These days, Mindy Kaling is obviously a prominent actress and producer who is always behind multiple comedies on the 2026 TV schedule, but of course, it all started on the set of The Office. Did you know the wild way Kelly Kapoor actually became a character on the beloved comedy? I had no idea what the story behind Kaling's role was until now.

Kaling was hired on The Office as a writer by creator Greg Daniels back in 2004 when she was around 25. This happened after she turned heads in the comedy world when she and her college bestie co-wrote and starred in an off-Broadway play called Matt & Ben (a goofy reimagining of how Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting). Here’s what happened next, per Mindy Kaling:

The second episode ever of The Office is about Steve Carell’s Michael Scott deciding to lead a racial diversity seminar after he’s unhappy with how the consultant hired to conduct it initially does. Scott’s version crosses some major lines, but the writers quickly realized the episode wouldn't hit the same if the office had all white characters. So, Greg Daniels had the idea to invite Mindy Kaling on board as one of the office’s employees. As Kaling continued:

As Mindy Kaling shared on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, she had no expectations to be an actor when she moved to Los Angeles from New York to work on The Office. She was completely “content” with being a writer behind the scenes – which she still managed, by the way, with 24 episodes to her name on the show.

But what would The Office be without Kelly Kapoor? Truly, she remains a fan-favorite character who very much helped make the show what it is.

The writer of “Diversity Day”, B.J. Novak, is also the actor behind the character of Ryan Howard. He wrote a total of 15 episodes throughout the series. Novak and Kaling remain close friends over two decades afterThe Office’s premiere.

While Kaling has spoken before about thinking that The Office would be “so inappropriate now” in the eyes of modern viewers, it of course remains to be one of the most popular comedies of the 21st century. Plus, it allowed Kaling to launch a broader career in entertainment after spending eight years there.

Since then, she has also created TV shows like Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Running Point and her latest endeavor, Hulu’s Not Suitable For Work. It’s a pretty great story how Kelly Kapoor ended up on The Office, and I’m so happy it happened.

The Office may have ended years ago, but the series is still one of the best sitcoms of all time. If you haven't watched in a while, it's currently streaming with a Peacock subscription, and I can promise it still has a lot of pretty memorable scenes. Also, cringey ones. In fact, to this day, the cast still remembers several of these scenes pretty vividly. And Angela Kinsey recently got real about one of the most uncomfortable scenes she filmed.

Kinsey’s Angela Martin definitely had some fun storylines, even with the character being a bit stuck-up and more professional than a lot of her co-workers. She starred on the NBC hit for all nine seasons, and not surprisingly, out of the almost 200-episode run, there were some scenes she didn’t particularly enjoy filming. While speaking with Us Weekly, she recalled one scene she did that was pretty awkward:

The episode in question was Season 7’s Halloween episode, “Costume Contest,” in which Dunder Mifflin holds its annual costume contest. Everyone (aside from Oscar) dresses up, with Angela dressing up as a nurse. While the outfit may have looked great on Kinsey, it sounds like it was a bit weird to pull off, and even more mortifying having her co-stars looking at her in that kind of outfit, which is understandable.

The Office is known for its cringeworthy episodes, and the show even held an uncomfortable record before it was broken by HBO’s Succession, so Angela’s nurse costume being awkward is unfortunately on par with the rest of the series. At the very least, it was only for one episode. While the nurse costume made its rounds a few times with different characters on The Office, Angela only wore it once for the costume contest.

Even though there were some crazy moments while filming, such as there being so much spittle during a scene with Creed Bratton and John Krasinski, there were also some fun times. Craig Robinson previously recalled Steve Carell improvising a line that amazed him, and I can only imagine how much more improvisation happened throughout the show’s run. Not only with Carell, but with the entire cast. It’s likely there were more fun moments filming than stressful ones, especially since the show ran for so long. So at least Kinsey has some other moments to look back on with delight.

For those who want to see what Kinsey means when it comes to her vivid nurse costume, the episode is streaming on Peacock, along with the entirety of The Office and the Superfan episodes. The first season of spinoff, The Paper, is also streaming on the platform, and will be back for a second season, but additional details on that front have not been shared.

NBC’s The Office is highly regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time, and was the blueprint for decades of mockumentary-style workplace sitcoms, such as Parks and Recreation, Abbott Elementary, and St. Denis Medical. However, real Office fans know that another version of the show paved the way for its success. The UK Office premiered on the BBC in 2001 to delayed critical and audience accolades, prompting its adaptation by Greg Daniels for US audiences in 2005. Surprisingly, Steve Carell didn’t watch the British version of The Office before auditioning for his legacy character, Michael Scott, but I totally understand his reason behind this decision.

Before Michael Scott even handed out a single Dundie or even set foot into Dunder Mifflin, Ricky Gervais originated the role on the UK Office. The British comedian created the series for the BBC and starred as David Brent, the boss at Wernham Hogg Paper Merchants. It would seem logical for Carell, who at the time was on the cusp of launching his acting career (his breakthrough role The 40-Year-Old Virgin came out the same year as The Office), to prepare for his Office audition by watching the original. Yet he revealed to Ladbible the reason why he didn’t, and it totally makes sense:

It’s hard to imagine nowadays that anyone could be as perfect as Carell for the role of the obnoxious paper company boss, but that was the mentality when the US adaptation was announced. Paul Rudd even advised Carell against auditioning for Michael for fear of falling short of Gervais, and Jeremy Piven was originally offered the role, but turned it down for the same reason.

The irony of this makes me laugh. The Little Miss Sunshine actor couldn’t have known it when he auditioned, but his portrayal of Michael Scott is far more iconic than Gervais’ David Brent. Carell’s peers widely consider it a masterclass in TV comedy (which you can stream with a Peacock subscription). Where Gervais plays Brent as cocky, Carell’s Michael Scott has a more “fake it ‘til you make it” approach to him, sporting a false, often naive, confidence.

The two versions might share a passion for “That’s what she said jokes” among other traits, but Carell’s choice to interpret the character separately from the source material is what makes the Threat Level Midnight star so celebrated.

A huge reason why the flawed paper salesman is so beloved is his character growth over seven seasons, something the UK Office didn’t get to explore due to its short run of only 14 total episodes. I still struggle to watch Season 1’s cringe-worthy “Diversity Day” episode, and if you had told me I would cry over the same Michael Scott returning for Dwight and Angela’s wedding, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Instead of trying to imagine what David Brent might have become, the Bruce Almighty actor was able to develop Scott’s personality and character arc from scratch, giving a unique heart to Michael. Clearly, the Crazy, Stupid, Love actor made the right call. A little bit of a risk, but in the words of Michael Scott and Wayne Gretzky, “You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take,” and Carell’s certainly paid off.

Whenever a show ends, you never know when the next time you’ll see the cast together... if it happens at all. But whenever they do get together, it’s often like no time has passed at all, and it’s even better when the reunion happens unexpectedly. It’s been almost 13 years since The Office came to an end, and recently there was a reunion with the female cast members at the Actor Awards. But this new reunion between John Krasinski and B.J. Novak on the red carpet for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was not on my bingo card.

The much-anticipated sequel to The Devil Wears Prada is among the many movies releasing in 2026, and it’s releasing very soon. It will once again bring back Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci, as well as a new cast that includes Novak. So it only makes sense that he would attend the premiere, but it also tracks for Krasinski to go to support his wife. And seeing the two together again makes it seem like no time has passed for Jim and Ryan, per an Instagram video from New York Live:

I absolutely love seeing Krasinski and Novak reunite, and I wish it was for longer than a hug. When asked by New York Live on the red carpet what it was like reuniting with his former co-star, Novak explained just how long it had been since they’d seen each other. While it wasn’t as long as people thought, I did not predict The Devil Wears Prada 2 would be the reason for not one but two reunions, but I am forever thankful:

Knowing that, before the two reunited on the set of The Devil Wears Prada 2, the last time Krasinski and Novak had probably seen each other was when The Office wrapped is pretty crazy. Of course, it’s entirely possible they had seen each other after that, and Novak just forgot, or it was very brief. But it’s still insane to think about, especially since sometimes it feels like The Office just ended.

Whenever an Office reunion happens, whether big or small, it’s always a pleasant surprise. Sometimes they happen when some of the actors are on the same project, at events, or just hanging out, but every time it’s nice to see. And after seeing Krasinski and Novak together again, I would love nothing more than to have them be in a movie or show together because it’s been far too long. The Paper is coming back for another season with a Peacock subscription, so perhaps Jim and Ryan can make a comeback?

Meanwhile, fans can see B.J. Novak with John Krasinski’s better half, Emily Blunt, when The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters on May 1. Blunt returns as Miranda’s former assistant, Emily Charlton, while Novak portrays a new character, Jay Ravitz.

The Office ended over a decade ago, but it remains one of the best sitcoms of all time. The NBC comedy is known for its hilarious jokes and running gags, and even some pretty intense spittle during some scenes. While there was some cringe, overall it was pretty funny. There were some great jokes throughout the show’s nine-season run, but there were a lot that didn’t make the cut. And Kevin actor Brian Baumgartner was pretty upset when a wild joke he made was cut.

With a show like The Office, jokes make up 90% of it. Unfortunately, that also means that a lot of jokes that were pitched didn’t weren’t able to make the final cut. While talking with Entertainment Weekly, Baumgartner recalled how a joke he made during the filming of one of the episodes was initially left on the cutting room floor, and not surprisingly, he was not happy with the end result:

It’s understandable why Baumgartner was upset about the joke being cut, especially since he thought it was pretty good. Luckily, since airing, the joke has found its way to streaming and can be watched with a Peacock subscription in the Season 5 episode, “Baby Shower.” But thinking that initially, no one would see the joke, I can see why he’d be mad over it.

The episode in question centered on Dwight and Michael preparing for Jan to give birth to her first child, via sperm donor, while romantically involved with Michael. Chaos ensues around the office, and after Jan brings baby Astrid around, she gets into a very interesting conversation with Kevin, and it was pretty perfect:

Baumgartner went on to explain that the joke on one of the best NBC sitcoms comes from the look on Melora Hardin’s face, “thinking that possibly the donated sperm came from Kevin, and what that would mean for Michael.” It’s a pretty genius joke, and it seems to be self-explanatory when you don’t really overthink it. However, NBC didn’t really see the vision. Not at first, anyway:

In hindsight, it’s understandable why NBC wanted to cut the joke because it could be confusing, but that’s the beauty of the joke. It’s funny, it makes people second guess everything, and it’s not really that serious. At the very least, the joke is finally back in its rightful place on The Office on Peacock, and even though Baumgartner lost the war back then, he finally won this round:

That’s what’s so great about streaming. Not only are fans able to watch their favorite shows, but some have deleted scenes that are added in. In The Office’s case, the “Super Fan” episodes really come in handy. But now it makes me wonder what other jokes were cut that didn’t get the same treatment.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rooster episode "Angry, Like An Angry Person." Stream the episode with an HBO Max subscription and read at your own risk!

Rooster continues to be an absolute delight on the 2026 TV schedule, with Steve Carell doing some of his best acting we've seen in television since his days on The Office. The comparisons were going to be inevitable with both being comedies, so it's no surprise people are on the lookout for any nods in his latest adventure.

While I'd argue Rooster feels more like Ted Lasso, especially with Phil Dunster playing another cocky Brit, I too was convinced The Office received a nod in the latest episode. It turns out that's not the case, and I almost wish I hadn't seen Carell and Bill Lawrence's reaction to it because it's so perfect.

Rooster Played A Song That Also Had A Moment On The Office

Greg was coaxed into a night out with his student Tommy, which ultimately resulted in him at a house party surrounded by students, and 40 oz bottles of malt liquor taped to his hands. He requested a song from the DJ, R.E.M's "Everybody Hurts," and proceeded to bring down the mood of the party talking about how it mirrors his emotions.

The moment felt tied to The Office episode "The Fire," where Dwight blasted the song in his car when he felt Michael replaced him with Ryan. It's not one of the best Office episodes of all time, but certainly a memorable Dwight moment that Rooster expertly nodded to, had that been the intention.

Steve Carell And Bill Lawrence Deny Any Connection

Decider asked star Steve Carell about the Rooster moment, and if he was intentionally channeling Dwight in that moment. The actor confessed he wasn't thinking about it, but offered a cheeky response:

Apparently, Carell isn't thinking about The Office all the time like many of us. In fairness, he's done plenty of shows since then. And while I'm sure he's appreciative of it being his most popular, Greg is nothing like Michael Scott. That said, Carell did note that he did see one parallel between his two characters, but it had nothing to do with music.

Creator Bill Lawrence was also pretty shocked to hear people made that connection, but suggested that he might've wanted to. He talked about his love of easter eggs in shows, which now has me on the lookout for ones that could come:

Both men's comments come as critics continue to shower Rooster with praise, as the story heats up. The latest episode ended with Katie and Archie sleeping together again, all while Sunny is away. It's a scandal that could travel through the school quickly if it were found out, especially with Sunny recently posting about her pregnancy. I can't wait to see how it plays out, and I feel like this show is only getting better.

Rooster airs on HBO on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET. Between this show and a A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, the network is off to a rocking start with originals. Let's hope they can keep this energy going as the year goes on.

It's not an exaggeration to say that The Office was not the same after Steve Carell left. Whenever I rewatch the series, I'm always aware of that fact as I get to the later seasons. As sad as it is when Michael Scott departs Dunder Mifflin Scranton, I do admit that I love his final season. So many bits about the character are wrapped up perfectly, allowing for him to make his not-so-grand departure from the office in a satisfying way. Well, it turns out, Michaels' quiet exit the Scranton office was Steve Carell's idea!

While speaking with Amy Poehler on this week's episode of her podcast, Good Hang, Carell talked about wanting there to be a sense of growth for his character, who -- as he reminds us -- starts out very clearly wanting to be loved by the people around him. He's not really that guy at the end of his run on the series, as Carell reveals what he told EP/showrunner Greg Daniels in the year leading up to his final episode:

Interesting is an understatement, I'd say. Michael's whole final episode is pretty perfect, in fact, and what Carell said makes me appreciate it even more. On the surface, it does seem pretty un-Michael-like to convince his coworkers that his last day is tomorrow, so that he can avoid a big to-do and enjoy one last semi-normal day with the people he once considered family.

This is, after all, the same man who once made a big thing out of his own birthday, insisting that the staff celebrate him by eating bologna and tomato sandwiches and watching him show off at the ice rink. It's also the same man who decorated his own car before setting off for Jim and Pam's wedding, insisted on giving a speech at Phyllis and Bob's wedding, declared himself the godfather to Jim and Pam's firstborn child, and so many other awkward, attention-seeking moments. If there's anyone who wants to make a to-do about himself, even (or especially) when it's not appropriate, it would've been Michael.

Season 7's double-episode "Goodbye Michael" -- one of the Office's best episodes -- doesn't see Carell's character throwing himself a big bash, and it really is a mark of how far he's come and where his priorities are. The party-planning committee is handling the particulars for his farewell, while Michael aims to have a one-on-one moment with each of his staff members and then skip the fuss of his exit entirely. When he does leave at the end of the day, only Jim is aware that Michael's headed straight to the airport.

Michael Scott was a lot of things, including occasionally being good at his job, often being the comic relief, providing some of the funniest quotes in the series, and not always being the problem (though he often was). Steve Carell brought so much to the role, and left a giant void when he departed, but I still love the way he left, and I don't entirely hate that he left before the series ended. In a weird way, it allowed a lot of Season 7 to be focused on Michael so that his story could truly be wrapped up.

The show went on for two more seasons, and we got one more appearance by Michael in the finale, but it was no longer about him. And though I would've loved to have seen more scenes featuring Steve Carell in the series' last episode, I also appreciated that Michael was sort of kept in a bubble, which allowed the memory of his exit and the happily ever after he's sharing with Holly to be preserved.

I'll close this out with one of Michael's final lines in the "Goodbye Michael" episode, which I think really solidifies what Carell was talking about:

Of course, he also said it best with "I declare bankruptcy!" but it's less relevant here.

Minor spoilers for Rooster Season 1, Episode 3 are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the show with an HBO Max subscription. Then, catch new episodes every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

When I watched Rooster, I was immediately struck by how brilliant Steve Carell is as a physical comedian. That specifically came to mind because he hilariously falls a lot in the new comedy on the 2026 TV schedule, and it reminded me of some of the funniest gags in The Office. So, I asked the comedic actor what he learned from his work on that great sitcom that applied to his new HBO series. In response, he compared one scene in Rooster to a fantastic moment from The Office.

This conversation all started because I had asked Carell about which moment of physical comedy in Rooster made him laugh the most. I had mentioned to the actor that his character Greg falls a lot, too, which led him to recall the following moment from Episode 3:

In the episode, when Greg takes heads to the first class he’s teaching, he slips with his new dress shoes on. That’s amusing; however, the real laugh-out-loud moment comes later when he’s trying to walk up a shortcut on campus.

Traversing the path that is a little bit steep, Greg totally loses his balance and slips uphill first. Then, he eats it and tumbles down to the bottom of the incline. After that, he simply gets up and says, “That was a dangerous shortcut,” before going to class. However, the second he walks into his classroom, his students immediately clock that he got injured.

It’s both a comedic moment and, as Carell said, it kind of foreshadows bigger things that happen with Greg, his work, and his relationships.

So, after we spoke about that moment, I asked the Crazy, Stupid, Love actor if there was anything he learned during his time as part of The Office cast that helped him on Rooster when it came to physical comedy. In response, he said that the experiences were “very similar” in terms of the tone of the set and the “freedom to try anything.” He also literally compared Greg's accident to a moment where Michael Scott fell, too, telling me:

Well, if you want to learn about the art of falling down in a very funny way, look no further than Season 6, Episode 8 of The Office (which you can stream with a Peacock subscription). Michael falling into (and getting out of) the koi pond is so over the top and hilarious, and it’s a prime example of Carell’s comedic genius. He knows how to commit to a bit, and he knows how to make it look like it was unintentional.

And guess what? He did just that on Rooster, too.

Overall, I can totally see why the koi pond came to mind when I asked Steve Carell about The Office and Rooster. While the two shows are very different, his comedic sensibilities transferred over beautifully, and now we get to see the actor falling down and committing to the bit in new and humorous ways. So, let’s all thank the koi pond and the actor who fell in it for giving us even more really, truly funny television moments like the two described in this story.

I’m not quite sure who out there needs to be reminded of this, but Steve Carell is an exceptionally funny performer. From his time as a correspondent on The Daily Show to leading The 40-Year-Old-Virgin to his most epic and beloved role as Michael Scott on The Office, he has been making audiences belly laugh for decades. Because of this impressive and still growing legacy, it’s hard to pick out just one particularly special moment – but for Craig Robinson, he can recall shooting a specific scene that left him stunned by the “genius” of his co-star.

While The Office was ultimately very scripted, there were opportunities for the cast to try out a bit of improv, and Robinson – who memorably played Darryl Philbin on the show – recalled a particularly special example during a recent sitdown with Entertainment Weekly. In “The Negotiation,” the nineteenth episode of the third season, Darryl schedules a meeting with Michael to discuss a pay raise, and everything goes to hell for the manager when his employee realizes that he is wearing a woman’s suit. Discussing Careel, Robinson remembered,

In said episode (for those who don’t specifically recall), the negotiation between Michael and Darryl gets so out of hand that Michael ends up requesting his own raise from Jan (Melora Hardin). Wanting his boss to get a pay bump so that he can get a pay bump, Darryl offers him some words of encouragement – which is what led to Steve Carrell’s memorable improv. Said Robinson,

It’s a perfect Michael moment, as it’s a wonderful illustration of the character’s obliviousness. There’s a bouncyness to Darryl’s verbal boost thanks to the rhyme, but the Dunder Mifflin Scranton boss steamrolls right over it while focusing on the military rank part.

There are a number of great Darryl/Michael episodes of The Office (“Safety Training” is another one of my personal favorites), and Craig Robinson recalls loving every opportunity that he got to work alongside the sitcom’s biggest star:

Those who ever want to re-experience the complicated Darryl/Michael dynamic and the great comedic talents of Craig Robinson and Steve Carell can do so at any time with a Peacock subscription. In addition to the seasons that originally broadcast on NBC, the streaming service also provides extended versions (a.k.a. Superfan cuts) of every single episode, and if you’ve never watched them before, I highly recommend it, as it’s like experiencing the show as brand new.

Those who fired up their Netflix subscriptions on March 1 to watch the Actor Awards were given quite the treat, from stunning red carpet fashion to lots of love for Sinners. For some, however, the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the sweet cast reunion that brought some of the stars of The Office together on stage, and apparently we’ve got Mindy Kaling to thank for that.

On Sunday night, Angela Kinsey, Ellie Kemper, Jenna Fischer and Mindy Kaling took the stage to present the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (The Studio took the honors), and according to Actor Awards executive producer Mark Bracco, that never would have happened without Kaling. The EP told Variety:

It honestly speaks to how beloved the show is — by its fans and cast — that Mindy Kaling was able to secure the actresses in less than two hours. It’s fitting, too, that she would have the other Dunder Mifflin ladies there, too, since they were presenting an award for an ensemble.

The actors responsible for portraying Pam Beesly (Fischer), Angela Martin (Kinsey), Kelly Kapoor (Kaling) and Erin Hannon (Kemper) also used their platform to reflect on how much has changed since The Office wrapped in 2013, particularly the long seasons. They said:

• Mindy Kaling: We are women who survived 22-episode seasons.
• Angela Kinsey: There were no short orders.
• Ellie Kemper: You didn’t plan a season around a pregnancy.
• Kaling: Yeah, you just gave birth on camera and named the baby after a grip.
• Jenna Fischer: Then you came back the next week with another episode.

As grueling as the schedule was, the actresses admitted they were lucky to be employed from September to May for each season they appeared on. Their lampooning of one of the best sitcoms of all time continued:

• Fischer: It meant Christmas episodes and Valentine’s episodes and Super Bowl episodes…
• Kaling: And sometimes filler episodes that were kinda bad.

Sure, there are some episodes that didn’t have a chance at making the list of The Office’s best episodes ever, but with more than 200 episodes over nine seasons, there are bound to be a couple of clunkers. Those “filler episodes” didn’t hurt the mockumentary’s legacy, because it was still such a treat for fans to be able to see this reunion. So, our thanks goes out to Mindy Kaling.

You can watch The Office’s entire series — including the new Season 9 Superfan episodes — with a Peacock subscription.

The Office may have ended almost 13 years ago, but the NBC sitcom remains a favorite to this day. For those with a Peacock subscription, the series is being kept alive thanks to “Superfan” episodes, and people are constantly discovering and rediscovering The Office. It also helps that the cast never seems to tire of talking about it, including Creed Bratton, who spoke about filming one of my favorite scenes with John Krasinski, and it sounds intense.

Bratton looked back at his time on The Office, which ran for nine seasons, during a chat with EW, and he revealed that he was always the most excited to work with Krasinski, Steve Carell, and Rainn Wilson from week to week. He also recalled a certain scene with Krasinski that has stuck with him over the years, and it’s arguably one of my favorites:

The underrated scene that Bratton is referring to is from Season 4, Episode 11, “Survivor Man.” The episode sees Jim trying to celebrate everyone’s birthday with one party. This leads to a talk about what kind of cake would be at the party, and Creed hilariously gets very close to Jim’s face in the break room to talk about the kind of cake that he wants. It turns into a rapid-fire Q&A that is very brief, very funny, very intense, and apparently, very wet, as the actor recalled:

One of my favorite things about The Office is that you never know what to expect. The characters are all so different; some talk with other characters more than others, and some are very passionate about certain things, like Kevin and his chili. Or, in this instance, Creed and his cobbler pie.

Knowing that Bratton and Krasinski were so close to each other that they were basically spitting on one another really makes the entire scene even better, which I didn’t think was possible. And the fact that Bratton can remember it like it was yesterday, when it was 18 years ago, truly speaks volumes to how great it was filming it.

The Office is one of the best NBC sitcoms ever, even if it did nearly get canceled, and one of the reasons is because of moments like the cobbler pie scene, where it’s just so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. Perhaps the only thing that would truly make this better is seeing bloopers from filming. The Office does have a lot of outtakes out there, so it’s possible the cobbler pie scene made the cut, but in either case, I need to see it.

At the very least, the scene in question can be watched on Peacock, both the Superfan way or the regular way, and just hearing about it makes me want to watch the episode all over again. And maybe even look closely to see if any spittle made it into the scene.

The Office Superfan episodes were the gift that kept on giving, at least up until the final season of the beloved workplace comedy received the extended-episode treatment recently. Those with a Peacock subscription can now view all of the Season 9 Superfan episodes of The Office, which is exactly what I did. Like Michael with a plate of brownies, I intended to parcel the episodes out to make them last, but in the end, I powered through all of them as quickly as I could. And what I took away from the experience, beyond some brand new laugh-out-loud moments, was a deeper appreciation for one character.

The start of Season 9 of The Office introduces us to two new employees, Pete and Clark, with the former being played by Jake Lacy, who would go one to join the cast of The White Lotus for its first season, and more recently, the Peacock miniseries All Her Fault. Pete and Clark (Clark Duke) are almost instantly labeled the new Jim and Dwight respectively, due largely to their appearances. But Pete being "New Jim" proved particularly apt when we saw him crushing on the receptionist, who was dating someone else. Season 9 being the last season of the series meant we really didn't get as much time to know and appreciate the character as we would have if there were more seasons, but the extended episodes give us more scenes with Pete, and I found myself wishing he'd been added to the cast sooner.

If you recall in Season 9, Pete strikes up a friendship/flirtmance with Erin while she's dating Andy. And then Andy leaves to sail his family's boat to the Bahamas, and Erin and Pete begin to develop feelings for each other. That doesn't change in the Superfan episodes, but we do see more of Pete, which only made me like the character even more. Unlike some of the other characters on The Office, Pete's personality isn't so extreme that he stands out in a majorly comedic way. I think some of his best moments are when he's reacting to other people (much like a certain other salesman we know). The Superfan episodes bring a bit more to the table, showing us even more of his Die Hard reenactment, for example, and letting us see him bond with Erin by taking her to the neighborhood where she thinks she might've been born.

I understand why some of these scenes and arcs were cut, especially factoring in how this was the final season of the series, and there was a lot of ground to cover leading up to the grand finale. All the same, it really made me wish we had more time to get to know Pete and see him try to deal with some of the ridiculousness around him. There's one scene in Season 9's "Work Bus" where he has a reaction to something Meredith does and it's just so uncomfortable and funny to me.

Of course, I would've loved to see his relationship with Erin continue to develop and evolve. The more I grew to like Lacy's character from the added or extended scenes he had with Ellie Kemper's character, the more obvious it was that Pete's the kind of guy who deserves a woman like Erin. She may still be figuring a lot of things out, but Erin has a giant heart, and Pete seems like the kind of person who doesn't just appreciate that about her, he'd go out of his way to protect it.

I think back to the earlier seasons of the series, when there was time to get to know the core characters and really appreciate the range of talent among the cast of The Office. It makes me wonder how Pete's character might've evolved if he'd been added a bit sooner, and had more time to grow on us, especially seeing Jake Lacy continue to impress in the roles he's played since.

Peacock has been good to The Office fans. Not only does a Peacock subscription get us unlimited access to every season of the beloved NBC workplace comedy series, but for years, the streamer has been adding Superfan episodes -- extended episodes with deleted scenes edited back into them -- one season at a time for our viewing pleasure (or obsession). There are already eight seasons of Superfan episodes available, and I still don't think I'm able to fully wrap my mind around what a gift this has been. It's like getting to watch one of my favorite shows for the first time again. It's still the show I know and love, and the best episodes are still the best episodes, but there are new bits and altered scenes to make it kind of new again.

At long last, the final season of The Office is getting its Superfan episodes. It's cause to celebrate, but I have mixed feelings because it's kind of like the show is ending all over again.

Admittedly, not everything that's changed or added to the Superfan episodes is improving them for the better (I imagine some things were cut for a reason), but overall, it's still a net-win as far as I'm concerned to have these episodes in addition to the originals.

The Office Season 9 Superfan Episodes

• The Office Season 9 Superfan Episodes will be available streaming on Monday, January 26.
• Season 9 is the final season of the series, which means we'll finally be able to watch Superfan episodes for all nine seasons of The Office, including the series finale.
• Superfan episodes include never-before-seen footage, recut scenes and bonus moments not included in the originally-aired episode.

Why I Have Mixed Feelings About Season 9 Arriving

The problem I have is barely a problem. Well, at least, it's not a problem for me in the present. Because as I write this, I'm anticipating more than twenty episodes of The Office Superfan episodes that I haven't already watched several times, including the series finale (and that amazing Michael Scott surprise appearance). The problem is, I know that future-me is going to soak up those episodes faster than an office carpet soaks up a giant pot of spilled chili. And then that's it. This is the ninth and final season of the series, which means once Season 9's Superfan episodes drop, there are no more Superfan eps to look forward to.

Of course, it's entirely possible that Peacock will find other ways to keep those of us who never tire of The Office entertained with new content. Plus, we have Season 2 of The Paper to anticipate. But in a weird way, Season 9's arrival feels like the beginning of the end all over again.

As Andy Bernard once said, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." Those of us who experienced The Office during its original run felt that line when it originally aired (and I think we feel it even more every time we rewatch the whole series). If I'm thinking about it, the release of these Superfan episodes on Peacock has been like a new set of good old days. Right now, and until I watch all of Season 9, I'm still in them. I’ll embrace that for a little while longer.

For any The Office-rewatching experts out there with Peacock subscriptions who are quietly hoping more familiar faces might pop up in The Paper Season 2 when it hits the 2026 TV schedule, you’re not alone. Former Office star Melora Hardin, who made Jan Levinson one of the most unpredictable characters in the Dunder Mifflin orbit, has an awesome, inspired idea for bringing her character back, making it clear she’d be more than happy to step back into that world.

Hardin spoke with EW about the possibility of revisiting Jan while reflecting on her long-running collaboration with The Office creator Greg Daniels, who masterminded the spinoff series The Paper. When asked if she’d be open to reprising the character, the comedian didn’t hesitate, explaining:

That casual brainstorming eventually turned into a specific pitch, and it's one that cleverly plays with the long-running mystery of The Office’s unseen documentary crew. The Paper, which follows the same crew as they document a struggling newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, already leans more directly into breaking the fourth wall than its predecessor. So Hardin imagined Jan slipping into that structure in a way that feels both fresh and totally on brand.

Her idea starts with the one familiar face already anchoring the spinoff: Oscar Nuñez’s Oscar Martinez. Hardin explained that she loved how Oscar occasionally questions the crew’s presence and motivations, and thought Jan could push that tension even further:

It’s defintely an inspired twist. For years, The Office flirted with revealing the people behind the cameras but never fully crossed that line. Having Jan Levinson, a character obsessed with authority and image, lead the documentary feels like a natural evolution of her arc. It also gives The Paper a way to connect back to its roots without relying on constant cameos or nostalgia bait.

So far, Nuñez remains the only core cast member from The Office to appear in The Paper, though the spinoff has already teased updates on several familiar characters. Hardin wants everyone to know she’s open to whatever form a return might take, adding that she’d “happily go back” if the right idea presented itself.

There’s still no confirmation that Jan Levinson will appear when The Paper returns, but Hardin’s enthusiasm and her perfectly on-brand pitch make the possibility easy to root for. If The Paper continues to interrogate the ethics and absurdity of life on camera, letting Jan turn the lens on herself would feel especially fitting. That said, I’d take almost any version of her return. Jan Levinson remains one of The Office’s most undervalued characters.

The Paper was renewed for a second season. While no release date is set, the show is expected to return sometime in late 2026 or early 2027.

Shifting Gears is officially on hiatus and will be back in January on the 2026 TV schedule, and there is already much to look forward to. Following the season premiere's Home Improvement reunion, the series is adding yet another awesome guest star for the back half of the season. However, I’m a bit suspicious about what this could mean for Matt's love life.

TVLine reports that The Office star Angela Kinsey is joining Shifting Gears as a guest star for Season 2. She is playing Lynn, a woman Tim Allen’s Matt meets on the “traditional values dating app” TradSwipe. The two “immediately hit it off and have a lot in common, but it’s clear that something is amiss,” according to the outlet.

It’s currently unknown what is “amiss” about Lynn, but it’s entirely possible that Matt is just wanting to get back out there after Eve. Shifting Gears' fall finale saw Matt professing his love to Eve, played by sitcom alum Jenna Elfman. Unfortunately, Eve revealed that she had accepted a job overseas to choreograph a K-pop group's tour. While it sounds exciting, the job will take her to South Korea and Europe for at least five months. Knowing how hard it would be to keep up a long-distance relationship for an indeterminate amount of time, Matt broke things off despite their love for each other.

This means that Matt will likely be feeling a lot of heartache when the show returns, even if he seems to be ready to move on. Or at least, to try to move on. So much so that he could be missing some pretty big signs that something is not right with his date. It’s possible Lynn could have some insane background, or her intentions for being on the dating app might be for some crazy reason that she doesn’t want to reveal right away until she’s sure that Matt is "the one." The possibilities are endless.

At the very least, whatever is amiss with Lynn, Angela Kinsey will certainly be able to do it justice. She is best known for her role as Angela Martin on NBC’s The Office for all nine seasons, and she had some pretty great moments with Rainn Wilson’s Dwight. It can be expected that she will bring all the funny and possibly all the crazy to her role as Lynn, and I cannot wait to see how it all goes down, regardless of how suspicious I am of her.

There are only five episodes left for Season 2, which comes back to ABC on Wednesday, January 7, meaning there will be a lot to cram in just a few episodes. As of now, it’s unknown when exactly fans will first meet Lynn, but there will be much to look forward to when Shifting Gears returns. For now, all episodes are streaming with a Hulu subscription.

As someone who relies heavily on her Peacock subscription to watch The Office whenever the mood strikes (which is often), I admit that it takes some effort and the right mood for me to stray to some of the other content on the streaming platform. Sure, I'll do a Parks and Recreation binge from time to time, or check in with some of the other shows I love from years past, and as an Office fan, I obviously had to watch The Paper, but starting a totally original series? That takes willpower and a willingness to exit my comfiest comfort zone (which is the sights and sounds of Dunder Mifflin Scranton). Well, Peacock's seemingly endless ads for St. Denis Medical finally got me to take the leap to a new comedy.

After seeing what felt like thousands of clever snippets or Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer's medical comedy in the ads between or during episodes of The Office, I finally caved and watched it. And ok, fine, I love it.

What St. Denis Medical is About

Like The Office, St. Denis Medical is a workplace comedy, except instead of selling paper, these characters are saving lives amidst the challenges, frustrations and occasional chaos of the healthcare system. Sure, St. Denis Medical isn't the first ever medical comedy series, but it certainly does the subgenre justice, and as an Office fan, not only do I appreciate the humor, but I'm also extremely at ease with the mockumentary-style of filming. Given that one of the co-creators of the series (Justin Spitzer) wrote for The Office, before going on to create Superstore (another hilarious workplace comedy), I should’ve known St. Denis Medical would be my cup of tea.

The Cast Is Fantastic

St. Denis Medical's cast is a mix of familiar faces, including Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, also shoutout Concierge Marie!), Allison Tolman (Fargo), Josh Lawson (House of Lies), Mekki Leeper (Jury Duty), and Kaliko Kauahi (Superstore). And David Alan Grier plays Ron, the cranky, Nutrageous-loving physician who's occasionally at odds with Lawson's Bruce. Much like any great workplace comedy, the characters are pretty mismatched around each other, but that's part of what I love about it. While McLendon-Covey's Joyce is being cringy, for example, Tolman's Alex excels at cringing.

It’s Honestly Laugh-Out-Loud Funny, And Its Charm Is Really Growing On Me

I think it was Episode 4 of Season 1 ("Salamat You Too") that really hooked me, as that one had me laughing out loud more than once. And I'm more of a grunt or chuckle kind of TV viewer when it comes to watching comedies. I almost have to be surprised at how funny something is to really let out a laugh, so the fact that this episode got that out of me more than once really stuck out to me.

This is definitely a show where the more you get to know the characters, the funnier the jokes get, especially if you like a bit of dark humor (I mean, it's a comedy set in a hospital). And I think Episode 4 is where it really finds its groove in that respect. What's more, now that I'm more than halfway through Season 1, I'm starting to appreciate the charm of the characters, particularly in the dynamic they have with each other.

Listen, I'm sure that there are only so many times a person can watch The Office from start to finish. And while I don't think I've come anywhere near whatever that amount is, I do recognize the importance of adopting new comedies to add to the mix, especially when it's a newer comedy and still airing new episodes (Season 2 is currently underway on NBC and streaming on Peacock, and according to the 2026 TV schedule, will resume airing new episodes next year).

Plus, we’re still waiting for Season 2 of The Paper, and Season 9 of The Office Superfan episodes to come to Peacock – the Season 8 Superfan episodes came out in 2024, and there’s no word yet on when Season 9 will arrive – so I’m happy to find new characters to love and new jokes to laugh at in other shows while we wait. Did it feel like Peacock was inundating me with ads for St. Denis Medical? Sure. But what they were advertising did turn out to be as funny or funnier than the ads themselves, so I'm not complaining.

Josh Radnor is best known for his role as Ted Mosby on the hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother, and fans are still streaming the heck out of it with a Hulu subscription. However, in an alternate timeline, Radnor could have landed the role of Jim Halpert on The Office, as he actually auditioned for the role in the NBC sitcom that ultimately went to John Krasinski. So what went wrong?

Both The Office and How I Met Your Mother premiered in 2005 and went on to become huge successes. Even years later, the two remain favorites among fans, and it’s hard to imagine the characters being played by anyone else. However, obviously, other actors auditioned, and when it came to Jim, Josh Radnor tried out before HIMYM came along. The Ted actor told the story behind it, too, on the podcast How We Made Your Mother, when The Office's Jenna Fisher asked about it. Recalling how it went and why it didn't go the best, he said:

He went on to explain that while casting director Alison Jones brought him on and he met with The Office's creator Greg Daniels, Radnor ultimately didn’t get a testing deal and did not move forward with the second round of auditions. He also made sure to note that it wasn’t a terrible audition; he just couldn’t land the right tone for Jim, as he said:

It’s interesting to imagine how different things would have been on both The Office and How I Met Your Mother had things played out differently for Josh Radnor. Overall, it also proves that John Krasinski was the perfect person to play Jim. Plus, Radnor’s portrayal of good guy Ted on How I Met Your Mother was pretty perfect, even if his actions in the series finale are still questionable after all these years.

It is always entertaining finding out what roles actors tried out for, especially since some things could have gone very differently had they gotten the role. The How I Met Your Mother cast was pretty fitting, as was The Office cast, and, as the actor said, everything worked out, and they all landed in the right places. It’s also hard to imagine him as Jim Halpert. Frankly, I don’t think anyone other than John Krasinski would be able to nail that role, just like I think Radnor is the only guy who could have played Ted.

One of the things I've come to really appreciate about The Office is how it set up some of its most interesting stories and character arcs over time, rather than just springing a twist on us in one episode just to change things up. During one of my recent rewatches of the series, I was especially appreciative of the way Season 5 sets up a major twist that plays out later on in the season. I'm talking about when Michael Scott quit his job at Dunder Mifflin.

To be clear, this isn't when he left the company for good to move to Colorado with Holly. Steve Carell's departure from the series happened seasons later. In Season 5, however, his character did what seemed unimaginable at the time, and decided to walk away from Dunder Mifflin. Given how loyal he was to the company up to that point, it seemed impossible that he'd ever leave... but it really didn't come out of nowhere. While the arrival of Charles Miner certainly provided the catalyst for Michael's exit, I think Idris Elba's character was merely the straw that broke the camel's back.

Let's take a look at some of the events earlier in Season 5 that led to Michael's breaking point.

Holly Gets Transferred To Nashua

Watching the series in its original run, I don't know that I could've guessed that Amy Ryan's character would turn out to be "the one" for Michael Scott when she was first introduced. Of course, getting to know her over time, and seeing how their relationship played out, it's easy to see how perfect she was for him from the start.

Michael and Holly's budding romance fell apart within episodes when David Wallace found out about it, and had Holly transferred to the Nashua branch. A harsh reaction on David's part? On the surface, it might appear that way, but in defense of David's evident visions of red flags all around the situation, let's not forget that Michael's last interoffice relationship included him being mixed up in a deposition that could've cost the company millions. So maybe David's cautiousness wasn't completely unwarranted.

The Disappointing Business Trip

Michael seems delighted to have the opportunity to travel to Winnipeg on behalf of the company, but nothing about the trip goes the way he hopes. Not even a one-night-stand with the charming hotel concierge could lift Michael's spirits, and by the end of the trip, he was ranting to David Wallace over the phone about how awful it was, and how mad he was about Holly being transferred. No, I don't think this bummer of a work trip caused Michael to quit, but it certainly was an indication that he wasn't over Holly's departure, and not even a business class flight to Canada was going to fix that.

Toby Returns

"No, God! No, God, please, no! Nooooooo!," are Michael's exact words upon learning that Toby is back from Costa Rica. Again, is that a reason to quit? Nah, but I doubt Toby’s return to the office helped boost morale for Michael. It definitely fits into this timeline.

Michael’s Moral Dilemma Over Prince Family Paper's Client List

Now, before this episode, we saw Michael go to New York to meet with David, enjoy some takeout and talk about absolutely nothing, while David tried to glean some insights into how Michael was keeping his branch profitable. That seemed to indicate that maybe things were looking up for Michael at work. And then came "Prince Family Paper," the episode where Michael is tasked with gathering intel about a business that was providing a bit of competition for Dunder Mifflin.

It was one thing to devise a plan to secure the information, but it's clearly another for Michael to turn over the client list he obtained, when he considered what it might do to this local family-owned business. It takes Dwight physically prying the list out of Michael's hands, in fact. So it's not hard to imagine that the ordeal weighed on him, or at the very least, made him feel not-so-good about his job.

Michael’s Golden Ticket Idea Backfiring

Michael Scott wasn’t always the problem in The Office. In fact, he sometimes had a good idea. However, his "Golden Ticket" idea was a rollercoaster ride, where it seemed like the promotion backfired and cost the company a lot of money, only for it to turn out to be a good thing. So it all worked out, right? Wrong. Michael's efforts to deflect blame, then claim credit made the whole thing really messy, which results in David Wallace storming out of the Scranton office.

We might also factor in David's frustrations after Dwight's safety training shenanigans during "Stress Relief" – one of The Office’s best episodes – a few episodes earlier as part of the mounting tension here. Is it any surprise that David would bring in help in managing the branch?

And Then, Charles Miner

That brings us to "New Boss," which introduces Idris Elba's Charles Miner, who immediately rains on Michael's 15th anniversary party-planning parade with his cost-saving efforts and zero-tolerance for nonsense. To make matters worse, when Michael tries to contact David to complain about the situation, his call is forwarded to Charles’ line. I think that's truly the last straw. But, factoring in all of the other events, it’s easy to see the look on Michael’s face as David tries to placate him, and know that even a party and some figs aren't going to be enough to make him want to stay at Dunder Mifflin.

It might not be quite as easy to put together a similar list for why Pam decided to quit alongside Michael. Sure, she’d been restless with her job, especially when we factor in her return from New York, and being tired of dealing with the new copier. Still, her spur-of-the-moment choice to abandon her job did lead to her getting out from behind the reception desk, as she eventually returned to DM as a salesperson (and then sneakily navigated her way into an office administrator role later on). So, I guess it wasn’t one of the worst decisions an Office character ever made.

The Office wasn't always perfect with its continuity (and it certainly wasn’t the only show guilty of that, either). Watch a series enough times, and you may notice random things that don't line up with later events. However, The Office was consistent where it counted, which is why most of us likely give it a pass for things like Meredith mentioning having a second child, whom we never actually saw or heard about again.

Even more than ten years after its finale, The Office (streaming with a Peacock subscription) keeps producing behind-the-scenes gems that highlight just how much of the show’s brilliance came from its cast—especially Steve Carell’s chaotic comedic instincts. In a recent interview, longtime writer, producer, and showrunner Paul Lieberstein (aka Toby) reflected on some of his favorite scenes from the series. One of which was Michael’s wildly inappropriate message to Jan in season 3, and yes, the cringiest moment wasn’t in the script.

In a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Angela Kinsey asked if any particular scene stood out to Paul Lieberstein. The writer/EP quickly pointed to one of Michael Scott’s deeply inappropriate interactions from the Season 3 episode “The Job,” in which Michael asks Jan’s assistant, Hunter, to deliver a truly deranged message. Lieberstein recalls:

Podcast co-host Jenna Fischer later confirmed that the second part, the sound effect, wasn’t in the script at all. While no one could say definitively that Carell ad-libbed it, it’s a safe bet given his reputation for going off-book in the most hilariously uncomfortable ways. The Toby actor added:

This little improv adds another layer to an already cringeworthy scene that fans can’t forget, even if they’ve tried. Michael’s absurd lack of self-awareness was always a balancing act, and it’s in moments like this one where Carell's performance walked the tightrope between gut-busting and grotesque. It’s also a great example of the show’s willingness to let its cast push scenes further—sometimes way further—than what was written.

Interestingly, the scene is a rare moment of unfiltered lewdness in a show that usually thrived on subtler, slow-burning awkwardness. It’s a Michael Scott quote that is his most unhinged, and that single “brrrb” noise somehow makes it ten times worse… and funnier, of course. Also, the “motorboating” moment is far from the only example of improv behind the series' most iconic moments. The actors were frequently trusted to follow their instincts.

During that same episode, “The Job,” Ken Kwapis instructed the accounting department, played by Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery, to keep going off-script after Michael announced he sold his condo. What followed was an improvised exchange that gave the scene a sense of real, awkward group dynamics. Meanwhile, Angela’s brutally curt “Goodbye, Kelly Kapoor” line (a quizzable piece of series trivia) was another unscripted zinger that became instantly iconic.

Even moments that looked carefully planned were full of improv. According to the DVD commentary, when Jan drops the box of office supplies outside corporate, the chaos that follows, including Melora Hardin breaking into laughter and hiding it behind her hair, was completely real and unplanned. Everything after the drop was improvised.

The Office thrived by trusting its cast and crew to take creative risks, and they paid off. At present, the show remains one of the most rewatchable sitcoms in TV history, not because everything was meticulously planned, but because sometimes the best moments weren’t.

Given the number of times I've seen every episode of The Office, (including the super-sized episodes available with a Peacock subscription), I've come to truly cherish each and every new tidbit I come across about the beloved NBC series. Heck, even old tidbits that are new to me are enough to enhance my already-brimming appreciation for the series.

Such was the case for me after listening to a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, when hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey were revisiting Season 3's penultimate episode, "Beach Games" with a "Second Drink" podcast episode. Their discussion led me to fire up my DVD player to listen to the full commentary for the episode, which includes Harold Ramis sharing his reason for having the characters sing on the bus.

If you've seen "Beach Games," you likely remember that the Season 3 episode has the cast of The Office headed off to the beach for what they think is a fun day in the sun, but actually turns out to be an audition to prove to Michael that they're worthy of inheriting his job. On their way to the beach, we see the characters on a bus belting out the words to "The Gambler."

As the episode's writer, Jennifer Celotta explains it on the DVD commentary, the singing was director Harold Ramis' idea, which he had shared in a production meeting prior to filming. But Brian Baumgartner (also speaking on the commentary) apparently wasn't aware this was going to be a thing until they were shooting the scene. As he explained it, Harold Ramis was in a car near the bus, and came in "over a God mic" and told him to sing something, so he did. Ramis piped in at this point on the commentary and explained:

I don't know why, but there's something so wholesome about that explanation to me. Maybe because it has me flashing back to bus-ride singalongs from my own past... Also the less happy bus rides I've experienced where there was no singing, for that matter. I wish I'd never been on a bus where people didn't sing, quite frankly.

It also could just be that I'm a fan of the late Harold Ramis, as an actor, writer and a director. Learning one of these small but meaningful bits of insight into his approach to directing an episode of a show I love so much is a real treat. I also love how he noted that he thinks Kate Flannery is a brave actress (over the scene where she attempts to show off her bathing suit for the cameras and forgets that she isn't wearing it.)

Baumgartner said "The Gambler" was the first song they sang on the bus, but as we see at the very end of the episode, the Flintstones theme song was also one of the tunes the cast sang on the bus ride to the beach. Ed Helms revealed on the commentary that he thinks he may have been the one to suggest that one as a nod to Trains, Planes and Automobiles. The cast also sang the Friends theme song, though that one didn't make it into the episode. "Tiny Dancer" (a song memorably featured in a bus scene in Almost Famous) was another song mentioned left on the cutting room floor.

I'll probably always think of Harold Ramis' simple explanation for why they were singing on the bus ride to the beach whenever I rewatch "Beach Games." Unfortunately, now that I've listened to the DVD commentary, I'll likely also remember the horrific story Ed Helms told about spitting bits of chewed up hot dog into a shared bucket between takes during the hot dog eating contest. Yuck!

Not only is The Office one of the best sitcoms of all time, the cast is full of the sweetest actors who are constantly supporting each other as they live life after Dunder Mifflin. Most recently, Steve Carell went out of his way to check out Jenna Fischer’s Chicago play, Ashland Avenue. And, the way the actress best known for playing Pam Beesly shared the adorable moment involved a The Office reference, of course.

Check out Jenna Fischer’s Instagram post about how she and Steve Carell reunited in Chicago. The Pam and Michael reference in the second slide is absolutely perfect!

As you may recall, in Season 3 of The Office, Pam invites her coworkers to her first art show. It makes for a sweet moment in the series when Michael shows up for her and even buys one of her paintings that depicts their workplace. Michael tells her he’s “really proud” of her artwork, and she ends up giving him an emotional hug. As Fischer wrote in the post:

Steve Carell attended the show with his wife, Nancy Walls, who also played Carol Stills on The Office. How adorable it is to see these co-stars back together as Fischer ends her run in the critically acclaimed play that has been playing in Goodman’s Albert Theatre.

Of course, fans were reminiscing about the art show scene in The Office in the comments, talking about how great the episode is and quoting “Do you have something in your pocket?” Some of her other The Office castmates also commented:

• “Tearing up over here!! Love this so much! ❤️” - Angela Kinsey
• “This makes me so happy!!!! 😊😊😊😊” - Ellie Kemper
• “Love the live. It’s kinda Like Michael coming to Pam’s art show. ❤️” - Kate Flannery

After Steve Carell was in The Four Seasons earlier this year, he is currently working on an untitled new HBO comedy from Scrubs and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence and The Goldbergs’ Matt Tarses. In between his busy schedule, it’s really nostalgic to see him and Fischer back together and all smiles.

Fischer has had one of the most popular podcasts hosted by Hollywood stars with The Office Ladies, which she does with her best friend and The Office co-star Angela Kinsey. As Fischer revealed this time last year, she had a battle with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer last year that luckily left her feeling great even after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.

It’s pretty inspiring (and hopeful) that Jenna Fischer is back in full swing at work, doing a stage play nightly after having some serious medical treatments the year prior. There’s a lot to celebrate here, and we can’t wait to see The Office cast continue to support each other in their future endeavors.

In my opinion, Peacock has quietly become one of the best values for a streaming service out there. Not only can you rewatch the best episodes of The Office (not to mention the Superfan Episodes featuring extended and deleted scenes), but also access a growing library of original shows, movies, and documentaries. It's really become one of the best streaming services around for entertainment. And if you've got World Cup fever and want to keep watching great soccer, Peacock is the streaming home of the English Premier League, which kicks off its next season in August.

That makes now the perfect time to make a case for those who have yet to sign up for this robust platform. We have put together a quick yet thorough guide of all the perks of a Peacock subscription, how much it costs to subscribe, how you can watch it, and so much more.

That said, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of this popular platform that allows you to watch some of the best 2026 TV shows and select films from the 2026 movie schedule.

The Peacock Subscription Plans And Price

There are currently three plans available to choose from when signing up to Peacock: Select, Premium, and Premium Plus. Depending on what you want from your Peacock streaming experience, each of these different tiers has something to offer. Here’s a full breakdown of the plans, prices, and what comes with each:

Is There A Peacock Free Trial?

Peacock did offer a free trial when the service debuted back in 2020, but this was axed back in 2023, along with its Peacock Free tier, which allowed you to watch a selection of TV shows and movies for free.

What TV Shows Can I Watch On Peacock?

With Peacock and NBC falling under the same corporate umbrella, it should be no surprise that the popular streaming service gives you access to some of the network’s most popular and beloved shows of yesterday and today. From hilarious comedies like The Office and Parks and Recreation to Dick Wolf’s various crime procedurals set in the One Chicago and Law & Order universes, there’s just so much to watch.

All those new NBC shows? Well, depending on your subscription plan, you can watch those as they air or the following day, which is great for fans of Brilliant Minds, The Hunting Party, and St. Denis Medical. If you want to see all the upcoming SNL hosts and musical guests, this is going to be the place to go.

What Movies Are Available On Peacock?

Like any streaming service, Peacock comes loaded with an assortment of movies from just about every genre and film era imaginable. In the past, Peacock has offered subscribers the entire Harry Potter franchise (these are still available, by the way) and various other major big-screen brands like the Jurassic Park/World franchise (these are sadly no longer available). Even though titles will come and go throughout the course of the year, there is always something new (or old) being added for fans of all genres.

There are also a ton of new and recent movies streaming on Peacock right now. From Oscar nominees like Nosferatu, Bugonia, and Hamnet to all-time classics like Pretty Woman, there's plenty to choose from here.

Peacock Has Great Original TV Shows, Movies And Documentaries

When it comes to original content, Peacock holds it down. From the outrageously popular competition series like The Traitors to original comedies like The Paper (we can’t wait for Season 2) and The 'Burbs to thrillers like The Copenhagen Test, there’s no shortage here. The buzzy show for July is definitely The Five-Star Weekend with it's all star cast including Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan, D'Arcy Carden, and Chloë Sevigny

The platform is also constantly adding original movies and documentaries, if that’s your thing. Though they mostly fall into the “true crime” camp, the variety of long-form programming on the streamer is top-notch.

Can I Watch Live News And Channels On Peacock?

Peacock also boasts a robust collection of 24/7 streaming channels for its subscribers, no matter the plan you choose. However, while everyone has access to NBC News Now, NBC Sports, and channels dedicated to specific shows, you will need a Premium Plus account to watch your local NBC affiliate and other live channels.

If you want to see everything your Peacock subscription offers in terms of live news and channels, simply click on the Channels tab in the Peacock app or browser.

What About Sports On Peacock?

One of the biggest draws for any streaming service these days is live sports, and Peacock is one of the best in this regard. With Olympics coverage and the Super Bowl every few years, the platform is a must for sports fans. From weekly NFL coverage to NASCAR to Premier League soccer, there’s no shortage of action.

While you won’t be able to check out any of the upcoming WWE events on Peacock (those now stream on the ESPN Unlimited app in the United States and with a Netflix subscription internationally), the Saturday Night’s Main Event shows will continue to stream for the time being.

Both the Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus subscription plans give you access to hours upon hours of live sports throughout the year. There are commercials during live sporting events with both plans; the more expensive option will cut those out during replays or clip shows.

How To Download Movies And Shows For Offline Viewing

Peacock has a ton of great movies and TV shows (both originals and time-honored classics), but what happens if you can’t finish the latest season of Twisted Metal or catch the wild Bugonia ending before heading out on a trip? Well, the streamer lets you download a plethora of content to your mobile device so you can view it when you don’t have access to wifi or a strong cellular connection. All you have to do is search for a title you want to watch, click the download button next to it, and wait for it to load. You’ll be good to go!

While you will need the Premium Plus plan to take advantage of this perk, and some select titles can’t be downloaded (these are few and far between), the download feature comes in handy in times of need.

Peacock Supported Devices

Like most streaming services, you can watch Peacock on several different devices. This includes all the major web browsers, Android and iOS phones and tablets, popular streaming boxes, and all modern PlayStation and XBOX consoles. The platform is also compatible with various smart TVs.

I have personally tested Peacock on my Samsung and LG smart TVs, PlayStation 5, Roku, Tivo Stream, Chrome and Safari browsers, and iPhone 12, and there aren’t any issues to report. If only this were the case for other streaming services.

Check out the full list of Peacock-compatible devices.

Peacock Has Some Great Accessibility Features

When it comes to accessibility features, Peacock offers its subscribers quite a lot. There are the standard features, like closed captioning, available for the library, as well as with live programming on the Premium Plus tier. On top of that, subscribers can use audio description tools for a large number of movies and shows on all of the supported devices. The app can also be synced with screen readers included with most modern TVs and streaming devices.

How To Cancel Peacock

For one reason or another, some folks will want to cancel their Peacock subscription, and doing so is a fairly easy task. If you subscribe to Peacock directly, follow these steps:

• Go to the Peacock website on your browser or mobile device
• Click on your account settings
• Go to the Plans & Payments section
• Select “Cancel Plan”

You will still have access to your Peacock subscription until the end of your current billing cycle. And please note, if you subscribe through a third-party service like Roku, Apple TV+, or Amazon, you will need to cancel your subscription from the point of purchase.

Hopefully, all of this helps make sense of Peacock, its various subscription options, and everything that comes along with them.

I already knew that I deeply missed all of The Office characters before I started watching The Paper when it premiered on the 2025 TV schedule. Heck, I stop what I'm doing and watch those AT&T commercials that feature some of the cast members whenever they pop up. But I didn't realize quite how much I missed Oscar until I watched The Paper with my Peacock subscription.

Oscar Nunez's Office character wasn't always the life of the party, but he was sometimes a necessary voice of reason. After watching all of Season 1 of The Paper, I really think he was the perfect character to bring over into this new series.

When I recently wrote about the relief I experienced over The Paper not seeming to try to mimic The Office, I wanted to get into how Oscar factors into that, but I quickly realized I had way more to say on the subject.

Spoiler Alert: I will be mentioning specific plot points and some spoilers related to Oscar in Season 1 of The Paper, so if you haven't watched the show yet, get caught up before proceeding.

Oscar's Story Didn't Seem Finished

The Office finale provided some great closure with a lot of the character arcs in the series, from Jim and Pam's family to Dwight and Angela's romance, to Andy finding a job at Cornell, and some varying degrees of wins for other characters. Oscar, however, really doesn't rank highly there, in terms of how his story ended.

If you recall, his relationship with the (state) senator collapsed once the documentary was about to air. While that was probably for the best (Oscar can do better), the closest he came to a happy ending was his mended relationship with Angela. Sure, that was sweet, but Oscar's story felt wide open by the end of the series, which really makes him a perfect character to join this spinoff.

As much as I would love to see other Office characters appear on The Paper (or even join the cast), I wouldn't want it to come at the expense of whatever happy ending they got from the original series. Since Oscar's ending was pretty open, he's among the few characters I think is not only perfect to be in the spinoff, but his story actually needs more chapters.

His Relationship With The Documentary Crew Is Amazing Right From The Start

Ok, the first full-on laugh-out-loud moment of The Paper, for me, came after the documentary responded to Oscar's adamant declaration that they couldn't film him, with a card that stated simply:

I'm still laughing at it. What better way to skip over the "why would Oscar ever consent to do another documentary" conversation than by clarifying that he's in this for life, whether he likes it or not.

As mentioned, let's not forget that the documentary led to Oscar and the (state) senator's affair falling apart. He really didn't come out on top from that whole situation, so why would he ever want to do another film? But, here we are. I loved that his distrust and irritation is present throughout Season 1, only for the season finale to have Oscar addressing how seen he feels by the camera people. I need this relationship explored more, please.

I think the writers could’ve come up with a funny way to lure Oscar into willingly participating in the documentary, but that may have taken up more time than they had, when they were also trying to introduce a whole new story, setting and set of characters. Which brings me to my next point…

Oscar's Presence Is The Right Amount Of A Reminder Of The Office (Without Trying To Smother Us With Nostalgia)

As much as I wanted to see Oscar more involved and on screen throughout Season 1 of The Paper, I also kind of appreciate that he wasn't front and center at all times.

While there were some references and easter eggs (see if you can spot one in the photo above), and obviously reminders that Oscar Nunez's character is the main (on-screen) connection between The Paper and The Office, watching Season 1, I never felt like the series was trying so hard to use my love of The Office as a way to get me to like this new series.

Oscar popped up in plenty of scenes, and even got a big moment during the season finale, but he's not the only person whose story matters, and there are other characters we need to get to know. I wanted to see him more, but as a fan of The Office, I already know him, and I'm ready to get to know this new cast of characters.

Now, Can We Please Get Oscar A Love Interest?

In August, I wrote about how I loved the way certain love interests were introduced in The Office and Parks and Recreation -- specifically Holly, in The Office, and Ben in Parks and Rec -- and how I hoped we'd see something like that in The Paper. While the series has already introduced a budding romance between Ned and Mare, and I can't wait to see that play out, I really want to see Oscar find love. Unless it just wasn't revealed to us that he isn't, it seems like he's still single. There has to be a perfect man out there for Oscar, and I'd love to see the writers bring that character into the story.

Even if he isn't single, maybe he already found Mr. Right, and we just haven't met him yet. It's entirely believable that he would shield his private life from the documentary crew as much as possible. But they've be able to get around that plenty of times, so if he does have someone, it's just a matter of time before we meet them. If he doesn't, well, writers, please fix that!

Oscar winning an award for his new puzzle was a taste of the kind of victory I want to see for this character. He's a character I haven't always wanted to se see win (Remember when he won the coupon book for his "rational consumer, as it were" costume?...). Now I'm rooting for him to win more awards, and I want to see who the writers come up with as his perfect match, because the potential for that character and story is so high. I have no doubt the writers would be able to come up with the perfect character (and casting) to hit the mark.

See, I knew I had way too much to say about Oscar to fit into one section of an article. No regrets. I'm excited about The Paper, but I'm especially excited to see where the story takes this character.

I'm at the point as a fan of The Office that I believe if I haven't gotten tired of rewatching the NBC series, I doubt I ever will. I was elated when we learned a spinoff/sequel series was coming to the 2025 TV schedule. More from the world of The Office? Sign me up. And with that sentiment in mind, I've watched all ten episodes of The Paper, and the thing I like most about it is that I don't think it's trying too hard to be The Office, which is a relief.

First, general spoiler warning: I'll be including some details about The Paper, so if you haven't finished Season 1, you can check it out with a Peacock Subscription and check back in here when you're done!

Setting My Expectations

It was clear to me when the trailer for The Paper dropped that the tone, or maybe the rhythm of the humor, was going to be a bit different. That was helpful for me to set my expectations going into my binge-watch. With each episode of The Paper, I could feel myself getting more acclimated to the general vibe of the show. There is a cringe-element to the humor that reminds me of The Office, for sure, not to mention conference room meetings. But these aren't the same jokes or stories being told in a new setting. At least some of that can presumably be attributed to The Office showrunner Greg Daniels working alongside co-creator Michael Koman on The Paper this time around, which surely adds different layers to the humor, pace and tone.

So Let's Talk About The Characters

While The Paper brought Oscar Nunez's Office character back to our screens, its focus is once again on a workplace, but with a new ensemble of quirky characters, led by Domhnall Gleeson as newspaper editor-in-chief Ned Sampson, and Chelsea Frei as compositor-turned-reporter Mare Pritti.

Does that make Ned and Mare the Jim and Pam of The Paper? Honestly, no. I mean, sure, Season 1 sees awkward and occasionally adorable sparks begin to fly between the two characters, but beyond their potential to be the series' core romantic couple, their stories and even their dynamic are so different from Jim and Pam that I don't even want to compare them.

In fact, I don't even want to compare any of the characters in The Paper to those of The Office. Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore) and Tim Key (Ken Davies) both achieve varying levels of cringe every time they're on screen, but neither of them is Michael Scott. From Alex (Adam Cooper) to Ramona (Nicole Lee) to Detrick (Melvin Gregg) to Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), to the recurring characters, everyone in this initial ensemble makes an impression by the end of the first season, and none of them struck me as The Paper's version of Pam or Ryan or Darryl or whoever. Even Oscar feels a little bit refreshed in this series, but that's a whole other topic I'd like to talk about another time.

It's A Relief

I'm a bit of an elder Office fan, in that I was around when Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s The Office was still a recent and the buzzy U.K. show you just had to watch (on DVD because this was before you could just stream stuff). I tuned into NBC’s The Office in 2005 as a fan of the U.K. series, wanting the remake to be good so badly.

The tone of Season 2 of The Office shifts quite a bit from Season 1, both in the humor and the way the characters are portrayed. I actually liked the first season of The Office when it aired, but I do think those first few episodes attempted to mirror the humor of the original series, and it just wasn’t the same.

I’m sure I’m not alone in having concerns about how this new spinoff series would be, especially by comparison to The Office. Sure, The Paper is a sequel/spinoff and not a remake, so we were never going to get an exact replica. Still, I’m relieved that this new series didn’t make the potential mistake of trying too hard to appeal to The Office fans by mimicking stories and character dynamics of its predecessor.

The Office barely managed to get renewed for Season 2. Fortunately, The Paper has already been renewed, because after this first season, I can't wait to see where the story goes. And as a fan of The Office, I'm genuinely optimistic that this series will grow on me and become another comfort show.

Spoiler Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Paper Season 1. If you haven’t finished all 10 episodes, please be careful.

A lot of the best sitcoms of all time have one thing in common: a great “will they, won’t they” dynamic, and it’s no different for The Paper. Just like The Office and Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly’s relationship, the new 2025 TV show features two humorous and heartfelt love stories throughout its first season. One of those, which ends with an up-in-the-air feeling, is something I was drawn to the most while watching.

Ahead of The Paper’s release, which is streaming with a Peacock subscription, I sat down with Melvin Gregg and Ramona Young to talk about the “will they, won’t they” dynamic shared by their characters, Detrick Moore and Nicole Lee, respectively. When I asked them how they pulled it off (both in the beginning and the Season 1 finale), Gregg put it like this:

When I asked the pair about how they approached Detrick and Nicole’s relationship, both said they wanted to pull off something authentic and honest. Jumping off a comment her co-star made about being open to what was happening during their characters’ relationship, Young added:

As those who have finished The Paper’s freshman season know, Detrick and Nicole’s relationship isn’t always front and center like the one teased for Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei), but it does lead to one of the show’s most tender and emotional moments. In the finale, after playing games, both characters discover just how real the office relationship has become.

So, Where Could Dedrick And Nicole’s Relationship Go From Here?

Unlike Ned and Mare, who finally expressed their feelings for one another after 10 episodes of flirting, the status of Detrick and Nicole’s romance is a little bit more up in the air as the credits roll. Young wasn’t sure about the couple’s future, but she did have an idea when I brought up the subject:

Though Gregg was a little more optimistic about Detrick and Nicole’s prospects of a happy future together, he admitted that things would inevitably change for the two:

How that relationship changes and how it impacts the Toledo Truth Teller newsroom is anyone’s guess.

We will get to find out how things shake out for everyone on the Truth Teller staff, as Variety has reported that Peacock is picking up The Paper for a second season. More on that later…

The Office is one of the most popular and beloved sitcoms of all time. Therefore, the spinoff, The Paper, was always going to have big shoes to fill. The imperfect pilot introduces us to this new world and plenty of characters, and they are the biggest selling point for the series. I have only watched the pilot so far, so I am unaware of how the show and these characters develop over the course of the season. However, I can imagine some of the antics we will get with this new crew.

I haven’t been following the development of the sitcom, so I was a little surprised to see a few Office familiar faces in the first episode. This automatically made me nostalgic for the hit NBC show. These returning characters fit well with some of the show’s additions to The Office world. There are plenty of eccentric and intriguing characters, but I find myself most intrigued by Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson).

Warning The Paper pilot spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Couldn’t Help But See Ned As A Michael And Jim Mash-Up

Ned is the lead of The Paper, and he joins the Toledo Truth-Teller as the new editor-in-chief. He’s the boss. That makes you automatically associate him with Michael Scott (Steve Carell). When Ned is first introduced, he comes across as somewhat self-centered and clueless. You expect him to be the new lovable idiot, similar to Michael (especially in the series’ early seasons). However, once Ned comes into the office, he automatically becomes more than a Michael copycat.

He displays some intelligence by faking being claustrophobic to be released from his closed office. Michael would likely not think of a plan so quickly. However, because Ned shows some lack of awareness when introduced, he may have more Michael traits than shown in the first episode. Additionally, Michael may be a bit of a mess, but he understood his company and job well. He was a top salesman for a reason.

Ned cares about this company. Therefore, he seems more competent than Michael, but they may actually be about on par with each other in their work capabilities. Ned also has a bit of a genuine, sweet guy quality to him. This makes him somewhat similar to Jim (John Krasinski). He might be Jim if that character took his job more seriously. Also, Jim is likable but another agent of calamity. I could see Ned becoming that type of character as well.

Ned And Mare Are Already Reminding Me Of Jim And Pam

Of course, it’s too early in The Paper to say where things are headed for these characters. However, Ned and Mare (Chelsea Frei) have the vibe of two characters who will eventually fall in love. Their first encounter is a bit destructive. He knocks over her salad and then doesn’t help her pick it up. However, he learns his mistake and makes up for it.

After hearing his story and goals, Mare is endeared to him. She knows he’s someone she can connect with and maybe someone sane in this sea of crazy people. You can already imagine their inside jokes, how they will keep each other grounded, and seasons of will-they-won’t-they. I can already picture how some of Mare and Ned’s moments may mirror Pam and Jim’s best Office moments. Greg Daniels consistently creates sitcoms that tell really beautiful love stories.

He should create more exclusively rom-com TV shows because he’s so good at romance within this comedy space. Therefore, I imagine this duo will become a really captivating love story. We also already see hints of other romances that may develop in future The Paper episodes. Even if Mare and Ned don’t end up becoming the new Pam and Jim, their dynamic seems really critical to the show.

They may remain platonic partners, but they already feel like they have a connecting souls quality to their relationship.

He Also Has Some Andy Qualities

In reality, Ned may be the most like Andy (Ed Helms), a man who seems very sweet and nice, but a little unhinged. Andy also cared a lot about his job. I can definitely see hints of Ned having a dark side, especially with his potential parent trauma. Andy is also a polarizing The Office character. Some people loved him for his cheery nature and antics, while others found him annoying.

I am sure Ned will also divide viewers. However, I think he’s a little more appealing than Andy because he seems normal-ish, but we know no one in this series will be flawless. I am more curious about his crazy layers than I was about Andy’s life and unhinged nature.

However, Ned Lacks Some Of The Extremes Of All Of Them

From The Paper pilot, Ned seems fairly normal. However, if you pay close enough attention to what he says and does, you can see that’s far from reality. He has some obvious quirks and baggage. Nonetheless, nothing we have seen with him shows any of the same extreme behavior as the original Office characters. Michael seemed very incompetent and like a lovable loser at times.

He was silly and a bit stupid, but that was his charm. He also showed moments of greatness and heart. Ned seems eager but not incompetent, and seems too qualified to run this failing newspaper. However, I know enough about The Office world to know he will likely show some bad habits and traits. Ned also doesn’t have the same boy-next-door charisma as Jim, and is not as potentially irritating as Andy.

I think Ned seems different enough that his issues and weird behavior will be unique to him. He won’t simply be a Michael-Jim-Andy combo, but exhibit some of their traits, and has his own identity.

I Am Looking Forward To Seeing How His Character Evolves In The Paper

I want to know who Ned Sampson becomes in a few episodes, and hopefully, seasons. The character has a mystery surrounding him. Not in the sense that he’s hiding some big secret, but in the sense that he’s not going to remain the character we meet in the pilot. Most comedy shows have their characters develop more distinct personalities as the series progresses.

I fully expect Ned to evolve in fascinating ways, even by the next episode. I already like the character, but I feel like as he changes and the actor figures out his comedic personality, I will enjoy him even more.

Stream The Paper on Peacock.

The 2025 TV schedule has offered up some high-profile titles over the past year, and another notable show is about to debut – The Paper. A spinoff of beloved NBC mockumentary series The Office, this Peacock show moves from the walls of a paper company to the halls of a newspaper aiming to stay afloat. Critics have now officially had the opportunity to check out the sitcom – which comes from returning producer Greg Daniels. And the reactions bring to mind the chats that people used to have about Jim and Pam.

Fans of The Office likely know the relationship between Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert, which featured a will they/won’t they dynamic early on. Ahead of The Paper’s debut, many seemed to have varying feelings about the prospect of visiting this fictional universe. In other words, there was pondering about “will I like it?” or “will I not like?” Well, now that pundits have screened the spinoff, some seem to be digging it, and others aren’t impressed. TheWrap’s Amber Dowling lauds the show for its sweet handling of the journalism profession:

Ally Johnson of The Playlist, however, doesn’t dig the series all that much. In her own review, Johnson critiques the “half-hearted” writing as well as the performance of lead Domhnall Gleeson’s performance (as a non-Michael Scott-like character). Additionally, Johnson is of the belief that there are several other key issues with the series:

The Paper is set in Toledo, Ohio, where the crew that famously filmed the employees at Dunder Mifflin are now following journalists at the Toledo Truth-Teller, a historic Midwestern newspaper contending with the shifting media landscape. Filing out this new ensemble is the aforementioned Domhnall Gleeson as well as Sabrina Impacciatore, Ramona Young, Tim Key, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Chelsea Frei and Alex Edelman. Also, as noted, Oscar Nunez reprises his role as Oscar Martinez from the OG show.

In his own review of the new show, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone is relatively lukewarm (kind of like the iffy dynamic between Jim and Pam early on). However, Sepinwall also makes a point about the appeal that the show may have down the road:

Liam Matthews of TV Guide says there are some laughs to be found within the Greg Daniels’ latest workplace comedy, and he praises some of the performances. However, based on Matthews’ assessment, this sitcom is disposable and, in making that point, he even referenced a certain film franchise:

Variety critic Aramide Tinubu is a bit higher on the series, however. While assessing Paper, Tinubu acknowledges that the show has a few “wrinkles” that need to be ironed out sooner rather than later. Yet she also expresses optimism about how things may unfold moving forward (and that’s a feeling that a lot of fans held onto as they watched Jim and Pam’s relationship evolve):

Viewers needn’t wonder about what lies ahead for The Paper after this inaugural season, as it’s already been announced that the show will return for a second season, per Deadline, that’ll air in late 2026. Obviously, that decision was made before reviews like the ones above dropped. While the show may be off to a somewhat bumpy start from a critical perspective, there’s still a chance that the mockumentary show can blossom in a great way – not unlike Pam and Jim’s relationship.

All episodes of The Paper will be available for Peacock subscription holders to stream starting on September 4. Fans can also use that same membership to stream all nine seasons of The Office.

The Office has been off the air for more than a decade now, but we’re about to go back to that wild and utterly ridiculous world with Peacock's new spinoff The Paper soon landing on the 2025 TV premiere schedule. The new comedy series, which features the same documentary crew from the Dunder Mifflin following a Toledo, Ohio, newspaper, includes several callbacks and staples from one of NBC's best sitcoms, including the iconic Jim Halpert “stare.”

I recently sat down with the new stars of The Paper to talk about the upcoming series, and during our chat, I made sure to ask if they had any advice for pulling off that classic “stare.” Chelsea Frei, who takes on the role of Toledo Truth Teller journalist Mare Pritti, told me that while she was “scared of those stares,” she figured something out:

Frei, who grew up watching John Krasinski pull off some of the best-timed looks into the camera in TV history, didn’t want to take all the credit when I complimented her on her timing. Instead, she said it was a team effort:

Luckily for Frei and everyone who’ll soon be able to watch with a Peacock subscription, Sabrina Impacciatore knew her assignment while portraying Toledo Truth Teller’s over-the-top and absolutely fabulous managing editor, Esmeralda Grand. The White Lotus Season 2 standout opened up in our chat about how both she and her character approached the documentary crew:

As you will see as The Paper goes on, Esmeralda has a knack for making life difficult for Domnhall Gleeson's Toledo Truth Teller editor-in-chief. I won’t give anything away, but it leads to some of the funniest and most absurd interactions the show has to offer.

The Paper debuts on Peacock on September 4, 2025, with all 10 episodes dropping at once.

Confession: when I do the occasional rewatch of The Office, I have a tendency to skip Season 1. While I don't think that the debut run is bad by any means, it is a stretch when the writers and the actors were all still figuring out what the show was and who the characters are, and it doesn't have the proper energy that the NBC sitcom had during its best years. Because of my lacking rewatches, however, I have never really paid attention to the key aesthetic changes that the show goes through after its first six episodes.

Rainn Wilson, who will forever be remembered for his turn as the lovable/angry/weird Dwight Schrute, was recently a guest on the Good Guys podcast hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer, and in discussing The Office in its earliest form, he noted that the cinematography and the way that characters are presented wholly changes in the show's second season. While early episodes really strive for the "real world" feel that should be an extension of the documentary format, the filmmakers eased up on that idea in episode seven and beyond. Said Wilson,

It's not said by the actor specifically why The Office decided to make this aesthetic change – but we can probably assume it had something to do with trying to earn more audience appeal (in case you haven't figured this out yet from the full history of film and television, but viewers tend to like looking at pretty people). That being said, I suppose that I could argue that there is a logic to the change in the world of the show: realizing that the documentary crew was going to stick around for a while, the employees at Dunder Mifflin opted to present themselves a little better. And perhaps the operator of the business park did some maintenance to improve the lighting.

More than just The Office Season 2 being brighter and more "presentable," the show also sees an attitude change in its approach to its characters. Obviously Steve Carell's Michael Scott remains an ignorant idiot, but he is made to be a bit less cruel, and his edges are softened. Rainn Wilson explains how this was part of the NBC incarnation of the show separating itself from its British predecessor, saying,

Perhaps this will be the catalyst that gets me to do a new rewatch that actually starts with The Office Season 1. I'm certainly curious to witness the change and note the aesthetic and vibe shift for the episodes. As a physical media collector, I'll happily make use of the Blu-ray boxset that I purchased a few years ago, but all of the episodes (including the extended Super Fan edits) are also available to stream instantly with a Peacock subscription.

The world of The Office is returning to the small screen in the 2025 TV schedule for the first time since 2013, but not for more antics from Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, and/or Dwight Schrute. The Paper will premiere in September as the long-awaited spinoff of one of the best sitcoms in NBC history, with the ten-episode first season releasing on Peacock as a streaming original.

The premise of the new series is that the documentary crew from Dunder Mifflin on The Office relocated to Toledo, Ohio to start filming the publisher of a historic Midwestern newspaper and the attempt to bring it back to life. Domhnall Gleeson plays the editor-in-chief, who also seemingly is the voice of reason at the Toledo Truth Teller.

Since The Paper is a streaming series and I've watched plenty of NBC over the years without seeing ads en masse for what's available with a Peacock subscription, I wasn't expecting to see promotion in primetime on the network. I'm glad to be wrong on that count, but it reminds me of the change to the release schedule that I'm afraid might work against it.

NBC Is Promoting The Paper

The final weeks before the fall TV season begins tend to be exciting for NBC's competition shows, and this week featured the Season 17 finale of American Ninja Warrior, the latest round of live America's Got Talent quarterfinals with a snazzy Terry Crews, and Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson. I've been tuning in, and noticed that NBC is airing promos for The Paper during commercial breaks. It's all one big NBCUniversal family?

With the streaming original debuting on September 4, now could be the ideal time for some extra buzz out of primetime. If you're not a live NBC viewer, I can tell you that the quick ads are snippets from the longer trailer to drop jokes without leaning on Oscar as a character from The Office.

I didn't count how often the promos aired on Tuesday night while I was enjoying Kelly Clarkson dueting with Gloria Estefan, but I've seen them enough to pretty much be able to recite the joke about one Toledo Truth Teller journalist getting his writing experience from tweeting, with a woman in the office confusing "self-deprecating" with "self-defecating."

They're not my favorite jokes from what I've seen of The Paper so far, but perhaps any buzz is good buzz when there are so many TV options out there. I just wish that the release model hadn't changed, because I'm afraid the buzz won't last very long.

Peacock Changed The Release Model

When the details about The Paper's premiere were announced in early August, the release schedule was for the first four episodes to release on September 4, with two new episodes following every Thursday until the finale on September 25. As somebody who has gotten weary enough of shows releasing episodes on the binge model, I was happy to see a weekly schedule for the new show, which would also add another similarity to The Office.

Then, just a couple of weeks before the premiere, Variety reported that the weekly release schedule was switching over to the binge model. All ten episodes of Season 1 will now be available on Peacock starting on September 4. No details were announced about why the weekly release was changed to a full season release, but I can't help but be bummed.

With not all subscribers necessarily watching as soon as the episodes are available, there might not be as much conversation happening as there could be with just a couple of episodes per week. Plus, no matter how funny it is, The Paper could be lost in the television shuffle by releasing every episode in one fell swoop when fall TV season is about to start.

Admittedly, The Paper likely won't be any more serialized than The Office was, but shows like Abbott Elementary and St. Denis Medical both prove that mockumentaries can still become hits with episodes debuting weekly. I just wish The Paper got the same chance.

All of this said, the sky isn't falling on The Paper just because the streaming service changed the release schedule. You can plan on checking the series out starting on Thursday, September 4 on Peacock. In addition to Domhnall Gleeson and The Office vet Oscar Nuñez , The Paper stars Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key.

As a fan of The Office (to put it mildly), my plan to watch Greg Daniels’ upcoming spinoff series, The Paper, when it debuts on the 2025 TV schedule, is a no-brainer. In fact, the only challenge I’m having at this point is keeping my expectations in check, especially when remembering the way it took me a little bit of time to warm up to The Office, and the same for Parks and Recreation, another series executive-produced by Greg Daniels.

I’ve recently been making good use of my Peacock subscription to rewatch Parks and Rec, and the Daniels and Michael Schur co-created comedy got me thinking about one underrated thing the show did really well with two of its characters, that The Office also achieved. Just maybe The Paper will find that magic as well.

It Would Be Great To See Another Satisfying Love Story

When I mention “love story” right after referencing The Office, you might assume I’m about to talk about Jim and Pam, but I’m not. Yes, the romance between John Krasinski’s character and Jenna Fischer’s was undoubtedly a key piece to the NBC series building momentum. I loved Jim and Pam’s whole arc, and if The Paper has a couple like that off the bat, that’d be great.

But, The Office did something later in the series that Parks and Rec also did, and that’s introduce a character who turns out to be the absolute perfect match for one of the leads. I’m referring to Holly (The Office), and Ben (Parks and Rec). I absolutely love the way both of these romantic relationships were set up and how they played out during their respective runs.

A Couple Like Michael Scott And Holly Flax

Michael’s romantic life had its ups and downs throughout The Office, often to great comedic and cringy effect. Let’s take a moment to flash back to him proposing to Carol in front of a crowd of people in “Diwali,” or his epic fight with Jan during one of The Office’s best episodes, “Dinner Party." By the time Holly (Amy Ryan) showed up, it seemed impossible to imagine him in a healthy relationship.

Though Michael wanted to dislike Holly, due to her association with a department that he once described as “a breeding ground for monsters,” the chemistry between the regional manager and HR rep was undeniable from the start. What I love about that spark is that it’s not rooted entirely in any one superficial thing. Yes, he is attracted to her, and she him. But they also get each other’s (sometimes weird) jokes, and are charmed by traits that other people might, at best, be willing to tolerate. Think about how Jan used to chastise Michael, for example. Holly didn’t always approve of his words or actions, but her responses were never disdainful.

One of my favorite episodes of the series is Season 7’s “The Search," where Michael gets lost wandering around Scranton, and Erin and Dwight set off with Holly to look for him. The whole episode is a quirky nod to their compatibility, as Dwight and Erin quickly realize that Holly’s knowledge of how Michael thinks is the key to tracking him down. When she finally finds Michael, it seems impossible that either of them were meant for anyone else, and I loved that for both characters.

Park’s And Recreation’s Leslie And Ben

Now let’s talk about Ben and Leslie, because I see so much of what Michael and Holly have in this couple. This is not to say that I’d compare Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope to Michael Scott, or Adam Scott’s Ben Wyatt to Holly. It’s more the way their relationship came together. Like Holly, Ben wasn’t one of the main characters at the start of the series. He and Rob Lowe’s Chris Traeger don’t show up until near the end of Season 2. Ben and Leslie’s relationship starts off strained, as he gets more involved in her department, but by Season 3, their romance begins to take off.

Like with Michael and Holly, what I love about Ben and Leslie is the way he’s able to see her for who she is – energetic and optimistic and eager to make her community a better place. Does Leslie often set her expectations too high? Yup, and sure, she has a tendency to get hyper-focused on a goal, which can spiral out of control quickly. As Ben gets to know her, he seems to see these traits as strengths, rather than flaws. He’s the cynic to her optimist and together they work. Literally, not only are they a great romantic pair, but they’re really good at working together. It’s such a satisfying thing to watch.

A Common Factor For Both Couples' Stories

I’m not of the mindset that a good love story is a requirement for a TV comedy. There are so many things that I love about The Office and Parks And Recreation that have nothing to do with the romances. So, if The Paper is a great comedy that doesn’t have a central romantic pair, that’s just fine with me. If it does develop one later on, that’s also just fine, because one notable common factor between the love stories of Leslie/Ben and Michael/Holly, is that these love interests didn’t even show up on the series until later on. It wasn’t until after we know Michael and Leslie well as characters that their perfect match appeared.

While it might be safe to assume that Holly and Ben were both written into their respective shows to be potential endgame love interests for the lead characters, they both brought added layers to the story, in addition to shining the best possible light onto the quirky leads.

Will There Be Romance In The Paper?

Ok, so let’s get back to The Paper, because that’s where this all ties in. As I said, a good romantic story isn’t a requirement for a TV comedy, though many of the most memorable sitcoms do have at least one. Given how satisfying the ones in the hits mentioned were to watch, I really hope Greg Daniels finds a way to create that kind of chemistry between two characters in this new series at some point. I’ll take a worth-the-wait story about two characters finding each other at the right time and being perfect together over a will-they-wont-they any day

With all of that said, I realize this means I’m saying I’d be happy to wait multiple seasons to see that connection happen on The Paper. And I would, but... there is one way the show could speed up the process, and that would be to give Oscar the romance he deserves. The Office character, who’s included in this new series (you may have spotted him in the trailer for The Paper), had a few love interests throughout the run of the NBC series, the last of whom was Angela’s (State) senator husband.

I think Oscar is overdue for a perfect match, and this could be the series that delivers it. Because we already know the smart accountant well enough, I don’t need seasons to get to know him before I’m ready to see him find Mr. Right.

It doesn’t have to be Oscar, but he'd certainly be a deserving option. In the meantime, there are so many other things that Daniels has done well with his previous series, so I have no doubt The Paper will deliver.

The Paper debuts on Peacock on September 4, 2025.

NBC has been churning out some of the best sitcoms since the dawn of television. The Peacock Network's history of hit comedies is long, but the network really came into its own in the 1980s and 1990s when it dominated the ratings with shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, and Friends. This list is what I think are most of NBC's greatest shows, most of which aired in that magical era.

Cheers

For 11 seasons in the '80s and '90s, millions tuned into Cheers to check in with their favorite barflies at the titular drinking establishment. A ratings hit right up until the end, Cheers played a big part in launching the careers of actors like Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Kelsey Grammer, Kirstie Alley, and John Ratzenberger.

Night Court

Originally part of the "Must-See TV" Thursday Night lineup on NBC, Night Court had an incredible ensemble cast and sharp writing that made it one of the more irreverent shows on this list. The show ran for six seasons, starting in 1984, in its original run, and was brought back in 2023 for three more seasons. It also had a classic theme song that still slaps today.

Friends

Without a doubt, one of the most enduringly popular shows from NBC is Friends. The show started with great fanfare in 1994, and its popularity only grew from there, until, after 10 seasons, when we all said goodbye to all our friends, the show had been #1 for multiple years. More than two decades since it ended, it's still a widely streamed show.

Sanford And Son

The chemistry between Redd Foxx, who played Fred Sanford, and Demond Wilson, who played his son, Lamont, was the magic that made Sanford and Son an all-time classic. Running for six seasons in the mid-'70s, it proved popular long after it went off the air, running in syndication for many years after it ended on NBC.

NewsRadio

I will always maintain that NewsRadio is the most under-appreciated sitcom in history. The show was brilliantly funny and had an all-star cast that was perfect for the show's witty writing. Not only did the late Phil Hartman shine, but there was Joe Rogan, Stephen Root, Dave Foley, and a whole slew of guest stars like David Cross, Patrick Warburton, and Lauren Graham.

Frasier

It's said that no actor has played the same role for as many years as Kelsey Grammer has played the titular Frasier Crane. The role began on Cheers before moving to the spinoff. The show was revived in 2023 for two more seasons after 11 during its initial run.

Parks And Recreation

NBC first found success in a mockumentary-style sitcom with The Office, and before long, they had a second hit in the same style with Parks and Recreation. The show's secret sauce was definitely in the chemistry between all the members of the ensemble cast, which included Amy Poehler and a bunch of actors whose careers would really blow up after the show, like Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, and Chris Pratt, among many others.

Taxi

Network sitcoms weren't always known for being at all subversive, even in the 1970s, but Taxi, which ran for five seasons in the late '70s and early '80s, bucked that trend with comedic actors like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and the late Andy Kaufman.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Will Smith was already a famous rapper when he landed a sitcom with NBC in 1990. What seemed like a stunt by the network by giving a rapper a show soon proved to be a stroke of genius, and The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air became a monster hit, launching Smith's career into the stratosphere.

The Office

Along with shows like Friends and Seinfeld, The Office is Hall of Fame of great sitcoms. Although it was based on Ricky Gervais' British show of the same name and even borrowed several jokes from the early episodes, it eventually surpassed the original in popularity both in the US and abroad. By the end of its nine-season run, it was one of the most beloved shows of all time. We're still quoting Michael Scott all the time.

The Cosby Show

Of course, for a number of reasons that I'm not going to get into here, The Cosby Show's legacy has been tainted, and it's hard to watch reruns these days, but in its time, it was one of the all-time greats. It anchored Thursday nights on NBC for eight seasons in the eighties and early nineties and helped launch multiple shows on this list on account of its huge ratings.

Seinfeld

Quite possibly the GOAT sitcom of all time, Seinfeld started slow, with disappointing ratings in its first season, but soon that all changed, and the show became one of the most-watched shows of all time. It's filled with plots we still discuss, and lines that have become part of the English lexicon.

30 Rock

Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) never won an EGOT, but 30 Rock racked up Emmys during its seven-season run on NBC starting in 2008. Like a lot of shows on this list, it featured an outstanding ensemble cast that was headlined by Morgan, Tina Fey, and Alec Baldwin.

The Golden Girls

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia came into our homes every week for seven seasons in the 1980s and brought joy to millions. It's a show that proved remarkably enduring, as it's still beloved today, even though the four wonderful actresses who played those great characters have all passed away.

Family Ties

Family Ties was a sitcom that wasn't afraid to tackle some major issues, but at its heart, it was a family sitcom that was pretty darn wholesome. It's certainly remembered these days for being the springboard that launched Michael J. Fox's career, but the whole cast was amazing, as were some of the guest stars, including Tom Hanks and River Phoenix.

The Good Place

Like a lot of sitcoms in history, both on NBC and otherwise, The Good Place struggled to find a large audience, but the fans it does have really love the quirky show about the afterlife starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, along with others.

227

227, especially the early seasons, was a fantastic show that is maybe a little under-appreciated these days. While it wasn't the first sitcom to feature a Black middle-class family, that was still pretty rare, even in the 1980s.

I Dream Of Jeannie

Barbara Eden, the genie in I Dream of Jeannie, started in Hollywood in the 1950s and has had a long career both before and after the show. It was this NBC sitcom that brought her the greatest acclaim and her biggest fame. Kids like me in the '80s were still watching the show, which originally aired for five seasons in the late '60s, in syndication.

Diff'rent Strokes

For kids in the '80s, no show was more popular than Diff'rent Strokes, which anchored its successful Friday night lineup. Starring Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as two brothers adopted by a rich guy on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the show provided endless laughs, and some of the craziest cameos of the era, including Mr. T and Nancy Reagan.

Will & Grace

When Will & Grace first hit the airwaves in 1998, it became one of the pioneers of LGBTQ+ representation on television, and that will always make it important in TV history. However, it never would have lasted for seven seasons (plus four more in a revival) if it hadn't been completely hilarious.

Mad About You

Helen Hunt and Paul Riser played newlyweds (at least in the beginning) on Mad About You, which was kind of a surprise smash hit in the 1990s. It won a ton of Emmys and was so beloved that it got a short revival in 2019, which got mixed reviews.

Community

Like a lot of the best sitcoms, Community was never the ratings hit it should have been. The show's quirky humor wasn't for everyone, but those who "got" the writing loved the show. It constantly fought off being canceled by NBC, and internal squabbles also helped doom the show, but not before it ran for six seasons.

A Different World

A show as wildly popular as The Cosby Show usually ends up spinning off multiple shows, but the only spinoff that came from Cosby was A Different World. The show saw Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) head off to college, where she met a ton of new friends, like the iconic Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). Bonet left the show after one season, and A Different World proved it could stand on its own for five more seasons.

Silver Spoons

If you were anything like me in the 1980s, at least half of the time, you were thinking of ways to convince your parents to get you a race car bed like Ricky has in Silver Spoons. I never sold them on that idea, nor did I find a way to sell them on having a train run through the living room like in the insane house I always wanted to explore on the show.

Scrubs

Although it wasn't one of my personal favorites, I couldn't leave Scrubs off this list. I've watched episodes here and there over the years, and you can't help but see the endless memes that the show, which ran for nine seasons in the '00s. It helped launch Zach Braff's career, but it featured a great ensemble cast including Donald Faison, Dave Franco, and John C. McGinley.

Get Smart

One of the most enduring sitcoms of the 1960s has to be Get Smart. The spy show was unique at the time, as a sort of parody of James Bond with wacky gadgets and a bumbling superspy, Maxwell Smart (Don Adams). It also helped launch the career of Mel Brooks, who created the show.

The Facts Of Life

Few people remember that The Facts Of Life was a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes when Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae) left the Drummonds to become a house mother at boarding school. That's because it was such a huge hit on its own.

Just Shoot Me!

Just Shoot Me! is a perfect example of a show that constantly got moved around the TV schedule, but uniquely didn't suffer all that much in the ratings department because of that. Over its six seasons, it was moved all over the weekly schedule, but the show, led by David Spade, retained its audience as it did.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Adam Samberg was an established star on NBC from his days on Saturday Night Live, when he was rewarded with his own show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The show was an instant hit, and that translated into nine very successful seasons for the cops at the fictional 99th precinct in Brooklyn, NY. Samberg wasn't alone in the fantastic cast, which also included Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, and the late Andre Braugher.

3rd Rock From The Sun

John Lithgow has proven over his incredible career that he can play any character, from legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on The Crown to a wacky alien in 3rd Rock From The Sun. There really haven't been many sitcoms like 3rd Rock over the years, though, at its heart, it's a great fish-out-of-water story.

Wings

Though it wasn't a direct spinoff of Cheers, Wings definitely existed in the same universe. Not only was it set in New England (Nantucket), but over the years, there were some crossover characters between the shows. Wings took off right away, as audiences loved the interactions between all the quirky characters at the regional airport where it was set.

Gimme A Break!

Before Joey Lawrence found his greatest fame on another great NBC sitcom, Blossom, he played a character also named Joey, a foster child who joined in the third season of Gimme A Break!. The Nell Carter vehicle is one of those great sitcoms that made a huge impact at the time, but people hardly talk about it anymore. Still, like the others on this list, it was one of the best NBC offerings in its golden age of sitcoms in the '80s and '90s.

When it comes to some of the most classic sitcoms out there, The Office most likely sits high on that list. Many people adore this show for many reasons, from the talented The Office cast to its hilarious jokes, to its not-so-great boss, Michael Scott. However, over time, the series has become legendary, and a spinoff is set to premiere very soon – in fact, and it’s on the 2025 TV schedule.

But even if I’m excited for The Paper, there’s something that’s bothering me just a bit that I have to talk about – and it actually involves the history of The Office.

The U.S. Version Of The Office Is A Classic, But It Took Time For It To Find Its Footing

First off, I think we often forget that The Office wasn’t a hit from the beginning. The series was based on the popular U.K. series of the same name, and starred Ricky Gervais.

And while the U.S. remake had a similar premise, the joke delivery was different, and it wasn’t the same kind of show. In fact, it took a couple of seasons for The Office to really find its footing. It also wasn't until Season 2 that we started to get some of the most well-known episodes of the show.

Even then, plenty of people still feel that a lot of the better episodes came years down the road, and that’s important to remember.

It Was A Wonder Season 2 Of The Office Even Happened, But Will That Same Thing Happen For The Paper?

Season 2 of The Office almost didn’t happen. In fact the series was nearly cancelled after six episodes. When the series premiered on NBC, the ratings dropped after the premiere episode, which is obviously the opposite of what you want to see with a new show.

The only reason that the series really ended up performing well after it was thankfully given another chance from NBC was because not only did lead Steve Carell have a significant uptick in fame after The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, but also because the episodes of the show were released on iTunes, which was rare at the time. It became easier for people to check out the first season that it would have been otherwise in the mid-aughts.

Thankfully, according to Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office (via The New York Post), TV exec Kevin Reilly championed the show, which was a challenge. He said in the book that it was "brutal" since everyone was against it, and he openly said "Odds are I’m going to get fired," because it was difficult to prove to everyone that this show was worth the time and money at NBC.

The fact that Season 2 is really where the series found its footing is excellent, but it also makes me really concerned because what if the same thing happens for The Paper -- where the first season doesn’t really hit as much right away, especially when factoring in the high hopes and expectations of the existing fandom.

Everything these days seems to get cancelled so quickly. Netflix cancels TV shows consistently. Numerous basic cable TV shows have been cancelled. It’s become a pretty big trend that if the numbers aren’t there, then it’s not worth it. Will that happen for The Paper if it isn't an instant hit?

Will It Be Able To Keep Momentum Going From The Fanbase Of The American Series?

My biggest concern is whether the momentum from The Office's fanbase will keep the series afloat after its premiere. Obviously, plenty of people will probably stream the spinoff, myself included, but will people actually want to stay for more if the comedy doesn’t hit as hard right away? What if it takes a whole season to find its footing? Or it needs to figure out what it is rather than trying to replicate The Office.

Hopefully these won't be issues when the series arrives this fall. I know that there have been plenty of franchises where the fanbase has kept them alive – from the Despicable Me movies to the Harry Potter films, including the new TV show, and so much more. But will that be the same for The Paper? Or is this new series going to get jammed up?

Only time will tell. And I suppose I’m here for the ride.

There is something so infectious about a dance sequence that, even in movies and TV shows in which they occur pretty much out of nowhere and, in theory, should not work, they still do in most cases. In fact, some of the most iconic and beloved numbers in pop culture history do not even come from titles categorized as musicals. Step back in time and review the following most cherished examples of the like.

Napoleon Has "Canned Heat" (Napoleon Dynamite)

While most of the dialogue is extremely quotable and Jon Heder's title character is a one-of-a-kind instant comedy icon, if you ask me, the moment that 2004's Napoleon Dynamite won audiences over is its centerpiece dance sequence. In a last-ditch effort to help his best friend, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), win class president, the nerd busts out some absolutely ridiculous, yet passionate, dance moves in an impromptu routine set to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat," which earns a roaring round of applause from his classmates.

Nothing Suits Barney Like A Suit (How I Met Your Mother)

In the 100th episode of the beloved TV sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) contemplates whether or not he should give up his suits forever in order to score with an attractive bartender who hates men in business attire. He then imagines an elaborate song and dance number professing his love for his wardrobe called "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit," featuring the rest of the snappily dressed cast.

Tom's Dreams Are Coming True ((500) Days Of Summer)

It is moments like this that make 2009's (500) Days of Summer one of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is so high on cloud nine after starting up a romance with Zooey Deschanel's title role that he imagines the local townspeople are joining him for a brief dance set to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" during his morning commute.

"The Name Game" (American Horror Story)

Some of the most unsettling moments from American Horror Story masterfully utilize the power of juxtaposition, like in one of the most dazzling moments from Season 2, subtitled Asylum. After receiving shock therapy, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) hallucinates that she is performing a rendition of Shirley Ellis' 1964 pop hit, "The Name Game," with her fellow patients at Briarcliff Manor.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 cult favorite comedy The Big Lebowski is home to two of the most iconic movie dream sequences, with the second one easily taking the cake as the most wonderfully uproarious. Knocked out by Jackie Treehorn, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) imagines he and Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) are the stars of an adult film shot in the style of a Busby Berkeley dance number.

Joel Likes That "Old Time Rock And Roll" (Risky Business)

What is the exact moment that Tom Cruise became a movie star? I like to think that occurred in 1983's Risky Business when the future Oscar nominee, as Chicago teen Joel, with the house to himself, celebrates his independence by dancing and lip-synching to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his underwear.

Tina Opens The Movie (Do The Right Thing)

Writer and director Spike Lee prepares you for an unforgettable and subversive cinematic experience with an unforgettable and subversive opening to 1989's Do the Right Thing. The opening credits play over Rosie Perez's character, Tina, dancing solo to Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," making for a certainly unexpected and moving way to start a film with a lot to say about society.

Jim And Pam's Wedding Party Dances Down The Aisle (The Office)

In the episode of the U.S. version of The Office when Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), the wedding party, instead of the traditional walk down the aisle, dance to Chris Brown's "Forever," which was originally written as a Doublemint Gum commercial. While this act goes against the couple's wishes, it goes down in history as a memorably unique way to start the ceremony.

Nathan And Kyoko Tear Up The Dance Floor (Ex Machina)

Alex Garland is a writer and director who never fails to dazzle his audience, either with thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, brutally honest societal commentary, or epic dance sequences. All three of which are used to perfection in his 2015 technophobic classic, Ex Machina, when Oscar Isaac's shady, eccentric tech billionaire, Nathan, and his companion, Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), shift the tone in a rousing way by interrupting Caleb's (Domhnall Gleeson) interrogation by getting busy to “Get Down Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham.

"I'm Just Ken" (Barbie)

There had been a dance sequence earlier in 2023's Barbie when Margot Robbie's title hero hosts a party, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, even for a movie taking place in an alternate dimension where dolls are sentient. The film suddenly incorporates an elaborate, traditional Hollywood dance sequence when Ryan Gosling's Ken expresses his frustration with feeling undervalued by Barbie in the Academy Award-nominated track, "I'm Just Ken."

Jenna Thrills Her Colleagues (13 Going On 30)

One of the most iconic scenes from the hit fantasy rom-com, 13 Going On 30, sees Jennifer Garner's Jenna (an '80s teen trapped in the body of her future, adult self) try to liven things up at her company party by getting everyone to recreate the dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Rue's Relapse (Euphoria)

After giving in to her addictive urges, Zendaya's Rue imagines that she is in a music video for the actor's haunting single, "All For Us," which illustrates the complicated relationship she has with her family as a result of her habits. The sequence culminates in her being carried outside of her house by a sea of dancers in matching outfits, who also serve as her choir, at night, before a marching band joins in. It marks an invigorating, but also tragic, end to the first season of the provocative coming-of-age drama, Euphoria.

The Deetzes Do The Calypso (Beetlejuice)

One of the all-time greatest and funniest musical moments from a horror movie comes from 1988's Beetlejuice. Hoping to scare the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara) and their dinner party guests out of the house, the lingering spirits of Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) use bodily possession to manipulate them into dancing and singing to Harry Belafonte's "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." Much to their surprise, they enjoy the experience.

Wally, Charley, And Rhonda Channel Bowie (School Spirits)

School Spirits is a TV show told from the perspective of ghosts who have passed away on a midwestern high school campus, where they struggle to cope with the parameters of their afterlife. Wally (Milo Manheim), who was a star athlete in the 1980s, lets off steam by putting on a vinyl copy of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and leading his fellow ghostly friends in a wonderfully choreographed groove through almost the entire school.

Jamal And Latika Are Victorious (Slumdog Millionaire)

Director Danny Boyle's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2008's Slumdog Millionaire, ends with an upbeat dance number set to the Academy Award-winning original song, "Jai Ho" and led by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto as Jamal and Latika. It might have been surprising to some audiences to see this production suddenly include such a sequence, but it honors a longstanding tradition in Indian cinema.

The Kids Rock The Library (The Breakfast Club)

Many have argued that 1985's The Breakfast Club is the greatest high school movie ever made, despite never taking place during school, but a Saturday detention shared by five teens who each represent a different rung of the teen social hierarchy. The unlikely friends attempt to break up the monotony with an impromptu dance to "We Are Not Alone" by Karla Devito.

"Tequila!" (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

One reason 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure remains a cherished classic is how Paul Reubens' eponymous man-child wins over the hearts of nearly everyone he meets. For instance, he earns the respect of a bar full of bikers with his signature dance to The Champs' rendition of the saxy tune, "Tequila."

Don Dreams Of Bert Cooper Dancing (Mad Men)

AMC's Mad Men had its fair share of off-kilter moments, none more perplexing than when Don Draper (Jon Hamm) suddenly has a vision of the recently passed advertising veteran Bertram "Bert" Cooper (Robert Morse) singing and dancing a performance of "The Best Things in Life Are Free."

Andy Lets The Sunshine In (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

Judd Apatow's heartfelt, raunchy comedy, 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, ends with Steve Carell's Andy finally losing his "innocence" and expressing his relief through song. The song in particular is The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In," which transitions into a dance in a wide-open field that the rest of the cast joins him for.

"Come On, Little Sister, Let’s Dance” (The Life Of Chuck)

There are not many Stephen King movies with scenes that leave you feeling invigorated and hopeful, but that is the general response to the centerpiece dance sequence in 2025's The Life of Chuck, from writer and director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston's title character crosses paths with drumming street performer, Taylor (Taylor Gordon), and spontaneously lets the music drive him, even inviting a random young woman named Janice (played by Annalise Basso) to join him, giving a crowd of bystanders the show of their lives.

Will Shows How They Dance In Gelderland (A Knight's Tale)

A Knight's Tale may take place in 14th-century Europe, but it boasts many modern sensibilities in everything from its dialogue to its soundtrack. For instance, in a scene when William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is forced to come up with a dance to impress the royalty, he receives some help from his "foxy lady," Jocelyn (Shannon Sossamon), and soon the entire dance floor is rocking out to what we hear as David Bowie's "Golden Years."

Raj's Romantic Fantasy (The Big Bang Theory)

In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) finds himself attracted to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), leading him to have multiple daydreams about her, including one reminiscent of an Indian Cinema dance sequence.

Donkey's Swamp Dance Party (Shrek)

At the end of the Oscar-winning, acclaimed kids movie, Shrek, Smash Mouth's cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" plays during Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) nuptials before Eddie Murphy's Donkey takes over the vocals, leading the wedding guests in a breathless celebration of the event.

Terry And Holt "Push It" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In one of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor in the police station during a city-wide blackout. In a hilarious effort to keep her calm and distracted, Lieutenant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) try dancing to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It."

Dance Of The Dead (The X-Files)

In a Season 7 episode of The X-Files called "Hollywood A.D.," Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate a murder on a movie set, where, at the end of the episode, corpses resting underneath are reanimated and indulge in a passionate ballroom dance with one another.

Harry's Dream (3rd Rock From The Sun)

In an essential and bewilderingly surreal episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, the Solomons experience their first-ever dreams. This proves to be a startling experience for the extra-terrestrial visitors, except for Harry (French Stewart), who imagines he is in an upbeat, urban Broadway production.

Ed Livens Things Up At The Mental Hospital (Good Burger)

In Good Burger, Ed (Kel Mitchell), Dexter (Kenan Thompson), and Otis (Abe Vigoda) are wrongfully committed to a mental hospital, where Ed responds to the request of a patient played by George Clinton himself to change to the music to something funkier, and tunes it to Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep." He then leads most of the other patients in an impressively choreographed dance routine, which Dexter uses as an opportunity to knock out the guards and escape.

The Siblings Are Alone Now (The Umbrella Academy)

Netflix's series adaptation of the hit comic book The Umbrella Academy has a clever way of introducing its superpowered main characters early on in the premiere episode. The adoptive siblings are seen grooving to Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," each in a different location and boasting a different style of dance.

Backstreet's Back In Heaven (This Is The End)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's 2014 apocalyptic meta comedy This is the End ends with most of the main characters (actors portraying uproarious versions of themselves) meeting up in the afterlife, where they celebrate their ascent into Heaven with the Backstreet Boys, who also appear as themselves to perform “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The Study Group Is Gonna Finally Be Fine (Community)

Community Season 3 begins with Jeff (Joel McHale) daydreaming about a dance number, featuring the entire cast of characters, with a hopeful outlook on the next year at Greendale.

David's Three-Way Dance Battle (Legion)

In the Season 2 opener of FX's unconventional Marvel Comics adaptation, Legion, one of David's (Dan Stevens) memories of the past year shows him at a club where the mutant engages in an intense dance battle with Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and Oliver (Jemaine Clement).

Lucifer Is Alright (Lucifer)

The series finale of Lucifer opens with the Devil Incarnate (played by Tom Ellis) leading an upbeat ensemble dance sequence set to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright," which starts at a bar before transitioning to the police station, where Lucifer and Detective Dan (Kevin Alejandro) reenact an iconic moment from Dirty Dancing.

There are so many fun, fake products in movies and TV. Sometimes, they become so iconic that they become real products. There are a few examples of that on this list of fake products from movies and TV shows, but most of them are just things we fondly remember from our favorite films and shows. So here it is, our list of just some of the best products we could come up with.

Apollo Bars - Lost

One of the things Lost did really well was building a world beyond the island. Apollo Bars were part of that world. The chocolate bars were seen all throughout the season, including when Hurley raided the pantry in the hatch when it was first discovered.

Big Kahuna Burger - Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino has done a really cool job over his career, not only inventing unique products for his movies, butalso using them in multiple films. Big Kahuna Burger from Pulp Fiction is a perfect example. We first find out about the "new Hawaiian burger joint" when Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) tries Brad's nutritious breakfast. It is a tasty burger! Eagle-eyed viewers may know that the brand was actually introduced in Reservoir Dogs when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) is seen drinking from a cup from the fictional restaurant.

ACME - Looney Tunes

The ultimate example of fake products on TV has to be the ubiquitous ACME company from Looney Tunes. It's most often seen in Road Runner cartoons as the company where Wile E Coyote buys all the equipment he tries in vain to use to catch his nemesis. It seems it was the Amazon of the Looney Tunes world.

Sweetums - Parks & Recreation

Sweetums are the controversial candy seen a few times in Parks & Recreation. Loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, Leslie (Amy Poehler) is appalled by their popularity, while Ron (Nick Offerman) is predictably less worried about how unhealthy they are.

Wonka Candy - Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

One of the examples on this list of a fictional food product that was eventually a real brand name is Wonka Chocolate (or candy in general). Obviously, it's been seen in all the movie versions of the classic novel by Roald Dahl.

Hoverboards - Back To The Future Part II

When Back To The Future Part II came out, it was filled with futuristic products, but by far the one kids most wanted to be real was the Hoverboards (from Mattel in the movie). We're still waiting, decades later–and no, the "hoverboards" with the one wheel don't count.

The Cornballer - Arrested Development

Perhaps the most dangerous product on this list is the Cornballer from Arrested Development. Invented by George Bluth (Jeffrey Tambor), the product was recalled because it basically burned anyone who ever tried to use one, including Michael (Jason Bateman) multiple times in one episode. Getting Richard Simmons to help sell it in an infomercial was a bad idea, too.

Kitten Mittons - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Does your cat make too much noise? If so, Charlie (Charlie Day) from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has the solution for you. Kitten Mittons! Of course, your cat may not like them as much as you hope, so be careful!

Brawndo - Idiocracy

Brawndo has what plants crave! Actually, no... no it doesn't. It turns out water is still better for growing crops, but don't tell those corporate suits at Brawndo, they pay a lot of money to sponsor basically everything you would use water for... except the toilet.

Top Of The Muffin To You

Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) sure loves the tops of muffins. Personally, I like the whole muffin, but it seems enough people love the tops enough to make an entire bakery making only the tops of muffins in the world of Seinfeld. Just don't expect the local food pantry to accept only the stumps.

Dapper Dan - O Brother Where Art Thou?

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is a Dapper Dan man. He's not interested in any other pomade to style his hair. If he can't get his Dapper Dan, he'll be sure to let you know. Accept no substitute.

Allied Biscuits - The Simpsons

Apparently, Springfield is big enough to have not one or two cracker brands, but no less than eight! Luann Van Houten's family's fortune comes from Southern Cracker, but poor Kirk is a terrible manager and leads the brand to a tie for the sixth most popular with Table Time and Allied Biscuits. Marge was so embarrassed that she emptied her plate back into the box.

Soul Glo - Coming To America

Soul Glo is quite the product in Coming To America. It's made a fortune for Darryl's family, and Akeem (Eddie Murphy) seems jealous of anyone wearing the hair product. Fun fact: the song in the fake commercial was written and performed by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nile Rodgers of Chic.

Stay Puft Marshmallows - Ghostbusters

Not only does Ray (Dan Aykroyd) manifest the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man at the end of Ghostbusters, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that there is a bag of the sugary treats on the counter as Dana (Sigourney Weaver) is unloading her groceries before Zuul takes over her refrigerator.

Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor - NewsRadio

The legendary newsman Bill McNeil (Phil Hartman) only endorses products he uses and enjoys. Or, it turns out, anyone willing to pay him enough money. The best example of the latter is Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor, which he records ridiculous commercials for in one episode of NewsRadio.

Tracy Jordan Meat Machine - 30 Rock

Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) was always looking for ways to branch out, and that extended to endorsing a product called "Tracy Jordan Meat Machine" in the vein of the George Foreman Grill. It's not a bad strategy, as it clearly worked for the former heavyweight champion.

Los Pollos Hermanos - Breaking Bad

Los Pollos Hermanos, the fictional chicken chain in Breaking Bad, is another example of a brand on the TV show that has become real, with pop-up versions of the fictional restaurant taking over old storefronts on occasion.

Oceanic Airlines - Lost

Of the many different fictional brands in Lost, none were more prominent than Oceanic Airlines. The ill-fated flight that crashed onto "The Island" on the show was an Oceanic flight. There was even a fake website set up in the real world where fans could learn more about the airline and check out the "schedule." That flight from Sidney was on it, too... lost.

Duff Beer - The Simpsons

The Simpsons has been around a long, long time, and almost since the beginning, Homer (and everyone else in Springfield) has always been loyal to one brand of beer: Duff's. There are a lot of "flavors" of Duff, but they all come from the same vat, so it's really all about marketing. Duff Man agrees.

Cheesy Poofs - South Park

Eric Cartman loves his Cheesy Poofs. All the kids love them, but Cartman really loves them, as he's most often the one seen eating the fake snack food that seems to be off-brand Cheetos.

Mockolate - Friends

Mockolate on Friends makes light of products like Olestra that were popular in the 1990s. Mockolate is a synthetic version of chocolate that tastes terrible and is dangerous to ingest. It was eventually banned by the FDA on the show, but not before Monica tried to get a job inventing new candies with the chemicals. Yikes.

Soylent Green - Soylent Green

By far the most terrifying fake product on this list, Soylent Green is people! Never forget. And never, ever eat anything called "Soylent Green." Just starve yourself, it's safer.

Dunder-Mifflin Paper - The Office

Does anyone actually think about what brand of paper they are using? Do you sit in your office or at an office supply store, and make your decision based on the brand? I worked in a paper warehouse (for real) when I was in high school, and I never gave it a second thought ever again. Still, Dunder-Mifflin endures. on the US version of The Office. In the British version, it's the Wernham Hogg Paper Company.

Pawtucket Brewery - Family Guy

Like The Simpsons, the guys on Family Guy have a preferred brand of local beer from Pawtucket Brewery. The big difference is that the brewery in Family Guy is owned by a Willy Wonka-like character, instead of being promoted by a Superhero-looking mascot.

Mooby's - Clerks II

In the original Clerks, Randall and Dante worked in a nondescript shopping center (which is a real location in New Jersey). In the sequel, they've both taken jobs at the fictional Mooby's. It has since become a regular brand in Kevin Smith's films.

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Forrest Gump

Another example on this list of a fictional brand that became all too real is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Started by Forrest (Tom Hanks) in tribute to his friend who was killed in Vietnam, the name was eventually licensed out and became a popular fast-casual fish joint with locations all over the world.

Pizza Planet - Toy Story

Pizza Planet must be based on the real-life pizza places like Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E Cheese, right? Kids love it, parents probably hate it, but it does look pretty darn fun in the Toy Story universe.

Rekall - Total Recall

Rekall, where fake memories are implanted in your head to make it seem like you went on a fun vacation, is...messed up. Total Recall is a wild movie, and the whole idea of having memories implanted is about as disturbing an example of a messed-up future anyone could ever come up with. Even if it's a trip to Mars.

Shotz Beer - Laverne & Shirley

When bffs Laverne and Shirley move to Milwaukee, they get a job at that most Milwaukee of places–a brewery. Of course, it helps their dreams come true, so it seems like the kind of beer we'd all like to try.

Butterbeer - Harry Potter

Butterbeer is a brand and a way of life. It also seems to be the only thing anyone wants to drink in the world of Harry Potter. It's even become a real thing, I get to try it when I toured the Harry Potter studio outside London. I'm honest, it's way too sweet for Muggle consumption. At least this Muggle.

Opti-Grab - The Jerk

I've worn glasses for most of my life, but I've never had the need for anything like the Opti-Grab from The Jerk. Sure, it makes Nathan a very rich man (at least until it's sued out of existence), so some people might be interested, but glasses can be awkward enough without having that weird thing you can pinch.

Strictland Propane - King Of The Hill

Strictland propane and propane products! The best money can buy!

Characters come and characters go, at least that’s the case for these beloved shows. Whether it’s on one of the best sitcoms of all time, an exhilarating epic fantasy series, or crime dramas holding down a spot on the primetime lineup for decades, these programs all have one thing in common: they lost a fan-favorite before the final episode (or even final season).

Here are 32 TV shows that lost their lead character during their run…

The Office (2005 - 2013)

After being the best character on The Office for the show’s first seven seasons, Steve Carell’s Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office back in 2011. Though he would return in a guest capacity in the final season, the absence of the awkward, excitable, yet hilarious regional manager could be felt in the series’ final days.

That ‘70s Show (1998 - 2006)

That ‘70s Show had one of the best runs of any sitcom introduced in the final years of the 20th century, one that would carry on until May 2006. However, the sitcom’s main character, Topher Grace’s Eric Forman, wouldn’t be there for all of it. The actor, whose popularity was rising at the time, left the show after its seventh season. He would return in the series finale one year later.

Two And A Half Men (2003 - 2015)

Amid contract negotiations and a string of controversial incidents, Charlie Sheen left Two and a Half Men and stopped playing fan-favorite Charlie Harper, following the hit sitcom’s eighth season in 2011. One of the most popular shows on TV at the time, the CBS comedy would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher coming on to play Walden Schmidt

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

A mainstay of Cheers for the show’s first five seasons, Shelley Long’s Diane Chambers left the friendly Boston bar for good when she was given the opportunity to become a professional writer. However, Diane would later return near the end of the show’s final season in 1993.

ER (1994 - 2009)

Whether it was Anthony Edwards’ Mark Greene being killed off in a spectacular way or George Clooney’s Doug Ross departing following a major scandal, ER lost several of its main characters throughout its 15-season (and 331-episode) run on NBC. However, the show always seemed to rebound from even the biggest losses.

Law & Order (1990 - Present)

Countless beloved characters have come and gone from Law & Order over the years, including NYPD detective Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), who was a mainstay of the legal drama for 12 years. The series is still on today (after being revived in 2022), but few of the detectives on the show have come close to touching the greatness of the wisecracking cop.

Three’s Company (1977 - 1984)

The late Suzanne Somers became a household name for her portrayal of Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company back in 1977. One of the three leads through much of the show’s run, Somers departed the series after its fifth season. The sitcom would run for three additional seasons after Somers left.

Scrubs (2001 - 2009)

Though Zach Braff’s Dr. John Michael “J.D.” Dorian was technically part of the Scrubs cast until the very last episode of Season 9 (he’s also returning for the upcoming reboot series), he only showed up in less than half of the final run. Maybe it was for the best, because those episodes were of a far lower quality than the previous eight seasons.

Bewitched (1964 - 1972)

This is an odd one simply because the Darrin Stephens character on Bewitched was written off, but instead recast near the end of the show’s run. Played by Dick York for the first few seasons, Elizabeth Montgomery’s on-screen husband was later played by Dick Sargent in the final years of the landmark sitcom about a witch trying to hide her true nature from the world around her.

Mom (2003 - 2021)

When the main star of a show leaves partway through the series run, it can be a nightmare for their co-stars and crew members, and that was the case when Anna Faris departed the hit CBS comedy Mom in 2020. Though the show continued for one more season after Christy Plunkett was written off, the absence of the former lead could be felt.

One Tree Hill (2003 - 2012)

One of the biggest shows of the 2000s, One Tree Hill was a perennial favorite of The WB (and later The CW) through much of its nine-season run. However, the good times didn’t last the whole time, as Chad Michael Murray, who played lead Lucas Scott, departed after season 6 alongside Hilarie Burton’s Peyton Sawyer.

Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - Present)

One of the longest-running shows in TV history, Grey’s Anatomy has always been known for its tremendous cast of characters. And while there are some, like Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, who have been there all along, others have come and gone. One of the biggest is Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd, aka "Dr. McDreamy," who was killed off in the show’s 11th season.

Glee (2009 - 2015)

In the middle of Glee’s successful run on Fox, the popular musical series lost one of its main characters when the actor who played him tragically died. In July 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died at the age of 31.

The Walking Dead (2010 - 2022)

So many characters came and went on The Walking Dead, which is to be expected considering it was a show set in the zombie apocalypse. However, one of the biggest departures came in the show’s ninth season when Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes was written off the massively successful show.

House Of Cards (2013 - 2018)

House of Cards was a show with one shocking moment after another, including the time the Netflix series had to find a way to get rid of its main character before the sixth and final season. After Kevin Spacey found himself in legal trouble, the show’s producers decided to kill him off and carry on.

Blue’s Clues (1996 - 2006)

Steve Burns’ Steve was primarily the only human character on the hit Nick Jr. series, Blue’s Clues, for the show’s first four seasons. However, the actor left the animated show and was replaced by his character’s younger brother, Joe (Donovan Patton). Burns would later go on to appear in the Flaming Lips’ wild 2008 sci-fi film, Christmas on Mars.

The O.C. (2003 - 2007)

One of the main characters through the show’s first few seasons, Mischa Barton’s Marissa Cooper was killed off in heartbreaking fashion in The O.C.’s Season 3 finale. Following the departure of the tortured teenager, the show lasted one more season before coming to an end.

Charmed (1998 - 2006)

Prue Halliwell, played by the late Shannen Doherty, was one of the main characters in the first three seasons of Charmed. Though her fate was initially left up in the air following a Season 3 cliffhanger, it was later revealed that Prue died after her run-in with a powerful demonic assassin.

Laverne & Shirley (1976 - 1983)

One of the most popular spinoffs of all time (the characters originated on Happy Days), Laverne & Shirley ran for eight seasons on ABC between 1976 and 1983. However, while Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio stayed around for the whole run, it was a different story for Cindy Williams’s Shirley Feeney. Williams, who was pregnant at the time, departed partway through what would ultimately be the final season.

Game Of Thrones (2011 - 2019)

Though Game of Thrones had numerous “main” characters over the course of its eight-year run, Sean Bean’s Ned Stark was one of the biggest in the first season. Creating one of the most shocking moments in TV history, Ned lost his head before the end of the first year, which set the tone for the unpredictable nature of the series moving forward.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 - 2017)

The Vampire Diaries was on the air for eight seasons between 2009 and 2017, but The CW’s popular book-to-screen adaptation lost its main character, Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert, two-thirds of the way through. Though her character didn’t die, Debrov left for other opportunities.

Spin City (1996 - 2002)

The popular satirical comedy series, Spin City, ran on ABC for six seasons between 1996 and 2002, with most of those being led by Michael J. Fox as New York City deputy mayor Mike Flaherty. However, a couple of years after Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the actor left the series after its fourth season, with his character being written off by moving to Washington, D.C.

The Wire (2002 - 2008)

The Wire’s cast was full of incredible actors playing some of the best characters to ever grace the small screen. One of the major players in the landmark HBO series’ first three seasons was Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell, a ruthless and ambitious drug lord who aspired for more than running the corners in Baltimore. However, he made far too many enemies and he was brutally killed in the show’s Season 3 finale.

Oz (1997 - 2003)

Though Oz had a killer ensemble cast throughout the HBO series’ run between 1997 and 2003, it lost one of its lead players when Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Simon Adebisi was killed off in the show’s fourth season. Imagine fans’ reactions the following year when he showed up in 2001’s The Mummy Returns.

Roseanne/The Conners (1988 - 2025)

Not long after Roseanne was brought back to TV in 2018, its star, Roseanne Barr, was fired in the fallout of a controversial tweet. The show was quickly cancelled and morphed into The Conners, which ran for seven seasons before coming to an end in 2025.

NCIS (2003 - Present)

A lot of people have left NCIS over the years, but the CBS crime drama continues to be one of the most popular shows on network TV. Perhaps the biggest character to come and go since the show’s 2003 debut is NCIS Supervisory Special Agent and Special Agent in Charge Leroy Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, who stayed on through the 19th season. Talk about longevity.

8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002 - 2005)

8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, later shortened to 8 Simple Rules, had a nice little run on ABC back in the early 2000s, and even helped launch the career of Kaley Cuoco. The series was originally led by John Ritter, but his character, Paul Hennessy, was written off after the Three’s Company and Problem Child star suddenly died at the age of 54 while shooting the second season.

Lost (2004 - 2010)

Much like the show’s story, talking about main characters dying on Lost is a bit confusing, considering the non-linear structure of the long-running ABC drama series. Numerous characters like Shannon Rutherford (Maggie Grace), Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau), and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) were written off and brought back later on in the series.

Homeland (2011 - 2020)

A once-great show that went on way too long, Homeland had its fair share of shocking moments and final episodes for major characters. At the top of that list is Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a former prisoner of war whose true alliances are ambiguous through much of the show’s first three seasons. However, his time would come to an end a few years into the run when Brody was hanged in a public execution in Iran.

Boardwalk Empire (2010 - 2014)

Michael Pitt’s Jimmy Darmody was pretty much the 1B lead to Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson in the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire, but the up-and-coming gangster wouldn’t survive the 2011 season finale. The series would run for another three seasons before coming to an end in 2014.

Downton Abbey (2010 - 2015)

Dan Stevens’ Matthew Crawley was just one of multiple fan-favorite characters to be killed off during Downton Abbey during the show’s original run. The third-cousin, once removed of the Earl of Grantham, the character didn’t make it all that long in the grand scheme of things before dying in a car accident during the show’s third season.

Sons Of Anarchy (2008 - 2014)

Sons of Anarchy had an epic run on FX in the latter part of the 2000s through the early 2010s, and in that time, so many fan-favorites got killed off. The most horrifying came in the show’s fifth season when the beloved Opie (Ryan Hurst) was brutally murdered in prison. Some never came back after that.

I love The Office and I love crossword puzzles -- yup, Stanley Hudson and I would get along just fine -- so, when I had the opportunity to put together a crossword puzzle themed around The Office, the only challenge I really had was narrowing it down to a more specific topic. Because let's face it, The Office fans, we can go in just about any direction when it comes to this show, can't we?

Following up on the quiz I made that focuses on quotes from The Office, I decided to theme all of the clues for this crossword puzzle around the conference room at the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. So keep that in mind as you navigate the clues...

The Office is still regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time (both the U.K. version from Ricky Gervais and the NBC hit starring Steve Carell that came along later), to the point where the TV show actually became more popular once it was streaming and its current home on Peacock has special “superfan” edits of some episodes. It’s been a teensy bit over 12 years since the series finale, but fans can now look forward to the 2025 TV schedule delivering the spinoff, The Paper, which will star Domhnall Gleeson. However, the actor realizes that people are already comparing his character to Michael Scott, but he thinks it’s a fool’s errand.

What Did Domhnall Gleeson Say About Fans Comparing His The Office Spinoff Character To Michael Scott?

The upcoming series (which will hit Peacock on September 18) is set in the same world as The Office and is also created, in part, by Greg Daniels, who had the same job for the 2005 U.S. version of the comedy. But, The Paper isn’t about an additional cast of characters who work at Dunder-Mifflin or any other paper company, but employees at a struggling Toledo, Ohio newspaper.

About Time star Domhnall Gleeson talked to People about the quickly approaching series, and noted that while people are already comparing his lead character, Ned Sampson, to both Steve Carell’s (who’s advocated for The Office spinoff) Michael Scott and Ricky Gervais’ David Brent, he doesn’t think it’s a fair comparison. As he said:

Even though I can see where it would be completely natural to assume that Ned would either be lovably (and frequently) incompetent like Michael or a tragically lonely people-pleaser like David, The Paper would have to bring us a whole new thing as much as possible to set itself apart. Otherwise, why would the documentary crew that covered Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight and everyone else in Scranton decide to follow those at The Truth Teller?

It should be noted that while Gleeson has his own set of great performances behind him, he’s not the same kind of performer as either Carell or Gervais, along with helping to bring a new character to the small screen. He’s portrayed many different kinds of roles (even playing a kidnapping serial killer opposite Carell in The Patient cast in 2022) and is sure to give us something brand new, but still funny and lovable, when his show premieres.

I think I speak for many when I say audiences love it when characters from two (or more) different movies or TV series come together in one special event, such as the epic monster movies featuring both Godzilla and King Kong, or when Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. appeared on Supernatural. Of course, for all of the mind-blowing crossovers we have been blessed with, there is still much to be desired in the realm of bringing two big-screen or small-screen franchises together.

In that respect, let’s let our imaginations run wild and dream up the movie or TV crossovers that would be incredible to see. Now, I cannot promise that many (or all) of these ideas are legally or even humanly possible, but why should we let that get in the way of the fun?

Toy Story And Small Soldiers

The first, and still one of the best, Pixar movies, Toy Story, showed us the world from the point of view of sentient toys in 1995. Three years later, Small Soldiers offered the same perspective, but with more of an edge and a more realistic approach. Seeing Woody (Tom Hanks) and other innocent children's playthings crossing paths with Major Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his AI-powered, militaristic action figures sounds like one wonderfully warped animated flick, if you ask me.

The Office And Parks And Recreation

As recalled by MovieWeb, co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels initially conceived Parks and Recreation as a spin-off of The Office before it turned into its own separate and equally beloved TV sitcom. Still, there is no reason why Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his former Dunder-Mifflin co-workers could not somehow cross paths with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and other Pawnee residents in a mockumentary-style special.

Drive And Fast And Furious

A famous example of misleading movie marketing is 2011's slow-burn, Neo-noir thriller Drive, which one woman assumed would be more of a high-octane action thriller like the Fast and Furious movies, inspiring her to file a lawsuit, according to The Guardian. Honestly, I see this as a reason to give the people what they want and release a movie that sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew facing off against Ryan Gosling's Driver.

Succession And Yellowstone

Having both premiered in 2018, Jesse Armstrong's Succession and Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone would become subjects of comparison, with some even calling the Paramount Network hit "Succession with cowboy hats." I think seeing the wealthy and vindictive Roys indulging in a rivalry with the also wealthy and vindictive Duttons would make for one epic feature-length special or miniseries.

21 Jump Street And Men In Black

Among the hypothetical crossovers presented here, not all are too much of a stretch from the realm of possibility. In fact, there were actual plans for a film called MIB23, which would have brought Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) from the 21 Jump Street movie into the world of the Men in Black franchise. Unfortunately, plans were scrapped in 2019, but I still have hope this insane sci-fi/comedy mash-up could work.

Poker Face And The Thing

Imagine if human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) from the Peacock original TV show Poker Face was trapped in one place with a group of people who may or may not be shapeshifting extraterrestrial organisms in disguise, like the 1982 horror movie classic, The Thing. She would be the only one who could suss out the imitators, but the rest of the group might be too paranoid to confidently trust her judgment. I think Rian Johnson should give John Carpenter a call.

Star Wars And Marvel Cinematic Universe

As a fan of both the Star Wars movies and of Guardians of the Galaxy, I love the idea of seeing the cosmic warriors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe visit George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Considering both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are owned by Disney, this intergalactic epic is entirely possible, as long as the timeline is respected, of course.

RoboCop And Terminator

Omni Consumer Products' half-man, half-machine crime-fighting tool has crossed paths with Skynet's mechanical killer before, but only on the pages of a Dark Horse comic book series from Frank Miller. Why Hollywood has not yet tried its hand at a movie that pits the hero from RoboCop against any of the antagonistic cyborgs from the Terminator franchise is beyond me.

James Bond And Jason Bourne

The Matt Damon-led Jason Bourne movies are often cited as the inspiration for the James Bond franchise's grittier tone, especially after Daniel Craig took over as 007. If there could be a way to get the American amnesiac assassin and the suave MI6 agent together in a room (which would likely be destroyed by the end), that could make for one of the best spy movies ever.

Sherlock And Doctor Who

Two of the BBC's most popular series, Sherlock and Doctor Who, both involve a highly intelligent, fashionable, and sometimes arrogant protagonist who is accompanied by a reliable companion. For that and many other reasons, I think it would be amazing to see them come together in a special or miniseries in which Holmes, hitting a wall with a case that defies logic, finds unexpected help from The Doctor.

DC Universe And Marvel Cinematic Universe

The two biggest comic book publishing companies in the world have not always been rivals and have indulged in creating stories that see DC heroes and Marvel heroes fighting side by side. Considering his strong ties to the MCU, it can't be out of the question for DC Studios head James Gunn to at least call a meeting with Kevin Feige to discuss bringing this kind of crossover to the big screen, which might end up being the greatest superhero movie ever made.

John Wick And Kill Bill

While largely differing in tone, the John Wick movies and Quentin Tarantino's two-part Kill Bill saga are pretty similar in concept, following two retired, legendary assassins waging a vengeful war on those who wronged them. Who is to say that Keanu Reeves' gun-fu master and Uma Thurman's The Bride never crossed paths in their deadly heyday?

The Evil Dead And The Exorcist

Two of the most popular franchises of demonic possession movies, The Exorcist and The Evil Dead, could not be more different from one another, which is exactly why I want to see them converge. In my pitch, grown-up Regan MacNeill's (Linda Blair) expertise in devilish activity is enlisted to help with a new case, but when it spirals out of control, the only one who can help is chainsaw-headed Deadite hunter, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell).

Inception And A Nightmare On Elm Street

When you think about it, Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb from Christopher Nolan's Inception essentially has the same job as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Just imagine how much more challenging his team's adventures through the subconscious would be with Robert Englund's sadistic, badly burned boogeyman invading the same dream.

Alien, Predator, And Jurassic Park

You know what I think the Alien vs. Predator movies were missing? Dinosaurs. Putting these two fearsome extraterrestrials in yet another battle, but while trapped on one of the prehistoric animal-infested islands from the Jurassic Park films, could result in one of the most exciting entries from any of these franchises. You would not even need human characters to make it work because seeing both the Predator and the Xenomorph knocked down a peg by the T-Rex as a common enemy would be more than enough.

Ghostbusters And Casper

We already know that Casper and the Ghostbusters exist in the same universe, thanks to Dan Aykroyd's cameo as Ray Stantz in the Friendly Ghost's 1995 live-action feature adaptation of the animated series. I am sure Casper would happily help the paranormal exterminators take on a few evil spirits, even after an awkward misunderstanding were to happen when they first meet.

Mad Max And Dredd

The great thing about post-apocalyptic movies is that each has a different, intriguing interpretation of what a dystopian society would look like. However, what if the Wasteland from George Miller's Mad Max movies existed just across the (dried up) pond from Mega City One in Dredd? The gritty, visually stunning possibilities are endless.

Blade And Twilight

Allow me to make one thing clear: I am not suggesting that Marvel Comics' vampire hunter, originally played on the big screen by Wesley Snipes, should show up in the Twilight movies just to see Robert Pattinson's Edward, Kristen Stewart's Bella, and other bloodsuckers get slaughtered. I actually think Blade's presence could give the persistent haters of the films based on Stephanie Meyer's YA novel series a reason to treat the franchise with a little more respect.

Indiana Jones And Marvel Cinematic Universe

Since Disney owns both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, I wonder if anyone there has ever tinkered with the idea of putting a character like Indiana Jones in the MCU. I mean, he and Steve "Captain America" Rogers would have been alive around the same time and, as staunch anti-fascists, probably would have gotten along great. I doubt Harrison Ford's casting as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World would cause much confusion, either.

Monk And Psych

The USA Network used to run promos bringing characters from their respective series together, including one in which Tony Shalhoub's eponymous detective from Monk suspects that Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) is not a real psychic. It makes me wish that we could have seen an official crossover episode that would have seen plenty of funny bickering between the carefree Shawn and someone as neurotic as Adrian Monk, who at least might have gotten along with Gus (Dulé Hill).

Power Rangers And Godzilla

By combining their respective, animal-shaped vehicles into one large Megazord, the Power Rangers have managed to face off against bizarre creatures of all sizes, which means they could realistically take on Godzilla. However, if I were to pitch this crossover, the rangers would eventually have to join forces with the King of the Monsters after an even larger creature emerges to wreak havoc on Angel Grove.

Bill & Ted And Wayne's World

Perhaps we never saw Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) take Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) on a trip through time because we are not worthy of such an excellent idea. Then again, if Myers and Carvey can still get together for Wayne's World reunions on SNL and Reeves and Winter could come back for 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music, who says it doesn't have potential?

Dirty Harry And Death Wish

I think the greatest Dirty Harry movie we never saw would have put Clint Eastwood's Lt. Callahan on the case of a murderer targeting the most vicious gangs in San Francisco, which would turn out to be Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey from Death Wish. Inevitably, I think Harry would be lured into an alliance with the vengeful vigilante, coming to believe that his more permanent methods of justice align with his own.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer And Sabrina The Teenage Witch

It's a shame that there was never any attempt to make an official crossover between Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Melissa Joan Hart-led Sabrina the Teenage Witch while they were still on the air. The coming-of-age supernatural series may have differed dramatically in tone, but that is just what would have made the collaboration such a blast.

Harry Potter And The Dresden Files

If fans of the Harry Potter movies have ever been interested in trying out something a bit darker and grittier, there is another literary modern-day wizard with the same first name: Harry Dresden, played by Paul Blackthorne on the SyFy series, The Dresden Files. I think it would be fun to see J.K. Rowling's The Boy Who Lived helping author Jim Butcher's Chicago-based P.I. solve a grisly mystery in which magic is involved.

The Munsters And The Addams Family

They may have been on different networks and produced by opposing studios, but how in the world has there never been an attempt to introduce the Munsters to the Addams Family? I would even be open to getting the actors from Rob Zombie's reboot movie to star alongside the cast of Netflix's Wednesday if it meant getting just a glimpse at these creepy, kooky families finally coming together.

