Reports in September suggested that Greg Daniels was developing a new version of The Office for NBC. There were hints that the series might be a reboot of the Steve Carell-led show, revisiting the story of Michael Scott and Dunder Mifflin with a fresh cast. However, Daniels has recently clarified that a reboot is not in the cards for the series.
Originally adapted from the U.K. show of the same name by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office is widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows. The series clinched four Primetime Emmy Awards including one for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006.
Greg Daniels Confirms That New Series Will Not Be The Office Reboot
Greg Daniels has made it clear that if The Office were to make a return, it wouldn’t be a reboot. Speaking to The Wrap about his latest Prime Video series Upload, Daniels shared that nothing official about a new Office series has been confirmed. He added that he was happy with the way the series concluded and expressed his reluctance to tread that same story again. Daniels told The Wrap:
“I don’t like to think of anything as a reboot, you know what I mean? Because I feel like we ended that story beautifully. The characters had closure. I would never want to redo that same show with a different cast, because I think we got the luckiest cast, the best cast ever, in TV, to do that show. So the notion of a reboot is not of interest.”
Fans celebrated this news on X, relieved that a reboot wouldn’t ruin the original Steve Carell version, which they considered a gem. Several fans agreed with Daniels’ decision, commenting that the makers finally came to their senses. Fans specifically mentioned that the dynamics between Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute and the Jim-Pam love story would be impossible to recreate with another show. Some fan reactions read:
They finally came to their senses, better late than never
— Screen Wizard 🧙♂️ (@screenwizardz) November 12, 2023
U could never find someone more suitable who can Micheal and Dwight so well
They r just perfect and all the actors did fabulous job. It will be shame if they rebooted the show pic.twitter.com/SmLd4SiPsM
— Niru (@alaghuyaar) November 12, 2023
Glad they r sticking to their original decision of not rebooting the show…..
How the hell they will ever be able to create the magic we had seen between Jim and pam
Perfect couple 🥹 pic.twitter.com/YiztNgXFj9
— Niru (@alaghuyaar) November 12, 2023
Awww best to keep it a classic and not mess it up
— dontguess (@iswearimworkin) November 12, 2023
Whew. Spin-off yes. Leave the office alone please. Thank you 😁
— RC James 🐴🇺🇸 (@rcjames4) November 12, 2023
Thank God we have a gem don’t ruin it
— ً (@whoruble) November 12, 2023
Daniels hinted that he was more leaning toward a spin-off show. He shared that he was looking to explore something within The Office universe, similar to how The Mandalorian operates in the Star Wars universe. He also suggested a storyline involving the documentary crew from The Office covering a different subject this time.
Other Proposed The Office Spin-Offs Never Took Off
In 2008, a spin-off show was proposed, with a planned pilot episode set to debut in 2009. The idea was to connect events from The Office to a Park department in Pawnee, Indiana, which later became the setting for Parks and Recreation. However, the creative team eventually decided to go with a separate series.
In early 2012, a Dwight Schrute spin-off was under consideration. The story would have explored the bed-and-breakfast and beet farm run by Rainn Wilson’s character. A backdoor pilot for the series was produced, however, NBC decided not to pick up the show. The pilot was later released as the season nine episode, The Farm.
In 2020, Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson, launched a fundraising campaign for producing the pilot of his character’s spin-off, Uncle Stan. Unfortunately, this project also lost momentum and eventually died out. Fans can currently enjoy all nine seasons of The Office, available for streaming on Peacock Premium.
