Posted in: NBC, TV | Tagged: the office

The Office: Michael Schur on Leaving SNL, Gambling on NBC Sitcom

Michael Schur reflects on his bold decision to leave NBC's SNL for the U.S. adaptation of The Office, learning from Greg Daniels, and more.

Michael Schur has become TV royalty these days, particularly in the sitcom world, and he'll always have his days writing for Saturday Night Live to be thankful for. When he left in 2004 to go all in on the NBC incarnation of the UK megahit, The Office, many of his peers thought it would be a disaster. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, the Steve Carell-starred series became a sensation, far exceeding its British counterpart's success, and laid the seeds to a blossoming TV career that would lead to Schur's future success in hits like NBC's similar style mockumentary series Parks and Recreation, fantasy comedy series The Good Place, and the Fox/NBC procedural comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Schur and a few of his colleagues, like SNL alum Seth Meyers and writer/EP Greg Daniels (The Office), spoke to Variety about his success.

Michael Schur on Leaving 'SNL' for 'The Office' and Initial Doubts

Upon leaving SNL in 2004, "Everybody thought that was a terrible idea," Schur said. "Every one of my friends there was like, 'Oh boy. This is going to be a disaster.' We were such fans of the British show." Meyers, an SNL cast member and writer during Schur's time with the series, added that he was beloved backstage. "It's no secret Mike is a great writer, but behind the scenes, there has never been a better champion for other writers," the Late Night host said. "Be it as a mentor, a collaborator, or simply as an audience member with an infectious laugh, everyone is better when he's in the room."

Schur credits Daniels, who's currently working on The Paper, The Office's first US spinoff for NBCU's Peacock, with Michael Koman, for showing him the ropes. "I left the meeting with him and sent my agent and manager an email that said, 'I don't know if this show is going to work, but if he offers me a job, I'm going to take it, because he's going to teach me how to write.' That's exactly what happened. Even if that show only lasted six episodes and had been canceled, it would have been the right move. Greg taught me everything I know about half-hour TV writing: How to break stories, how to write jokes, how to create interesting characters, and how to just run a show."

"Mike is a super big-brained comedy intellectual," Daniels said. "Nobody writes characters as simultaneously brilliant, noble, and funny as Mike." For more backstories, including the success of Schur's other work, and comments from Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast members Andy Samberg and Stephanie Beatriz, check out the complete interview.

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