TEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE OFFICE

I used to love television comedies like "The Jack Benny Show", "Seinfeld", and "Scrubs", but I want to stand up and announce that "The Office" which ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013 was the best comedy that television ever created. To celebrate this landmark series, here are ten facts about the great series that maybe even the biggest fans did not know...

 1. The idea to create a U.S. version of The Office started after TV producer Ben Silverman happened to catch an episode of the UK version while vacationing in London in 2001.

2. Before his audition, Steve Carell had only seen about five minutes of the U.K. version of The Office. Carell said that if he had watched anymore, he would've ended up just doing a characterization of Ricky Gervais during his audition.

3. John Krasinski (Jim) shot the footage of the Scranton, PA, that appears in the opening credits.

4. B.J. Novak (Ryan) and John Krasinski (Jim) have known each other since childhood. Ed Helms (Andy) and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin) also attended high school together in Georgia.

5. Phyllis Smith (who played Phyllis) was actually the casting director for The Office, the producers liked her so much that they created a role for her.

6. Oscar Nunez (Oscar) didn’t think the show would be successful, so he kept his jobs as a server and babysitter after he got the role.

7. The success of The 40-Year-Old Virgin -- which shot Steve Carell to stardom -- saved The Office from cancellation after its first season.

8. In the episode "A Benihana Christmas," Michael, Andy, and Jim dine at the exact same Benihana restaurant that Andy Stitzer goes to in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

9. Originally Jim and Pam were an interracial couple. Jim would’ve been White and Pam would've been African-American. Actress Erica Vittina Phillips would have played Pam.

10. Although Dunder Mifflin is a fictitious company, it is recognized by the Scranton Chamber of Commerce because of all the tourism it has given the city.

A TRIBUTE TO THE OFFICE

It is hard to believe but NBC's The Office debuted on this day 15 years ago. Here is my little tribute video to commemorate the anniversary...

MY FIVE FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOWS OF ALL TIME

A child of the 1970s and 1980s, I grew up watching television. Luckily television then was much more different than it is now. I am more of a movie fan than a television fan, but through the years I have watched and loved many great televisions shows.

Here are my five favorite television shows of all-time:

5. THE OFFICE (2005-present)
The Office is a remake of an acclaimed but short lived British series created by comedian Ricky Gervais. While this American version is not as controversial and biting, it is one of the best comedies to air on television in recent years. For seven years, comedian Steve Carell was brilliant as the branch manager - and unfortunate for the show he life the series in 2011. Still, if you have ever worked in an office, you will understand a lot of the very funny comedy.

4. SOUTH PARK (1997-present)
I know the cartoon South Park is one of the most controversial shows ever to be on television. It is definitely not your parent's cartoon. However, despite the graphic nature of the show, no subject is off limits to South Park. From Barbara Streisand and Tom Cruise to the Catholic Church and Jersey Shore, everyone has been spoofed and made fun of on South Park. Yes, the show is not for children and can be very graphic but their social satire and poltical commentary is right on the money.

3. THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW (1965-1974)
Not every show on television needed to be deep or make you think. Dean Martin and his variety show was simply good and fun television. Dean would sing a song or two, perform a skit with the guest star, and basically just have a fun 60 minutes. Dean rarely rehearsed, and when he'd make a mistake the producers kept it in, so it added to the charm and off the cuff nature of the show. When Dean Martin broke up with Jerry Lewis in 1956, it was thought that Lewis would be the big star. However, this television show cemented Dean as the superstar he was. What is a crime is these shows are not available on DVD in their complete form - only clips of the show are available as of now.

2. SEINFELD (1990-1998)
This is a show about nothing and everything. What is funny is I never watched the show until its last episode in 1998. What is so charming about this sitcom is everyone's group of friends is like the characters on the show. Everyone knows a Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) or a George (Jason Alexander). The topics are mundane like waiting in line at a Chinese restaurant or not remembering a date's name, but everyone has experienced a "Seinfeld" moment. Not only did the show know to end on a highnote, it always made NBC millions in the 1990s. NBC has not been able to match the success they had with "Seinfeld" since.

1. TWILIGHT ZONE (1959-1964)
I think the best type of television show is one that makes you think after you watch it. Rod Serling was a genius in how he for the most part wrote every script each week for each 30 minute episode. Many episodes have become interwoven into the fabric of society now. Everyone remembers the episode with a frantic William Shatner seeing a gremlin on his plane or the doll that has the vendetta against the angry step father played by Telly Savalas. The Syfy channel plays a marathon of Twlight Zone episodes over New Year's Eve, and it is my favorite ritual to try to watch every episode I can. The show is over 50 years old, but some of the episodes are as fresh as if they were written today. In my humble opinion, The Twilight Zone was the best show television ever created.

What are your favorite shows? I would love hear your favorites and comments about my list...