I have mixed feelings about Rainn Wilson. His Dwight Schrute has become one of the more memetic characters over the last decade of television, but he's also never really proven himself capable of really doing much with his solo work, with The Rocker bombing horribly, netting just 6 million dollars from a release in 2,700+ theaters, and even Super underperforming a fair amount, netting a few hundred thousand dollars versus a 2.5 million dollar budget. Still, he deserves a fair amount of credit for making the least likable member of The Office, one Dwight Schrute, a singularly notable character among the wide cast of that sitcom. As such, NBC is apparently looking to reward him with a sitcom of his very own, which...well, we can all hope it'll turn out better than his movie career.
Said sitcom would apparently be an Office spin-off for the Dwight Schrute character, and would take place primarily at Schrute Farms, the odd bed-and-breakfast that has seen action in a few Office episodes. That is, of course, a completely natural course of events for a sitcom that is now in its eighth season; most American television shows don't extend much beyond their seventh season (that number being apparently the sweet spot for syndication deals, as most of the Star Trek series would indicate). As Deadline's inside source says:
Paul and Rainn have been joking for years about Dwight’s life on the farm, his family and how ill-suited he is to run a B&B. A while ago, it started to feel like a show to them. NBC agreed, it’s been further developed to include multiple generations, many cousins and neighbors. (It is unclear if that would include cousin Mose who has been featured on the show, played by /parks-and-recreation/17-8679/Office alum and Parks & Recreation co-creator Mike Schur.) At its base it will be about a family farm struggling to survive and a family trying to stay together.
So, cool, I guess. This seems like the most natural spin-off opportunity that The Office has to offer, what with Ed Helms, John Krasinksi, and Mindy Kaling all likely opting to leave for brighter pastures after this season. NBC is reportedly trying to lock down at least one more season of The Office for next year, but with Helms apparently slated to make almost $15 million for The Hangover 3, is he likely to come back? Can the show survive two manager searches in two years? We'll find out in a year or so, but in the meantime, what do you think about a show entirely built around Dwight Schrute? Would it work, or does he need the more level-headed members of The Office to keep him sane?
Dwight, I think, has been the most consistently funny character on the show despite the writing being rather tired these last couple of seasons. I think he'd be a great character to do a spin off series with and if it is on his farm it would be extremely easy for past actors to make cameos throughout its run. I like this idea.
Or they could give Andy from Parks and Rec his own show. I'd prefer that.
@Neezie: A show dedicated to Ron Swanson would be the best thing ever.
Or they could just kill everything Office related.
I can't say I'm on board. Dwight without Jim? Dwight without the fish-out-of-water survivalist/farmer/sci-fi geek in a corporate office? I don't see the appeal, unless we're going to get Dwight vs. Freak Of the Week City Folk, even then, I can't see wanting to watch that for more than a few episodes.
I had not heard that Helms, Krasinki and Kaling were planning on leaving, it sounds like The Office is finally done for. I can't say I'm too beat up about it, it's been getting more and more ridiculous and therefore, in my opinion, less entertaining. Like most Mockumentary shows they've done a pretty poor job keeping up why it's supposed to be real, and things get so absurd it's hard to even say they live in the same world as we do.
Sorry, but that is about as appealing as Joey was when Friends ended. Dwight Schrute could not carry a show by himself. Also, I hope to the heavens above that The Office isn't renewed. That show's been rotting for three seasons now and should be put out of its misery.
I take offense to calling Dwight the least likeable character of the Office. While Jim is the best - the hero - and Dwight is clearly his antagonist, he's THE ONLY OTHER LIKEABLE PERSONALITY. This whole "sitcom" is filled with the worst people imaginable - no one besides Dwight and Jim are funny. Ever. Or ever have been. They're all human garbage. Especially Michael Scott when he was on the show.
The Office is the worst thing ever to happen to NBC. A sitcom with barely anyone likeable, no jokes, and uninteresting situations - why did they feel the need to pattern all their comedies after this overrated piece of junk for the next 6 years or so?
A show focused on Dwight probably has the best chance of being funny out of anything. I'd rather watch "Dwight Spin-Off" alongside 30 Rock and Parks & Rec any day of the week. The Office needs to die.
@vinsanityv22: So you damn The Office and its style of programming and NBC's decision to pattern all of their comedies after it, and then you shout out some love for Parks & Rec at the end? Hmmmm....
I my god, a Toby spin-off would be the best thing ever.
I've watched everything that's on the Netflix, and I'll probably keep watching when the next season goes up on streaming, but I have a feeling that, for me, the end of the show if I ever re-watch will be the episode that Michael Scott leaves. Other than the hunt for the new manager, there really aren't any other plot threads to be tied up (to the best of my knowledge anyway. My memory hasn't been described as accurate very often) so it felt like, to me, a good place to stop.
I'd much prefer Stanely get a spin off series than Dwight.
I doubt this will be any good. Dwight is always good with his allotted time in the show, any more and it'd seem excessive.
I'm sure a long-lost sexy cousin will find her way to Dwight's door in the pilot episode. She'll be a down-on-her-luck city girl for whom Dwight begrudgingly has fond memories of babysitting and therefor will permit to live with him until she gets back on her feet (she won't!) on the condition that she helps out with chores and such. And surprise! She likes to play pranks on Dwight just like Jim did, because being a foil to the elaborate shenanigans of a likeable slack-ass is a necessary component of Dwight's character!
Also: Seriously? NBC thinks a 9th season of the The Office is a thing that might happen? More than half the episodes this season have taken place outside of the office. The show is done, creatively, and it should be allowed to finish while some people still kinda like it.
@steampunkjin said:
This is exactly what I was thinking - the reason they worked well together is because of each other.
I still like the office but this sitcom sounds terrible. Any show built around a group of characters wouldn't be able to stand with just one character
The Office works best when those odd characters are together, even the current episodes don't feel like the ones with Michael in them. Dwight on his own would be too much Dwight.
The Office needs to end. It's just not consistently funny anymore. They are still good at making sentimental episodes like Jim and Pam's wedding and Michael's goodbye and having funny moments, but I feel like the writers have just run out of ideas.
@Tyler_Durden: Ron and Dwight run the farm together
Not interested. What makes Dwight great is how he acts around all the other characters on The Office.
@skrutop said:
That was my first thought, together with Pirates of the Caribbean 4, The Ewok Adventure, The Cleveland Show, Baywatch Nights and Crusade. Needless to say, I am not a fan of spin-offs in general.
I thought syndication deals tend to happen around season 5, when a show has done over 100 episodes? 5 seasons, app. 22 episodes a season, etc. etc.
Season 5/7 is also when writers allegedly run out of ideas or shows wear out their welcomes.
But whatever, I assume (as a person who stopped watching The Office a long, long time ago because it's not very good anymore) Dwight is like dessert. NBC wants to make dessert a main course and it won't work.