Tag Archives: The Office

TCA 13: NBC’s Bob Greenblatt pats own back for hugely successful fall season

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The Television Critics Association is back for its winter tour. It’s the time of year when the major networks and their shows talk about their fall performance and preview what’s to come midseason and beyond. Of the big four networks, NBC was up first today and man-o-man was the Peacock’s chairman of entertainment Bob Greenblatt happy to see a sea of press because this marks the first time in a long time that his network has something positive to really talk about. NBC’s had a great fall as they currently find themselves the #1 network in the adults 18-49 demographic and #2 in total viewers (still trailing CBS). “What a difference a year makes, right?” he exclaimed toward the crowd packed with press and critics. “I’m going to bore you with statistics because I’m not sure when I’m going to have the chance to do this again.” The major stats are as follows: for the first half of the season, NBC is up 24 percent and 19 percent in the 18-49 demo and total viewers, respectively. The net can thank the ultimate Monday pairing of The Voice and Revolution for their recent success, as well as high ratings for Sunday Night Football and their surging sitcom Go On. In 2012 FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly accused the heads of the other major nets of having their heads up their asses. Greenblatt responded directly today with the most publicist quote to come out of his panel: “I can guarantee you, we don’t have our heads up our asses,” he said.

Greenblatt and NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke used the rest of their time to discuss specific shows, new ones and old. Jump after the break for the bullet-point breakdown. Continue reading TCA 13: NBC’s Bob Greenblatt pats own back for hugely successful fall season →

‘Office’ spin-off ‘The Farm’ starring Rainn Wilson is a no-go at NBC

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Well darn. Looks like we’ll really have to say goodbye to The Office and all its characters this May when the series comes to an end. NBC has decided not to go forward with an Office spin-off called The Farm which was going to follow Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute on his beet farm running a bed & breakfast with his family. Wilson and Office executive producer and star Paul Lieberstein shared excitement at the potential for such a spin-off for the character earlier this year. But alas, the idea has been scraped. Wilson tweeted, “NBC has passed on moving forward with The Farm TV show. Had a blast making the pilot – onwards & upwards!”

As previously reported, a future episode of The Office serves as a back-door pilot for The Farm and takes place at Schrute Farms. The network still plans on airing the episode later this year, so at least we’ll all get a glimpse of where things might have headed.

Kick off the final season of ‘The Office’ with this (emotional) retrospective

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Tonight (9/20) NBC kicks off the final season of The Office at 9PM. After what will be nine seasons of ups and downs in terms of sheer laughs and creative direction, Dunder Mifflin will close its doors for good this May. Before you sit down and watch tonight’s season premiere, watch this admittedly emotional retrospective that highlights some of the best, most memorable moments from the wacky, longrunning mockumentary. We miss you Michael Scott.

Tonight’s NBC lineup also includes the Up All Night (8:30PM) and Parks and Rec (9:30PM) season premieres, and they are preceded by an SNL Weekend Update Thursday special (8PM).

‘The Office’ season 9 will be the show’s last

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Some say this news should have come when star Steve Carell left the show at the end of season 7. But the show went on and this past Tuesday the series’ executive producer Greg Daniels announced that the upcoming ninth season will conclude the antics in The Office. Daniels served as the series’ showrunner from seasons one through five and then handed the creative reins to exec producer Paul Lieberstein, who plays Tobey. For the final season Daniels returns as showrunner and he had this to say about the not-so-shocking news.

“This will be the last season of The Office. And we’re planning a very big exciting last season. We’re going to have a lot of faces coming back … There are a lot of things that I’ve personally been wanting to do since season two … All questions will be answered this year. Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively.”

He assures fans that NBC has not cancelled the show (why would they–it’s the network’s highest rated comedy); The Office is closing its doors because the creative team behind it feels the time has come; many fans likely share the sentiment. “This year feels like the last chance to really go out together and make an artistic ending for the show that pays off a lot of the stuff that matters most to fans,” said Daniels. He continued, “You have a choice–only tell the beginning of story and the middle, or allow a story to end. If we didn’t let it end this year, I don’t think we would have been able to tell the ending stories of so many characters… we couldn’t count on getting everybody back for season 10.” (What with Mindy Kalling headlining The Mindy Project on FOX with fellow Office star B.J. Novak, and Rainn Wilson moving on to NBC’s Office spinoff The Farm.) Daniels added, “You could see a world where new people keep coming on the show. But I think [we want to] do justice to the existing characters in the most creative and explosive way and that means the show will be changed to such a degree that if anything was to continue it wouldn’t be the same show.”

Specifically, what can longtime viewers expect to see in the final season? Daniels says more drama will hit Jim and Pam’s relationship, the season will explore who’s behind the documentary crew that’s been filming the Office employees over all these years, and the elusive Scranton Strangler will be revealed. Do you want to see Michael Scott again? The producers do. “We would certainly wish for it,” Daniels said. “We’re not going to put so much pressure on Steve by writing something that would only work if he would return. He really loves how he was exited. He’s probably anxious about not messing up such a stylish exit. It’s a perfectly legitimate point. We’ll see, we haven’t written anything, we just have some ideas for the ending.”

The Office returns Thursday, September 20 on NBC.

[Via EW; Deadline]

‘The Office’ spin-off starring Dwight Schrute in the works at NBC?

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Yes, a spin-off series to The Office is in development at NBC. According to Deadline, Office showrunner Paul Lieberstein (who also executive produces and plays Toby) and star Rainn Wilson are imagining a new show with Dwight Schrute at the center of it. The spin-off would take place at Dwight’s beet farm, which also serves as a bed & breakfast. “Paul and Rainn have been joking for years about Dwight’s life on the farm, his family and how ill-suited he is to run a B&B,” spills a source to Deadline. “A while ago, it started to feel like a show to them. NBC agreed, it’s been further developed to include multiple generations, many cousins and neighbors. At its base it will be about a family farm struggling to survive and a family trying to stay together.” If this all comes together, Lieberstein and Wilson will executive produce along with Office producers Ben Silverman and Howard Klein; Office creator Ricky Gervais and developer Greg Daniels will not be involved with the project.

Once NBC gives the green light, viewers will soon become aware of Dwight’s departure from the Dunder Mifflin Sabre office. Per Deadline an episode will air later this season set at Schrute Farms that will introduce the spin-off. Dwight will be featured in season nine (if The Office is renewed for another season, of course), and he will make his grand exit just in time for a 2013 midseason spin-off premiere. Wilson recently told critics that “We’re talking about a Dwight spinoff that could be really cool.” He added, “It would have a crazy menagerie of characters. It would be even more far out and weird than The Office.” Mose better be one of those characters.

The Office has been admittedly lackluster since Steve Carrel left the show last year. With a major character such as Dwight potentially leaving next year, does this spell the beginning of the end for the long-running series? Office fans, sound off in the comments below.

[Via Deadline; TVLine]

James Spader joins ‘The Office’ as new Sabre CEO

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Following his short but oh-so-sweet cameo on The Office season seven finale this past May, James Spader (Boston Legal) will return next season as a regular. He will replace Kathy Bates’ Jo Bennett as he quickly rises in the ranks to become the Sabre CEO. Office executive producer and series regular Paul Lieberstein (Toby) explains: “James will reprise his role as Robert California, this uber-salesman that has a power to convince and manipulate, like a high-class weirdo Jedi warrior. He’ll have been hired over the summer as the new manager, but within hours, got himself promoted. Within days, he took over the company. James has an energy that is completely his own, and ‘The Office’ has no tools for dealing with this guy. We’re thrilled he’s joining our cast.”

If you need a refresh on the character hop over to Hulu to watch Spader’s phenomenally entrancing performance as Robert California, a very smart man who firmly believes “there is no such thing as a product…there is only sex.”

[Via Deadline]

TV Reminder: Steve Carell departs ‘The Office’ tonight

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Oh, I can already feel the tears swelling up. Tonight’s episode of The Office is called “Goodbye, Michael” and it will be the final episode starring the brilliantly talented Steve Carell.

The Office boss is going out with a bang, thankfully. The super-sized episode is extended from a half hour to fifty minutes in length; it will air from 9PM to 9:50PM, followed by a beefier episode of Parks and Rec (9:50PM-10:30PM) to soften the blow.

Don’t miss Michael Scott’s swan song tonight (4/28) at 9PM on NBC. The Office will attempt to forge on without him; two more episode will follow, then the season seven finale airs May 19. Perhaps this impressive slate of upcoming special guests will have you excited for the final three episodes. Will Ferrell, Ricky Gervais, Ray Romano, James Spader, Catherine Tate, Will Arnett, and Jim Carrey will all be vying for Michael Scott’s managerial position at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch! Continue reading TV Reminder: Steve Carell departs ‘The Office’ tonight →

NBC renews ‘Community’, ‘Parks and Recreation’, ‘The Office’

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Fantastic news everybody: NBC has renewed Community, Parks and Rec, and The Office for a third, fourth, and eighth season, respectively! NBC’s other staple comedy 30 Rock was renewed for a sixth season late last year. It will surely be interesting to see how The Office performs without its star Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) and I’m equally looking forward to the return of the Greendale and Pawnee gangs. These shows have proved time and time again that they’ve found their stride. I am beyond elated that NBC has saved these shows from sitting on the cancellation fence and determined their value residing in the network’s Thursday night comedy lineup.

NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt: “Along with 30 Rock, they represent the best of what the NBC comedy brand stands for in terms of originality, wit, and sophistication. The Office continues to fire on all cylinders on the most competitive night of television; Parks & Recreation has come into its own this season as the rightful companion to The Office; and Community is one of the freshest comedies on any network and a solid foundation for Thursday night.”

Greenblatt has ordered 13 comedy pilots each vying for a spot in this talented lineup. Things are not looking up for Outsourced and midseason player Perfect Couples.

For those of you who follow the ratings game: The Office averages a 4.0 rating/10 share in adults 18-49 and 7.7 million viewers; Parks and Rec sees a 2.8/7 and 5.5 million viewers; Community gets a 2.1/6 and 4.7 million.

[Via Deadline; EW]

Will Ferrell is headed to ‘The Office’ for a multi-episode arc

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With Steve Carell exiting The Office before season’s end, the producers promised that viewers could expect the introduction of new characters in the wake of Michael Scott’s departure.  Following Ricky Gervais’ quick cameo this week, funnyman Will Ferrell will reunite with his Anchorman co-star later this season for a lengthier four-episode arc.  According to Deadline, Ferrell “will play a branch manager who comes from the home office and is just as inappropriate as Steve Carell’s Michael Scott character.”  He will work alongside Scott for three episodes and his character will remain with the Office gang for one additional episode post-Scott’s departure “to help create a bridge” between the old and new (still undisclosed) boss.

The Office’s executive producer Paul Lieberstein (who also plays HR rep Toby Flenderson) had this to say about the Ferrell addition: “We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star and we turned him into a television star. We are proud to continue The Office’s tradition of discovering famous talent, and we hope that once America gets a good look at Will, they’ll see what we see, tremendous raw sexuality.”

Oh, and I just thought of this.  If the producers decide to bring David Koechner’s Todd Packer into the mix, we’ll have ourselves an even mightier Anchorman reunion.

Update: Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) commented on Ferrell’s Office visit and what’s in store for the show post-Michael Scott; hop after the break for some quotes!

[Via Deadline; EW] Continue reading Will Ferrell is headed to ‘The Office’ for a multi-episode arc →

Ricky Gervais will reprise David Brent in U.S. version of ‘The Office’ next week

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This being Steve Carell’s final season on The Office means big changes and exciting storylines leading up to May.  This was supposed to be a surprise for longtime fans of the series but word got out and here we are: Ricky Gervais will reprise David Brent, the UK version of Carell’s Michael Scott, in the January 27 episode.  More specifically, Brent will make a brief cameo during the cold open.  “It’s a little more than if you blink, you’ll miss it, but if you don’t set your TiVo right, you’ll miss it,” says producer Paul Lieberstein.  So how will Gervais, who created the UK Office and serves as an executive producer on the US version, end up crossing paths with his US alter-ego?  Lieberstein spills, “We had some issues to work out, like how does David Brent live in the world of Michael Scott. It’s outside of the office, and it’s just the two of them interacting. It’s just a llittle nod to Steve and his final year.”

The Office returns with new episodes this Thursday at 9PM on NBC.

[Via NYMag]

Michael Scott to check out of ‘The Office’ early

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After seven seasons of laughs, Steve Carell is ready to leave his position as Dunder Mifflin/Sabre’s Office boss.  But you knew that already.  What you didn’t know is that the producers have planned an exit strategy that involves Carell leaving the show earlier than you might have expected.  “Steve is leaving earlier than the [season finale],” reveals executive producer Greg Daniels.  “The big ‘Goodbye, Steve’ thing will be before [May] sweeps.”  He continues, “Our basic plan is to see the jockeying and interviewing [for Michael’s job], and not have that happen off-camera and suddenly present America with the choice. We’d rather play out the stories of the various characters who want that seat, and show them fight for it.”

Although Carell won’t hang on until the season finale, Daniels is excited about the episodes leading up to it.  “It’s kind of a fun situation, and the chaos is creatively exciting. Whenever something with big stakes happens, it leads to good episodes — and we will have a lot of significant things happening.”

Kathy Bates, who plays Sabre CEO Jo Bennett with mighty fine ‘tude, is coming back. “We’re going to play out the whole [replacement] process in a realistic way,” says Daniels. “And it’s always great to have Kathy here.”

The season finale, which will run an hour long and is expected to be written by Carell himself, will reveal Michael Scott’s successor and the immediate reaction from the employees.  “They’re all different people with strong personalities,” Daniels says, “so they each have a lot invested in who’s their new boss.”

It’s so sad to know these are the final episodes of The Office with Carell; it’s still hard for me to fathom how the show will go on without him.  It’s true, the ensemble cast is terrific, but he’s the backbone of it all.  At least we can expect some grade-A stories to come out of the build up leading to the big reveal at season’s end.  I’m really rooting for Amy Ryan’s Holly Flax to scoop Michael up and they live happily ever after.

Update: With Michael Scott leaving The Office, this opens up more story opportunities for the other main characters and you can expect the import of new characters.  “We’re trying to take Steve’s departure as an opportunity to shake things up and add some new characters,” says Daniels.  One of these new characters?  They are currently casting Stanley’s never-before-seen adult daughter to fill “a recurring (and potentially series regular)” role, according to TVLine.  She will be “one of several new characters” joining the show later this season.  Daniels continues, “They’ve been playing with this dynamic for so long… you kind of know how the stories are going to go. For Michael not to take up the A story in every episode means that a lot of them are getting the A stories now.”

[Via TVLine, here & here]

Steve Carell is ready to leave ‘The Office’ next season

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You read that right, folks.  At the end of the upcoming seventh season of NBC’s The Office star Steve Carell will leave his post as moronic boss Michael Scott.  His contract is up next season and he simply wants to spend more time with his family.  In his words: “I just think it’s time.  I want to fulfill my contract.  When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh.  I just thought it was time for my character to go.”  With Michael Scott of out the picture, can the show still go on?  According to Carell the answer is a resounding yes.  “It doesn’t certainly mean the end of the show. I think it’s just a dynamic change to the show, which could be a good thing, actually.  Add some new life and some new energy…I see it as a positive in general for the show.”  When news broke of his potential exit from the show, he quickly became a trending topic on Twitter; fans were pretty upset.  Carell addressed the reaction, too.  “I didn’t see it as a huge thing and I certainly didn’t anticipate any sort of hubbub over it.  I’m just not going to extend my contract, but I didn’t see it as a huge deal.  And the show is great, and the ensemble is so strong, and the writers are great, so it’s just one part of that ensemble drifting off.  They’ve incorporated so many new characters and so many new, great storylines that I have no doubt it’ll continue as strong if not stronger than ever.”  While that is likely true, the show will not be the same with Carell absent.  Though negociations are still open for debate, it certainly seems like Carell is ready to call it quits.  And that’s what she said.

[Via E!Online]