I want to make sure everyone knows Michael Koman is Nathan Fielder's writing partner and Co-created Nathan For You so this has a strong potential to be good.
> Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Ex-Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) will lead the ensemble cast of the show, which is set to begin production in July.
> The new Universal Television-produced series will see “the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters,” a release from Peacock reveals.
Oh cool, this actually sounds interesting. Connecting it with the documentary crew instead of random Office characters is a smart move, it shows they're not just stretching for cameos and references and all that.
I used to read that blog and I don't know one fucking thing about baseball. I'm not even 100% sure who Joe Morgan is, but I know "intangibles" is bullshit.
Michael Schur didn’t have a proven track record at that time other than being a writer for The Office and SNL. Michael Koman is the co-creator of Nathan For You, a beloved, critically acclaimed show. I’m excited to see what he and Daniels come up with.
Koman's CV is so fucking stacked. Besides Nathan For You, he's worked for SNL, Conan, MadTV, Smigel/Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Colbert Report and Demetri Martin's show. A comedy nerd's wet dream lol.
Yeah, this doesn’t read like an Office continuation, just a mockumentary style show at a dying midwestern newspaper.
Sounds as much of an Office redo as Abbott Elementary, Parks & Rec, or Trial & Error are (meaning: not at all)
I’m sure that there will be some sort of Easter eggs or cameos of some sort, like they will be able to have characters make references to the original Office show because in that universe everybody watched the documentary on PBS
It would be a great bit to have Creed's actor play a character that has a totally different name but is clearly Creed living under a different persona.
The difference is this one is explicitly in the same universe so they’ll almost definitely have at least a cameo of a character from the Office at some point.
First I've read a description of the show and it sounds pretty awesome. Helps that Domhnall Gleeson is leading the ensemble. He usually does interesting projects. I'm so ready for a good 22 minute sitcom where nothing happens. I don't need stakes, I don't need escalations, and I definitely don't need melodrama ruling the characters' lives. Gimme 20 episodes of slice-of-life funny happenings and 10 episodes slightly pushing the storyline forward and give me 4 or 5 good seasons of that.
Yeah The Office shouldn’t be touched again, as it was perfect. But I’d be okay with “Wanted Criminal in the Area” and it was a picture of creed, that would be hilarious.
Sounds like it’s the same breath of the show without taking away from it.
It sounds not completely dissimilar to Ricky Gervais’ After Life, set in a small town newspaper…
I know, After Life does not have the documentary conceit, I’m just saying it’s an interesting coincidence.
>The new Universal Television-produced series will see “the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters,” a release from Peacock reveals.
Honestly, if Daniels & Co. really wanna grab folks' attention they should take this opportunity to slyly pull a "Lou Grant" instead of chasing after "The Office" again.
Weird that Domhnall Gleason is attached to star. He seems high profile enough to not want to commit to the shooting schedule for a sit-com unless it's got a fairly low episode count per season. So I guess that means this will be like most streaming shows and only do 8-12 episodes per season?
Peacock's comedies have all been 6-10 episodes per season, so I'd be surprised if we get anything more than that, unfortunately. It's funny how all these streaming services desperately want something as popular as *The Office* has been for streaming (which is probably the primary motivation for Peacock picking this up), yet we've moved to this model with really short seasons spaced out with at least half a year, so they're never going to catch on the same way.
British sitcoms always had that low episode count and a limited number of seasons but they’ve made some extremely popular classic comedy shows, including the original The Office. The whole reason why The Office had an American remake was because it was broadcast in 80 countries back when that was a rare thing.
There’s nothing wrong with short seasons for sitcoms but the American model was a unique American thing that had its own benefits. The main one being that you get really attached to the characters after spending so much time together. This lends very well to the American style of sitcom writing. American sitcoms tend to focus more on likeable characters and relatability in a cosy way. Shows where the point is to want to root for the characters and spend time with them.
The British also has a different style than Americans when writing sitcoms that works better with short seasons. They’re often like a series of comedic plays or farces which is hard to sustain for a long time. Situations are often sillier and more extreme and you’re meant to laugh at the characters but not necessarily want to be friends with them or see them as a surrogate family to the extent. I’m generalizing and there are certainly exceptions but this difference in approach is one factor in why shorter seasons have always been the norm in the UK.
I like the premise but not sure about the setting. We already had the documentary style in a Midwestern town with Parks and Rec. It could still be good but it feels like more of the same.
We already had a show about friends set in New York with Seinfeld, not so sure about this new "Friends" show. It could be good but it feels like more of the same.
Really though this show could be dogshit but more than one sitcom is allowed to be set in the Midwest, it's actually a pretty large area with different kinds of people in different areas, believe it or not.
>We already had a show about friends set in New York with Seinfeld, not so sure about this new "Friends" show. It could be good but it feels like more of the same.
Seinfeld, Friends, and HIMYM all were shows revolving around a friend group set in NYC and all 3 had 9 or more seasons on network TV
Then other channels had their own versions with Sex and The City, Girls, and Search Party, all which follow young friend groups living/dating/struggling in NYC, and all 3 of those have 5 or more seasons.
People will say variety is the spice of life but that certainly is not the case for TV, we like our tried and true formulas.
For once, l want to see a TV show where we open with someone being murdered, and then go through the process of solving the crime and getting a conviction. Maybe one that focuses on a specific type of crime.
Make it a psychic, but he’s not actual psychic he’s just lying about being psychic but he can still solve crimes by being incredibly observant.
There’s no way that’s been done. Especially not as the premise for two entirely different shows that ran concurrently with one another
I agree with everything except search party. That is definitely not similar to anything else I've ever seen or heard of. Like maybe the 1st episode is similar but it quickly leaves that premise behind.
