4. Bring Back Jan Levinson — With Andy and Erin gone, and David Wallace running the company from up high, bringing back Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) as the new branch manager makes practical sense. The new office dynamic would closer reflect the early seasons of “The Office,” minus Michael Scott. Jan Levinson could also serve as one of the new focuses of the show, a single-working mom with a drinking problem dealing with running an office and dating. She’s also smart enough to be the voice of reason on the show, a voice that the show has been missing for several years.
5. Hire Writers Who Have Actually Worked in an Office — The biggest single problem with “The Office” over the last several seasons is that it’s lost its relatable appeal. Early seasons of the show fell under the “funny because it’s true” category of office life. Lately, nothing in Dunder Mifflin bears any resemblance at all to an actual office. A writer with some actual office experience to pull from could get the show back to its comedic roots.
6. Hire Mike Judge as the New Showrunner — Greg Daniels is working on a new show, Michael Shur is preoccupied with “Parks and Recreation,” and the current showrunner, Paul Lieberstein, is on his way out. Who knows how to satirize office life better than Mike Judge, the man behind Office Space? His feature film career never really took off, and all he is doing of late is “Beavis and Butthead.” This could be a positive career move for Judge and the shot of creative energy the show needs. It would also make practical sense, as “The Office” creator, Greg Daniels, has a relationship with Judge from their work together on “King of the Hill.”
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Hire Mike Judge as the New Showrunner…
Please don’t. Mike Judge produces some of the funniest material in the entertainment industry. Don’t send him in to clean up the horrific mess that somebody left in the bathroom simply because he’s “good at stuff.” He deserves better.
Damned fine list, Dustin. Take the rest of the day off. Tell yer boss I said “it’s cool.”
get rid of Erin, Andy, Jim, Pam, Robert, Nellie, Ryan, Kelly, Angela & Gabe.
13. Kill off the guy who plays Gabe. Not the character, the literal actor who is responsible for that creepy unfunny fuck.
14. Bring back Miami Stanley
I couldnt agree more. Also, Miami Stanley was the shit!
More NARD DOG! Oh, sorry, thought I was Peter King for a moment there. And what’s with this Amtrak coffee, amirite?!
Great work, Dustin.
They should make it funny again. That would be a good start.
Mostly agree, but I feel like bringing back Roy (a well-meaning but ultimately dim-witted self-centered doof using his perceived newly-found maturity to win back his former love) would just come across as a rehash of the Andy/Ann dynamic in Parks and Rec’s earlier seasons.
last week was total dreck…I really tune in to The Office to see how sad Nellie’s life is (that shit wasn’t improvised, the writing is getting shittier and shittier)…and Robert California’s douche bag, pretension isn’t funny, it’s annoying…this is easily the worst season
Completely agree on 1, and 4 – 6. The dynamic of corporate vs. the branch, with Jan, David Wallace, et al. represented the show at its best.
Since NBC wants to wrap up the good stuff and make room for a bunch of failed ideas, can they at least combine the best parts of 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Community and the Office and make a new show?
30 Parks and Office Community? Well, okay, but my head will explode when Annie Eidson falls for Ron Swanson’s gruff exterior.
BRING BACK MATT
No seriously, make Dustin the new showrunner and bring back Matt. These seem like decent ideas, and the show can’t possibly get any worse.
So help me, I’m calling it right now. Community, Parks and Rec and 30 Rock are all going to get the hook and The Office is going to air – in its current state – for 5 more seasons.
NBC is THAT terrible.
Need new writers, a lot of them. The Office reminds me of a cozy family run business that goes under because the management is more concerned with people’s feelings and friendships than making money. Time for some cold Jack Donaghy business decisions. Mindy Kaling and the rest of the writers and producers clearly are out of ideas and out of their league.
So was I the only one who thought there was some foreshadowing when Frank Sobotka said “we won’t be doing this in 6 months”? Like maybe David Wallace buys the company and they no longer work in paper and office supplies, and that way they can revamp the entire series and perhaps reinvigorate it.
Yeah, I’m probably the only one.
Maybe they should just fire the whole cast except for Oscar, Kevin and Creed and have them go and work at a VA hospital in Missouri. A surefire hit!
I thought I recognized the guy from the NY branch, but could not place him. I feel like such a Ziggy right now….
That would actually be a great idea. Use the Wallace purchase as an excuse to get into something other than paper. Could also provide an excuse for more/new characters.
Comic book Ziggy or Ziggy from The Wire?
I’m just happy I remembered him from the Wire, because I was pretty close to making a True Blood reference.
The next season should be the final season. Since NBC feels like it needs new hit comedies, I would make it the longest one. Then at 9:30 they can run their new comedies and see which one people respond to.
How about, the office burns to the ground (with no injuries) caused by Ryan cooking a pop tart in the toaster oven. Dunder Mifflin chooses to not rebuild the office and gives everyone a small severance package which they all decide to give to Dwight as an investment into the Beet Farm. Dwight buys lottery tickets with some of the money…wins $100 million and shares with everyone. They go their separate ways to live happily ever after. Rickey Gervais can be the lottery guy with the over-sized check. Ryan gets his own show which he tries new ideas to get out of the marriage every week???
What?
No good?
oh balls. time for another bong hit.
forgot to mention…ryan marries kelly. that was my bad
So basically…go back to the way things were before?
You, me and everyone with a brain knows Nellie is staying and The Office is just going to be a show that keeps going until it just ends.
Nellie has been one of the only interesting things this season on the Office. Why you’d want to get rid of her is beyond me. The Nellie-Dwight dynamic could carry the show with ease.
Lots of good ideas; especially that last one. But I would miss Ellie Kemper.
I always thought Toby should have dated Jan. Jan as a control freak. Toby a doormat. Of course, this only makes sense if you still have Micahel going bonkers, so moot point.
Yes to everything except for bringing back the mess that was Jan. Not only was she annoying, she was written pretty much as a lunitic and a “bad” person. Why would I want her back as a centerpoint? oh, and get rid of Jim so that the show can lean on Pam? Jim is one of the only funny parts of the show left and while I enjoy Pam for the most part, shes not THAT funny.
“Bring Back Jan Levinson”
Bad idea. You want the show to go from being a original, ensemble type comedy show into a tired-as-fuck, Baby Bloom clone? And Jan cannot be the voice of reason, she’s become a deulsional, controlling, psychopath.
Mindy Kahling is getting her own show and the guy who plays Ryan is helping her. Judy Punch is also getting a chance at her own show. There is going to be a Dwight spinoff. Ed Helms is guesting on some of these, so we might finally see the end of The Office, thank Jeebus.
Does this guy even watch the Office? He wrote that David Wallace is back as CEO. Allan was CEO and David was CFO back in the day… What an idiot.. lol
Anyways other then that everything else sounds good except Roy, Timothy’s character lol..
Gee, shoot him.
Typical idiot Mets fan.
Timothy Olyphant has his own show that is doing really well why would he come back to the office.
One step only: Bring back Idris Elba as Charles Minor.
Its a pretty solid list, save for one thing, in my eyes. The ‘Jim-takes-a-new-job-’ thing totally works, because now they’re a family of four, he tried his hand at Dunder-Mifflin management unsuccessfully and so taking a job elsewhere is completely believable (he’s never really made us thing paper is his life, he could move laterally in sales to just about anything), its useful for when the actor has film obligations, and does create some well needed conflict for them. What isn’t believable at all is the return of Roy in Pam’s life. They can certainly bring him back, and perhaps he thinks he still has a shot, but he HAS to get shot down, and clueless, he can continue his useless efforts to win her back to comedic results. But to think she’d slip up in her marriage is absurd. And not just because she’s married, that’s too naive. One of the first thing this show made a point of illustrating is that despite being a receptionist, not only did she have more potential in her own life, they made it clear she is not dumb. That, and with everything she’s been through as an individual, I would argue that while she seems pretty stagnant this season, she’s one of the characters that’s evolved and grown most on that show. After the episode where she walked on the hot coals, then spoke her mind to the entire office during the survivor-esque competition for Michale’s job – that was a clear sign that the old Pam was gone. New Pam (who she needed to become in order for Jim break up with Karen) even lonely in a possible long distance marriage if Jim did go away, hell, even lonely and drunk wouldn’t even wind up with Roy after a night at the bar. Too strong of a bullshit detector. I’d sooner expect her to kiss Ryan before Roy in this hypothetical moment of weakness. At least his poem made her cry. Roy has nothing to offer her.
Pam’s now too fat for anyone to be attracted to her. Making Jim/Pam romance a centerpiece is just a bullshit idea. No one cares.
Make the entire season about Creedthoughts.whatever.com
I would actually watch that.
Second the idea of bringing back Stringer “Luther” Bell. Then have Timothy O come over, but as a salesman who wears a Stetson and always has a gun on him. The Justified Wire Office.
Seriously you guys, Elba and Olyphant together in a comedy! As long as one of them has a gun.
Well, here’s the thing. These are great ideas, and I’m personally dying for someone with a realistic, sentimental vision to give their input to make a final season (hopefully, season 9) better then the current drudge and perhaps (PERHAPS!) nearly as enjoyable as some of the earlier efforts. It was no coincidence that this show won an EMMY early on. The writing was crisp, the talents were appreciative of the show for launching their careers and they were willing to exhaust themselves in making each season a great new chapter (remember the seamless use of Beach Games moments in the Job?), the seasons were cohesive (no frayed ends, unused plot initiatives, and lost characters who literally disappear into the vacuum of space without explanation), and- honestly- a lot of consideration was done to make it a nice blend of office humor with “sensible characters” dealing with “caricatures?” That balance is gone, but it can be recaptures with effort and focus and (most importantly) the willingness of the main creative staff to see their recent faults. Most of the characters have lost their soul. This series, for its great start and its loyal fans who deserve better, deserves a great ending.
Send these ideas to someone…heck, send them to Tanster (officetally.com). Anyone who has contact with the creative staff in even the most microscopic form.
And, for the record, the decline in quality in laughs came during season 6 (IMO) but it was first seen in small doses in s.4 (Night Out) and s. 5 (Business Trip, Moroccan Christmas). As for jumping the shark (being unbelievable), that also started in small doses in season 4 (Michael driving into a lake??) but went WAY OVERBOARD in season 5 (stress relief- nobody is that stupid, nor would they stay employed starting a fire) and season 6 (the show’s worst, along with 8) with Recyclops.
So, why was season 7, albeit not classic quality, so much better than 6 or 8? It’s funny how good a season can be whenever creative is inspired to pursue excellence. Steve Carell’s departure was a catalyst for more popular stars (with other commitments diving their time) to reunite their efforts.