The Officereboot needs to capture a lot of great things from the original show, but there’s one major mistake from its predecessor that it can’t afford to repeat. Given the persisting popularity ofThe Office, NBC has been trying to get a revival of the series off the ground for a few years. That revival finally started to take shape earlier this year when Greg Daniels and Michael Koman developed it intoThe Paper, a new workplace mockumentary series about a different cast of characters working together in a different mundane office environment.
In theupcomingOfficereboot, the same in-universe documentary crew that filmed the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin for nine years will turn their cameras on a dying Midwestern newspaper. The series will follow a new publisher attempting to resurrect the paper with the help of volunteer reporters.Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore will star in the series, and Melvin Gregg, Chelsea Frei, and Ramona Young have been recruited to round out the supportingcast ofThe Office’s reboot. There’s a lot from the previous series thatThe Paperhas to emulate to succeed, but there’s one aspect it should avoid.
The Office Reboot Can’t Take A Whole Season To Find Its Tone Like The US Remake Did
TV Shows Don’t Have Time To Find Their Feet Anymore
Although it would eventually become a massive success, the U.S. remake ofThe Officedidn’t hit the ground running. In its first season, the remake was too faithful tothe original UK version ofThe Office. It copied the drab lighting and cynical tone of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s previous series, and it didn’t work for the American setting. Throughout its second and third seasons, the U.S. version ofThe Officebecame a more upbeat and hopeful show, and that led to greater success. But the reboot won’t have the freedom to grow like that.
The New Office Remake Backlash Misses A Key Fact About The Beloved NBC Sitcom
The Office is getting an Australian remake set to release on Prime Video, but those criticizing the upcoming release are forgetting something.
The Officeis one of many 2000s sitcoms that took some time to find its feet.Parks and RecreationandIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaboth had a shaky season 1 and didn’t find their voice until season 2 or season 3. But in today’s TV landscape, with a deluge of new content dropping on streaming services constantly,audiences are spoiled for choice, so TV shows don’t have the luxury of finding their feet. They have to be great on arrival, regardless of the genre or format, or they might die.The Officereboot needs to find its feet in season 1.
Why The Office US Changed So Much Between Seasons 1 And 2
The Office Made Michael Scott More Sympathetic After Season 1
The U.S. remake ofThe Officechanged drastically between seasons 1 and 2. Season 1 performed well enough to score a season 2 renewal, but it wasn’t a huge ratings success and it received mixed reviews from critics. Going into season 2, the writers addressed many of the complaints about season 1 and it came back as a very different (and much better) show. The biggest problem with season 1 is thatThe Officehad made Michael Scott the villain, and had made everyone else in the office unnecessarily antagonistic towards him.
These endearing little touches made viewers care about Michael and gave the show its longevity.
In season 2,Michael Scott becomes more sympathetic, and the show makes everyone a little nicer to him. In episode 3, “Office Olympics,” Jim gives Michael a medal to pick up his spirits after getting ripped off on his condo purchase. In episode 9, “Email Surveillance,” Jim sings karaoke with Michael to ease the tension after he shows up to a party uninvited. In episode 18, “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” Michael’s childhood TV appearance reveals his insecurities about not having any friends. These endearing little touches made viewers care about Michael and gave the show its longevity.
The Office’s Newspaper Reboot Is Risky, So It Must Hook Viewers Fast
It’s Setting The Bar High By Taking Place In The Office Universe
It’s a testament to the worrying state of the industry that even a workplace sitcom needs to have some kind of franchise attachment to get any major traction in Hollywood. But it also means thatThe Paperhas a lot to live up to. IfThe Paperwas just a new TV show about a newspaper office, audiences wouldn’t go in with any preconceived notions and might be more willing to give it a chance. Butby placing the story in the same fictional universe asThe Office,The Paperis setting a very high barfor itself.
Steve Carell has confirmed he won’t appear inThe Paper.
IfThe Office’s reboot is disappointing or a little underwhelming at the start, many might prefer to sit the new show out and revisit the original series instead.The Paperneeds to hook viewers fast because audiences have plenty to choose from now, and the inevitable comparisons toThe Officewon’t do it any favors if it’s not great. Unfortunately, the current TV landscape doesn’t allow shows to slowly find their tone and learn from their mistakes. Hopefully,The Papercan show its best qualities right from the start.
The Office
Cast
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
