The upcoming spinoff of The Office sounds more like another popular NBC comedy than the one it’s rebooting. The Office reboot, which will stream exclusively on Peacock, will be developed by Greg Daniels, the same showrunner who was behind the original U.S. version of The Office starring Steve Carell, John Krasinski, and Rainn Wilson. Although the reboot seems to be in good hands with Daniels at the helm, there has been some uncertainty about the necessity of a reboot series, considering The Office is still one of the most celebrated comedy shows ever made.
The key link between The Office (2005–2013) and The Office reboot is the behind-the-scenes documentary crew, who are looking for a new location to chronicle after Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The funniest episodes of The Office were all built on great writing and, even more importantly, the great chemistry and dynamic between the cast members. The Office reboot has already cast Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, Star Wars) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) but has yet to reveal more members of its all-important ensemble.
The New Office Show Sounds More Like A Parks & Recreation Spinoff
The Office reboot will follow a dying newspaper and its employees
Based on the limited information available on The Office reboot as of May 2024, its premise sounds more like a reboot of another popular NBC comedy, Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). Parks was originally meant to be a spin-off series of The Office before establishing its own world and characters upon its release, so the two series do not share the same universe. Rashida Jones plays two different characters in each series, but her character in The Office was initially supposed to be the same as her role in Parks & Recreation.
The Office reboot is reportedly set in the Midwest, which is similar to Parks and Recreation’s setting of Pawnee, Indiana. Rather than focusing on a struggling paper company such as Dunder Mifflin, The Office reboot will instead follow a dying newspaper and its employees, who are mostly volunteer journalists. The show will maintain the classic mockumentary style of The Office and Parks & Rec, but from its premise alone, feels more like a spinoff of the latter, given that its plot will be focused on the local community.
Why The New Show Would Benefit From Combining Elements Of The Office With Parks & Rec
The reboot should combine the best elements of The Office and Parks & Rec
Daniels and executive producer Ricky Gervais, who created the original U.K. version of The Office, should make the reboot series a success based on their track record. Instead of trying to capture the timely brilliance of the celebrated U.S. version, The Office reboot should aim to have a similar structure and tone but ultimately be an entirely new thing that is a product of the times it takes place in. The Office reboot should combine the best elements of The Office and Parks & Rec not by making a crossover per se, but by combining the winning qualities of each while still presenting something that feels new with its finger on the pulse.
