actors Brian Baumgartner, left, who played Kevin Malone, and Kate Flannery, who played Meredith Palmer in the TV series "The Office," posing in a soon-to-be opened Chili's in Dickson City, Pa. (Ben Rosenzweig, Chili's via AP)
Two Office actors are appearing in commercials for the restaurant: Brian Baumgartner, who played the dimwitted accountant Kevin Malone; and Kate Flannery, whose character Meredith Palmer was a party-loving divorced mother working in supplier relations. Other actors, including Melora Hardin, Andy Buckley and Amy Pietz, also feature in a promotional video.
"It seems like a wrong was righted here at around the 20th anniversary of the show to finally have a Scranton branch of Chili's," Baumgartner told The Associated Press.
'Beauty in ordinary things'
A mural of Dwight Schrute is seen in Scranton, Pa., Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Decades ago, when word got out that an American version of the British show "The Office" would center on Scranton, some locals feared their hometown would be the butt of the joke. The Rust Belt town had its heyday generations earlier with anthracite coal mining and steam trains.
The show wound up celebrating Scranton and the characters, not poking fun at them, Baumgartner said.
Flannery, who is from Philadelphia, said she's happy "The Office" helped to reinforce local pride in the city. Scranton has hosted large Office parties, including one that drew many cast members and some 10,000 people around the 2013 series finale. Streaming services have boosted the show's popularity.
"It's kind of like what Pam Beesly says in the last episode: there's beauty in ordinary things. And Scranton can feel ordinary to some people," Flannery told the AP. "But it's really special. It really is."
The show banked on residents and businesses to donate Scranton swag, and gave shout-outs to local landmarks. John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert, filmed scenes for the opening montage in Scranton, making the city's Penn Paper tower recognizable around the world. The "Scranton welcomes you" sign from Krasinski's footage was moved to a downtown mall because people kept stopping on a highway to take photos.
Pennsylvania Paper and Supply Company is seen in Scranton, Pa., Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
'I feel God in this Chili's tonight'
For Chili's, building a themed eatery that is expected to draw tourists isn't the normal course of business, said George Felix, Chili's chief marketing officer. In 2005, the nearest Chili's was about 19 miles away from Scranton. It has since closed.
"Given the ties that this brand has to Scranton, this one was definitely special for us," Felix told the AP.
Baumgartner, who analyzed the show in a podcast and book, said the new Chili's calls back to a crucial episode 鈥 The Dundies 鈥 that kicked off Season 2, Baumgartner said.
This undated image released by Chili's shows actors Andy Buckley, from left, Melora Hardin and Amy Pietz, who appeared in the TV series "The Office," posing at a soon-to-be opened Chili's in Dickson City, Pa. (Chili's via AP)
"We were a failing show, quite frankly, with really bad ratings that first season and barely got brought back for a second," Baumgartner said. "But some tonal things were changed. We decided to open that second season with kind of a bang, and left the office for the first time."
In that episode, Pam Beesly, played by Jenna Fischer, won the "whitest sneakers" Dundie and declared tipsily, "I feel God in this Chili's tonight." Pam was subsequently banned from Chili's nationwide for stealing people's drinks. In 2017, Chili's pardoned the character, saying she was welcome back.
"It's going to feel like they're actually on the show because it's going to look exactly the same," Flannery said of the Scranton-area Chili's. "So it's like a fan destination. It's kind of awesome."
Best sitcoms of the 2000s
Best sitcoms of the 2000s
TV from the 鈥00s is making a comeback. We鈥檝e seen this with the craze surrounding HBO Max鈥檚 long-awaited 鈥淔riends鈥 reunion; with Hulu announcing its 鈥淗ow I Met Your Mother鈥 sequel, the not very originally titled 鈥淗ow I Met Your Father鈥; and with Peacock debuting extended cuts of episodes of 鈥淭he Office鈥 on its streaming platform. It seems, two decades later, we aren鈥檛 quite ready to give up the stories that dominated our screens way back when.
In honor of the renewed interest in these timeless shows, we鈥檝e rounded up some of the era鈥檚 best sitcoms. compiled data on all sitcoms from 2000鈥2009 and ranked them according to user rating, with ties broken by votes. To qualify, the show had to have at least 2,500 votes. While not all the shows on our list are U.S. productions, only English-language shows were considered.
From well-known favorites like 鈥淭he Big Bang Theory鈥 to more obscure titles like 鈥淓xtras,鈥 reading through this list is sure to spark some intense nostalgia. The good news? Many of these shows are still available on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, meaning a binge-watch is just a click or two away.
You may also like:
#25. The Big Bang Theory
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Years on the air: 2007鈥2019
A group of socially awkward scientists and their classically beautiful neighbor are the focus of CBS鈥 12-season comedy 鈥淭he Big Bang Theory.鈥 Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who also served as the head writers, the series was nominated for 52 Emmy Awards over the course of its run. As of 2021, it remains the and is the only show to have lent its name to a UCLA scholarship, as well as a bee and jellyfish species.
#24. Better Off Ted
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2010
鈥淏etter Off Ted鈥 is a satirical workplace comedy that follows a manager at a soulless science company who desperately tries to keep his underlings in line. The show for its crisp writing, witty humor, and timely storylines, but never managed to attract a big enough audience to keep it on-air. The show was canceled after just two seasons, and Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders, et al. moved on to other projects.
#23. Party Down
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2010
Another show that only got two seasons before being canceled, 鈥淧arty Down鈥 follows a group of actors who move to L.A. hoping for a big break, but wind up working as caterers. As with 鈥淏etter Off Ted,鈥 the series did well with critics, but low Nielsen ratings as well as the loss of Adam Scott to 鈥淧arks and Recreation鈥 and Jane Lynch to 鈥淕lee鈥 meant that it didn鈥檛 stay on the air for very long. However, in 2021, it was announced that the Starz series with the original creators leading the development.
#22. The League
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2015
鈥淭he League,鈥 a semi-improvisational comedy about an old group of friends who create their own fantasy football league, is vulgar, hilarious, and chock-full of well-known guest stars like Seth Rogen and Snoop Dogg. Over seven seasons, the series developed a devoted fanbase, whose regular use of its made-up catchphrases like 鈥渟hiva blast鈥 and 鈥渇orever unclean鈥 cemented them as a part of our shared cultural lexicon.
#21. 30 Rock
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Years on the air: 2006鈥2013
Tina Fey is the mastermind behind 鈥30 Rock,鈥 a satirical comedy that鈥檚 loosely based on her experiences writing for 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥 In the series, Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer for an NBC sketch show who is tasked with turning another late-night comedy around, reigning in its unpredictable star, and pleasing the difficult studio heads. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the Writers Guild of America West not only featured 鈥30 Rock鈥 on its 鈥溾 list (at #21) but it was also nominated for a whopping 103 Emmy Awards over the course of its run.
