A plot description for the reboot of The Office reveals how the new show will connect to the original. The iconic nine-season sitcom, which ran on NBC for nine seasons between 2005 and 2013, is itself a reboot of the UK show of the same name, which was co-created by Stephen Merchant and star Ricky Gervais. Although many other international reboots have launched in the meantime, including an Australian version set to premiere in 2024, an American reboot in the same universe as the iconic Dunder Mifflin workers was announced to be in development in September 2023.
The Office reboot, which has been picked up to series by Peacock with production set to commence in July, has already assembled some key creatives. The show will be co-created by Nathan for You‘s Michael Koman and Greg Daniels, who was the original creator and showrunner of the U.S. show. The ensemble cast has also set lead stars Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore. While their characters are still unknown, a recent update about the show’s plot sheds major light on the setting of the upcoming comedy and how it connects with the world of Dunder Mifflin.
The Office’s Documentary Crew Is Searching For A New Subject
The Crew Was Mostly Unseen Throughout The Run Of The Office
A new report from Variety reveals a plot description that showcases how the show will expand the universe after 201 The Office episodes, though not without potentially setting up a future crossover. The show will follow the in-universe documentary crew who have been searching for new subject matter after filming the exploits of the Dunder Mifflin staff for many years. However, it has not been revealed how often, if at all, the crew members themselves will appear on camera throughout the new show.
The documentary crew of The Office was a consistent behind-the-scenes presence throughout the run of the mockumentary show, though almost nothing is known about them. It wasn’t until the ninth and final season of the show that any member of the crew was revealed, which occurred during a moment when the boom mic operator Brian (Chris Diamantopoulos) comforted Pam (Jenna Fischer) after a particularly emotional fight with her husband Jim (John Krasinski). Beyond that controversial storyline, which implied that the office staff had a longstanding but offscreen relationship with the crew, the documentarians themselves remain a mystery.
The Office Reboot’s Newspaper Setting Can Tie Into Dunder Mifflin
The Show Will Follow A Newspaper In The Same Universe As The Office
The plot description reveals that the documentarians find a viable new subject in the form of a failing Midwest newspaper. Because of this, it seems that this new show will be less of a reboot of The Office and more of a standalone spinoff like the original plan for Parks and Recreation. While the latter long-running mockumentary ended up cutting all ties to the other show before going to air (which explains Office alum Rashida Jones appearing in the show as an entirely different character), the Peacock reboot still exists in the same universe and seems ripe for a crossover.
It is possible that there could be new or previously unseen branches of the company…
It seems natural for a newspaper and a paper company to have some type of contact, which could provide an avenue for Dunder Mifflin to be featured in the new show. While the branches of Dunder Mifflin are typically shown to be in the Northeastern states of Pennsylvania and New York, the original show already introduced a branch in Akron, Ohio. Because of this extension of their overall territory, it is possible that there could be new or previously unseen branches of the company that are located in the Midwest and could easily service the as-yet unnamed newspaper.
Will Any The Office Characters Appear In The New Show?
Several Original The Office Characters Still Work At Dunder Mifflin
So far, beyond Gleeson and Impacciatore, no cast members for the reboot show have been officially announced. However, this connection means that there is an opportunity for original The Office characters to return in some capacity. It seems most likely that these characters would be those who remained at Dunder Mifflin following the finale, though the others’ lives may have changed considerably in the intervening decade, leading some to return. The key characters who were still on the company’s payroll at that time included Dwight (Rainn Wilson), Angela (Angela Kinsey), Erin (Ellie Kemper), Pete (Jake Lacy), and Phyllis (Phyllis Smith).
While this provides an in-universe opportunity for these characters to return, some of the actors may be too busy to make appearances including Lacy, who recently starred in the miniseries Apples Never Fall. However, The Office cast members Fischer, Wilson, Craig Robinson (Darryl), Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), Kate Flannery (Meredith), and Creed Bratton (Creed) recently reunited for an AT&T commercial, proving their willingness to honor the legacy of the show in some capacity. This could indicate that they may say yes to making cameo appearances in the new show, even if their characters left Dunder Mifflin behind.