It And Terrifier

There are no two villains in the subgenre of creepy clown movies more iconic than Pennywise from It and Art the Clown from Terrifier. I can't imagine a horror fan being against the idea of bringing Bill Skarsgård's shapeshifting fear demon from Andy Muschietti's blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King's novel and David Howard Thornton from Damien Leone's shocking indie slashers together for one brutal showdown that would have blood and white face paint smeared across the screen.

Hocus Pocus And Trick 'R Treat

In Disney's cult favorite, family-friendly witch movie, 1993's Hocus Pocus, our young protagonists go through a lot of trouble to defeat the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). I cannot help but wonder how easily those sinister spellcasters could have been taken care of by the mischievous Sam from the 2007 anthology horror movie favorite, Trick 'r Treat.

Hoarders And Storage Wars

You know those people on the show Hoarders who compulsively keep hold of any item they possess, no matter how unnecessary or even unhealthy it may be? I have a potential idea to help them: put them on another A&E reality show called Storage Wars and tell them that they must outbid other experienced collectors if they want to maintain ownership of their junk.

Johnny English And The Pink Panther

While it barely held a candle to Peter Sellers, I cannot deny that I enjoyed Steve Martin's portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in his Pink Panther reboot. I even more enjoyed Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling Bond-wannabe in the Johnny English movies. I imagine that having the clueless French detective and accident-prone British spy cross paths on a case would result in some real comedic dynamite (especially if real dynamite is involved).

Sister Act And The Nun

After watching Whoopi Goldberg's Academy Award-winning performance in Ghost, I am convinced that a sequel to Sister Act in which Deloris Wilson-Van Cartier must contend with the habit-wearing demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) from the Conjuring movies would be a riot.

Big Brother And Survivor

Big Brother and Survivor are both competitive reality shows that make social interaction a key element to winning, with the biggest difference being the setting. If I ran CBS, I would send the most famous all-stars from Big Brother to a remote island, bring Survivor champs to the Big Brother house, and see what happens.

In a previous life, I was a newspaper reporter. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication, I left my hometown behind and eventually found a job at a small regional daily newspaper in the Midwest. So, when I found out that The Paper, Greg Daniels’ long-in-the-works offshoot of The Office, was going to follow a Midwestern newspaper trying to survive in today’s climate, my excitement level went through the roof!

As someone who dedicated a chunk of his adult life to city councils, boards of education, court, random ribbon cuttings, and the occasional breaking news story (still peeved my “Double Down and out of Town” headline was cut from a KFC story), I’m hoping this show allows me to look back on the funnier moments of my life at the paper. And thinking back on my time racing to meet a deadline, arguing for a story’s placement, or taking phone calls from upset subscribers, there’s a lot I want to see in this upcoming 2025 TV show.

A Stressed-Out And Underpaid Yet Close-Knit Group Of Reporters Has To Key To The Show

Much like the Office cast, I suspect The Paper is going to feature various employees from various sides of the business. At the core of the show, I need there to be a stressed-out and underpaid yet close-knit group of reporters who are trying to balance their personal lives while also getting the news to readers seven days a week.

While covering high-profile criminal cases (or spending three hours reading a book while you await a continuance to kick the can down the road), attending all kinds of local events, or wasting a Monday night at a local high school meeting can be fun, this is a stressful and unloved job. My colleagues, who quickly became lifelong friends, made that daily grind a whole lot more tolerable, and that made the difference. I hope we get some ragtag group of misfit writers trying to survive their beats when The Paper lands on Peacock later this year.

I Want There To Be Clashes Between The Editorial And Business Sides

One thing that a lot of the best journalism movies and TV shows have in common is the battle between editorial and business. On one hand, the news and editorial teams are trying to share the daily happenings with readers and the communities they cover, and on the other, you have the administrative and business folks thinking about the bottom line (looking at you, The Wire Season 5). While both sides get along (for the most part), more times than not, there’s a big divide there.

This is something I was kind of oblivious to until I started working for a paper after college. One day, I found out that one of my stories was buried, not because of my writing, but because the company I was writing about didn’t take out ads with us. Though moments like that pissed me off, I never failed to see the humor in it, and I honestly think that could make for a hilarious and brutally honest story for The Paper.

I Can't Wait To See How The Show Portrays A Dying Institution Trying To Recapture Its Former Glory

The newspaper business isn’t what it was 10 years ago, and it’s certainly not what it was during its heyday in the 20th century. Based on what Peacock has said about the upcoming show, The Paper will center on The Truth Teller, a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, being revived by an eager publisher. I take that to mean a struggling publication trying desperately to recapture its former glory, and that sounds awesome.

My old paper celebrated its 150th anniversary two weeks before I was hired as one of its six beat reporters. Throughout my first year at the daily, I heard stories about the institution’s past and how it was one of the anchors of the local community for decades. It was admirable and exciting, albeit sad to see how the industry was a shell of its former self, with online competition and social media impacting operations. I honestly cannot wait to see how such situations are handled in the new show.

Crazy Local Residents Showing Up At Local Meetings And Events Is A Must

Shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation had so many side characters steal the show, and I don’t think The Paper will be any different when it comes around this fall. And let me tell you, if the new sitcom ends up focusing on the crazy local residents who show up at meetings, events, or even the newspaper’s front desk, we’re in for a real treat.

If I saw certain folks walk into a city council meeting or wait outside a board of education meeting, I knew I was in for a long yet eventful night (that may or may not turn into a story). We had made-up nicknames for some of these guys that turned into inside jokes we still laugh about years later. I guarantee that having Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, or Oscar Nuñez’s characters run into similar people and come up with their own inside jokes will make for must-see TV.

And There Has To Be An Eccentric And Wealthy Publisher, Right?

Some of the best sitcoms of all time, like WKRP in Cincinnati and NewsRadio, had wealthy and eccentric owners or publishers who brought a great deal of chaos to the lives of their employees. This is something I really want to see when The Paper comes out. Having worked with well-to-do people like that in the past, I can honestly say having such a character would provide a well of comedy that would never run dry.

I had a publisher who would insist on writing weekly stories on a typewriter that someone (usually the last to avoid eye contact) had to copy into our content management system. The same publisher would randomly show up and cover an event I was already working on and then forget to write it, meaning we’d get no story. It was never a sticking point, but more of an awkward and absurd moment my fellow reporters and I would laugh about later. And now I kind of miss it.

All in all, I cannot wait to see what The Paper has in store when it starts streaming with a Peacock subscription… even if it’s just to get all nostalgic and laugh about a previous life.

It’s been over 10 years since The Office ended after nine seasons, but a new series is finally on the way, either on the 2025 TV schedule or in 2026. Streaming soon for those with a Peacock subscription, The Paper will see the Dunder Mifflin documentary crew setting their sights on a dying newspaper in the Midwest. Although it will include a new cast, The Office alum Oscar Nuñez will be returning as Oscar Martinez, so there are some connections to the original.

Now, his former co-stars Steve Carell and John Krasinski are putting the work in and can’t stop advocating for the spinoff. Here's what we know.

The Advice John Krasinski And Steve Carell Gave Domhnall Gleeson

Domhnall Gleeson, who is starring in The Paper, told People he has actually received advice from Krasinski leading into the upcoming gig. The A Quiet Place star originally portrayed Jim Halpert on all nine seasons of the NBC sitcom, and more recently passed the torch to Gleeson. In fact, he gave him some simple (but honestly great) advice that really seemed to go a long way:

Krasinski is not the only person related to the original series who offered advice. After starring as regional manager Michael Scott for the first seven seasons, Carell gave Gleeson a similar note when he was considering the role. Both The Office stars basically told Gleeson not to pass up the chance.

Gleeson admitted he was “happy” he did the series, noting he thinks they have “something really lovely.” Even though doing a reboot, revival, or spinoff of a series that is so beloved and hasn’t been on for a while can sometimes be a bit risky, it sounds like everyone was really supportive from the original show.

It's a sign that hopefully The Paper is going to be special. At least I'm inclined to believe it given how much Steve Carell has been going around lately advocating for the spinoff. Someone has to do the work!

What Else Steve Carell Has Said About The Office Spinoff

On top of the advice to Gleeson, Carell has been sharing his thoughts on The Paper. Most recently, he was asked by AP what his thoughts were on The Office universe continuing, and he couldn’t help but shout out creator, writer, and director Greg Daniels.

The actor feels that anything under him is going to go well, and he seems to be as excited as ever to see how it all turns out:

Despite The Office nearly getting canceled after only six episodes, the show remains a favorite among fans today. Of course, any series, especially if it’s a reboot or revival, can be a hit or a miss. And it will be very hard to match the energy and magic that was The Office.

That being said, since Daniels is behind The Paper as well, that should bring a little bit of excitement to fans. And while I can't guarantee it will be perfect, at the very least, it’s going to be a show fans will want to take a chance on. To prepare, there are already superfan episodes of The Office on Peacock that will get anyone in the mood.

You know when some good relationships on television make you want to squeal the moment you see them? Yeah, these are the relationships down below. Sure, we can spend some time watching the best rom-com movies, but what about several seasons of build-up to a relationship that makes it all worthwhile? Here are some couples that define “goals.”

Chandler And Monica (Friends)

Chandler and Monica are the couple from the Friends cast, and I will not be asking any other questions about it at this time. Ross and Rachel were what people talked about, but these two? I love them. They are defined as “goals” based on how much they love each other, even if they didn’t have the typical start. Friends-to-lovers is one of the best.

Ian And Mickey (Shameless)

There was a time when Ian and Mickey were literally all I saw on my Tumblr feed back in the early 2010s. The Shameless cast featured plenty of great relationships, some healthy and others…not so healthy, but Ian and Mickey were a relationship that made it until the end. There’s nothing quite like them.

Rebecca And Jack (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast defined my time in college when the show was airing, and Jack and Rebecca were the blueprint for how I wanted my future marriage to go. I have never seen two people just so in love with each other on TV, but also portray such a realistic marriage.

Corey And Topanga (Boy Meets World)

I think Corey and Topanga were the couple for the '90s kids. I didn’t grow up watching Boy Meets World, but I know from many that watching these two grow into teenagers and then young adults was one of the best aspects of this series. And honestly, I love that for you.

Jim And Pam (The Office)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sure, there were moments between Jim and Pam in later seasons that felt a little out of character, but these two were the defining relationship from The Office cast. We were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning of the series when these two were just friends, and we wanted them all to get together.

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

Leslie and Ben from the Parks and Recreation cast are the perfect example of a relationship that took its time but blossomed beautifully. Ben was the type of person who always let Leslie shine and never tried to dim her light, which is something that I love about them. They always supported each other no matter what.

Marshall And Lily (How I Met Your Mother)

There have been so many relationships that have come and gone in How I Met Your Mother, but you want to know what one of the best was? Obviously, Marshall and Lily. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as many warm fuzzies as I did watching these two.

Stefan And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Team Stefan and Team Damon? Nah, Elena was always going to pick Damon and me, but Stefan and Caroline? Perfect, excellent. There are absolutely no notes on that couple because, honestly, they were better suited for each other. Sorry.

David And Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

I’m pretty sure watching David and Patrick in Schitt’s Creek altered my brain chemistry because I don’t think another TV couple has stood out the same as them. The Schitt’s Creek cast is filled with memorable characters, but watching the progression of their relationship throughout its five seasons was something that I will always adore. These two loved each other so much.

Luke And Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Look, I know that we’re all here for Team Jess or Team Dean or whoever we’re rooting for with Rory, but to me, as an adult woman now, I like Luke and Lorelai’s relationship a heck of a lot more. It feels more mature, more natural, and less dramatic. Please, give me this rather than the craziness of teenage romance.

Nathan And Haley (One Tree Hill)

The definition of high school sweethearts that somehow worked out. They definitely had their moments of doubt throughout the nine seasons of the show, but these two loved each other so much and ended with a happily married life with two children, which is all you can really ask for in most teen drama romances out there.

Phil And Vivian (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see Phil and Vivian on this list because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air isn’t really known for its romances. But honestly, Phil and Vivian are the perfect couple. They complement each other perfectly, know when to be each other’s rock or to stop the other from making a poor decision, and took care of Will as well as their biological family in the perfect way. I have no complaints.

Santana And Brittany (Glee)

The Glee cast is filled to the brim with couples, so much so that it’s hard to keep up with them. But my personal favorite was always Santana and Brittany. Not only was their relationship a great stepping stone for many lesbian/bisexual relationships on TV back in 2010, but it’s really one of the few that made it to the very end of the series. They were best friends turned lovers turned to something really real, and it ended with them getting married!

Randall And Beth (This Is Us)

“Perfectly imperfect” is a phrase that I still use to this day, ever since Randall uttered it to Beth in This Is Us. These two exemplify what it means to not only marry your best friend, but also marry a partner. They will stand by each other, support each other, and when someone is messing up, they will make them own up to it. There’s no sliding, and that’s what a genuine relationship should be like.

Jess And Nick (New Girl)

New Girl is one of those shows where relationships come and go, but there are always a few that stick the landing for the long haul. Jess and Nick were one of those, and we rooted for them, watching them fall in love, fall apart, and then fall back in love all over again.

Uncle Jesse And Aunt Becky (Full House)

I mean, of course, I have to put Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky. I feel like Full House literally never would have been the same without them. Their relationship started very early on, and it’s always fun to rewatch episodes of the show and watch them fall in love with each other time and time again.

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

While I do love the specialness of Penelope and Colin and the steaminess of Daphne and Simon, there’s just something about Anthony and Kate that gets me going every time. These two, a classic enemies-to-lovers romance, clearly love each other so much by the time the season ends and Season 3 rolls around.

Claire And Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander, in general, is one of the best Starz shows, but a big reason is Claire and Jamie. Their love has transcended literal timelines. I don’t know how you can get more perfect than that.

Mitch And Cam (Modern Family)

I think when it comes to couples in Modern Family, Mitch and Cam are the perfect example of how two people work so well together, and to the outside, people wonder how the heck they function with how crazy they are. But throughout the several seasons of the show, there’s no denying that these two love each other dearly.

Lucy And Ricky (I Love Lucy)

I can’t have a relationships list without putting the OG’s here. Lucy and Ricky are the definition of “goals.” They were the first people on television to show you how in love with each other they are, no matter the amount of shenanigans that they may put the other through. You can’t get better than these two.

Phil And Claire (Modern Family)

I always see Phil and Claire as the much calmer couple of Modern Family, which is saying something because they still have their fair share of hilarious moments in their household of three kids. But what I love about Phil and Claire is that there is evident respect there, and Phil will support Claire no matter what and stand up for her, while Claire will do the same, regardless of what others think. They’re a team, through and through.

Killian And Emma (Once Upon A Time)

God, there are so many couples in Once Upon a Time, but I think the one we always return to is Killian and Emma. Whether it’s their steamy chemistry or their genuinely emotional story, they are an amazing romance with plenty of fantasy aspects that I just love.

Willow And Tara (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

As someone who loves looking back on legendary relationships that paved the way for others, I know there’s no one better to bring up than Willow and Tara. The couple was a significant landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in television and showed two people who clearly loved each other.

Kev And Veronica (Shameless)

These two were freaky, don’t get me wrong – but they were also freakishly in love with each other. Kev and Veronica stood by each other, and when someone dared to threaten the other, it was on sight. They would fight anyone to protect their love and their relationship, and no matter what, always strived to make time for the other.

Fran And Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

I’m pretty sure that if you’ve ever read any rom-com novel, then these two are who you picture when you think of the nanny and the billionaire falling in love. But what I love about Fran and Mr. Sheffield is that it’s not an instant lust between them. It’s more of a relationship built on respect and friendship before love was even considered.

Jake And Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast features some hilarious characters, but personally, I always came back for Jake and Amy. I always saw them as rivals-to-lovers, but it feels so real watching them turn from competing with each other to becoming friends to going on dates and so much more.

Jane And Rafael (Jane The Virgin)

These two are in a strange situation, considering they didn’t even know each other when Jane fell pregnant accidentally. But watching their relationship grow organically throughout the show’s seasons is always something that I love to view.

Rick And Michonne (The Walking Dead)

When you think of couples who would literally kill for each other, I can think of no better than Rick and Michonne. Not only are they one of the best Walking Dead relationships, but there was a whole spinoff series dedicated to them finding their way back to each other after years apart. Now that is true love right there.

Poussey And Soso (Orange Is the New Black)

It hurts to even write about Poussey and Soso because it feels like they weren’t given enough time together in Orange is the New Black, but from what we were able to see, they really did work well together. Poussey was the kind of friend that Soso needed, and that blossomed into something brighter between the two of them before it was snuffed out. I needed so much more.

Morticia And Gomez (The Addams Family)

I mean, talk about a man who is obsessed with his woman. In any iteration of The Addams Family, Gomez always loves Morticia, but of course, we have to put the OG here from the 1960s TV series because these two were so in love that they ruined our expectations for all real-life romances.

Glenn And Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I’m sad even writing about these two because the way it ends is something I don’t like to think about. But for the five seasons that we got with these two together, they were a light in the darkness that was the world of The Walking Dead. They loved each other, protected each other, and stood by the other until the very end.

Hopper And Joyce (Stranger Things)

God, I visibly remember screaming when these two finally got together in Stranger Things because it was just so apparent that they were into each other. Hopper literally risked his life for Joyce, and she risked hers to save him, and I love them together.

This just makes me want to revisit all of these television shows and watch these couples all over again. I’m in need of some cute TV romances. It's time for a binge-watch.

The Office’s millions-strong fandom has much to celebrate this year, with Greg Daniels’ upcoming newspaper-set spinoff hitting the 2025 TV schedule in September. (An event momentous enough for Chili’s to resurrect its Scranton location.) Given the setting changes, viewers likely won’t get major updates on familiar characters, but former star Ellie Kemper herself shared her current thoughts about Dunder-Mifflin’s on-again, off-again coupling of Erin and Andy, and I’m firmly inclined to side with her on this one.

Kemper shared some candid thoughts in the past about not being a huge fan of Erin and Andy as a couple, and when asked to hypothesize about their current status in an interview with People, the actress initially voiced an olive branch for Ed Helms’ kooky character before largely backtracking in favor of Erin’s happiness. Here’s how she put it:

For the briefest of seconds, any and all Erin/Andy shippers were in grasping distance of a victory that remained elusive as The Office closed out with its ninth season. And I suppose if anyone’s electricity cut out in the middle of reading that quote, that person could very well go forward in life with the idea that Kemper thinks Erin and Andy would find a way to permanently patch things up.

But such is not the case, and I’m not exactly mad about it. Despite Erin and Andy easily being two of the best characters from The Office, judged as separate entities, I wasn’t ever really a huge fan of their romantic entanglements, largely due to Andy’s relationship behavior somehow being more cartoonish than Jim’s and Dwight’s put together. Sure, he often had others’ best interests in mind, but he kind of sucked at showcasing them.

Meanwhile, Erin often represented youthful innocence, and I like to imagine that she ended up with her most ideal significant other after the show wrapped, perhaps someone who watched the in-universe documentary and fell head over heels for her.

As far as Erin’s current whereabouts, Ellie Kemper surmised that Erin probably put Dunder-Mifflin in her rear-view mirror, and is hopefully enjoying the life of an employee who has moved up in the ranks. As she put it:

How awesome would it be, though, if the new Office spinoff The Paper does actually feature a cameo or two from the U.S. mothership? (Not that I’d balk at seeing Ricky Gervais’ David Brent or someone else from the OG UK comedy popping up.) I don’t know that updating fans on Erin and Andy’s status would be the main concern, but it definitely would be if Ed Helms is the one making the cameo.

Fans can revisit any relationship foible they want throughout The Office’s nine seasons with a Peacock subscription while awaiting an exact premiere date for The Paper on NBC.

One of the many brilliant things about The Office is, if you've watched the series enough times (on home video, or with a Peacock subscription), even the most random quotes from the show become hilarious and memorable. So when I put together this Office quotes quiz, I tried to keep that in mind and focus one some of the more random quotes that live rent-free in my mind, likely due to countless rewatches of the series. Since I know I'm not alone in finding comfort in this show, whether it be revisiting some of the best Office episode , I have no doubt that plenty of other Office fanatics will know which character said each line.

Landing a job on one of Peak TV’s most popular comedies seems like it’d be an enviable gig no matter what the details were. And while that is likely the case more often than not, horror stories within the industry do indeed exist, with The Office alum Lindsey Broad non-enjoying a first-person experience with just how despicable fandoms can get where controversial characters are involved.

First appearing in what’s arguably The Office’s worst cycle, Season 8, Broad arrived in the seventh episode as temp worker Cathy Simms, who landed at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch to help fill in as Pam transitioned into her maternity leave. Despite her seemingly normal behavior early on, it’s soon clear that Cathy doesn’t really mesh well with others, but harbors romantic feelings for Jim, eventually culminating in her brazen attempts to sleep with him in “After Hours.”

Viewed both at the time and in the intervening years as an awkward and ill-conceived attempt to inject drama into Jim and Pam’s picture-perfect relationship timeline, Cathy’s arc was cut short soon after, but that was only the beginning of Lindsey Broad’s years of dealing with obsessive and wildly immature Office fans who spew hateful messages online, even during her attempts to mourn her dead dog. Speaking with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey on their beloved podcast Office Ladies, Broad shared:

We all know the Internet is gonna Internet, regardless of whether there's justification for it or not. But to angrily target an F-bomb at someone mourning a dog's death due to a fictional character they did not create, but only portrayed across roughly 20-25 total minutes of screentime? That's abysmal behavior for anyone to have to deal with.

Broad previously addressed fans’ harsh treatment at a point when the online comments seemed to be more prevalent, when the show was still streaming on Netflix ahead of shifting to Peacock. And despite multiple years going by, it's still kind of shocking to hear that she's dealt with such unfiltered negativity online for such a relatively minor role in a largely forgettable season. Maybe if any of her appearances happened in the best Office episodes of all time, but that's not the case.

Thankfully, it appears as if Lindsey Broad's experiences with sour viewers has been limited to online reactions, and her daily life isn't plagued by such interactions. But part of that is because she purposefully doesn't advertise her past career heights. As she put it:

It appears as if Broad has been able to curb disturbing online reactions by limiting her social media activity, since that more easily allowed Office fans to track her down line. But the actress is more welcoming to having real-world dialogues with fans, since the very act of recognizing her in public is a sign that they're a true fan and not just a disgruntled Pam and Jen stan. In her words:

The Office's popularity reached the point just this year in 2025 where a formerly closed Chili's in Scranton, Pennsylvania reopened specifically to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the spinoff debuting on NBC. So I guess it shouldn't be surprising to hear that certain pockets of the fandom chose to go all scorched-earth anytime an obstacle (human or otherwise) got in the way of Jim and Pam's happiness. But it's been 13 years since Cathy came and went, so maybe those feelings can be put to rest.

It’s a big year for the past employees of Dunder Mifflin and all of their fans, so cue up that theme song. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the mockumentary sitcom juggernaut The Office. Plenty of exciting events regarding the milestone have already happened, including Chili's Scranton reopening along with Rainn Wilson revealing lyrics to that unforgettable intro. Wilson’s altered version is sure to be a hit, and his on-screen counterpart, Dwight Schrute, would be loving every bit of his take.

