Is a Reboot of 'The Office' on the Way?
by EG
NBC is reportedly rummaging through its old schedule for series to revive, and The Office might be high on the list of possibilities. With the success of the revival of Roseanne on ABC, expect all the networks to ramp up the pace of revivals and reboots.
Coming off Sunday's ratings and critical success Jesus Christ Superstar live musical, NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt had at least one big reason to be optimistic about the future of broadcast television. But, as he explained to a crowd of the top entertainment biz attorneys at The Hollywood Reporter's 12th annual Power Lawyers breakfast on Wednesday, there's much more than one hit show behind his rose-colored view.
"We're doing as well as we've ever done," Greenblatt said in a keynote Q&A with THR editorial director Matthew Belloni. Despite the shift toward streaming platforms and video on demand, the company is still bringing in about $7 billion in ad revenue. "I honestly don't care where you watch our programming," he said.
Some events though, like the March 27 premiere of ABC's Roseanne revival, are encouraging viewers to watch live like they did when there were no other options. More than 18 million people tuned in night-of to catch up with the Conner family two decades after the original series ended.
Some have attributed the success to the title character's affinity for President Donald Trump and an apparent effort to cater to his middle-America base. But Greenblatt has no plans to cater to anyone. "We're courting all fans," said the exec, adding that he believes the reboot is succeeding because of its "superb" quality and Roseanne Barr's comedic talent. "I'd love to have that show."
Greenblatt also noted that he's excited about the appetite for what he calls the "reboot genre," but that doesn't mean you'll see every popular NBC series from the past revived. "We can't just reboot everything," he said.
Friends, for example, he says will never happen. Seinfeld is also virtually guaranteed to never be rebooted. Asked specifically if he'd revive Cheers, Greenblatt suggested it may be beyond the point that would make sense to revive the Ted Danson comedy. "I'd love to have the Cheers reboot if it were 20 years ago," he said. (Danson currently stars on NBC's Mike Schur comedy The Good Place.)
The Office is another possibility, though likely without the full original cast, and The West Wing also seems to have favorable odds of returning. Greenblatt noted that West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin would get behind it "if he weren't busy doing 10 other extraordinary things."
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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