Why It Works (the one where I prattle on about useless pop-culture triviality with way too much gusto for my own comfort)

The American sitcom has a torrid relationship with, well, relationships, specifically when it comes to main characters finding "love" (where there wasn't before). The sitcoms that have attempted cross-character relationships have failed -- Friends, Moonlighting, Allie McBeal, Frasier, Cheers, Night Court, et al; none could successfully convince the audience that budding relationships between characters had any genuineness (and either dropped the relationships, or dropped the show). There is an exception on the horizon, and their success is built on one thing -- be true to yourself. The Office has managed to break into the cross-character relationship market without (yet) imploding. Jim and Pam have had a flirtatious relationship -- carrying over from the original series on the BBC -- which has crossed over into the deathknell of sitcomhood; yet remarkably has remained honest and plausible. Why has the show been successful where so many others have failed? <0b>The Office has always been about an office, the people there, and everything related to being in an office. Relationships are hinged upon that office and the people in that office. It does not veer from that point -- even if the setting isn't in the office, its directly related to it in some fashion. With that anchor, relationships can be observed (through that documentary style camera -- which by the way -- who is filming this? Will we ever learn? My guess is the series finale will be that film team presenting their film to some school or something, but I digress) from a healthy distance and within a known framework without seeming obtrusive, odd or out of character. We're observing Jim and Pam from a healthy distance, with just enough information to keep it intriguing and engaging without destroying the base and focus of the entire show -- the office.