I'm really not sure how I feel about this information.
Michael Ausiello is reporting that NBC and the people behind The Office are thinking about creating a spinoff of the sitcom. The plan is to introduce several new characters on The Office and then later spin them off into their own show (none of the original Office cast would be on the new show). I'm not sure why Ausiello calls this paying a major compliment to Grey's Anatomy (what, there weren't spinoffs before Private Practice?), and I'm not sure if I like this idea or not.
On the one hand, a spinoff is always an iffy thing. I mean, if producers and writers have an original concept for a show, why not just pitch it and launch it on its own (besides the aspect of having a popular show to leap off from)? On the other hand, I'm willing to give any show a chance, because it's all in the writing and casting. A show could be about turnip farmers or a behind the scenes look at a comedy show, as long as it's well written and acted, it doesn't matter. Then again, it seems like NBC is going overboard. First we had needless hour-long episodes, and now a spinoff.
Readers?














Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-30-2007 @ 3:26PM
SHANNON said...
maybe it'll be a spin off about Vance Refrigeration, or a "Cheers" homage, set at Poor Richard's pub.
Yep. Both of those sound pretty crappy...
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10-30-2007 @ 3:35PM
DavidMac said...
All spin-offs aren't terrible and most of the "hour-long" shows have been two 30min shows back to back, so cut the "hour-long is bad" crap.
I wouldn't mind seeing this if it makes fun of another aspect of business in the US.
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10-30-2007 @ 3:52PM
JT said...
I love the hour long episodes, they should have more! They should get really creative and have a two hour comedy block:
My Name Is Earl -- 30 Minutes
The Office - 45 minutes
Scrubs -- 45 minutes
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10-30-2007 @ 3:53PM
Kelly said...
It sounds to me like the network is trying to squeeze another show out of The Office. I honestly wonder if it was NBC that initiated this or the writers.
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10-30-2007 @ 3:58PM
sitruc said...
A spinoff with few ties to the original show... Is a new character going to move to some other city(NY?) and start life there? Hasn't that happened on The Office? I originally thought "The Warehouse" might be a good idea, but I can't imagine this potential spinoff being any good. The Office isn't a show that needs a spinoff right now. They need to concentrate on keeping The Office good and relevant.
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10-30-2007 @ 4:21PM
Oreo said...
Stupid. Think of new ideas. I would understand if The Office was ending and some of the charters would be spun off from that, but this idea just sounds stupid. I can't even think of a better word that stupid for this that's how much this puzzles me.
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10-30-2007 @ 4:23PM
GigG said...
#3 They have done three 40's in the past but the majority of the extra was commercials. The problem with "supersize" episodes is it messes up syndication value. Like DavidMac said the hour long eps are just two 30's.
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10-30-2007 @ 4:33PM
Hollywood Ron said...
45 minutes of Scrubs would be horrible.
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10-30-2007 @ 4:42PM
RC said...
I think a spinoff could be good with the right idea and if it's enough different than the original. Since The Office is a small branch of a larger company maybe do a new show at a large corporation. So far the only office comedies we have are The Office and the movie Office Space so I think the well is still pretty deep.
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10-30-2007 @ 4:44PM
Jill said...
"useless" hour-long episodes? Are you nuts? They were great! I wish we had an hour of The Office every week! As for the spin-off, I share your skepticism. They are rarely good. One might even say they are "useless." :)
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10-30-2007 @ 4:47PM
Jason said...
@8
To clarify your comment, I think 45 minutes of Scrubs in its current state would be horrible. But for me, 45 minutes of early-year Scrubs would've been awesome.
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10-30-2007 @ 5:26PM
Galley said...
My vote goes for "The Warehouse".
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10-30-2007 @ 5:56PM
Sagisarius said...
I think The Office should just be an hour long, the show can't seem to get it together in 30 min.
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10-30-2007 @ 5:59PM
A Viewer said...
They're trying to find a good replacement for "Scrubs," which ends after this season. Their comedy night without "Scrubs" would be "Earl," "30 Rock," and "The Office," leaving half of one hour to fill. Options?
1) "Office" spinoff -- has the benefit of attracting fans of the original.
2) "Zip" -- NBC has picked this new sitcom up to be introduced later in the season. About a Beverly Hills single dad who cons people to get money to provide for his kids. Oh, and his name is Trip Stringer. Yeah.
3) "Kath & Kim" -- Americanization of an Australian show. Expected to be a bad version of a great show, just like the probably already dead "IT Crowd."
4) "The Singles Table" -- pilot picked up for midseason of the '06-'07 season, never got a spot on the schedule; later rescheduled for midseason '07-'08, now listed as simply unscheduled. Hey, you never know.
Which of those options would you pick?
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10-30-2007 @ 6:00PM
Andrew Baeckstrom said...
This spin-off will very likely have all new character and not do what ABC did with Kate Walsh and Grey's Anatomy. With the original now doing 30 episodes a year of heavy lifting, NBC will surely not burden the staff of the show by making them worry about coordinating all the events in the Dunder Mifflin universe with a show taking place in the Wharehouse or Vance Refrigeration. Rather this will very likely be a new office from a new company in a new town with a new staff that will interact with our original office workers for some unkown reason. As long as they aren't messing with the cast and crew of the original, I say go for it. Basically, all that's happening is NBC is considering greenlighting a show very similar to The Office. I'd love to have more shows on TV that are cinematically different (the documentary style), hires talented writers, has great humor, sometimes great drama, has a well utilized talented group of secondary characters, and makes me enjoy watching NBC on Thursdays once again. I have trouble seeing the negatives, I'm only seeing potential. Go ahead NBC, let's see The Office: Topeka or maybe somewhere sexy, The Office: Miami! They can use Nip/Tuck's old Miami office!
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10-30-2007 @ 6:41PM
dj said...
Gareth Keenan Investigates!
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10-30-2007 @ 7:05PM
Chris said...
The only spin off i like is Torchwood and thats a spin off of Doctor Who
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10-30-2007 @ 7:46PM
John said...
Some of the hour long ones were great, there was just too many of them. They should only be used to start a season or end a season (and one apiece, not 4) and for special episodes.
As for the spinoff, it's hard to criticize with no details, isn't it?
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10-30-2007 @ 11:22PM
Stringer Bell said...
I'd religiously watch a show about Mose, whether it be of the 30 or 60 minute variety.
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10-30-2007 @ 11:30PM
summer said...
I, too, was totally thinking of Dwight's brother and the Beets Motel for a spin-off!
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