An OFFICE Spin-off??
October 30, 2007 by Kath Skerry
I heard rumblings about this coming out of the OFFICE Convention, and now TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello is lending credence to the idea. Will NBC possibly create a spin-off of THE OFFICE?
Check out what Ausiello has to say…
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, NBC may be about to pay a major compliment to Grey’s Anatomy. Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that the Peacock is developing an episode of The Office that would introduce several new characters who would then be spun off into a new series à la Private Practice.
However, unlike Practice, which stole Grey’s regular Kate Walsh to anchor the new series, the proposed Office 2 is not expected to include any of the mother ship’s core cast. In fact, producers are already casting about for a “name” to headline the potential show.
So, your thoughts on whom the star should be? A downsized Jim Carrey? The underrated Ed “Al Bundy” O’Neill, past due for a comeback? Mike Myers, set loose weekly in a blue-collar playground? And should NBC really go through with this plan, or is one Office a week enough? Sound off below!
Let’s open up the floodgates…what do you think about an OFFICE spin-off with new characters?
Thanks to MG for the tip.
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No! Although I would love more Office, I just don’t see a spin-off working. If we need more Office, make more hour long episodes…
Do we really have room for another Michael Scott? An Office spin-off would obviously have to be a comedy, but does NBC expect us to believe that there is someone out there are clueless as Michael? I’m not sure what direction they could take the new office in. Seems odd to me to try to do a spin-off of this show. I imagine they’d try to get another Daily Show alum.
No, no, no, no NO!!!!
(I’m sorry Rashida…) It could get Rashida off of the unemployment line since I have a feeling her new show is going to tank. Wait, did it already get canceled?
No no no no no no no…….
All I’m saying is that they better leave the writers and the cast right where they are. Don’t mess with our office, please!
This is terrible news. Two of my most favourite shows are being messed with (you probably don’t know about Spaced). I just don’t know what they could do with a spin-off. I don’t think I could bear another office based comedy of the same sort (like we need anything to complement the genius).
The sad thing I would probably watch because it had some association with The Office, I wouldn’t like it but I would do it.
I think I have heard the actors and writers say this, but it’s true. You only get that kind of “office” magic once in a blue moon. When really great writers come together with a cast that is amazing with each other, it’s all gravy. Duplicating that is very challenging, and I would say impossible to get the same office charm again. Sure, the new characters might be funny. But it won’t be our Jim and our Pam. Our Kevin and Stanley. It won’t be The Office, so why have any association with the show? It could just be another comedy set in an office…that’s cool, I guess. But I think it is a horrible idea to link it with the show and try and work off what the show already has.
This doesn’t even make any sense. I know there was the British Office before this one, but ours works as a stand alone because it takes place in the US and so it has a different tone. Another US Office would just be like more of the same, and it might make the casual Office viewers feel overwhelmed. I’m sure it wouldn’t be even close to as funny as the Office is now if it wasn’t with the regular writers, but I don’t think they have time for any more work, so it would be like the Office’s less funny cousin or something. 🙁
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No spin offs. Spinoffs rarely work, and I don’t want to diminish the talent and awesomeness of the original.
I can’t believe they’re even considering a spin-off. I really think it’s a bad idea. I also don’t like the idea of devoting episodes of the real Office to set up the new bastardized version. I hope this idea falls through.
Christina: I’m also a huge Spaced fan, and just heard about the Americanization of it…by Fox no less…yuck.
I think an Office spin-off would work… only if they are very careful and very creative with their thinking. It will be set in a US office, maybe – maybe – it could be about Dunder Mifflin.
But there’s no way they could try to recreate The Office. For it to be successful and/or good (and there’s potential), you CANNOT have another Michael Scott, or Jim or Pam or Dwight or Angela. You’d need completely new characters and a completely different kind of boss. What if it were an Anti-Michael? That would show a completely different kind of office. Where there isn’t time to goof off and have the ridiculous conference room meetings.
I think it would definitely work as long as it was completely different. Because you can’t copy The Office. You can’t find another Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight, Phyllis, Stanley, Kevin. You think Stanleys grow on trees? There is no Stanley tree. You think the world is crawling with Phyllis’? Show me that farm with Phyllises and Kevins sprouting up all over the place. Show me that farm.
