How Steve Jobs Made The Office Part Of iPhone History
Despite the fact it's been several years since Dunder Mifflin Scranton closed its doors, "The Office" is still a go-to binge session for fans of the series that boosted the careers of Steve Carell and John Krasinski (who themselves are to reunite on a new project). Even back in 2020, the show was hammering other fresh competition and was the most-streamed series of the entire year, accumulating over an incredible 57 billion hours (via NME) of viewing.
Understandable, really. Now in what feels like a peak period of binge culture, fans of the Emmy-winning sitcom would revisit the nine-season show (give or take an episode skip) on so many different platforms. On the move or at home, it's no wonder the series that gave us Big Tuna and the anxiety-inducing "Scott's Tots" has been revisited so often. But in the groundbreaking mockumentary that so many others followed, there's one viewing landmark that no other show could match, simply because it was the first in history to be viewed on a certain device that would prove to be a game-changer in its industry.
The Office was the first show to be viewed at the first-ever iPhone presentation
In 2007, Apple founder and technological pioneer Steve Jobs launched a groundbreaking product that would change the world forever. Revealing the first iPhone to the world, Jobs demonstrated just what his fancy new gadget was capable of, even going as far as to play (brace yourself) actual clips from TV shows and movies. Regarding his choice of viewing, he settled for the seventh episode of "The Office" Season 3, "Branch Closing," wowing fans and giving us all a good laugh courtesy of Future Dwight.
After playing a brief clip from that episode of "The Office" and quickly teasing the iPhone's touchscreen interface, Jobs showcased an excerpt from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," talking attendees through some of the device's other features while doing so.
Jobs' decision to show off a clip from "Branch Closing" made sense, as it included what was arguably one of the best pranks Jim ever pulled on his frenemy, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). The first-ever iPhone wowed audiences the world over, though it's strange to think that an innovative app from 2007 is now a regular go-to spot for any fan of "The Office" who wants to head back to their favorite paper company — or anyone who wants to rewatch anything, for that matter. Of course, it still can't match the incredible reveal of Sabre's Pyramid, but then again, what can, really?