A new The Office series might be happening and end up even more cringe than what came before
I (don't) declare (creative) bankruptcy!
The Office creator Greg Daniels is teaming up with Nathan for You's Michael Koman to develop a new series set in the same continuity, but it won't be a sequel. Yay?
Sitcoms are the type of TV show that simply keeps working just fine for studios, streaming giants, and cable broadcasters. They're cheap (and quick) to write and produce, and can go on for years, if not decades, if needed. Of course, with every Hollywood giant going through their library of once-successful properties, a reboot of The Office happening was only a matter of time.
Plans for a comeback of NBC's hit American sitcom (there was also a pretty great BBC series) have been in motion for a while now, but a formal commitment hadn't been announced yet. Now, Deadline has revealed Universal Television is doubling down on the potential spinoff series, which isn't actually described as a reboot or remake, but instead as an in-continuity follow-up focusing on an entirely different office and company.
Daniels has reportedly been working "with a group of writers on what could become an expansion of The Office universe" before Comedy Central's Nathan for You (2013-2017) co-creator Michael Koman "emerged as a leading creative voice." The choice makes sense, as Nathan for You was another mockumentary-like workplace comedy of sorts that worked out really well, making Koman perfect to lead a team of writers and try to crack open an enticing enough pitch. Furthermore, Koman shares more than a couple of real-life connections with Daniels, so this isn't a first-ever team-up.
The fact that both Universal and Daniels have been looking at the yet-to-be-greenlit series as a spiritual successor of sorts instead of a nostalgic continuation of the story that was (mostly) wrapped up in a satisfying way back in 2013 is encouraging. Many beloved sitcoms, such as Frasier, have been resurrected only to hardly hit their targets and end up cheapening the original conclusions.
After trying to make an Office reunion of sorts for years, maybe it's for the best to leave the original series behind... even if exciting cameos could happen.