‘The Office‘ has long been ruling its fans’ hearts as one of the most iconic sitcoms that still remains relevant. While many are hoping to get a reboot or spin-off of the show, just a few know about a failed attempt by the creators at doing so. The show creators had attempted to introduce a spin-off of the show with an episode titled ‘The Farm‘, which turned out to be a short-lived affair.
The abrupt ending of this reboot episode based on Dwight Shcrute’s character left fans wondering what went wrong. Though it had a promising concept and star-studded cast, the idea was scratched altogether. Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight on the show, has opened up about the episode and the potential it held.
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“It Would Have Been Pretty Darn Good”: Rainn Wilson On NBC Cancelling The Potential Spin-Off Of ‘The Office’
An episode titled ‘The Farm‘ aired during the ninth and final season of ‘The Office’. It was not the usual episode of the show. It was aimed to serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off centered around Dwight Schrute and his family’s farm.
The episode had some standout moments including a musical number and some stellar cast. However, despite the standout elements, the episode struggled to find its footing due to the disjointed nature of its storyline. The network therefore decided to entirely scrap the idea of a spin-off.
However, Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute on the show, feels the spin-off was a “billion-dollar idea” that the creators gave up. Speaking at the FAN EXPO Philadelphia, Wilson was asked if there was any kind of ideas for a spin-off of the show, responding to which, he mentioned ‘The Farm‘.
“One of the episodes we shot called ‘The Farm’ was gonna be a potential Dwight spin-off. There was a new regime that came into NBC and they turned it down. Had they said yes to it, they would have had a billion-dollar spin-off,” he said during the event.
Rainn Wilson talks about The Office’s scrapped spin-off focused on Dwight Schrute.#FanExpoPhilly pic.twitter.com/QmnAQdeG0S
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“Would it have been as good as ‘The Office’? No. But it would have been pretty darn good and … they would have had more shows to put on their shitty Peacock Network,” he added.
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Why Was ‘The Office’ Spin-Off Cancelled?
Though Rainn Wilson did not delve into the reasons why the spin-off was canceled, reports suggest that the episode had some storyline loopholes and also did not perform well statistically.
The episode tried to balance two unrelated plotlines: Dwight’s family dynamics at the farm and a subplot involving Todd Packer’s scheme to poison the Dunder Mifflin office with drugged cupcakes.
Because of no connection between these plotlines, viewers could not fully engage with the Schrute family storyline. Other than the changes in NBC’s management as Wilson mentioned, the decision to cancel the spin-off was also influenced by the plotline loopholes.
Though fans may never get a spin-off focused on Dwight Schrute, ‘The Farm’ carries the legacy of Wilson’s eccentric character on the show.
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