Steve Carrell says an 'Office' revival 'could never happen'
Sorry "Office" fans. It appears that a reboot of the iconic series won’t be happening anytime soon.
During a press junket for his new movie, "The Last Flag Flying," Steve Carrell stopped by ET to dish on the series that made him a star. It seems the recent return of "Will & Grace: has everyone talking revivals. So, of course, a potential "Office" reunion has garnered some buzz.
Unfortunately, Carrell expressed little interest in the idea but for good reason: disappointing fans.
After delivering a stern no, Carrell said, "I don't want to be a jerk about it. But I think that people who liked the show originally would want it to come back and be exactly the way it was. But that could never happen. I just wouldn't want to try to recreate something that was a very specific moment in time. I kind of don't want to do it because I love the show so much.
"I think people would be disappointed. I really do."
He's not far off the mark. Like sequels and spinoffs, most reboots run the risk of a big let down. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And "The Office" was big!
The oversaturated market of mockumentary sitcoms has become just that. The confession-style narration can sometimes appear cheap. It's an easy way to progress narrative and dictate how the audience should feel. But when the writing is good enough, none of that matters.
"The Office" took this linear format and created magic with it. They balanced absurd humor with heartfelt stories and made us fall in love with the show. It's still one of the most played shows on Netflix, despite its final episode airing in 2013.
The desire for a reboot is understandable. Besides its loyal following, the show received plenty of critical success. When it was all said and done, "The Office" had received 42 Emmy nominations and five wins. During its run, it was the highest-rated scripted series in NBC's history.
"I want a reunion with just the cast," Carrell said. "Like at my house. Just the cast and spouses and writers and producers and stuff. That I would be really into."
In other words, if you'd like to attend said party, you'll need to marry a member of the team. Sorry ladies, Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) is happily married.
My idea, and I'm spit-balling here, would be to bring the old production team back together. Shoot a one-off episode in the style of "The Office" at the above-mentioned party. Have cast members do the confessional interviews. Give me all the sloppy focus changes and hasty zooms. Show me a Jim smirk and a Stanley frown.
Then upload it to YouTube and keep the sharks at bay for a while.
Wishful thinking.
