The Office's Stephen Merchant on "danger" of revisiting show for spin-off
"Can you capture the magic you had the first time? It’s a tough one to do."
Following the news that the US version of The Office will be getting a brand new spin-off, the original UK show's co-creator Stephen Merchant has reacted to the announcement, and responded to the idea of creating a similar offshoot to the UK version.
Merchant spoke with Deadline on the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet, and said of the US spin-off: "I like the idea that it’s within the universe of The Office, but not necessarily in the same office. I just hope that they represent what office life must be like now. I guess the whole show will just be on Zoom and people only come in, like, twice a week."
When asked whether a similar format could work for a UK-based spin-off, he said: "Maybe, I’m interested to see how this one works. I just think there’s always a danger isn't there, when you revisit things? Can you capture the magic you had the first time? It’s a tough one to do.
"I think it's probably wise doing it in another office with different characters, that seems a kind of smart way. So we'll see how they get on. I wish them well, obviously."
The original UK version of The Office ran for two seasons and two specials, which aired between 2001 and 2003 and starred co-creator Ricky Gervais, along with Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook and Lucy Davis.
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Meanwhile, the US version of The Office aired between 2005 and 2013, and starred Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer.
The new spin-off is said to star Domhnall Gleeson (Alice & Jack) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) and will begin filming in July 2024.
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Merchant will next be seen in the third season of his show The Outlaws, airing at the end of May, which will once again star the likes of Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole and Darren Boyd, while co-star Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) has co-written one of this season's episodes with Merchant.
Gunning said of joining the writing team: "It’s been lovely all being back together, and I felt very lucky that I was in the writers' room this time, as I co-wrote an episode with Stephen, episode 5.
"It’s been really exciting to be a part of helping draft the storyline for series three and get to know the characters more than I did before."
All seasons of The Office US are available to watch on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. The Outlaws returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday 30th May.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
