Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

‘The Office’ creator has an idea for a reboot, even though it could go horribly wrong

Published Dec 24th, 2019 5:52PM EST
The Office
Image: Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

As a die-hard fan of NBC’s beloved sitcom The Office, I’ve been listening every week since the launch of Office Ladies, a new podcast hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (the actresses who portrayed Pam Beesly and Angela Martin, respectively, on the show). Questions for both hosts to answer on the podcast have been pouring in from fans, while the podcast’s launch is a testament to how much of a robust fandom still exists for the nine-series workplace comedy that was famously shot in a mockumentary style.

Along these same lines, on Monday The Ellen DeGeneres Show is hosting a quasi-Office reunion, with Fischer and Kinsey to be joined by actress Ellie Kemper who played the receptionist Erin Hannon on the show. The three women will address their version of that eternal question once put forth to every member of The Beatles over and over again — when are you guys getting back together? Funnily enough, in the case of The Office, maybe sooner than later, if creator Greg Daniels has his way.

According to former NBC executive Bob Greenblatt (who’s currently in the process of leading the launch of HBO Max for WarnerMedia), Daniels “actually has an idea for it.” Greenblatt acknowledged as much (“He wants to do it”) in a profile The Hollywood Reporter published about him in recent days, which is something Daniels also acknowledged earlier this year he could be tentatively on board for. “The cast every now and then talks about getting back together in some form, but I don’t see it being a reboot like the way Will & Grace was rebooted,” Daniels said in a recent interview. “My biggest concern would be disappointing the fans.”

As a reminder, those fans still have a bit of time left to enjoy the series all over again, with all nine episodes currently streaming on Netflix. However, The Office will roll off of Netflix starting January 1, 2021, to be added as a marquee property of NBC’s forthcoming streaming service called “Peacock.”

Peacock will have multiple subscription tiers, including a free tier completely supported by advertising. There will also be a paid, ad-free tier that costs $10/month as well as a $5/month option with limited advertising (guess which of those tiers The Office will not be a part of, per CNBC — sorry, freeloaders).

Andy Meek Trending News Editor

Andy Meek is a reporter based in Memphis who has covered media, entertainment, and culture for over 20 years. His work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, and The Financial Times, and he’s written for BGR since 2015. Andy's coverage includes technology and entertainment, and he has a particular interest in all things streaming.

Over the years, he’s interviewed legendary figures in entertainment and tech that range from Stan Lee to John McAfee, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings.