In a conference call earlier today, Greg Daniels (the original showrunner of The Office, who is returning to the role this season) announced what many expected, and even more hoped: the upcoming season of The Office will be the show’s last.
“This year feels like the last chance to … make an artistic ending for the show,” he said. “This will be the last season of The Office, and we’re planning a big exciting last season … all questions will be answered this year. We’re going to see who’s behind the documentary … Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively.” [EW]
Now, I’m generally not one to dance on somebody’s grave, but I will say that this… well, it’s time. It’s past time. Over the past seven years, the show has gone from a widely-criticized American knockoff of a classic British series, to a creative and ratings juggernaut that anchored NBC’s Thursday night schedule, to a widely-criticized shell of its former itself. It helped launched the careers of people like Steve Carell, Mindy Kaling, and current Parks & Recreation showrunner Mike Schur, all of whom have since moved on to other projects and left holes behind them when they walked away. I don’t know if filling those holes was too hard, or if they just ran out of ideas (the whole show takes place in an office for Chrissakes, and the original only aired for 12 episodes and two Christmas specials), or both, but whatever it was, it had been causing the wheels to spin for a while.
Hopefully Daniels is right and they can wrap everything up and go out in a creative blaze of glory, but I’m not exactly going to hold my breath.
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CHECK LIST:
1) It got boring after Jim and Pam got married.
2) It should have ended when Steve Carell left.
3) The British version is better.
People who go out of their way to proclaim the British version is superior are just as annoying and pretentious as people who claim they don’t own TVs.
ESPECIALLY if they never bothered to watch the American version.
Any chance they kill off Pam and Jim in the season opener?
/crosses fingers
I’m hoping for a quick and bitter divorce.
Jim’s gay, marries Michael, and Pam reveals she’s The One Who Knocks.
/Fin.
Definitely time. And now the “When will Michael be back” rumors begin.
I hope in the first episode Catherine Tate dies in an awful Warehouse accident. Or she remembers all of her experiences with The Doctor and her head catches on fire and explodes.
I’d love to see how they explain why a camera crew has been filming their lives for 8 years.
That was one of the plot points I liked from the British Office finale. The documentary was aired and David Brent was, sadly, chasing his D list fame.
One of the few times I’ve actually come close to crying while watching a TV show was during that scene when David is on stage as a “reality star” celebrity, trying to amp up the crowd, and it falls completely flat on its face. Probably the most crushing moment from that series.
Ricky Gervais was a master in that role. He could make you feel so badly for his character one moment then immediately infuriate you after making just one comment. To me that was brilliant writing/acting.
I really would love to see this show get good again, even for a handful of episodes. It’s still past time to end it, but they might as well end it well.
Also, bring back Andy’s old wardrobe. Salesman Andy Wardrobe > Manager Andy Wardrobe.
Since Steve Carrell left what I fail to understand, what about Michael Scott’s character would leave any of us to believe he’d leave Dunder Mifflin, forget about them and just move on with his new life with no form of contact?
For example, in season three when Jim transferred, the “future Dwight” fax prank was great. Michael may not be as clever or tactful, but I refuse to believe he hasn’t prank called Pam once. Or sent Ryan love letters from a secret admirer, another Michael go-to. You don’t even need Carrell for plenty of Michael jokes/pranks, except for phone calls.
I realize they struggled/butchered the transition, but Ed Helms/Andy is fine, the writing not so much. If they get back to what made the manager role on the show great, unrelenting pursuit of approval/being liked, predicaments causing inner struggle when deciding what’s right/best when it’s not the most liked/received and what I miss most, perception of “documentary” audience. In the early seasons Michael seemed to put on a show for the camera as well as employees. He always tried to appear cool, in charge, intelligent, liked, respected, etc. Now it seems the only time they play to the audience is for talking head scenes and the “really?!?” or “are you kidding me??” look from Jim, Pam, Angela or Dwight.
Also, can someone explain to me how/when cheating and affairs became funny? To the viewers knowledge EVERY CHARACTER but Kevin, Creed and Erin have cheated on someone they’ve been engaged or married to, or they’ve been the cheater. I’ve never experienced this in my professional life, but then again things may be different up north. And I fail to see/find/understand the humor in/of it.
The show went down the toilet when Schur left, they’ve just been plunging away since. At least we can finally be rid of the stank.
Your/use/of/forward/slash/fascinates/me
hahaha. I use the forward slash instead of “and/or.”
I also use the forward slash in place of a comma(s) when one word doesn’t effectively get my point across.
Maybe one day my uses of the forward slash will be accepted/recognized by the AP style book, until then I hope I won’t confuse too many folks.
Needs more Ashton Kutcher.
Yes, The Office isn’t nearly as good as it used to be and it’s very easy to kick the show while it’s down. But just like you can’t judge a pro athlete for not being the player he was at 37 than he was at 27, you can’t expect a comedy to be as good in its 9th season as it was during its 3rd season.
What everyone forgets is that, during its prime, The Office was better than Parks & Rec, better than 30 Rock, better than Community, and better than Arrested Development.
Yes, you heard me Internet. Deal with it. What other comedy has gotten such critical acclaim AND massive ratings?
This argument sounds like, “This show used to be great. HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE IT EVEN THOUGH IT IS BAD NOW!” which is a terrible argument. If something declines in quality, it’s worthy of criticism regardless of its past success. While maybe we can’t expect it to be as good as it used to be, it doesn’t have to be bad. The Office has been bad; not good, not mediocre, but freaking bad.
What other comedy has gotten such critical acclaim AND massive ratings?
Modern Family.
Also, if you’re talking about the 1st season of Community or Arrested Development, you MIGHT have an argument. Anything else, you’re out of your ever lovin’ mind.
It’s the dream of an autistic kid with a snow globe. Like every series.
aww mannn :/
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