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Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: nbc, peacock, stephen merchant, the office, The Office Reboot
The Office: Stephen Merchant "Looking Forward" to Peacock Spinoff
Stephen Merchant, original co-creator of The Office UK, shares his thoughts on the upcoming Peacock spinoff set at a midwestern newspaper.
Article Summary
- Stephen Merchant awaits the new Peacock spinoff of The Office U.S. - set at a newspaper.
- Steve Carell endorses the spinoff but won't return as Michael Scott, opting to watch as a fan.
- Greg Daniels and Michael Koman aim to capture the office environment of the modern day.
- Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore lead the cast of the midwestern newspaper-set series.
Greg Daniels, who helped adapt the BBC classic sitcom series The Office to American audiences on NBC, is hoping lightning strikes twice again, this time with creative partner Michael Koman for the Peacock spinoff that shifts away from the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company to a struggling midwestern newspaper but shares the same universe. While promoting his film IF, directed by his The Office co-star John Krasinski, original star Steve Carell is adamant about not reprising his role as Michael Scott, saying, "It wouldn't make any sense," he provided a ringing endorsement and will watch as a fan. You can add Stephen Merchant, one of the co-creators of the BBC series (with Ricky Gervais), to the mix as, like the NBC series, will also serve as an executive producer for the Peacock incarnation.
Original 'The Office' Co-Creator Stephen Merchant on Peacock's Spinoff
"I don't know anything more than you guys. They don't tell us anything. They just make us sign bits of paperwork to say they can do it, and I'm looking forward to it," Merchant told Deadline Hollywood at the BAFTA TV Awards. "I like the idea … that it's within the universe of 'The Office,' but not necessarily in the same office. I just hope they represent what office life must be like now. I guess the whole show will just be on Zoom and people only come in like twice a week." When asked about expanding the U.K. Office-verse, "Maybe, I'm interested to see how this one works. I just think there's always a danger when you revisit things: can you capture the magic you had the first time? It's a tough one to do."
The original BBC Office starred Martin Freeman, which was parodied on Saturday Night Live, blended with another signature franchise he's attached to as he was promoting The Hobbit at the time. The US NBC incarnation ran for nine seasons from 2005-2013, outlasting the BBC original's three seasons. The Peacock incarnation stars Domhnall Gleeson (Ex-Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus), leading another ensemble cast as a publisher tries to save a dying midwestern newspaper with the help of volunteer reporters. Production is set for July.
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