The Office is a 2001 British sitcom written by (and starring) Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant that started on BBC 2. The Mockumentary show follows the quotidian and almost pensive lives of the employees at Wernham Hogg paper company under the management of the narcissistic and obnoxious David Brent, a character completely lacking in self awareness.
The show was an early form of cringe humour. The manager reflects many inappropriate and outdated views and is intended to be laughed at and not with. This dvd cover showcases this, from his prideful facial expressions and laid-back posture, almost mimicking rebellious teenage angst, Brent sees himself as a 'relaxed entertainer,' treating his workplace as, what he sees, as a stage. Of course, as showcased by the dead responses from his employees, this is all in his own head, and he is instead perceived as arrogant, vain, attention seeking and rude, and his attempts at 'blue collar banter' simply come across as obnoxious and often promoting racism and sexism.
Initially aired on BBC 2, the show was met with relatively low ratings, however, it has recently become one of the largest and most successful British comedy exports and an outstanding critical reception. When applying the 4 C's marketing model, i believe that the majority of the shows initial audience was The explorer type, driven by a need for discovery, it would make sense hat the show was most popular wit them first, what with Mockumentary shows being rare in the mainstream and cringe humour still in it's early days, it was uncommon for a show to invite it's audience to laugh at, and not with, their main character. it would therefore make sense for Explorers to be attracted to such a show with a new and interesting style that has rarely been seen before, they are the first to try out new ideas and experiences. Difference is what they seek out. Naturally, as the show began to attract more viewers, it became popular with Mainstreamers when moved over to BBC 1 before being shown internationally on BBC Worldwide, BBC Prime, BBC America and BBC Canada (first shown in 2003), alongside Cartoon Networks late night broadcasting service: Adult Swim from 2009-2012. The audience can contain a fairly wide demographic, however, most specifically it was likely targeted at men and women in their late 20s+, who would most likely be working in an office environment, covering themes of self-importance and a longing for fame, many people in what can be described as "dead end jobs" likely took interest in the show, as well as those on the receiving end of people like david brent.
For Ricky Gervais fans they know that anything he says or does he doesn't care about criticism and more lives off it, suggesting the target audience will be a majority of people who aren't 'snowflakes' because they already know his work. He kind of gives people the reassurance that they can laugh since we literally live on a floating rock, but those who may be a 'Succeeder' may take an oppositional reading because they don't agree that promoting offensive comments and slurs is comedic - these could be like a small percentage of those who choose to watch his work, but they're still basically helping him produce his work.
Oppositional reading: While Ricky Gervais provided a satire performance for the main character David Brent. The Audience could potentially agree with the character not realising the character is meant to be laughed at. Many didn't realise it was a mockumentary when the show first aired, therefore thinking David Brent was a real person. There will be certain audience members who will hold the same views as Mr Brent and as a consequence of this potentially not realise the satire of the show.