Starting this morning, the entirety of Hollywood is in a state of flux.  The writers’ strike is fully on at this moment, and the effects will be both immediate and long-lasting.  The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Letterman, Leno, Conan, Kimmel, even Carson Daly – all will immediately go dark.  Until an agreement is reached between the WGA and producers, the entirety of late-night will be in re-runs.  The Office, in terms of scripted shows, is in one of the most interesting positions of any series.  Most members of The Office cast are also members of the Writers Guild, and have been told by the Guild to stop showing up for work.  These cast members include Steve Carell, BJ Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Paul Lieberstein.

Will those cast members show up for work?  Probably.  At least, you have to think that actors like Steve Carell (who, despite writing episodes of The Office, is first and foremost an actor) will be ready to go this morning.  However, Lieberstein and Kaling are writers more than actors.  It’s sure to be an interesting day on set, no matter what happens. 

In other Office news, you might have heard that NBC was thinking hard about producing an Office spin-off sometime in the near future.  According to E!’s Kristin Dos Santos, this news is premature.  NBC is just thinking about a spin-off at the moment, and haven’t begun any formal talks or casting.  Nothing is imminent. 

Having an Office spin-off is a terrible idea.  Incredibly bad.  I wouldn’t at all mind if NBC, after the current Office ends, decided to re-boot the series in a whole new Office with a brand new cast, but not until the current incarnation is done.  I admit that a spin-off has potential to be great, but the potential for an embarrassing bust is higher. 

-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: E!, Variety
(Image Courtesy of NBC)

Oscar Dahl

Senior Writer, BuddyTV