The Office Producers Developing Coronavirus-Inspired Workplace Comedy

The Coronavirus Pandemic has brought the world of entertainment to standstill, but the producers [...]

By Kofi Outlaw

The Office Producers New Coronavirus Workplace Comedy TV Show Series

The Coronavirus Pandemic has brought the world of entertainment to standstill, but the producers of The Office are nonetheless finding some creative inspiration in the midst of all the calamity. Office executive producers Ben SIlverman and Paul Lieberstein are already developing a new workplace comedy series that explores professional life in the era of COVID-19. The show will follow a ""wunderkind boss who, in an effort to ensure his staff's connectedness and productivity, asks them all to virtually interact and work face-to-face all day.". The deeper themes of the show will explore what it takes to stay connected and productive, at a time when doing either and/or both seems like a major feat.

As Ben Silverman explained to Deadline:

"So many of us are jumping on daily Zoom meetings — for work and beyond," Silverman said in a statement to the site. "We are in a new normal and are personally navigating ways to remain connected and productive at work and in our home lives. With the brilliant Paul Lieberstein at the helm, we think we have a series that not only brings humor and comfort during this troubling time but will also be an inventive and enduring workplace comedy for years to come."

On th one hand, some people might look at this concept and think, "Too soon!" However, by the time this series is written and shot and ready to air, we will (hopefully) be on the downward trend of the Cornoavirus Pandemic. While we still have to wait to see what the other side of this battle looks like down the line, it's already certain that this event will have last ramifications for all of human civilization - from how we conduct business, to how we approach social interaction in our personal lives. Silverman is correct in the foresight that a quality comedic vision of this "new normal" could be something people sorely need, as the catharsis would be both healing, and a sign of the new status quo truly settling into place.

The Office surprised everyone when it arrived on US shores in 2005 (or at least when season 2 hit). the idea of a comedy about the most boring workplace imaginable - in the most boring town imaginable - should've been a bust. Season 1 of the who bombed in its attempt to directly emulate the UK Office series that started the franchise - but thankfully in season 2 show star Steve Carrell carved out his own lane as bumbling boss Michael Scott, while the shows ensemble (led by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer as Jim and Pam) created a whole wacky world all their own. Not only has The Office now become a syndicated cash cow, it also opened the door to other offbeat workplace comedies like Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and now this new series.

That's all to say: we have faith in this one!

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