US broadcaster Peacock orders new mockumntary set in a local newspaper

A spinoff comedy set in the 'same universe’ as The Office is coming to American TV later this year.

The premise of the as-yet-untitled show is that the documentary crew that charted  Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is now setting its sights on a ‘dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters’.

Greg Daniels, who adapted The Office for US viewers, will lead this new show alongside Saturday Night Live writer Michael Koman . Both will be executive producers alongside original creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

The cast will include Sabrina Impacciatore, who played Valentina on season two of  The White Locus and  Irish star Domhnall Gleeson, who played General Armitage Hux in the Star Wars sequel trilogy

The show will air on Peacock in the US. Lisa Katz, president of entertainment at parent company NBCUniversal Entertainment, said: ‘It’s been more than ten years since the final episode of The Office aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock.

‘This new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper.’ .

The American version of The Office ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. A spin-off based on the character Dwight Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson, was mooted around the time it ended, but came to nothing.

The new show is set to begin production later this summer.

Published: 8 May 2024