The Office Gets Own High-Quality Paper Brand

Is this a case of commercial tie-ins gone too far? The fictional paper company from "The Office", Dunder-Mifflin, is becoming a reality. Staples has struck a deal with NBC to sell  Dunder-Mifflin brand paper on Quills. The tag line featured on the site is, "100% fun".

While it might seem like fun to order paper from Scranton, is it worth the extra money? It isn't as funny as it sounds. One of the major plot points over the seasons has been the competition the company receives from companies like Staples. Numerous times the threat of bankruptcy has become a plot point. In season six, it was the focus of a story arc that lead to the company being acquired by Sabre. It feels a little to late for Staples to be jumping on "The Office" bandwagon to sell a product.

The show has been in decline since the retirement of Micheal Scott, played by Steve Carell. While it is still on of the most popular comedies on NBC, ratings have dropped to only 5 million viewers. A few seasons back we would have expected that number to be twice as much.

Even the addition of James Spader as the mysterious Robert California hasn’t helped. The highlight of the season has been watching Andy perform as the new Manager. When Andy was introduced in season 3 he seemed like just another quirky personality to be added to the cast. His character has morphed into the heart of the show. The spot that used to be reserved for Micheal Scott. The reveal that Andy was the new boss seems less shocking in light of the evolution of the character.

A new episode of “The Office” airs tonight on NBC at 9:00 pm. In tonight’s episode, titled “Mrs. California”, the CEO gives his wife a job at the company. Maura Tierny will play Susan California. Tierny is no stranger to NBC having had roles on “News Radio” and the medical drama “ER”. “