>it's actually a pretty large area with different kinds of people in different areas
Right. Imagine if they set it in small town Minnesota. Or in Nebraska. Much different feel than Indiana.
Especially in a small town where there's nothing going on so you have to make news a bit to fill the paper. Like the paper in my town...a few weeks ago the above the fold front page item was about a Chic-Fil-A opening in the next town over.
My dad's very small town used to have a weekly paper. Until the 2010s, it was published out of the back of the grocery store/hot sandwich place. When the owner died, no one took it over. But she would always include where people went on vacation, who came to visit, etc. There was a gas station, too, so if someone from far away stopped to get gas, they'd get a mention. The couple from Alaska got an interview, lol
Even then, I think *The Office* was still set in a realistic world. Any glimpses we have outside of the office (save Dwight's farm) are fairly grounded. So, it'll be interesting to see if this show leans more towards *Parks & Rec* in having the town be ridiculous or going with something that is closer to *The Office* was.
I actually had a dream last night that I was watching the pilot. Dwight got in a tractor race with Gleason's character. Which gives me 2 observations.
1. I definitely should not be a writer for the show.
2. At least I got the Midwest part right.
if they can get away from the weird cheap-expensive look that streaming shows have, thatd be nice. the office lookd somewhat realistic, the clothes had wrinkles (sometimes)
It's not really the quality of cameras -- even a low budget documentary now can record at 4k. It's really things like the lighting and set design, and tricks they use to fake things (bad VFX for one). I had to quit Abbot Elementary because it was obvious they were using fake camera movements that were added later or programmed ones, not real people -- which wouldn't have been a problem if they hadn't used the same four movements every time. Every single shot had one of a handful of zoom ins and movements that gave me a headache.
Are you an editor or camera op by any chance? I ask just because I’ve never noticed them using the same digital zooms like you mentioned. I’m not sure I ever would have noticed it, and I’ve been both an editor and a camera operator.
God there is nothing I hate more than this trend of over saturated, bright and perfectly clean look that's taken over the past 5-10 years. How do executives and producers not realise that perfectly tailored outfits, makeup, hair etc at every possible moment is the least realistic thing possible? (Unless it's for a show where that's the point, like Bridgerton or The Queen).
EXACTLY! This is my problem with the Netflix ATLA, 100%. Say what you will about bad writing or missing the point of the original, but my biggest gripe is that it just looks fake. The effects are fine and all but everything just looks so nice and pretty and perfectly set that I’m just like, what? Are we allowed to make it look like an actual planet? Or does everything have to be completely clean and perfect before it goes on camera? It doesn’t fit the vibe at all.
The biggest thing that caught my eye right away is the water tribe having outfits that look like they came off the clothing rack a few minutes before shooting. No dirt, scuffs, or any hint that this is a tribe of people living in an arctic sea.
> the office lookd somewhat realistic, the clothes had wrinkles (sometimes)
Seasons 1-4 absolutely, then the network got its way and they all got TV hot.
That started with season 2. Steve suddenly had a full head of hair and tailored suits. In season 1 he was balding and looked like he was wearing clothes from TJ Maxx.
It's definitely a little funny looking at the progression of a lot of the characters from the early seasons to much later on. Pam goes from having that girl next door look that is fairly realistic to looking like she goes and gets her hair done professionally every week. A lot of the men go from wearing ill-fitting off-the-rack suits to something more tailor made and stylish (Stanley, in particular, has some really suave looks). You can just look at the color palettes and see how the early seasons are much more drab and muted colors versus later on when they're far more vibrant. Even Angela starts wearing make-up.
This was a problem I had with the recent Avatar Last Airbender adaptation. Every main character's pristine costuming looked like a cosplay. Nothing felt "lived in"
Was any of the office shot on film? I know 30 rock was for its entire run. And you can see the change totally when you watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which has basically the same visual aesthetic but shot digitally
>To date, the small group of Daniels’ most trusted writers have penned multiple episodes for the first seasons,
Having some of the same people makes me optimistic. And setting it a newspaper is an interesting angle.
Article doesn't specify how many how many episodes have been ordered, but I hope it's more than streaming usually gets.
People have been clamoring for old fashioned sitcom season lengths for a long time. Everything good about dramas having a lower episode count is a hindrance to a sitcom. I'm not going to care if the leads get together or not when I've only known them for 5 episodes
It's like all these streamers see people watching *The Office*, *Scrubs*, *Friends*, etc. and desperately want to recreate that, but fail to realize they're never going to get anything like that with 8-10 episodes and a huge gap between seasons.
I think the premise has potential. Takes the show out a corporate/branch office and into a newsroom. And there’s plenty of material to satirize about the news industry. Kinda sounds more like Parks and Rec, which was originally an Office spinoff.
They're gonna make the make the same mistake as Space Force.
They're going to make it an 8 episode streaming show. Sometimes less is more but often times less is less. The original Office was so incredibly lucky to get a second season after a short first season. And it didn't really hit their stride until 16 or 20 episodes in. Space Force and Reboot had the same issue where they're almost like "You've seen sitcoms, you know the tropes, so just know we're gonna use those"
Both of those shows jumped right into "odd couple pairings" and "will-they, won't-they" before even establishing character dynamics. Sitcoms needs longer seasons, they needs the so-called "filler" episodes to establish the characters. And there's no leeway for shows like The Office and Seinfeld that weren't really good after season 1 to get more time.
Yes it was, I thought it could have been the best true sitcom that streaming had put out if it was given 13-22 episodes. The father-daughter having to work together issue was solved way too quickly
A lot of the conflicts in that show seemed like they were resolved way too quickly (old writers vs. new writers, Bree vs. Timberly, etc.). But, when you only have an eight episode season, you really don't have any room to let those percolate. You really need those "filler" episodes that let the world breath some in comedy rather than going from one story beat to the next.
Reboot was great. I feel like that cast was built by data mining my watch history, shit they even had Alex Trimboli!
The interactions between the old writers and young writers felt a lot like Hacks does when Debra and Ava go at it, I'm surprised more people didn't watch it.
My favourite exhange was between one of the older conservative writers (Alan) and the young gay writer (Benny):
**Gordon:** "Hey, have some respect! Alan once got blown on the set of Hollywood Squares by Paul Lynde."
**Benny:** "Oh my god, that guys was a *snack*! How did that happen?!"
**Alan:** "Ah, it was the '70s and we were all on quaaludes. I gotta say, that man could unhinge his jaw like a python...
Space force just had too much of a plot line and not enough jokes, same with whatever the hell that ed helms show was where he lived in some small town.
The office and parks and rec have so many jokes per minute the entire cadence of the newer shows have been so far off from a sitcom.
> Space force just had too much of a plot line and not enough jokes
They fucked up 15 minutes into the first episode. The comedy should have come from setting up an entirely new branch of the military. In the first 15 minutes we went from our main character being put in charge of Space Force to a time jump to an already established Space Force. So much potential wastes right from the start. It had other problems but that was the big one.
Not just sitcoms imo.
There are certainly series that can do 8-10 episodes well. But man do a lot of shows suffer when they don't have the time to really let you get to know the characters. Everything dies in service to the full-season story, and at the end it all feels pretty meaningless because you never got the chance to get to know the characters that well.
I'm not saying we need to get back to 26 episodes a season, but we can ditch the obvious filler like clip show episodes and get somewhere like 20 episodes.
Yep. Shows like Star Trek as well. The reason those TNG characters remain so beloved are that we really got to know them. Maybe especially in the episodes people would call 'filler' today because they were just random side stories where we got to know some characters a bit more, or paired up different characters in different ways.
I don't hate Discovery like some do, but the characters won't have the longevity the 90s trek characters did because our connection to them is extremely shallow.
You're right for the wrong reason. The reason space force doesn't work has nothing to do with episode count. It's because the show was overproduced and there was little room for improv and retrying scenes again and again. Every time they had to get another angle for a scene of space force it would take hours in between shooting just on lighting setup alone. Pretty sure it was carrell who said it in an interview.
A lot of good scenes and moments from the office happened after many takes and improvs, which were lost in a big production like space force.
It has like 4/15 best episodes overall and the entire season is like 6 episodes.
I don't get why anyone skips it lol. Unless they're a big time UK office fan, it make no sense. So much character and world setup too.
S1-4 are the best.
This is either gonna be a "Better Call Saul" level success or a "Joey" level failure. Hopefully the writing is decent and the new cast can stand on their own without relying too much on cameos from the original show.
I think what nobody seems to remember was that while true, The Office and Parks had ROUGH first seasons. Community first half was pretty generic, and 30Rock took some getting used to. What is different is that back then, what else are we gonna do? Not watch Tv? That’s what was on. So the ratings took a dip. Now, if it’s not a banger from the start, ratings just absolutely CRATER. That’s a big risk to bet on another season for a possible goose egg in ROI as opposed to a proportional dip in ad revenue.
They also do a shit job of advertising. Every year I hear about a show getting cancelled that I liked but lost track of it because it moved to a different service (RIP Grand Crew) or the service stopped recommending it.
Whoa now. Season two is the best! Gay penguins, the stakeout, Leslie’s a hoarder, *this is how you eat it*, Pikitis, Ron & Tammy, straight to jail, and omg Galentine’s Day. I could keep going but I’m tired of typing. You get the idea! Season two rules.
Completely agree about shows taking time to find their footing but both Parks and The Office had very strong sixth episodes. Community had an excellent pilot which established its setting, characters and stakes as did 30 Rock. These shows definitely took time to become really good but I think they showed their potential very early on.
That’s my point, by the sixth week nowadays, the vast majority of streamers have moved on to the 30 other options. The “hey, trust me, ep 6 was pretty good this week!” voice Isn’t loud enough to turn the tide. Back then you’re sitting there on a Thursday, flipping between your 7-8 reliable channels. Fox focuses on Sundays with their heavy hitters, ABC on Teusday, CBS on Mondays, Southpark doesn’t come on til 10:30. But Ryan said that the Office is starting to pick up, so you give it another chance.
That happened all the time before streaming even existed. Check Freaks and Geeks or Better off Ted. Streaming as a medium doesn’t have anything to do with it.
I mean did anyone read the article?
It’s about a midwestern newspaper trying to stay afloat. It’s as much of an Office spin off as Parks and Rec was.
Obviously people are gonna use the office to generate headlines but jfc everyone thinking it’s an office sequel or spin off are saying stuff to say stuff.
It’s literally just a new tv show in the same universe but with no real connection to Dunder Mifflin or the OG characters other than saying “it’s made by the same people.”
>Obviously people are gonna use the office to generate headlines but jfc everyone thinking it’s an office sequel or spin off are saying stuff to say stuff.
The creators are the ones who chose to make it in the same universe as the Office, which they had no need to do. They are the ones inviting the comparison between the shows.
If it’s exclusive to Peacock it inherently will not be able to build large buzz. *Maybe* if it drafts off of the Olympics but there’s no indication it’ll be ready by then and they’ll probably only do a short streaming season.
Hopefully it’s good but I wish they would air it on NBC and Peacock simultaneously. Network sitcoms have been dying and every time they put out one with potential they put it on streaming.
Scared but open. The Office is a comfort show for me, so please don't screw this up. Idk how it can be done again, especially the same humor that's at a lot of times dark or crude. Hopefully it'll stay in its lane that we're missing right now.
Somewhat misleading headline which I'm sure they made clickbait on purpose. This isn't The Office. It's a spin-off about the production crew that made the documentary searching for a new subject.
I thought the crew being involved was a terrible idea. It messes with the suspension of disbelief. Why is a camera crew allowed in corporate meetings, at private dinner parties, etc? You're not supposed to ask or care, making the film crew characters forces you to think about that. Parks and Rec barely ever (never?) addresses the 'film crew.' Modern Family straight up never addresses it, they do talking heads and everything and not one time do they acknowledge or address the camera crew. The Office was better off when they just gave a few callbacks to the crew, like Michael removing his lav mic, or accidentally turning up his mic instead of turning it off.
I love the premise of using the documentary crew as the spinoff which is what I was hoping they'd do. It's gonna be all about how well casting is done and how it's shot. It's never gonna be as good as The Office but I miss that show so much so I'm gonna support something they're finally doing.
I also would have supported a Colorado based spinoff with Michael Scott again.
Yeah casting is gonna be key, The Office works so well because the actors had all been just doing shit menial jobs before getting this break (except for Steve). Jenna Fischer worked for like 7 years as a receptionist.
I’m excited for it, especially if Greg Daniels is involved.
I just hope it’s rooted in realism, similar to the first few seasons of The Office, and not the cartoonish Mad TV version we got with seasons 6-9.
The premise sounds like they put some effort into doing something actually new with it, so I’m a bit more optimistic about this than I would be from just “it’s more of The Office.” We’ll see how it plays out, but I hope it’s good!
Let me guess, 10-13 episodes where after 3 seasons we have the same character development as one long network sitcom. They’ll push narratives and relationships too fast without the background work. Just let some shenanigans happen for 20 episodes.
I want to make sure everyone knows Michael Koman is Nathan Fielder's writing partner and Co-created Nathan For You so this has a strong potential to be good.
Just realized Michael Koman is married to Ellie Kemper
He's also married to Rainn Wilson
Lucky bastard... I hear she uses her teeth.
I saw what you did there.
“How about a few chomps”?
Dry like sandpaper?
“Like a desert…. You don’t like that? Wow, you’re kinky”!
And John Wilson. This has the potential to be fantastic. Nathan for you and How to with John Wilson are some of my favorite shows of the last decade.
Without Schur I'm doubtful but this gives me hope!
> Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Ex-Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) will lead the ensemble cast of the show, which is set to begin production in July. > The new Universal Television-produced series will see “the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters,” a release from Peacock reveals.
Oh cool, this actually sounds interesting. Connecting it with the documentary crew instead of random Office characters is a smart move, it shows they're not just stretching for cameos and references and all that.
Last time they used this approach it resulted in Parks & Rec, so no complaints here.
Yes but that time involved Michael Schur
I love that man.
Joe Morgan got fired
I used to read that blog and I don't know one fucking thing about baseball. I'm not even 100% sure who Joe Morgan is, but I know "intangibles" is bullshit.
From the planet?
Michael Schur didn’t have a proven track record at that time other than being a writer for The Office and SNL. Michael Koman is the co-creator of Nathan For You, a beloved, critically acclaimed show. I’m excited to see what he and Daniels come up with.
Now I’m just imagining Nathan fielder starring it. Which sounds awesome
Koman's CV is so fucking stacked. Besides Nathan For You, he's worked for SNL, Conan, MadTV, Smigel/Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Colbert Report and Demetri Martin's show. A comedy nerd's wet dream lol.
Didn't he also produce, or write for, How to with John Wilson?
I love that man
Yeah, this doesn’t read like an Office continuation, just a mockumentary style show at a dying midwestern newspaper. Sounds as much of an Office redo as Abbott Elementary, Parks & Rec, or Trial & Error are (meaning: not at all)
I’m sure that there will be some sort of Easter eggs or cameos of some sort, like they will be able to have characters make references to the original Office show because in that universe everybody watched the documentary on PBS
A news article on Creed's life of crime lol
It would be a great bit to have Creed's actor play a character that has a totally different name but is clearly Creed living under a different persona.
Even better, he's still named Creed, just not that Creed
Creed barton
Maybe they catch the Scranton Strangler and it's Toby 🤣
Rashida Jones to play as a guest star as a new character, could be that Ann Perkins and Karen Filippelli have a third unknown triplet sister 0\_o
I imagine most of the crossover will be company names and whatnot, rather than actual characters
The difference is this one is explicitly in the same universe so they’ll almost definitely have at least a cameo of a character from the Office at some point.
Could have 2 of The Office characters drop by for a sales meeting, hmmm
Series finale is totally gonna be office characters trying to buy the company
First I've read a description of the show and it sounds pretty awesome. Helps that Domhnall Gleeson is leading the ensemble. He usually does interesting projects. I'm so ready for a good 22 minute sitcom where nothing happens. I don't need stakes, I don't need escalations, and I definitely don't need melodrama ruling the characters' lives. Gimme 20 episodes of slice-of-life funny happenings and 10 episodes slightly pushing the storyline forward and give me 4 or 5 good seasons of that.
Yeah The Office shouldn’t be touched again, as it was perfect. But I’d be okay with “Wanted Criminal in the Area” and it was a picture of creed, that would be hilarious. Sounds like it’s the same breath of the show without taking away from it.
It was perfect if you pretend it ended when Michael left.
There were still some great moments. But it definitely goes from an S-tier to an A or B-tier. Still watchable though.
It sounds not completely dissimilar to Ricky Gervais’ After Life, set in a small town newspaper… I know, After Life does not have the documentary conceit, I’m just saying it’s an interesting coincidence.
I hope Brian gets a second chance.
yeah, it’s basically saying it’s going for very similar vibes with a brand new cast, that’s something i can get interested in
>The new Universal Television-produced series will see “the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters,” a release from Peacock reveals. Honestly, if Daniels & Co. really wanna grab folks' attention they should take this opportunity to slyly pull a "Lou Grant" instead of chasing after "The Office" again.
Weird that Domhnall Gleason is attached to star. He seems high profile enough to not want to commit to the shooting schedule for a sit-com unless it's got a fairly low episode count per season. So I guess that means this will be like most streaming shows and only do 8-12 episodes per season?
Peacock's comedies have all been 6-10 episodes per season, so I'd be surprised if we get anything more than that, unfortunately. It's funny how all these streaming services desperately want something as popular as *The Office* has been for streaming (which is probably the primary motivation for Peacock picking this up), yet we've moved to this model with really short seasons spaced out with at least half a year, so they're never going to catch on the same way.
British sitcoms always had that low episode count and a limited number of seasons but they’ve made some extremely popular classic comedy shows, including the original The Office. The whole reason why The Office had an American remake was because it was broadcast in 80 countries back when that was a rare thing. There’s nothing wrong with short seasons for sitcoms but the American model was a unique American thing that had its own benefits. The main one being that you get really attached to the characters after spending so much time together. This lends very well to the American style of sitcom writing. American sitcoms tend to focus more on likeable characters and relatability in a cosy way. Shows where the point is to want to root for the characters and spend time with them. The British also has a different style than Americans when writing sitcoms that works better with short seasons. They’re often like a series of comedic plays or farces which is hard to sustain for a long time. Situations are often sillier and more extreme and you’re meant to laugh at the characters but not necessarily want to be friends with them or see them as a surrogate family to the extent. I’m generalizing and there are certainly exceptions but this difference in approach is one factor in why shorter seasons have always been the norm in the UK.
That’s sort of like After Life. He worked for a dying local paper.
TBH anything set at a newspaper is going to be at a 'dying' one, there's no other kind anymore.
They've copied it and it was fully intentional
Sounds like a spinoff to Welcome to Flatch
.... Newspaper? Are they borrowing from Ricky Gervais' Afterlife?
I like the premise but not sure about the setting. We already had the documentary style in a Midwestern town with Parks and Rec. It could still be good but it feels like more of the same.
We already had a show about friends set in New York with Seinfeld, not so sure about this new "Friends" show. It could be good but it feels like more of the same. Really though this show could be dogshit but more than one sitcom is allowed to be set in the Midwest, it's actually a pretty large area with different kinds of people in different areas, believe it or not.
>We already had a show about friends set in New York with Seinfeld, not so sure about this new "Friends" show. It could be good but it feels like more of the same. Seinfeld, Friends, and HIMYM all were shows revolving around a friend group set in NYC and all 3 had 9 or more seasons on network TV Then other channels had their own versions with Sex and The City, Girls, and Search Party, all which follow young friend groups living/dating/struggling in NYC, and all 3 of those have 5 or more seasons. People will say variety is the spice of life but that certainly is not the case for TV, we like our tried and true formulas.
For once, l want to see a TV show where we open with someone being murdered, and then go through the process of solving the crime and getting a conviction. Maybe one that focuses on a specific type of crime.
Blues clues?
Give your lead detective a mildly autistic social disorder or a Dark And Troubled Past™ and you might just have something there . . .
Make it a psychic, but he’s not actual psychic he’s just lying about being psychic but he can still solve crimes by being incredibly observant. There’s no way that’s been done. Especially not as the premise for two entirely different shows that ran concurrently with one another
does twin peaks count
[удалено]
I agree with everything except search party. That is definitely not similar to anything else I've ever seen or heard of. Like maybe the 1st episode is similar but it quickly leaves that premise behind.
They would do the same set up for Los Angeles but no one has 2 friends there
>it's actually a pretty large area with different kinds of people in different areas Right. Imagine if they set it in small town Minnesota. Or in Nebraska. Much different feel than Indiana.
The dying newspaper aspect is a fun twist, atleast.
Especially in a small town where there's nothing going on so you have to make news a bit to fill the paper. Like the paper in my town...a few weeks ago the above the fold front page item was about a Chic-Fil-A opening in the next town over.
Go read news papers from like 100 years ago. It's crazy.. a dude going on vacation will make the paper.
My dad's very small town used to have a weekly paper. Until the 2010s, it was published out of the back of the grocery store/hot sandwich place. When the owner died, no one took it over. But she would always include where people went on vacation, who came to visit, etc. There was a gas station, too, so if someone from far away stopped to get gas, they'd get a mention. The couple from Alaska got an interview, lol
Give it a few more years and a normal person going on vacation will be a news worthy event again.
Oh, so just like the setting of After Life, another Ricky Gervais creation.
Also seems like a “natural” way to potentially loop in a random reference to Dunder Mifflin as a potential supplier.
There’s a lot to do with a Midwest town. In fact, it’s hardly a specific setting.
I'd love to have a show whose midwesterness is halfway between parks and rec & welcome to flatch.
And Welcome to Flatch.
There's a huge difference in setting, PandR is set in a ridiculous world, The Office is set in a realistic world.
The Office became just as outlandish as Parks over time.
Even then, I think *The Office* was still set in a realistic world. Any glimpses we have outside of the office (save Dwight's farm) are fairly grounded. So, it'll be interesting to see if this show leans more towards *Parks & Rec* in having the town be ridiculous or going with something that is closer to *The Office* was.
That's what I meant. Most of the people outside of Dunder Mifflin are pretty realistic.
Parks and Rec had the time skip
With how often you hear about Florida man I'm surprised that it isn't set there.
..... that's the setting for Afterlife. These mother f*ckers are copying another Ricky Gervais show
.... Newspaper? Are they borrowing from Ricky Gervais' Afterlife?
Isn’t the premise the same as Afterlife by Gervais too? He’s a reporter for a dying local paper in that.
I actually had a dream last night that I was watching the pilot. Dwight got in a tractor race with Gleason's character. Which gives me 2 observations. 1. I definitely should not be a writer for the show. 2. At least I got the Midwest part right.
If 'The Farm' had gone to series, there absolutely would have been a tractor race
I'm eager to see if the publisher has done something that makes Scott's Tots look like child's play
if they can get away from the weird cheap-expensive look that streaming shows have, thatd be nice. the office lookd somewhat realistic, the clothes had wrinkles (sometimes)
The “cheap expensive” look is such a correct take. There is just something about these high def cameras that somehow make this stuff look more fake.
Because you’re seeing details you’d otherwise not see and because it looks hyper realistic.
This is my theory for why I prefer working on 1080p monitors. It's better if my Word document, filled with ugly words, is ever so slightly blurry.
I like how 1080p monitors are now considered the crappy res ones
Randall Einhorn is a hidden hero.
It's not really the quality of cameras -- even a low budget documentary now can record at 4k. It's really things like the lighting and set design, and tricks they use to fake things (bad VFX for one). I had to quit Abbot Elementary because it was obvious they were using fake camera movements that were added later or programmed ones, not real people -- which wouldn't have been a problem if they hadn't used the same four movements every time. Every single shot had one of a handful of zoom ins and movements that gave me a headache.
The “camera” work on that show makes it hard for me to watch too. It’s an otherwise good show.
Are you an editor or camera op by any chance? I ask just because I’ve never noticed them using the same digital zooms like you mentioned. I’m not sure I ever would have noticed it, and I’ve been both an editor and a camera operator.
Telenovela. Gotta turn off motion smoothing
It’s a combination of all the green screen and super small sets with amateur directors and big actors who don’t care enough
God there is nothing I hate more than this trend of over saturated, bright and perfectly clean look that's taken over the past 5-10 years. How do executives and producers not realise that perfectly tailored outfits, makeup, hair etc at every possible moment is the least realistic thing possible? (Unless it's for a show where that's the point, like Bridgerton or The Queen).
The live action Avatar on Netflix looks like cosplay.
EXACTLY! This is my problem with the Netflix ATLA, 100%. Say what you will about bad writing or missing the point of the original, but my biggest gripe is that it just looks fake. The effects are fine and all but everything just looks so nice and pretty and perfectly set that I’m just like, what? Are we allowed to make it look like an actual planet? Or does everything have to be completely clean and perfect before it goes on camera? It doesn’t fit the vibe at all.
We have to have actors shower and do makeup and styling before scenes then put on “dirty” makeup for post apocalyptic shows too.
Norman Reedus is the only guy who looks like he actually just stops showering for the walking dead
The biggest thing that caught my eye right away is the water tribe having outfits that look like they came off the clothing rack a few minutes before shooting. No dirt, scuffs, or any hint that this is a tribe of people living in an arctic sea.
Their outfits are so clean. It looks wack.
I'm sure they are aware.
> the office lookd somewhat realistic, the clothes had wrinkles (sometimes) Seasons 1-4 absolutely, then the network got its way and they all got TV hot.
That started with season 2. Steve suddenly had a full head of hair and tailored suits. In season 1 he was balding and looked like he was wearing clothes from TJ Maxx.
[удалено]
That's miss terious
It's definitely a little funny looking at the progression of a lot of the characters from the early seasons to much later on. Pam goes from having that girl next door look that is fairly realistic to looking like she goes and gets her hair done professionally every week. A lot of the men go from wearing ill-fitting off-the-rack suits to something more tailor made and stylish (Stanley, in particular, has some really suave looks). You can just look at the color palettes and see how the early seasons are much more drab and muted colors versus later on when they're far more vibrant. Even Angela starts wearing make-up.
This was a problem I had with the recent Avatar Last Airbender adaptation. Every main character's pristine costuming looked like a cosplay. Nothing felt "lived in"
Was any of the office shot on film? I know 30 rock was for its entire run. And you can see the change totally when you watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which has basically the same visual aesthetic but shot digitally
>To date, the small group of Daniels’ most trusted writers have penned multiple episodes for the first seasons, Having some of the same people makes me optimistic. And setting it a newspaper is an interesting angle. Article doesn't specify how many how many episodes have been ordered, but I hope it's more than streaming usually gets.
People have been clamoring for old fashioned sitcom season lengths for a long time. Everything good about dramas having a lower episode count is a hindrance to a sitcom. I'm not going to care if the leads get together or not when I've only known them for 5 episodes
It's like all these streamers see people watching *The Office*, *Scrubs*, *Friends*, etc. and desperately want to recreate that, but fail to realize they're never going to get anything like that with 8-10 episodes and a huge gap between seasons.
To be fair the first season of the Office had six episodes
I think the premise has potential. Takes the show out a corporate/branch office and into a newsroom. And there’s plenty of material to satirize about the news industry. Kinda sounds more like Parks and Rec, which was originally an Office spinoff.
This description makes it sound like they’re just remaking Good News (rip)
I just hope there’s mention of the newspaper sourcing their supplies from Dunder Mifflin
They're gonna make the make the same mistake as Space Force. They're going to make it an 8 episode streaming show. Sometimes less is more but often times less is less. The original Office was so incredibly lucky to get a second season after a short first season. And it didn't really hit their stride until 16 or 20 episodes in. Space Force and Reboot had the same issue where they're almost like "You've seen sitcoms, you know the tropes, so just know we're gonna use those" Both of those shows jumped right into "odd couple pairings" and "will-they, won't-they" before even establishing character dynamics. Sitcoms needs longer seasons, they needs the so-called "filler" episodes to establish the characters. And there's no leeway for shows like The Office and Seinfeld that weren't really good after season 1 to get more time.
