There's a way that NBC could revive The Office and it involves Threat Level Midnight. The sitcom ran until 2013 but has since found new life through Netflix. Due to the long-lasting popularity, many fans have been asking if the series will ever get a reboot.
Revival buzz surrounding The Office first began in 2017 after NBC shared the news that the network was in talks to reboot the series for a tenth season. The reboot would have focused on the lives of those working at Dunder Mifflin with a mix of new and returning characters. Since then, talks of a revival has dissipated but it remained in the hopes of fans and even the cast. Many original cast members, including John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Angela Kinsey have shared their interest in returning to some sort of revival project.
So, how exactly could NBC revive The Office? Based on the events of the last season, it wouldn't be very easy. By the end of The Office series finale, the sitcom tied up most of the loose ends; the main characters went their separate ways, making it a difficult task to reboot the series. In fact, most of the core cast didn't even work at Dunder Mifflin in the final season, so it doesn't even make sense for the paper company office to remain the setting of any kind of reboot (unless the network decides to omit season 9). But what if they made one of the sitcom's best episode, "Threat Level Midnight," the central point of a revival?
Threat Level Midnight was first referenced in season 2 when the office found Michael Scott's incomplete screenplay. Michael finally screened his action film in season 7 which, in total, took 11 years of writing, shooting, and editing. The Threat Level Midnight in the show starred Michael's co-workers, past and present, in hilarious roles, making the episode one of the most beloved by fans.
While a version of the movie was finished, Threat Level Midnight could still be a route to an Office revival that allows NBC to leave Dunder Mifflin behind and easily reunite the original cast. Let's say that Michael Scott is now retired and has the time and money to finally invest in his ultimate passion project, for which he convinces Jim, Pam, Dwight, and the rest of the old crew to reprise their roles for. Rather than a camera crew following the lives of employees at an office, the new mockumentary could surround a movie set. The personality conflicts and hijinks would continue as they reunite for what is (presumably) a frustrating, low-budget production.
Threat Level Midnight would be a perfect limited series revival of The Office that satisfies fans who have been demanding a proper season 10 for years without requiring the cast to return for a long-term project. Steve Carell has been vocal about his doubts of a reboot of The Office, even stating that he would not return if the show were to come back. It's possible that if NBC takes the series in a new direction, he would change his mind.
Carrell is set to star in an upcoming Netflix comedy, Space Force, which he developed with The Office's creator, Greg Daniels. The fact that the duo is reuniting is a good sign for revival hopefuls. Maybe their renewed partnership will spawn new perceptions regarding a reboot. It's possible we didn't see the last of Michael Scott after all (or Michael Scarn for that matter).