It has been nearly 20 years since Greg Daniels brought The Office to NBC and gave the world one of the best sitcoms of all time. For nine seasons and 200 episodes, the series -- a U.S. remake of a popular British series from Ricky Gervais -- introduced some of the most beloved characters, countless outrageous and crafty pranks, and some surprisingly tender moments from the likes of Michael Scott and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. And now, Daniels is working on a way to bring the show back, but in a different way than you’d expect.
This new project, which is reportedly not going to be a reboot, is currently in development, and there are a few things we know so far...
What Is The Office Premiere Date?
Considering we’re so late in the 2024 TV schedule, it's unlikely that we'll see this new version of The Office at any point this year. However, with the 20th anniversary of the U.S. version of The Office being in March 2025, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the show aims to premiere around that time on the 2025 TV schedule.
How Will We Be Able To Watch The New Office Show
Fans of The Office with a Peacock subscription are in for a real treat, as the next iteration of the franchise will call the streaming service home. In a press release sent out by Peacock, it was announced that Greg Daniels' next installment in the franchise had been given a series order on the popular platform, though no details were announced about how many episodes would make up its first season.
The Office Cast
Though we don’t yet know who they will be playing on The Office, we do know who’ll be appearing on the show when it premieres sometime soon. Here’s everyone who’s been announced so far.
Sabrina Impacciatore
In April 2024, Variety announced that Sabrina Impacciatore, who many will recognize from her portrayal of Valentina, the no-nonsense manager of the titular resort in The White Lotus Season 2, would be one of the two actors leading the new comedy series, though her role wasn’t revealed at the time.
Domhnall Gleeson
Domhnall Gleeson, who has shown off both his dramatic and comedic abilities in several of his best movies, was also announced to be leading the cast by Variety in April 2024.
Melvin Gregg
In September 2024, Variety reported that Melvin Gregg had signed on to appear in the series, though the nature of his role was undisclosed. Gregg’s previous TV credits include Snowfall, Freakish, and American Vandal.
Chelsea Frei
Also in September 2024, it was announced that Chelsea Frei, best known for roles on The Moodys, The Last O.G., and Poker Face, has signed on to appear in the new streaming series.
Ramona Young
Rounding out the cast (for now) is Ramona Young, who signed on alongside Frei and Gregg in September 2024. Young previously appeared on shows like Never Have I Ever, Legends of Tomorrow, and Santa Clarita Diet.
What Is The New Office Series About?
This new version of The Office won't simply be a reboot of the classic series. Instead, it will be set in a new workplace in a different part of the country with new characters that live in the same world as the beloved mockumentary series, per a Peacock press release. According to the official logline, the same documentary crew that filmed Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch will turn its attention to a historic yet dying newspaper in the Midwest that is in the process of being revived by a publisher and a group of volunteer reporters.
Other details about the plot of the developing project are next to none at the time of this writing, so it’s hard to say how this version of The Office will compare to the previous series, but the premise of a newspaper trying to survive in the 21st century could be great.
The Cast Have Been Shadowing Real Reporters To Prepare For The New Series
The cast of Greg Daniels’ new Office series may not be actual newspaper reporters but they’ll definitely look the part, as several of the actors have been shadowing real journalists to prepare for their roles. In September 2024, the Palisadian-Post reported that Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, and Ramona Young had spent time with members of the ad sales, circulation, and graphic design departments, in addition to the newsroom, to get a better understanding of the different aspects of a daily paper.
And with the three young stars becoming familiar with pretty much every major aspect of the California publication’s day-to-day operations, it could mean that they won’t just be playing reporters when the new show premieres but instead filling any number of roles.
Steve Carell And Other Members Of The Office Cast Won’t Be In The New Show
While there’s always the chance of characters from the original U.S. version of The Office making a brief cameo in the new iteration (Ricky Gervais’ David Brent had a run-in with Steve Carell’s Michael Scott in Season 7), at least one longtime cast member has said they haven’t been approached about appearing in the planned new show.
During the May 2024 premiere of IF, Steve Carell, who played Michael Scott for much of The Office, told The Hollywood Reporter that he would not be showing up in the latest iteration of the series, stating:
I will be watching but I will not be showing up. It’s just a new thing and there’s really no reason for my character [Michael Scott] to show up in something like that.
When speaking with People in April 2024, Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beasley for the entire duration of the NBC comedy series, had this to say about being involved with the project:
No, I have not been approached. There is a spinoff in the works. Greg Daniels and Michael Koman are working on it. I don't know a lot of details, but I'm not involved. I haven't been approached about it.
It remains to be seen if other members of The Office cast will show up or not, but it would be a nice surprise if at least one character returns, even if for a cameo.
The New Office Show Is Being Developed By Greg Daniels And Nathan For You’s Michael Koman
Greg Daniels was the main developer of the American version of The Office nearly 20 years ago, and he is once again running things with the new iteration. However, the man behind shows like King of the Hill, Parks and Recreation, and Upload isn’t on his own for his next venture, as Nathan For You’s Michael Koman is co-developing the series.
According to Deadline, the pair have been working on the project together in the early planning stages, and Koman will have a co-creator credit by the time everything is said and done. In addition to working with Nathan Fielder on his landmark docu-reality series, Koman has also written for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and MadTV.
Greg Daniels Put Together A Writers Room In January 2024
Work on this next version of The Office properly got started in January 2024, when Greg Daniels assembled a writers room. According to Deadline, Daniels was putting together a group of his most trusted writers to help him explore various ideas for the new iteration of the series. Outside of Michael Koman, who is co-creating the series with Daniels, no other names have been made public, but expect that to change.
The New Series Will Reportedly Be Called The Paper
Though Peacock has yet to get the new Office series an official name at the time of this writing, Entertainment Tonight reported in June 2024 that the show will reportedly be called The Paper, which makes sense considering it’s set at a newspaper. The ET article pointed to Greg Daniels’ Writers Guild of American bio that listed The Paper under one of his projects, though the mention on the WGA website has since been removed.
We will have to wait and see if Peacock ultimately lands on The Paper as the official title, but expect to hear more about the show’s name and other information in the coming weeks and months.
Production Was Slated To Kick Off In July 2024
In the same press release announcing the series order and the basic premise, Peacock also announced that production on this latest iteration of The Office would kick off at some point in July 2024. However, there have been no updates about the production aside from the fact that several members of the cast were shadowing employees of a California newspaper.
There are still a lot of things we don’t know about Greg Daniels' plans to expand The Office, but we should know more as the series’ development progresses. Until then, it’s never a bad idea to revisit some of the best episodes of The Office all these years later.
