A New ‘The Office’ Series Is Officially in Development at Peacock

Peacock recently announced an exciting new series from The Office TV show developer Greg Daniels, raising questions about whether the iconic show is returning.

The Office, based on the BBC series of the same name, is a mockumentary following the daily lives of employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Largely satirical in nature, the show provides an interesting look into the humorous and sometimes absurd ways employees cope with being stuck in the 9 – 5 office lifestyle. Meanwhile, its short episodes, clever humor, and phenomenal performances made it a particularly addictive and bingeworthy series. The Office ultimately ran for nine seasons and achieved high critical acclaim during its run.

For many viewers, it’s hard to believe that The Office actually ended over a decade ago. It has remained a highly-streamed series, and its popularity has carried on to younger generations, making it seem as if the show only ended a short time ago. Given The Office‘s enduring legacy, many original fans of the series have been curious about whether the franchise will continue. Over the years, several spinoffs and a reboot have been proposed, but none of them ever went anywhere. However, that changed when Peacock announced it had picked up a new The Office series.

Is The Office returning?

The Office itself isn’t coming back, but its universe is. Those hoping for a spinoff focused on characters from The Office may be disappointed as the new series isn’t quite a spinoff nor a reboot. Instead, the series will exist in the same universe as the original series but will focus on a completely new cast of characters and company. Essentially, the documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin’s employees’ daily lives decides to find another subject for a documentary. Soon, the crew settles on a “dying historic Midwestern newspaper” that a devoted publisher and volunteers are trying desperately to save.

The series is co-created by Daniels and Nathan For You producer Michael Koman. Peacock has confirmed that Domhall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore will lead the cast. However, as of now, there’s no indication any of the original The Office stars will be returning for the show. Still, given that the documentary crew is the same, one can expect there to be references to The Office, and the setting makes it possible for potential returns.

It can’t be denied the setting is quite interesting, as the newspaper industry and the increasing loss of local newspapers certainly could use some commentary and viewing from a satirical lens. Although The Office itself isn’t returning, the new series has the potential to stand on its own with some minor support from its tie-in to the original show.

(featured image: NBC)