78 hours for the 195 episodes of The Office (US), across 9 seasons. The show ended in 2013: this total will not move. The median episode runs 22 minutes, and the count covers aired episodes only — specials sit outside it. On the show's page you will see 186 episodes: the database behind it merges some two-part episodes that the broadcast count lists separately.
That comes to 39 evenings of two hours, about 8 weeks at five evenings a week; at an hour an evening, reckon on 78 days.
Season by season
- Seasons 1–2 — 28 episodes — 10 hrs 34
- Seasons 3–4 — 42 episodes — 17 hrs 30
- Seasons 5–6 — 52 episodes — 21 hrs 33
- Seasons 7–8 — 50 episodes — 18 hrs 34
- Season 9 — 23 episodes — 9 hrs 54
From one season to the next, the wait was 4 months, and up to 5 months between season 1 and season 2 — the usual network break. You are not bound by it.
Why 195 episodes fit into 78 hours
A 22-minute median, tied with Friends for the shortest episode here. The result is disorienting: 195 episodes weigh 78 hours, nine more than Game of Thrones with only 73. The seasons are very uneven — the first runs just 2 hrs 18, six episodes, while the longest reaches 12 hours. That short start has a practical consequence: the early episodes do not resemble the rest, and many viewers quit before the show finds its tone.
Is The Office (US) worth the marathon?
The everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Created by Greg Daniels for NBC, with Steve Carell as Michael Scott, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly and John Krasinski as Jim Halpert.
At 8.6/10, it shares fourth place here with House. This is the background show par excellence: you put it on without thinking, pick up mid-season, and only notice the total the day you add it up. Eight weeks of evenings if you take it head-on, but nobody takes it head-on — this is a show you keep open for months, returning to it the way you return to an office you know.
Track The Office on WatchTrailWho it is for
This is the right pick for anyone who wants short, standalone episodes to pick up anywhere, and a comedy to leave running rather than watch. For anyone who prefers 195 light episodes to 73 demanding ones. If you quit fast when a show starts slowly, know that the first season is short and atypical: judging it on that would be judging a different show.
FAQ
How long does The Office take? 78 hours for 195 episodes, or 39 evenings of two hours.
Should I watch season one? It runs only six episodes and stands apart: many say skip it, but it costs 2 hrs 18, so you may as well.
Where can I watch The Office? On Netflix in France, as of this article's last update.
Last updated: October 20, 2026 — TheTVDB data verified on August 16, 2026.