Plenty of current comedies still rank highly among our 2025 TV guide programs, but The Office and the beet farmer are dearly missed by fans. Schrute quickly became the character we loved more than the main as the show (streaming now with a Peacock subscription) drummed on and continued to showcase that zany heart of gold. As the 20th anniversary hype continues, Wilson agreed to share his lyrical stylings on the Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know podcast after writing about creating them in his book, The Bassoon King. Not to worry, we have the clip from the interview of The Rocker alum singing it (Via TikTok):

It took me about .5 seconds to realize what the funnyman did and I love it for him and the assistant to the regional manager. Even though the rendition is clearly skewed, it does reflect Dwight’s overall thoughts. The lyrics respectfully mention a senior sales rep, Stanley Hudson, recognizes there is a boss that runs the branch, and humorously shades both John Krasinski and Jim Halpert. It highlights the hardest worker at Scranton – a.k.a. Dwight – and leads me to obsess over timely Schrute storylines that could’ve been.

After he closed out the never-before-heard song, Wilson accepted the applause amusingly and humbly noted the praise:

It’s just like The Meg actor’s (along with the Scranton inhabitant’s) nature to push it a little bit further but still have fun with it. If The Office spinoff in the works needs an intro song writer, I think they’ve already found their man. Wilson and others from the original Office crew have sadly indicated they wouldn't be part of a new series, with the exception of Oscar Martinez. While I am excited and have trust in the new comedic Greg Daniels sitcom, new cast members have some big shoes to fill.

Seriously, though, I am excited for the future of the Office world and how it’ll translate into today’s more fast-paced world. It could all start with the theme song, but until we know more I’ll be wondering if it’ll come with actual lyrics. Until then, I’m more than thrilled with Wilson’s Schrute-forward take on the nostalgic tune, and ready to rewatch the gold old days of the NBC sitcom via Peacock.

In what may be the best PR move ever, Chili's is opening a Scranton, Pennsylvania branch timed with the 20th Anniversary of the U.S. The Office. For those who have never seen this show that's considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, the connection between Chili's and The Office may seem a little strange, but I know the fans can feel God in this announcement.

The Scranton Chili's is set to open on April 7, just two weeks after the 20th anniversary date of The Office, which NBC first aired on March 24, 2005.

It wasn’t until Season 2 that the popular Tex-Mex chain was a featured off-site location for the Dunder Mifflin employees. Plus, it's a little known The Office fact that the Chili's in the popular NBC sitcom was a fake, recreated in an empty restaurant in LA just for filming. Finally, Chili's is making a Scranton location a reality, and they enlisted some special recruits to help with the ad, which was posted to X from the official Chili's account.

If these Chili's patrons and staff look familiar, it’s because they were all part of The Office cast. These folks are all actors who appeared in The Office at one time or another. True superfans can probably name them all, but right off the bat I spot two of the best characters from the NBC hit. Dunder Mifflin CEO David Wallace (Andy Buckley) can be seen bartending in the ad, and VP of Northeast Sales Jan Levison (Melora Hardin) can be seen sensually swaying in a booth as her assistant Hunter serenades her with the famous Chilis’ jingle “baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.”

Jan being obsessed with her assistant Hunter and his terrible music career is one of the best inside jokes in The Office. So is Michael’s love for “That’s what she said” jokes, so I’m glad they were both included in this ad.

Chili's was first featured in two memorable episodes of the sitcom’s sophomore season, including the Season 2 premiere, “The Dundies.” Those who have seen the show probably remember this as the episode where Pam gets extremely drunk at Michael’s after-hours office award show, proclaiming she “feels God in this Chili's tonight” while accepting her trophy. It’s also the episode where she first kisses Jim, the catalyst for their Jim and Pam's epic love story.

At the end of the episode, a manager reveals to the camera crew that Pam is banned from the Chili's. For a while, it was a popular rumor that this was a real life Chili's employee who appeared on screen. This is not true, although Chili's did not miss the chance to invite actor Christopher T. Wood to reprise his role as manager for their Scranton location announcement.

While you won’t see Wood, or any other actors for that matter, at the new Scranton Chili's, you will get to see everything else shown in the video. The new Pennsylvania location will be a time capsule straight out of 2005, with wood paneling, tile tables, the classic blue drink shakers, and Chili's wall art from the 2000s (and as seen in The Office).

Not only that, but the Scranton location, and only this location, will feature the Awesome Blossom on its menu. That's, of course, the popular appetizer from the American restaurant chain, which Michael orders during a business meeting with Tim Meadow’s Christian in Season 2, Episode 7.

This could be you, right down to the baby back ribs jingle! The new opening is sure to attract Office fans from all over the country. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a familiar face from Dunder Mifflin. The real question is, will they let in Pam Beasley?

Of course, if I were Greg Daniels, I’d find a way to work in the iconic pepper-themed restaurant into the upcoming Office spin-off. Maybe this collaboration will motivate him to get production rolling, as I’m still holding out hope for it to appear on the 2025 TV schedule. If the Parks and Rec creator can pull that off, he is a shoo-in for the Busiest Beaver Dundie!

The cast of The Office is an expansive and expressive one. While each of the core members of the ensemble could have their own respective list, this is an overall showcase. And let’s not even think about all the looks the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin gets from supporting characters and even random outsiders. Many of the moments below can be found in some of CinemaBlend’s best Office episodes, again, another place that can easily be debated. Grab a nice warm pretzel or your personal “World’s Best Boss Mug,” and let’s relive some expressions that said it all from the NBC classic.

“Pilot” (Season 1 Episode 1)

Even though the initial season was awkward in finding its own footing from its UK counterpart, the Jim Halpert-Dwight Schrute dynamic was there from the start. From the jump, Halpert’s Jell-O prank on Schrute, and how he reacted, slated the beet farmer as one of the many beloved side characters that overshadowed the main. Meanwhile, this first reaction from the future Athlead co-founder is just a peep into his signature range of varied expressions.

“Finale” (Season 9 Episode 25)

As one of the most popular and lovably cringe-worthy TV shows, the 2005 series wrapped with Angela and Dwight getting married along with a reunion panel. The ultimate of the good-natured ‘guten prank’ Jim pulls is backing out as best mensch only for Michael to replace him. Moments before the ceremony, Dwight gets let in on the surprise, leading to the wedding of his dreams. But Michael fondly watches Jim, Pam, Angela and Dwight and that says it all.

“Casual Friday” (Season 5, Episode 26)

The Scranton branch reinstitutes dressing casually on Fridays (with some humorous results) as members of the Michael Scott Paper Company return. But the opening is one of the ultimate and undeniably greatest Kevin Malone moments. He opens up the episode by talking about his ‘world famous’ chili in an interview while we watch him carrying the huge vat of chili. As soon as he gets through the office door, we see him and his prized meal tumble to the ground, and the look of disappointment simultaneously makes us feel for him but laugh even more. The frantic clean-up that follows is top-notch, too.

“The Dundies” (Season 2, Episode 1)

Michael’s infamous Dunder Mifflin awards evening, at Chili's, has arrived, and the co-workers recount past ones before the annual event begins. The show, unsurprisingly, goes on to humor Michael, but after Roy and Darryl leave with Pam, the engaged couple gets into a fight. Pam returns and proceeds to drink too much, which leads to her drunken, but inspired, speech about ‘feeling god in this Chili’s tonight,’ which is iconic.

“Stress Relief” (Season 5 episode 14)

Dwight Schrute’s simulated fire drill, one of the most well-known cold opens, leads to pure chaos for the employees of Dunder Mifflin, including causing Stanley Hudson’s heart attack. After multiple disciplinary meetings with corporate and a failed CPR class (due to Dwight’s Hannibal Lecter moment), Michael Scott leads a group meditation. During the session, Stanley’s biofeedback monitor goes off. After a brief exchange, Michael is stunned to learn he’s the problem by Hudson’s facial expression and response.

“Initiation” (Season 3 Episode 5)

While Dwight is out with Ryan taking him under his wing, it’s announced that Pretzel Day has arrived. Naturally, Stanley (his favorite) and many of his peers head down to the already long line. As they’re waiting, Hudson and his boss see Phyllis Lapin greet her fiance, Bob Vance, ahead of them. It’s not common to find equal footing between the Pretzel Day lovers, but both immediately tell her she cannot cut. You can tell they really mean business because Lapin does part ways with her beau.

“Threat Level Midnight” (Season 7 Episode 17)

While the fictional Michael Scott project is one of my favorite pieces of media featuring Office alumni before they moved on, the employees finally seeing the official cut is everything. All who have already seen a teaser promise not to laugh so they can see the entirety of the film. When Michael realizes Holly initially doesn’t like it, the two bicker shortly after only to make up by the end of the viewing. The couple laughs and enjoys the end together, along with the others.

“Dinner Party” (Season 4, Episode 13)

In one of the more rare instances, the “Dinner Party,” is one of those episodes in which Michael wasn't to blame. However, he tricks everyone into working late so he can invite Jim and Pam to dinner. The party ends up being the former three, Jan, Andy, Angela, and eventually, Dwight and his old babysitter, and the looks are endless. Michael and Jan’s relationship makes everyone feel awkward, but it reaches a tipping point when their fight reveals his feelings about his three vasectomies.

“The Fire” (Season 2 Episode 4)

Dwight reveals that Ryan (accidentally) started the fire by making his lunch on the wrong setting in the toaster oven. Schrute then performs a rendition of “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” but the chorus is “Ryan Started the Fire.” As Michael gets in on the fun, an unsuspecting Phyllis joins in, too, with some sweet dance moves. Small moments like this led its sophomore year to be one of The Office’s best and one of the fans’ favorite TV seasons.

"Weight Loss pt 2" (Season 5, Episode 2)

As one of the most notable and heartwarming marriage proposals on TV in the past twenty years, there’s no leaving out the Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley love story. Halpert asks Beesley to meet him halfway for a rainy lunch date at a gas station they’d been to before, and in the middle of the parking lot, he pops the question. Pam quickly realizes what’s happened and agrees happily. While it’s not a signature comical or over-the-top expression of the series, it was one of the most anticipated in its original run.

"The Injury" (Season 2, Episode 12)

With Michael burning his foot on his George Foreman Grill, it’s one of the most memorable Michael-centric openers. Dwight picks Micahel up, and the two return to Dunder Mifflin. The injured boss claims he doesn’t want special treatment but promptly demands the opposite, mostly from Ryan Howard. It’s when Michael hobbles into the bathroom only to fall and shout for help that we really see the former temp’s feelings about helping his boss out.

“Night Out” (Season 4 Episode 15)

After the Dunder Mifflin Infinity drama and Ryan breaking up with Kelly, he returns to Scranton to propose new protocols. As he presents the new, updated and improved endeavors, he asks his former co-workers if they have any questions. Kelly responds with her classic, “I’ve got a question: How dare you?” but Ryan brushes off her aggressive question and looks nonchalantly. It's later revealed that Ryan has a drug problem and is unhappy in NYC.

"Branch Wars" (Season 4, Episode 10)

Jim’s ex, Karen, now boss at the Utica Dunder Mifflin branch, propositions Stanley to come to work for her at a higher pay. Michael catches wind and enlists Dwight and Jim to try and land a large sale, which tanks, leaving Michael with his backup, pranks. Halpert gets roped into making sure the other two don’t wreak reprehensible damage, but they get caught by Karen. As she reprimands them for breaking their printer, the trio have aptly fitting faces in response.

"Cafe Disco" (Season 5, Episode 27 )

Now that the Michael Scott Paper Company has been bought out, he has transformed his old office space into a dance and coffee break space. As word gets around, more and more employees find their way to Cafe Disco. At the height of its popularity, Andy and Kelly Kapoor have a stellar dance-off, which leads to him agreeing to let her pierce his ear after it is all over.

"Casino Night" (Season 2, Episode 22)

Amid counting down the hours to the Scranton branch’s hosted casino night and during the event, many stories get teed up. Between Michael accidentally having two dates, Jim and Pam’s ever-closer growing bond, and one of the seedlings that lead to the great moments between Angela and Dwight to come, a lot goes down. It’s in the cold open, though, that Dwight’s off comment about wearing his dead grandfather’s suit for the event in which he had been buried in, leaves everyone watching quietly unsettled, along with Jim and Pam.

“A Benihana Christmas pt 2 (Season 3, Episode 11)

While Michael, Andy, Dwight and Jim spend a good chunk of time at Benihana, the heart of the episode happens between Angela Martin, Karen Filippelli and Pam. Clashing ideas lead to a split between the trio (Angela versus Karen and Pam). After realizing Martin's get-together is a flop, the other two propose the parties merge, they all agree to the terms, and everyone comes together. The episode closes out with a triumphant Angela, assisted by her secret lover, Dwight, in her rendition of “Little Drummer Boy.”

"Counseling" (Season 7, Episode 2)

After Michael, in the Season 7 premiere, spanks his intern and nephew Luke in front of everyone, he’s assigned mandatory counseling. The opening scene, post-Dwight’s makeshift daycare cold open with Jim and Pam, shows a quiet Toby Flenderson and an annoyed Michael. We soon learn that Toby has the professional credits to take on Michael’s 6-hour assignment, and there’s no question that he has no interest in his nemesis helping him.

“Fun Run” (Season 4 Episode 2)

When Michael hits Meredith with his car and is taken to the hospital, it’s revealed that she has rabies. The discovery leads to Michael creating a frivolous charity fun run in honor of his indisposed employee and to raise funds. As he starts to call it quits, collapsed and sad looking, due to dehydration and a wild amount of Fettuccine Alfredo affecting his body, Jim and Pam talk him into finishing the race.

Michael Scott Paper Company (Season 5 Episode 23)

As the Michael Scott Paper Company gets into some growing pains in their new office (which used to be a closet). Scott and his two associates host a pancake breakfast to introduce themselves to potential new leads when Creed Bratton and Meredith Palmer show up. When Bratton tells his (for now) ex-boss he doesn’t want any cakes because they’re the wrong shape, Palmer’s indifference to the form is apparent, and she takes a stack for her kid.

“Here Comes Treble” (Season 9 Episode 5)

For The Office’s final Halloween party, plenty is happening: Cornell’s a cappella choir being present, Dwight being stuck in a pumpkin for a bit, and Toby’s reaction to Nellie Bertram’s costume. Her get-up is pretty impressive and wows the crowd, but when her inspiration realizes who she’s dressed as, complimentary looks turn into deeply confused ones (only later to be upset when Nellie takes off her wig).

"Murder" (Season 6, Episode 10)

After it’s announced but still rumored that DM is in deep trouble, Jim urges Michael to stay on a typical schedule. While the scheduled staff meeting starts out pretty typically, Scott throws a curveball and talks everyone into playing a murder mystery game. As they all start to get into character, Andy demonstrates a spot-on accent. Kevin’s impressed by his display and then wants him to do Swedish Chef. Andy reveals he’s unsure of the province of the puppet, he gets scoffed at by Malone (it’s not Brian Baumgartner's go-to Office reference though).

“Money Pt 2” (Season 4 Episode 8)

After Michael realizes he’s in great financial stress and iconically states, “I declare bankruptcy!” in the first half of the pair of episodes, Oscar Martinez helps him out. During the back half, Martinez is reviewing his boss’ expenditures and becomes more disinterested with each item billed. Once Michael explains himself, his peer accountant goes from being disinterested to completely over it about Scott’s spending habits and reasoning.

"Basketball" (Season 1, Episode 5)

Michael wages a bet between the office workers vs warehouse employees in a basketball game, and the losing team works the weekend hours. Even though he claims it to be a friendly game, things go awry because of Michael Scott. You can feel the awkward anxiety radiating off of Carrell telling both a disgruntled downstairs (and eventually upstairs), that no one is working on Saturday.

"Garden Party" (Season 8, Episode 4)

Dwight’s garden party hosting ability proves to be skewed for Andy Bernard because of the fake book Jim gave him, but the afternoon is a disaster regardless. After Andy's brother (Josh Groban) replaces him in a duet sung with his father (Stephen Collins) and is confronted by his dad to stop seeking his approval, it’s his coworkers who salvage Andy’s bruised ego after the garden party’s end.

“Goodbye Michael Pt 2” (Season 7 Episode 23)

As everyone at the Scranton branch gears up to say goodbye to their wacky boss, who is moving to Colorado to be with Holly, a lot is happening in this twofer. And even though there are plenty of tearful and silly goodbyes shared between Michael and his employees, it’s Erin’s comment that takes the episode’s literal cake. While debating what type of cake they should have for the soon-to-be ex-boss’s going-away party, Erin instead suggests fruit with yogurt to everyone’s dismay.

“Safety Training” (Season 3 Episode 20)

The office workers get invited to the warehouse’s safety training run by Darryl. As the meeting goes on, everyone from upstairs realizes that they were invited due to Michael’s past careless actions. And after repeatedly directly telling the branch manager under no circumstances that he’s to use the baler, he continues to ask conditional questions. Everyone on the shipping floor grows more displeased with him until Darryl outright tells him no.

“Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager” (Season 7 Episode 25)

Two episodes after Michael leaves, Jo Bennet seeks a replacement, with Jim turning it down (not knowing that she’d call Dwight and he would). Dwight steps up. He takes the job seriously, as he said he always would, but is quickly stripped of the title. Creed replaces him because he has the most seniority, per Bennet’s advice, and is very pleased to accept. He’s grinning big as he settles into his new space.

“Secretary’s Day” (Season 6 Episode 22)

Andy tries to set Erin up to have the best secretary day by pre-planning a special lunch, decorating her desk, and gifting her with some presents. All his efforts come undone while Erin is out to lunch with Michael, and he brings up that Angela and Andy used to be an item. The process of emotions she runs through is fast but devastating and leads her to revert to hiding behind her hair.

“Health Care” (Season 1 Episode 3)

Michael gets assigned to find a more affordable healthcare program for the Scranton branch but passes the job to Dwight. And as the cutthroat and dedicated employee he is, he tries to slash as much as he can out of the future plan. Everyone loses it during the process and waits to hear Scott’s official word. When they all find out he hasn’t done anything constructive, a collective look of disappointment greets him.

“Women’s Appreciation” (Season 3 Episode 22)

After Phyllis gets confronted by a flasher, Dwight opens an investigation while Michael responds inappropriately. Once he realizes the error of his ways, he goes all in on trying to show his support for the ladies of Dunder Mifflin. They reluctantly end up at the Steamtown mall with him, and as they sit down in the food court, it’s clear they aren’t sure what to make of their boss’ attempt to make good. Then, the group eventually opens up and comes together to help Michael make a big decision with Jan.

“Secret Santa” (Season 6 Episode 13)

When Phyllis finally gets okayed to be the office Santa at this year’s Christmas party, she takes on the role joyously. Michael also arrives as Santa and is outraged that Jim okayed their female peer to take on the jolly title. Before he does show, Phyllis expresses to the room what they can expect from her reign as St. Nick. After Creed learns what the bad Dunder Mifflin employees will receive (coal), he’s highly concerned and poses what the really bad people get, which gets stopped quickly by Jim.

“Gettysburg” (Season 8 Episode 8)

Andy takes some of the Dunder Mifflin staff to Gettysburg to try and up the overall office spirit. Gabe Lewis decides to join in on the field trip and enjoys the beginning of his day until a girl mistakes him for Abraham Lincoln. Initially, as you can see here, he’s a little annoyed by the error of the kid’s way but completely ends up leaning into it by day’s end.

The upcoming The Office reboot is a great reminder of how loved The Office still is today, over 11 years after the sitcom ended. The series was certainly part of the peak TV era, and the cast have become icons. The Office ensemble was, of course, led by Steve Carell, and an EP recently recalled how he had been eyeing him for the role of Michael Scott, specifically. However, there was a frustrating reason he nearly missed out on the part.

Carell starred on the NBC sitcom as the Dunder Mifflin regional branch manager in Scranton for the first seven seasons and returned to guest star in the final season. He was the lead of the show for a long time, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Michael. In honor of the one of the best sitcoms’ 20^th anniversary, co-creator Greg Daniels spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how Carell’s name came up for the role, and Bruce Almighty actually had something to do with it:

Carrell’s performance in Bruce Almighty, especially when it came to the scene where Jim Carrey’s titular character made his character, Evan, go completely nuts on live television, is hilarious. So, I totally understand why they wanted to cast him in The Office because of it.

However, Carell was originally booked for something else at the time, and the producer had to move on. It was understandably very frustrating, as Daniels explained:

After those long months of casting, Breaking Bad star Bob Odenkirk was being seriously considered for the role. That is, until word got out that The Office team could cast Carell as Michael, as long as it was in second position to Come to Papa.

After the pilot was shot, NBC picked up The Office in 2004 for midseason. Meanwhile, Come to Papa aired that summer and was soon canceled, freeing Carell up to do The Office full-time. While it’s not particularly nice to be happy about a one-season show’s cancellation, this is definitely an exception.

Not only was The Office close to not having Steve Carell, but Odenkirk nearly landed the role of Michael. And if he got the role, it’s possible he wouldn’t have been Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad or lead his own spinoff, Better Call Saul, since Breaking Bad came just a few years after the NBC comedy. Luckily, that didn’t happen; Carell got Michael, and the show went on to air for nine seasons.

That doesn’t mean that things still weren’t a bit wonky at the beginning, though. The Office was nearly canceled after just six episodes. However, it was saved thanks to Carell starring in The 40-year-Old Virgin, which he filmed around the same time as The Office. After that, the NBC sitcom had a movie star attached, and they were able to move forward with success.

Then, The Office turned into a wild phenomenon that is still trending today as more folks watch it with a Peacock subscription. So, it's wild to think about what almost was, because it's hard to imagine the show any other way.

There likely aren’t many people who manage to land their dream jobs basically right out of college, but The Office star and writer/producer extraordinaire Mindy Kaling is one who had “such incredible luck.” She was only 24 when she was appointed to the writer’s room for the beloved hit comedy, and ended up becoming long-time best buddies with another writer/cast member, B.J. Novak. However, she just opened up about being “so angry” at him when she started on the series.

What Did Mindy Kaling Say About Being Angry At B.J. Novak When They Started The Office?

I don’t know if there’s a mixed-gender celebrity best friend duo who’s been more discussed over the past few years than Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak. While the two admit to dating on and off early on after meeting on The Office, they’ve been committed best-friends-only for years now (despite the fact that rumors he fathered her kids have persisted).

So, I’m sure it would surprise many to know that Ryan Howard’s portrayer made her kinda mad when the show began. But, as Kaling explained to The Hollywood Reporter recently, the reason actually makes sense, considering what they both did on the long-running comedy. As the big Outlander fan said:

Wow. OK, while I love The Office, I am nowhere near being a scholar of the mockumentary hit (which has a spinoff in the works), so I had no idea that Novak even wrote that episode. However, I can completely imagine getting a job in a writer’s room for a network TV show while still so young, and being absolutely pissed that someone else around your age was already excelling at the job.

“Diversity Day” isn’t just one of the best/most-loved episodes of The Office, it was also one of the most important. Along with being only the second episode, it was also the first one not based on anything from Ricky Gervais’ hit series of the same name. Plus, this was when Running Point’s well-dressed co-creator made her first appearance as Kelly Kapoor, and made quite an impression by slapping Michael.

Kaling is correct that this episode set the bar and let everyone know what kind of comedy we’d be in for as The Office rolled along for nine eventual seasons. Who knows? If it hadn’t been for Novak nailing the second episode, maybe viewers wouldn’t have been able to witness the brilliance of a show with numerous problematic characters and hilarious inside jokes for so long.