Mekeisha Madden Toby

A regular day at 'The Office'

Van Nuys, Calif.

Visiting the set of "The Office" is like visiting a friend at work.

Unlike other shows that are brought to life on studio lots, the NBC sitcom films at a real office building at the end of a street filled with industrial storefronts and warehouses.

Whenever you see the cast go outside and do stuff in the sun-drenched parking lot, they're actually in the building's parking lot.

Step inside, and a world of desks, computers, thin carpet and bad lighting welcomes you like your name was Michael Scott. The atmosphere is so authentic, that some of the cast members actually did real work during the show's first season.

"Well, our computers didn't work, and my agent actually told me that we were required to bring paperwork to look busy," says red-headed actress Kate Flannery, who plays Meredith. Flannery, along with Emmy-winning star Steve Carell and most of the cast recently welcomed reporters to the set.

Oscar Nunez, who plays Oscar, remembers those early days. "I thought I was going to a temp job," he says drolly. "It was a great gig. Basically, you just wanted to get on with your work and not be filmed."

A lot has changed since those "look busy" times and now that "The Office" is in its sixth season, fans have seen everything from the blossoming relationship and eventual marriage of Jim ( John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) to Stanley's (Leslie David Baker) disintegrating marriage and subsequent affair.

And just like the characters, the audience and the show's list of accolades has grown with each season. Not bad for a show many shunned because it wasn't the British original.

"I think it's really cool just to have any level of acceptance," says Ed Helms, who plays Andy. "(The original) was such an incredible juggernaut."

mmadden@detnews.com (313) 222-2501 Read Mekeisha Madden Toby's blog at detnews.com/tvblog.