The Office Spin-Off Officially (And Finally) Has A Plot Synopsis And Streaming Home
It's officially official: We are returning to the "Office" universe. Yes, we say universe because NBC's beloved sitcom isn't being revived or rebooted. Rather, the powers that be have opted to craft a spin-off of sorts set in the same world as the American version of "The Office," albeit centered on a new cast of characters in a new location. Per a press release, the series is set to begin filming in July for an eventual release on the streaming service Peacock, and the first plot details have been revealed.
The currently untitled "Office" spin-off hails from Greg Daniels, who officially came on board to develop the project last year. He also adapted the original British "Office" series for American television. Daniels is working alongside "Nathan for You" co-creator Michael Koman. The show has been ordered to series at Peacock and is being described as "a new mockumentary series set in the same universe as NBC's Emmy Award-winning hit series 'The Office.'" What's more, the streamer has confirmed the casting of Domhnall Gleeson ("About Time," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens")) and Sabrina Impacciatore ("The Passion of the Christ," "The White Lotus"), who will lead the new ensemble cast. As for the story at hand? The synopsis for the new show reads as follows:
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters. The series is produced by Universal Television.
The Office returns but in an entirely new way
Virtually ever since "The Office" ended its nine-season run on NBC in 2013, fans have been all but begging for some sort of revival to happen. At one point, Leslie David Baker, who plays Stanley on the show, tried to get an unofficial, crowd-funded spin-off going titled "Uncle Stan." That didn't pan out. Now, here we are, with Daniels involved and Peacock backing the new show. That said, it doesn't appear as though this will have much connective tissue to the original series, even if the door is open for cameos, given that it takes place in the same universe.
Whether or not the show will be a worthy successor remains to be seen. What we know for sure is that Peacock is struggling mightily in the ongoing streaming wars. The streamer lost more than $5 billion between 2022 and 2023, with "The Office" serving as one of the biggest draws the service has to offer. So it makes every bit of sense that NBCUniversal would try to leverage the show's good name to attract more subscribers. Lisa Katz, President of NBCUniversal Entertainment, had this to say about the new show:
"It's been more than 10 years since the final episode of 'The Office' aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock. In partnership with Universal Television and led by the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, this new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper."
The series is executive produced by Daniels, Koman, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas.
"The Office" spin-off does not currently have a release date but it will likely arrive sometime next year. Stay tuned.