Spin-Off Goals: Could you bring ‘The Office’ back to TV with Steve Carell?

“The Office” was a brilliant piece of TV history in so many ways. There were few other shows out there that played around with the form quite like it did, and it took so many bold risks that other shows are still trying to catch up on. Take, for example, it breaking the fourth wall completely in the final season, or them also giving you discussions of such things like religion and race relations in a way that shows would still be timid of doing today, especially on a major network.

We do know that there was at one point hope of spinning the show off into “The Farm” featuring Rainn Wilson’s signature character of Dwight Shrute … but that didn’t happen. Instead, we’re left wondering now if there is anything left in this franchise, given that it has now been dormant for some time. We’d argue that there is one particularly interesting idea worth exploring, however unlikely it would be, that would put one of the most beloved characters in TV history in Michael Scott at the center of the action. This is our discussion points for our latest Spin-Off Goals article, which in some ways could even be a TV Revivals piece thanks to how we’re getting so nostalgic.

Why Michael? – The simple answer is strictly that he’s brilliantly funny, original character, and there’s not anyone else like him out there in the world of television today. He’s absurd, offensive, and at times clueless, and yet he at the same time he is sweet, tender, and caring. He wants the best for those around him, and all you really need is this character to make a show. Also, it just makes sense given that he is no longer in Pennsylvania, but in Colorado with his new wife Holly (Amy Ryan) and their new family.

The idea – It’s pretty straightforward: Michael develops an idea that allows him to make tons of money, and from here he proceeds to hire a camera crew to document the life of his family to show to his former co-workers at Dunder-Mifflin someday. He fell in love with the idea of the documentary and wants to preserve it. Along the way, you can also show some of Holly’s extended family, what he’s doing for work, and also the response that he gets from the pseudo-fame he found with the original documentary years before. It may not be the most innovative concept ever, but with Michael it certainly would work. Also, there are opportunities in here for other former “Office” stars to stop by.

Would it happen? – Almost certainly not. Carell is doing movies now and we haven’t got the sense that he wants to dive back into doing a TV show full-time. He likes new challenges, which is why he exited “The Office” in the first place before we got to the last couple of seasons. Maybe at some point five or ten years down the road his mind could change, and maybe then Michael’s kids would be old enough to be major players in the series, as well. We dig the idea, but realize that the odds of a concept we just came up with happening are slim to none.

Would you watch an “Office” spin-off with Michael front and center? Share below.