You may also like:
#20. Extras
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Years on the air: 2005鈥2007
Shot in a more traditional style than Ricky Gervais鈥 other big hit, 鈥淭he Office,鈥 鈥淓xtras鈥 follows a down-on-his-luck actor who鈥檚 desperately trying to elevate his career from background actor to bona fide star. The show, which was a co-production of the BBC and HBO, was praised for its freshness during its first season but was said to have聽 during the second.聽
#19. Scrubs
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Years on the air: 2001鈥2010
鈥淪crubs,鈥 for the uninitiated, is like a comedic version of 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 in that it follows a group of would-be doctors and nurses as they climb up the ranks at Sacred Heart Hospital. Die-hard fans of the series only claim the first eight seasons鈥攚hich featured core cast members Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes鈥攚hile the ninth season, which features an entirely different setting, storyline, and largely different cast, is merely an afterthought.聽
#18. How I Met Your Mother
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Years on the air: 2005鈥2014
Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, and Jason Segel led the cast of 鈥淗ow I Met Your Mother,鈥 a sitcom about a group of friends living in New York City. The show鈥檚 framing device鈥攁n older Ted telling his two kids the meandering story of how he met their mother鈥攎ade the series a standout from the crowd and earned it a handful of Emmy nominations.聽
#17. The Boondocks
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Years on the air: 2005鈥2014
鈥溾 is a sitcom adaptation of a comic strip by Aaron McGruder about a Black family living in an upper-crust white suburb. Equal parts side-splittingly funny and harshly critical of modern-day culture, the show only got four seasons over its 11-year run because of McGruder鈥檚 slow production pace. It was his refusal to move faster that eventually led to the property鈥檚 creator to split ways with Adult Swim before the final season began.聽
#16. The Inbetweeners
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Years on the air: 2008鈥2010
A British sitcom about four teenage boys trapped in suburbia, 鈥淭he Inbetweeners鈥 is all about making the best of boredom and the friendships that define our lives. Often compared to 鈥淪kins,鈥 the show has been overlooked by many international viewers, which is unfortunate because, , the show鈥檚 鈥減ortrayal of dull suburbia is closer [than 鈥楽kins鈥橾 to the drab teen years most of us spent, rather than the decadent time we wished we spent.鈥
You may also like:
#15. Modern Family
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2020
Although 鈥淢odern Family鈥澛爁inished in 2020, it never lost that early 鈥00s feel that so defined its first season. The show follows the Dunphy family, a group related as much by love as they are by blood, who remain united despite their many, many differences. Over the course of its 11 mockumentary-style seasons, the series took home 22 Emmy awards, including five for Outstanding Comedy Series, and has remained ABC鈥檚 longest-running comedy series.
#14. Coupling
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2000鈥2004
Often compared to 鈥90s sitcoms like 鈥淔riends鈥 and 鈥淪einfeld,鈥 鈥淐oupling鈥 is a BBC series about the dating and sex lives of six friends. The show was loosely based on the relationship between the series鈥 writer, Steven Moffat, and his wife, producer Sue Vertue鈥攐r rather what it would have been if they had met a decade earlier. It was so popular that American and Greek adaptations existed briefly, although neither were as successful as the original.
#13. Black Books
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2000鈥2004
Bernard Black, owner and proprietor of the Black Books bookshop, is more interested in reading his wares and drinking wine than he is in serving customers. His prickly nature leads to difficulties maintaining relationships with his sole friend, Fran, who owns the shop next door, and his new employee, Manny. The trio鈥檚 misadventures are the focus of the British sitcom 鈥淏lack Books,鈥 which won two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy over its three-season run.
#12. Flight of the Conchords
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2007鈥2009
鈥淔light of the Conchords鈥 is one of those twisty sitcoms that blends fiction with fact to such a degree that it becomes hard to separate the two. The HBO series follows fictionalized versions of the two members of the real-life New Zealand band Flight of the Conchords as they move to NYC and seek fame on this side of the pond. Each episode of the show features one or more of the band鈥檚 songs, which are often used as a vehicle to move the plot along.
#11. The Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2001鈥2003
Although the American version of 鈥淭he Office鈥 far surpassed its progenitor in popularity, the original BBC series still has a devoted circle of fans. As Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant鈥檚 first collaboration, the show popularized the mockumentary style that we see in so many of the other series on this list. And despite lasting only two seasons, it still managed to win an impressive number of awards.
You may also like:
#10. The IT Crowd
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2006鈥2013
Hot on the heels of the success of 鈥淭he Office鈥 came 鈥淭he IT Crowd,鈥 another series about the comical trivialities of a mundane workplace鈥攖his time at the fictional Reynholm Industries. Chris O鈥橠owd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, and Matt Berry starred in the British comedy, and it was their performances that earned the show its critical acclaim and cult following.
#9. Community
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2015
鈥淐ommunity鈥 creator Dan Harmon based this NBC show鈥攁bout a lawyer who enrolls in a community college after it鈥檚 uncovered that he faked his bachelor鈥檚 degree鈥攐n his own experiences of attending community college. The all-star cast, which includes Joel McHale, Donald Glover, and Ken Jeong, often shared the screen with notable guest stars like Betty White and Jack Black. Die-hard fans of the show, of which there are many, are still holding out hope that a feature-length film based on 鈥淐ommunity鈥 will make its way to theaters.
#8. Peep Show
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Years on the air: 2003鈥2015
The longest-running British sitcom on our list is 鈥淧eep Show,鈥 a series about Mark and Jez, two twentysomething roommates who have little in common except for the chaos that dominates their lives. The series focuses on that ordinary pain many of us feel, the kind that stems from compromise and a failure to learn from our mistakes, but in a more comedic than depressing way. Unsurprisingly, given its themes, it didn鈥檛 earn tons of viewers in its initial run but has since established itself as a cult classic.
#7. Archer
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Years on the air: 2009鈥損resent
Animated sitcom聽鈥淎rcher鈥 is聽about an international spy named Sterling Archer, the missions he鈥檚 sent on, and the various relationships he has to navigate in his line of work, including one with his domineering boss of a mother and another with his fellow agent ex-girlfriend. Created by Adam Reed for FX, the show is known for its meta-comedy, fast-paced dialogue, and frequent pop culture references.
#6. Parks and Recreation
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Years on the air: 2009鈥2020
鈥淧arks and Recreation鈥 and the American version of 鈥淭he Office鈥 are often compared to one another, and for good reason. Both are mockumentary workplace comedies created by Greg Daniels that place an emphasis on awkward humor, while still managing to remain endearing and easy to watch. In this particular series, the action is centered around the employees of the parks department in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. While the show wrapped in 2015, the cast for specials benefitting COVID-19 relief funds and the Democratic Party.
You may also like:
#5. The Thick of It
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Years on the air: 2005鈥2012
Often described as a 21st-century answer to 鈥淵es Minister,鈥 鈥淭he Thick of It鈥 is a BBC comedy about the inner workings of the British government. Created by Armando Iannucci (the mastermind behind 鈥淰eep鈥), the show spawned an Oscar-nominated film, 鈥淚n the Loop,鈥 introduced us to the word 鈥渙mnishambles,鈥 and consistently ranks as one of the best sitcoms to ever come out of Britain.
#4. Curb Your Enthusiasm
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Years on the air: 2000鈥損resent
Larry David, co-creator of 鈥淪einfeld,鈥 acts as writer, producer, and star of 鈥淐urb Your Enthusiasm,鈥 another series about the humor we find in the minutiae of everyday life. As with 鈥淪einfeld,鈥 many of the show鈥檚 characters are fictionalized versions of themselves or of people in David鈥檚 personal life. As of 2021, the series, which is largely improvised by the actors with only a general plot established ahead of time, won two of the 47 Emmy Awards for which it has been nominated.
#3. Arrested Development
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Years on the air: 2003鈥2019
鈥淎rrested Development,鈥 a show about the formerly wealthy and currently dysfunctional Bluth family, has had two lives: One as a scarcely watched series on Fox and another as a top-streamed favorite on Netflix. The sitcom, which stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter, and Ron Howard (as narrator), underperformed on live TV but gained such a massive following after its cancellation that Netflix revived it for two seasons half a decade later. Its unique style is credited with inspiring other successful series like 鈥30 Rock鈥 and 鈥淐ommunity.鈥
#2. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Years on the air: 2005鈥損resent
Paddy鈥檚 Pub, an Irish bar in South Philly, serves as the background for much of the action on 鈥淚t鈥檚 Always Sunny in Philadelphia.鈥 The FX original trails a group of narcissistic best friends (played by Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day) who often find themselves in wild situations. The show鈥檚 style of comedy can best be described as vulgar and slapstick and includes lots of physical gags.
#1. The Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.9
- Years on the air: 2005鈥2013
Finally, we have 鈥淭he Office,鈥 the highest-rated sitcom to come out of the 鈥00s. Based on the BBC original, the American version is set at a mid-sized paper company called Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Adapted for U.S. audiences by Greg Daniels, the award-winning series鈥 ensemble cast includes big names like Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Ed Helms. The show was so popular that Rolling Stone included the mockumentary style series on its 鈥100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time鈥 list and it even earned the accolade of being the .
You may also like:
