The Office has been heavily rumored to be on its way to getting a reboot, and though there’s concern over whether it can succeed or not, Amazon’s most underrated sci-fi show proves that it definitely can. In 2005, the American adaptation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s successful sitcom The Office premiered on NBC. Adapted by Greg Daniels and starring Steve Carell as Michael Scott, The Office is a mockumentary sitcom filmed in a single-camera setup, and though its first season got a mixed reception, subsequent ones were a success, allowing it to continue for a total of nine seasons. The Office came to an end in 2013, and it’s still regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
The Office documented the lives of the employees of Dunder Mifflin, a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by branch manager Michael Scott. Through Michael, viewers met his friends and coworkers, all of them with different personalities that clashed from time to time, but also made way for some truly memorable comedic moments. Since The Office came to an end, Greg Daniels has continued working as director and writer on different projects, and while rumors about a reboot of The Office gained force, one of Daniels’ latest creations proves that The Office reboot can definitely succeed if Daniels is involved in it again.
Greg Daniels’ Critically Acclaimed Show Upload Proves His Office Reboot Can Still Be Great
Greg Daniels has created three TV shows since The Office ended, though only one by himself. First was Parks & Recreation, created alongside Michael Schur (and originally planned as a spinoff of The Office), followed by Upload and Space Force, both released in 2020 and the latter co-created with Steve Carell. Parks & Recreation is one of the best TV shows of the decade, and out of the other two, the real success has been Upload, streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Set in 2033, Upload takes the audience to a future where technology has advanced so much that humans can now “upload” themselves into a virtual afterlife of their choice so they can have a second life and, possibly, have eternal life. Upload follows Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a 27-year-old computer engineer who after a car accident was convinced by his girlfriend to upload to Lakeview, a luxurious afterlife. With the help of his “angel”, Nora Antony (Andy Allo), Nathan finds out that he was murdered, and he is still in danger – and he also falls in love with Nora.
Upload’s quality and success have been consistent and it has received praise from critics and viewers, allowing it to continue with a third season. Upload is proof that Daniels still has a great mind for great TV shows, and if he returns to develop the reboot of The Office, the project is very likely to succeed.
The Office Reboot Must Learn From Upload’s Successes & Space Force’s Problems
Although Upload’s success is good news for The Office reboot, the latter can also learn from Space Force’s problems. Space Force centered on a group of people tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces: the United States Space Force. Space Force was released on Netflix in 2020, but it was canceled in April 2022 after only two seasons. Space Force was criticized for its uneven tone and ambitious concept, which fell short with comedy that didn’t quite land and never really found its own voice.
Upload, on the other hand, has a more consistent tone and has managed to balance comedy with more serious topics – after all, it’s a series about death. Upload has learned how to manage the audience in the 2020s, something Space Force never could, so when bringing The Office back, Upload and Space Force will be key to see what works, what doesn’t, and what the audience is being drawn to. The Office has the big advantage of having a large following, but it can’t do the exact same things it did during its original run, and has to adapt to what old and new viewers want.
