The Office Reboot Allegedly On The Way With Original Showrunner Calling The Shots
"The Office" is one of the most beloved TV comedies in recent memory. An adaptation of the British comedy series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, after some early struggles, the US version of "The Office" on NBC carved its own path and became a massive hit, thanks to the mockumentary hilarity following the employees of a Pennsylvania paper company. In fact, even after the show came to an end back in 2013, it dominated streaming charts on Netflix, finding a whole new audience, which inspired stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey to launch a hit podcast looking back at each and every episode of the series. With that level of success, it should come as no surprise that NBC may have a reboot of "The Office" in the works.
The entertainment newsletter from Puck, which is known to be fairly reliable when it comes to scoops, has word that NBC is preparing to announce a reboot of "The Office," just as the Writers Guild of America strikes are poised to come to an end (with the Screen Actors Guild strikes hopefully following soon). However, this sounds like it may have a little more potential than just a lazy cash grab for recognizable intellectual property, because "The Office" showrunner Greg Daniels, who was instrumental in finding the show's new footing, will be returning to take charge of the reboot.
'I think it would just be sort of like an extension of the universe...'
While it might be easy to dismiss such a development, it's important to remember that when the American version of "The Office" was being developed, few in Hollywood thought it was a good idea. There was such acclaim around the original British version of "The Office" that no one thought the United States should even try to replicate it. Almost everyone assumed it would be a failure.
However, despite a rough first season that basically acted as a carbon copy of the first season of the UK version of "The Office," NBC's take on the series eventually found a life of its own. Thanks to a bit of character reconfiguration that turned Michael Scott into more of a loveable idiot rather than a simply clueless moron who annoyed everyone in the office, the show suddenly had an incredible center. Combine that with the burgeoning romance between Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer), not to mention the rivalry between Jim and his office mate Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and "The Office" is a household favorite.
If you've read the oral history of "The Office" or listened to any of the "Office Ladies" podcast, you know that Greg Daniels was integral to turning the series into a treasure. That's why it also suffered when he departed to focus on "Parks and Recreation," not to mention how the show had trouble replacing Steve Carell. Though Daniels did return for the ninth and final season of "The Office," the series was able to end on a high note after struggling for a couple of seasons. If Daniels is returning for "The Office" reboot, then maybe he sees some potential here. As recently as last year, here's what Daniels said about a potential reboot of "The Office" coming together:
"I can't tell whether fans would want more of it, and when I say more of it, I don't think it would be the same characters. I think it would just be sort of like an extension of the universe, you know what I mean, like the way '[The] Mandalorian' is like an extension of 'Star Wars.' But I don't know if that would be something people would want or not, it's hard to tell."
Well, it sounds like he figured that out. But will it work? Stay tuned.