If you, like me, are currently drowning your COVID-19 pandemic sorrows with a brand-new rewatch of “The Office,” you may find yourself imagining what Michael Scott, Jim, Pam, and the rest of the Scranton crew would be doing during this era of social distancing and remote working. Well, thankfully, we have some of the minds behind “The Office,” producers Paul Lieberstein (Toby) and Ben Silverman, doing just that, as they imagine a new series that takes the situation we all find ourselves in and applies it to the typical workplace comedy.
According to Deadline, Silverman and Lieberstein are developing a brand-new workplace comedy inspired by the current coronavirus pandemic, where folks are forced to work remotely. The untitled series follows the story of a young boss that thinks the key to productivity and connectedness is to force his staff to use remote interactions and work from home. As you might expect, hilarity ensues.
“So many of us are jumping on daily Zoom meetings — for work and beyond,” Silverman said. “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.”
Lieberstein added, “Start with the office comedy, lose the office and you’re just left with comedy. The math works.”
The math does seem to work. And Lieberstein has proven himself to be quite adept at workplace comedy, and comedy in general. In addition to producing, writing, and directing episodes of “The Office,” he also was a writer for “King of the Hill,” as well as producer and writer for the comedy, “Ghosted.” He’s also just the worst human resources rep ever.
There’s no release date set for the comedy, as it’s clearly still in the early stages. But we’ll definitely be on the lookout to see what a Zoom-influenced comedy looks like.
And if you’re still not convinced this is a good idea, here’s Michael Scott’s endorsement of Lieberstein: