‘The Office’ Reboot Eyed for NBCU Streamer, But Can Steve Carell Be Convinced to Return?

Zack Sharf

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NBCUniversal officially announced this week its new streaming platform called Peacock, which will include reboots of such series as “Battlestar Galactica,” “Saved By the Bell,” and “Punky Brewster.” While the Peacock streaming service will include original programming, one of the most lucrative titles that will make up its library is “The Office.” NBCU reportedly spent $500 million to purchase exclusive streaming rights to all nine seasons of the beloved sitcom, and it turns out that giant deal was made with every intention of rebooting the series on Peacock.

In a recent interview with Deadline, NBCU Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises Bonnie Hammer teased that a reboot of “The Office” is a top priority for the upcoming streaming service. “It is my hope and goal that we do an ‘Office’ reboot,” she said. “’The Office’ comes back to us in January 2021. It is my hope that we can figure what that great reboot would be. We are having conversations… We want there to be some connective tissue to what we also have in the library.”

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A potential “The Office” reboot would no doubt be a huge attraction for Peacock, but one of the biggest questions facing a potential revival is the involvement of Steve Carell. The actor starred in the leading role of Michael Scott for seven of the show’s nine seasons and has been apprehensive about reprising the character in a reboot.

“I’ll tell you, no,” Carell said when asked by Collider last year about a reboot. “The show is way more popular now than when it was on the air. I just can’t see it being the same thing, and I think most folks would want it to be the same thing, but it wouldn’t be. Ultimately, I think it’s maybe best to leave well enough alone and just let it exist as what it was.”

Carell continued, “You’d literally have to have all of the same writers, the same producers, the same directors, and the same actors, and even with all of those components, it just wouldn’t be the same. So, no. But, I love the show. It was the most exciting time, and all of those people are my friends. We all love it. It was a special thing. It was a special thing before people thought it was a special thing. It was special to us, before other people started feeling that way. But, no.”

NCU’s Peacock streaming service will launch in April 2020 with the complete series of “The Office” and over 15,000 hours of content.

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