Dundie Winner for “Most Awful Idea of All Time”. Other things in the running, Invading Iraq, Cavemen The Show based on a Geiko commercial, and Voting for Hitler
I would love to see a show starring CFO (not his initials) David Wallace! I love him, and he is not on The Office enough. He is a great actor and I think he could pull it off. I’m not sure how I would feel about it any other way.
Awful idea…What makes the Office special is the cast (true for both british and us versions)…the uk version was truly brilliant, the us show has found its fanbase and struck gold with a cast that was formerly unknown after its troubles in S1. Just continue to make great episodes with the Scranton branch…no more office
So, I read all of the comments about this to see what everyone’s take was. When I first read the article, I was like “hmmmm” and that’s the only thought that I had.
LOVED the Beckert’s comment. Show me that farm. HA!
Anyway, I’m reading how almost everyone is very against it, and I’m thinking, you’re probably right, it probably would not be good. Especially comparing it to our office we have now, but at the same time I’m thinking – I would so watch it. I wouldn’t even be able to stop myself because WHAT IF it was different but also awesome. I would watch.
Maybe it could be the office of a women’s prison.
Then we could just combine NBC’s bad idea(Office spinoff) with FOX’s bad idea(Prison Break spinoff) and be done. Maybe Kate Walsh could guest star!
Why do they feel the need to mess with something thats already good? Just because Private Practice is still above water doesnt mean that others will survive. This makes me all kinds of nervous.
One word: Joey.
I am usually very against spin-offs and have never understood why networks continually think that they are a good idea. Especially if you take one character from a show and build a series around them.
However, with the Office, and if they don’t plan on using any of the current cast, perhaps it could work, ala CSI:Miami and CSI:NY or Law and Order:SVU. These are shows based on the same principles as the originals with their own twists. I don’t know if it would work but if it means a bit more of Office type humor in the world I would be willing to give it a shot. At least in the short-run.
Although I am a huge fan of the Office and would love to see more of it, I don’t think a spinoff would work that well. But I guess we’ll see what happens…
Psappy – great comment! 🙂
I also think this is a bad idea. It’s one thing to make an American version of a British show but to make a spinoff probably won’t work. I think viewers would just be missing the original too much and would keep making comparisons that won’t match up. Really, will anything ever be able to compare to The Office – the show itself as well as this cast and crew?
No! Please no!
It would be sad, and weird.
At first I was thinking this could be a good idea, but as I thought about it a little more, I realized that there is no way you could replicate the genius of the office. There is just no way, it wouldn’t be the same and it is pointless to even try. I might consider watching it because of the association with the show but I would force myself not to just because I know you can’t replicate the genius of Michael Scott and his employees. I think The Beckert when he quoted the awesomeness that is the office:
“I think it would definitely work as long as it was completely different. Because you can’t copy The Office. You can’t find another Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight, Phyllis, Stanley, Kevin. You think Stanleys grow on trees? There is no Stanley tree. You think the world is crawling with Phyllis’? Show me that farm with Phyllises and Kevins sprouting up all over the place. Show me that farm.”
i think the creative team could come up with a new show that had nothing to do with the office…i will watch if greg daniels produces
Absolutely not. Nothing is as good as the original of anything. It wouldn’t be the same and it wouldn’t be as funny. And I don’t like the idea of any of the suggested leads. I go with no.
This is not a good idea, it’s just not. Don’t mess with near perfection.
TBS already tried to replicate The Office with their ridiculous show 10 Items or Less and that was a colossal failure. They finally realized they couldn’t improve on its genius and bought the syndication rights.
The only way I can see this maybe working would be if it was about Dunder Mifflin’s Albany branch because their manager Craig is not the sharpest tool in the box, although he is a tool.
Though I love the idea of as much of The Office as possible, the reason the show works is because of not only the characters, but who they cast in the roles. I really don’t think a spin off could work unless they took it in a completely different direction, in which case it wouldn’t really be like The Office anymore.
As long as it wouldn’t compromise the quality of the original I think it would be fun to have a Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration show. He could hire Roy and we could see more of the warehouse guys because they are both in that part of the building. Bob Vance is the total opposite of Michael Scott, so it would be different. And there would be lots of opportunities for guest appearances by the Office cast on it and vice versa. Maybe we would even see more of Bob and Phyllis’ personal life since the setting wouldn’t have to be tied to the office. Anyway, that is my vote if there is going to be a spin off.
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