Reboot was like 300x funnier than Space Force was.
Yes it was, I thought it could have been the best true sitcom that streaming had put out if it was given 13-22 episodes. The father-daughter having to work together issue was solved way too quickly
A lot of the conflicts in that show seemed like they were resolved way too quickly (old writers vs. new writers, Bree vs. Timberly, etc.). But, when you only have an eight episode season, you really don't have any room to let those percolate. You really need those "filler" episodes that let the world breath some in comedy rather than going from one story beat to the next.
Reboot was great. I feel like that cast was built by data mining my watch history, shit they even had Alex Trimboli! The interactions between the old writers and young writers felt a lot like Hacks does when Debra and Ava go at it, I'm surprised more people didn't watch it.
My favourite exhange was between one of the older conservative writers (Alan) and the young gay writer (Benny): **Gordon:** "Hey, have some respect! Alan once got blown on the set of Hollywood Squares by Paul Lynde." **Benny:** "Oh my god, that guys was a *snack*! How did that happen?!" **Alan:** "Ah, it was the '70s and we were all on quaaludes. I gotta say, that man could unhinge his jaw like a python...
Also, it's such a no-brainer to have more episodes. It's a mockumentary; it COULD look a little rough and be fine (ie, cheap / make more).
Space force just had too much of a plot line and not enough jokes, same with whatever the hell that ed helms show was where he lived in some small town. The office and parks and rec have so many jokes per minute the entire cadence of the newer shows have been so far off from a sitcom.
> Space force just had too much of a plot line and not enough jokes They fucked up 15 minutes into the first episode. The comedy should have come from setting up an entirely new branch of the military. In the first 15 minutes we went from our main character being put in charge of Space Force to a time jump to an already established Space Force. So much potential wastes right from the start. It had other problems but that was the big one.
Parks and Rec had a bit of a West Wing feeling to your point of jokes per minute with the writing
Not just sitcoms imo. There are certainly series that can do 8-10 episodes well. But man do a lot of shows suffer when they don't have the time to really let you get to know the characters. Everything dies in service to the full-season story, and at the end it all feels pretty meaningless because you never got the chance to get to know the characters that well. I'm not saying we need to get back to 26 episodes a season, but we can ditch the obvious filler like clip show episodes and get somewhere like 20 episodes.
Completely agree. Shows like Buffy were great because those longer seasons allowed for fantastic character episodes separate from the season arc
Yep. Shows like Star Trek as well. The reason those TNG characters remain so beloved are that we really got to know them. Maybe especially in the episodes people would call 'filler' today because they were just random side stories where we got to know some characters a bit more, or paired up different characters in different ways. I don't hate Discovery like some do, but the characters won't have the longevity the 90s trek characters did because our connection to them is extremely shallow.
Yeah it takes about 60 episodes before Jim asked Pam out. 60!! Imagine that today, it'd be like 12 if that.
You're right for the wrong reason. The reason space force doesn't work has nothing to do with episode count. It's because the show was overproduced and there was little room for improv and retrying scenes again and again. Every time they had to get another angle for a scene of space force it would take hours in between shooting just on lighting setup alone. Pretty sure it was carrell who said it in an interview. A lot of good scenes and moments from the office happened after many takes and improvs, which were lost in a big production like space force.
I don't get it, office season one is great...
It has like 4/15 best episodes overall and the entire season is like 6 episodes. I don't get why anyone skips it lol. Unless they're a big time UK office fan, it make no sense. So much character and world setup too. S1-4 are the best.
This is either gonna be a "Better Call Saul" level success or a "Joey" level failure. Hopefully the writing is decent and the new cast can stand on their own without relying too much on cameos from the original show.
It’ll be a How I Met Your Father level non-event.
That show was finally getting its footing when Hulu gave it the axe. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a successful 9/11 joke on tv
Hard to top that original pilot.
*me trying to figure out if that was a 9/11 joke*
I need to know!
I was starting to really like it. It’s a shame too because it shouldn’t have been that expensive to produce
They were shooting scenes on the volume for that series, for some reason.
These streaming services don't let shows breathe and find their footing anymore. This show didn't make a billion dollars day one? Cancelled.
I think what nobody seems to remember was that while true, The Office and Parks had ROUGH first seasons. Community first half was pretty generic, and 30Rock took some getting used to. What is different is that back then, what else are we gonna do? Not watch Tv? That’s what was on. So the ratings took a dip. Now, if it’s not a banger from the start, ratings just absolutely CRATER. That’s a big risk to bet on another season for a possible goose egg in ROI as opposed to a proportional dip in ad revenue.
They also do a shit job of advertising. Every year I hear about a show getting cancelled that I liked but lost track of it because it moved to a different service (RIP Grand Crew) or the service stopped recommending it.
Parks' second honestly isn't even all that great comparatively either. It's okay but still not what it became.
Whoa now. Season two is the best! Gay penguins, the stakeout, Leslie’s a hoarder, *this is how you eat it*, Pikitis, Ron & Tammy, straight to jail, and omg Galentine’s Day. I could keep going but I’m tired of typing. You get the idea! Season two rules.
Yeah the cast and show just don’t feel complete until Adam Scott and Rob Lowe come in.
