Deadline Hollywood reported that the NBCUniversal streaming platform – revealed today to be named Peacock – is hoping to add a reboot of the hit NBC sitcom The Office to its programming slate.
Bonnie Hammer, NBCU’s Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises told Deadline, “It is my hope and goal that we do an Office reboot.”
NBCU recently made headlines when it acquired the streaming rights in a $500+ million deal, taking it away from its current home at Netflix. It makes sense from a business perspective to want to reboot one of the most popular sitcoms of the last decade or more. And now that NBCU’s Peacock platform will also house the original series, the two can potentially make strong companion programs.
But how often do these reboots actually work? Fuller House has some fun nostalgia, but isn’t a great show by any means. Even the new seasons of Arrested Development are very hit or miss. I know those are only two examples, but both original series are show that remain beloved by fans to this day, with reboots that were less well received.
If the Office reboot does take shape, the cast is going to be a huge determining factor of its success. It’s unknown at this point if NBCU wants to bring back original cast members or start over fresh with all new characters. Steve Carell has stated multiple times that he does not want to return as Michael Scott. And without Michael Scott, it’s not really The Office. The show declined after Carell’s departure, and though it finished strong, there was a clear force and presence lacking without him.
The thing that would give me the most hope, however, is if Mike Schur comes aboard. Schur worked as a writer and producer (and actor, as Dwight’s cousin Mose) on The Office, before co-creating Parks and Recreation, another NBC hit. He also created The Good Place, another excellent NBC sitcom. Last March, Schur signed a huge deal (rumored to be around $25 million per year for five years) to stay at Universal. So it’s definitely within the realm of possibility. But whether or not he would even want to return to the show, rather than continuing to create new content, remains to be seen.
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