Forget The Office: HBO’s 11-Part Political Satire Was TV’s Original Mockumentary Masterpiece

A different path to The Office

The Office became a major sitcom after its U.S. version debuted on NBC in 2005, starring Steve Carell and drawing on writing by creator Greg Daniels. Its premise originated with the British sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Both versions used a heightened workplace mockumentary style. But earlier shows had explored the format, including HBO’s Tanner ’88, which premiered in 1988—13 years before the UK version of The Office.

A campaign inside real events

Tanner ’88 follows Jack Tanner, a fictional politician played by Michael Murphy, as he seeks a presidential nomination. The series was conceived as a way to offer insight into political campaigns and their drama.

Real politicians appear in cameos, placing Tanner’s fictional campaign within a broader sequence of real events. The result connects an invented narrative with a found-footage-style approach.

Eleven episodes, lasting influence

The series ran for 11 episodes. Although there were hopes to continue the story in later seasons, HBO did not renew it beyond its debut season. The article presents Tanner ’88 as an early, meaningful example of workplace mockumentary storytelling. Later shows, including Veep and The Thick of It, continued to develop related approaches, while Tanner ’88’s mix of fiction and reality remains distinctive.

Satire with an educational edge

Tanner ’88 uses satirical humor and absurdity to build its central story, while offering viewers a look at political experiences most people will not see up close. Its themes, the article argues, can linger after the series ends.

The Office and other workplace comedies helped bring mockumentary storytelling to a wider audience. Tanner ’88 stands out as an earlier experiment that connected fictional characters with real political life.