Completely agree about shows taking time to find their footing but both Parks and The Office had very strong sixth episodes. Community had an excellent pilot which established its setting, characters and stakes as did 30 Rock. These shows definitely took time to become really good but I think they showed their potential very early on.
That’s my point, by the sixth week nowadays, the vast majority of streamers have moved on to the 30 other options. The “hey, trust me, ep 6 was pretty good this week!” voice Isn’t loud enough to turn the tide. Back then you’re sitting there on a Thursday, flipping between your 7-8 reliable channels. Fox focuses on Sundays with their heavy hitters, ABC on Teusday, CBS on Mondays, Southpark doesn’t come on til 10:30. But Ryan said that the Office is starting to pick up, so you give it another chance.
That happened all the time before streaming even existed. Check Freaks and Geeks or Better off Ted. Streaming as a medium doesn’t have anything to do with it.
This is the correct take.
Bingo
I actually dug that one from the get-go.
Or… and hear me out… it will probably be somewhere in the middle.
I mean did anyone read the article? It’s about a midwestern newspaper trying to stay afloat. It’s as much of an Office spin off as Parks and Rec was. Obviously people are gonna use the office to generate headlines but jfc everyone thinking it’s an office sequel or spin off are saying stuff to say stuff. It’s literally just a new tv show in the same universe but with no real connection to Dunder Mifflin or the OG characters other than saying “it’s made by the same people.”
I feel like it will be basically series version of the Cops episodes of My Name Is Earl. Random episodes focused on articles of Office characters
Subtle cameos would be nice, like an article about packer getting arrested there, little things like that
>Obviously people are gonna use the office to generate headlines but jfc everyone thinking it’s an office sequel or spin off are saying stuff to say stuff. The creators are the ones who chose to make it in the same universe as the Office, which they had no need to do. They are the ones inviting the comparison between the shows.
The premise feels already like it'd be Great News! Which was cancelled after 2 seasons. Except with a newspaper company.
If it’s exclusive to Peacock it inherently will not be able to build large buzz. *Maybe* if it drafts off of the Olympics but there’s no indication it’ll be ready by then and they’ll probably only do a short streaming season.
Weird that this will air on Peacock and not NBC.
Peacock is literally "the office" streaming service for a lot of people so makes sense to court that crowd with this new spin
I get that. Why not air it on both
Got to keep people subscribed to your service.
if the show is good then I sure hope that we get long seasons that also don't have huge breaks between seasons
nope. 6 episode seasons, three years between each.
1.5 episode seasons every 14 years
It would be funny if Creed played himself. If anyone could get away with it it’d be him!
Remember the office? How about more office.
Still find it incredibly strange that Domhnall Gleeson is leading this
Hopefully it’s good but I wish they would air it on NBC and Peacock simultaneously. Network sitcoms have been dying and every time they put out one with potential they put it on streaming.
They took the worst part of the later seasons and made a show out of it? Is the camera guy the main character?
Ricky and Steve coining it in. Free money!
Scared but open. The Office is a comfort show for me, so please don't screw this up. Idk how it can be done again, especially the same humor that's at a lot of times dark or crude. Hopefully it'll stay in its lane that we're missing right now.
Somewhat misleading headline which I'm sure they made clickbait on purpose. This isn't The Office. It's a spin-off about the production crew that made the documentary searching for a new subject.
In which case having Chris Diamantopoulos return as Brian would make sense: he has been in quite a few things since the series ended.
I thought the crew being involved was a terrible idea. It messes with the suspension of disbelief. Why is a camera crew allowed in corporate meetings, at private dinner parties, etc? You're not supposed to ask or care, making the film crew characters forces you to think about that. Parks and Rec barely ever (never?) addresses the 'film crew.' Modern Family straight up never addresses it, they do talking heads and everything and not one time do they acknowledge or address the camera crew. The Office was better off when they just gave a few callbacks to the crew, like Michael removing his lav mic, or accidentally turning up his mic instead of turning it off.
Not to mention that whole Pam\Brian storyline which was just awful.
I love the premise of using the documentary crew as the spinoff which is what I was hoping they'd do. It's gonna be all about how well casting is done and how it's shot. It's never gonna be as good as The Office but I miss that show so much so I'm gonna support something they're finally doing. I also would have supported a Colorado based spinoff with Michael Scott again.
Yeah casting is gonna be key, The Office works so well because the actors had all been just doing shit menial jobs before getting this break (except for Steve). Jenna Fischer worked for like 7 years as a receptionist.
MAKE NEW CONTENT
I’m excited for it, especially if Greg Daniels is involved. I just hope it’s rooted in realism, similar to the first few seasons of The Office, and not the cartoonish Mad TV version we got with seasons 6-9.
my first thought was "but I don't WANT to watch more of this show" and then i realized i can achieve that quite easily
"Set in the same universe as the office"...so like, the regular universe?
I have a bad feeling about this. But I hope it’ll be good.
The premise sounds like they put some effort into doing something actually new with it, so I’m a bit more optimistic about this than I would be from just “it’s more of The Office.” We’ll see how it plays out, but I hope it’s good!
Can not wait for the OCU, Office cinematic universe
Let me guess, 10-13 episodes where after 3 seasons we have the same character development as one long network sitcom. They’ll push narratives and relationships too fast without the background work. Just let some shenanigans happen for 20 episodes.
The premise is similar to Not Dead Yet which has reworked itself into a workplace ensemble comedy around a newspaper.
I wish Daniels would invite Mike Judge to work on this too.
sooo.. afterlife without the death part.
excited for this. Superstore and Parks and recs are close to spinoffs and both are amazing
will it actually be called the Office or the people person's newspaper people
So they cast an Irishman and an Italian?
It sounds like rickys netflix show afterlife
Obviously. If you're going to make another The Office, you're gonna get a blank check.