Axial Sitcoms

As discussed by Colin Tain, there are many distinctive elements that define a traditional television sitcom. Although few sitcoms on the air today employ all of them, these elements can still be found throughout the television landscape. One such element is the axial nature of sitcoms. This refers to the fact that most traditional sitcoms tend to revolve around one central character, who is the focus of almost all plots, taking center stage, with other characters serving secondary roles to this primary character. Axial characters are easy to name throughout television history: Homer Simpson, Archie Bunker, Lucy Ricardo, Jerry Seinfeld, etc. However, for a more modern example in a more nontraditional sitcom, The Office's Michael Scott is an axial character.

In terms of the show itself, this means that almost all episodes of The Office revolve around events Michael's childishness sets in motion. From having to fire an employee, to calling ex-girlfriends regarding herpes, to forming a rival company to Dunder-Mifflin, Michael is at the forefront of almost all plots in the show. Although Jim and Pam tend to be their own characters, most other characters are defined through Michael, such as Dwight, whose defining characteristic is his subservience to Michael, or Oscar, whose homosexuality is revealed through Michael. Micheal's office is often framed in the center of the picture, as is Michael. Although all the characters are defined, Michael is by far the most important, establishing him as the axial character.

The image used in this post can be found here:
http://www.dvdcollectionsale.com/The-Office-Seasons-1-5-DVD-Boxset--DVD-1780.html

Honestly, why are they even bothering continuing The Office without Michael next season?