Could Season 5 of The Office be a lock?
RickyGervais.com has this news posted on the front page:
Ricky has scored further success in America, with NBC deciding to make two more series* of the US version of his comedy The Office. Network boss Kevin Reilly said That The Office represented ‘the best of what we consider quality shows’. This will bring the total episodes to 94 which will almost certainly mean syndication.
*I think “series” is equivalent to “seasons” in this case.
Assuming 22 episodes each for Seasons 3-5, 94 does add up …
Updates after the jump.
Tipster: Carly
Just in case the blurb gets removed from Gervais’ site, I took a quick snapshot of it:
It is interesting that just within the past few hours, the blurb has already been reworded and no longer mentions syndication.
Also note that this news has NOT been confirmed by NBC.
Being a huge fan of the U.K. version, I can tell you they definitely refer to their “seasons” as “series” in the U.K. So WOW! Two more seasons of our fave show confirmed? That is amazing!
yayayayayay!
that is a perfect number of seasons.. not too long to kill the show, but long enough to satisfy the loyal fans.
I. am. hyperventilating.
YES!
Oh no!! That only means my agony over JAM will just continue for two more seasons!!
Just kidding, that’s fantastic news:)
Yeah I’m worried about Jim and Pam. 2 more years until they get to have mad sex. And that’s just a minimum of seasons so far.
Yes! I love the idea of The Office extending a little longer, but not too long. This is the perfect amount of time for this show. :)
Awesome news. Let’s get the committee together and plan a party to celebrate!
That’s so awesome blossom — extra awesome.
I need help with 2 thing though — are Andy and Karen going to quit/be fired in future episodes? Or are they going to be regluars on the show from now on?
2nd thing: I’ve heard alot of talk about shows reachign ‘syndication’ after their 100th episode. What does syndication mean?
Thanks alot.
Excellent news! (Although I can’t imagine life after The Office if there is indeed only two more seasons.)
!!
I can’t either, Jacki. :)
Maybe we’ll merger with another branch by then.
faints
94 episodes -6 episodes (season 1) = 88 episodes
88 episodes – 22 episodes (season 2) = 66 episodes
66 episodes – 25 episodes (season 3) = 41 episodes
This mean seasons 4 & 5 would only be 20 (21) episodes each? : (
WOW! syndication is when the actors start making the big buckarooneys. and that also means we’ll be able to see “The Office” everyday on some other station
very exciting news to all us office junkies. and a very well deserved congrats to our favorite show:)
Syndication means that the show will be sold directly to independent stations.
You know how certain stations show, say, Seinfeld at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.? From what I understand, they’ve bought the rights to the show so that they can show it like that. Having 100 shows or so means that the stations have enough episodes to show in syndication that it makes the station purchasing it worthwhile.
Also, this is where the “real money” is made off a TV program.
Wow, great news! I don’t want to sound selfish, but I hope it goes maybe a season or two longer than 5. But hey thats way in the future, so I’m just gonna enjoy this wonderful news!
Long Live Dunder Mifflin!
Does this mean 2 more seasons until jim and pam get together??
Surely they will do something different from the uk…..but I don’t know. I had my mind set that this was going to be the last season. I was wanting to see jim and pam get it oooonnnnnn. I wonder if she will get with roy?
Yes, syndication means John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson etc are going to be very wealthy people
It’s interesting that the blurb has now been reworded and no longer mentions syndication …
:( I was just about to post here saying how awesome syndication would be!
It did say syndication though…I saw it…I swear! (Don’t worry Tanster, we have your back!)
It doesn’t necessarily mean the ACTORS get syndication money. The producers will. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David paid the actors on “Seinfeld” a lot of money the last few seasons so they wouldn’t have to give them syndication rights where the real money is.
i was thinking 6 or 7…
The actos definetely deserve syndication money.
+ More office for us! even if they are reruns.
Sorry to spoil the party, but syndication does NOT mean John, Jenna, Steve et al will get rich.
Typically with syndication deals, the network gets all the proceeds from the syndication, and the network’s associates (remember how the end of the episodes say Reveille Productions and Deedle-Dee Productions?).
The actors probably wont see jack squat from the syndication deal however. Which is unfortunate.
Just wanted to add that 100 episodes use to be the benchmark for syndication, and that’s why it was celebrated so much. Now, however, with all the cable networks needing programming, they will sydicate shows with less than that. I’m almost positive it will get syndicated regardless of whether or not it reaches 100.
The actors only make money on it if they have a syndication clause in their contracts. FYI–this is why Oprah is such a rich woman, she owns her show and makes money ONLY through sydication and sells her show to each individual station. =$billions.
…however the actors/actresses are not dumb. They’ll realize that NBC will make a killing in syndication, and make NBC raise their salaries significantly while the show is still in production.
Its worth noting that this happens with EVERY successful show that enters 5+ seasons, so this will not be uncharted territory for NBC or the actors’ agents.
That IS good news, but I don’t understand what the whole problem with syndication is. Is it better that it happens or is syndication a bad thing for a show? Or is it just something that eventually happens to classic sitcoms? Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it because I watch Friends and Seinfeld on TBS all the time.
Am I starting to ramble on? Sorry.
2 seaons = us happy
Am I the only one who sees this as a bad thing? I mean, a fourth season, fine. But a fifth? This show has to end sometime, and I’d rather see it done while the show is still strong than in season 9.
Even though I love the show, the formula is starting to wear thin. How many more times can Michael call a meeting in the conference room? How many more times can Jim shoot his patented charming smirk to the camera? How many more talking heads are we going to watch where the camera hangs on the character after they’ve spoken and we’re supposed find the silence “poignant”?
All of these things are done in nearly EVERY episode, and it just doesn’t have the same effect on me it once did.
I wouldn’t rely on this information, because its seems to be from the brits, so they aren’t always correct. ANd two series in UK is 22 episodes(or 24) because they have like 12 episodes a season. And the good news is, the show can still get picked up from syndication if it doesnt reach 5(like that wouldnt happen!!) Everwood have 4 seasons and went into syndication, BUffy had like four seasons before going into syndication. A lot of shows get four and go to syndication, but only to one network(Everwood ABC Family, Buffy FX) So we might be seeing the Office on TBS soon! BUt yeah after season 5 it will most likely get syndication(which means it will be on randomly on some networks). Once at 5 seasons, thats when syndication is allowed, I dont think it has to be 100.
I just think the writers need to go back to the office-themed shows about typical office things like health care and sexual harassment. Everyone is worried about how a 5th season will affect PAM AND JIM but I’d love to see the rest of the office go on. Pam and Jim aren’t the only ones in this show.
What I mean is… that the writers SHOULDN’T be relying on conference meetings/parties so much.
Oh boy! The show is gonna go through lots of changes if it goes for many seasons. I hope that’s a good thing. I love these characters, though so I think I’ll probably still enjoy it.
I think 6, maybe 7 seasons is a good number to shoot for. See The Mary Tyler Moore show (1970-1977), which was still doing great in the ratings, but knew when to call it a day. It’s plenty for syndication (which is good for the cast members’ futures in terms of them getting some chunk of that money).
Seinfeld (1990-1998) a lot of people felt ran on maybe 1-2 seasons more than it needed to but it was NBC’s ratings and cash cow.
What I don’t want to see is the Office run so far past it’s welcome that key cast members start leaving and the show’s never the same (see The X-Files, 1993-2002) or most of the whole cast turns over (see M*A*S*H, 1972-83).
The other problem if a show hits 8-9-10 years is the cast gets permanently stereotyped and has difficulties ever latching onto another successful show (as had the Seinfeld cast, although Julia Louise-Dreyfus finally had another hit).
trent you’re not the only one. i’m not ecstatic about this news either. it’s basically a law of television that shows go down the drain after 4-5 seasons, sometimes less. and i really, really love this show. sure, i’ll be devastated when it ends. but, as weird as it sounds, i WANT to be devastated when this show goes. it’s been so good to me-i don’t want it go on so long that it just fades away shamefully from low ratings and bad quality. it’d be a huge sacrifice to say goodbye to the office- but i think it’s worth it for the integrity of the show.
“How many more times can Michael call a meeting in the conference room? How many more times can Jim shoot his patented charming smirk to the camera?”
Yes but how many times did Hawkeye make a wisecrack in an operating room or MTM have an awkward conversation with Lou Grant in his office? How many times did Jack Benny look at the camera after someone said something stupid, or Get Smart use his shoe phone as an easy joke? It’s just how TV is, there’s a repetitiveness we have to suspend disbelief about with all network TV no matter how good.
Also, I see a lot of people praising the cast day in day out here, well their big chance to finally make serious money is in contract negotiations after the 5th year, that’s how it goes. They’ve given us so much joy, why begrudge them a year or two of going for the green?
Well certainly the idea of Jim and Pam getting together at the very end of the series seems a little improbable now. I don’t think I can handle unrequited love for another 2 years.
They could get Pam and Jim together at the end of the 5th, in a serious relationship. Have it fall apart during 6, causing Pam to leave D-M for a new job in lets say Chicago in graphic design, and then Jim goes to the airport and doesn’t get there in time, and goes back home and breaks down and she shows up at his door.
Oh wait thats kinda like Friends
“It’s just how TV is, there’s a repetitiveness we have to suspend disbelief about with all network TV no matter how good.”
So you’re okay with that? You don’t think they should reinvent or try something new?
I just hate that things are getting predictable. Oh look, Stanley is about to talk. I bet he’s going to make a quip about how little he cares or about his paycheck/bonus. Better have an alcohol joke regarding Meridith. Here’s Michael. Let’s make him mispronounce a word. The show really doesn’t surprise me anymore.
I’m only saying this because I love it. :/
“You don’t think they should reinvent or try something new?”
I think there are too many conference room scenes and too many parties, actually. But I’m not sure it is possible to change it more than a little. I think the conference room scenes are at least more understandable but they should tone down the parties, half the episodes are parties.
As to things like 5 years of Jim faces and little things like that? Yes I’m okay with that, that’s just a signature of the show as far as I”m concerned.
Lets hope it means 94 Episodes. Maybe take a break a do a 2 years later kind of thing.
wow! that would be awesome to have two more seasons of the office. i just hope that they can keep it as funny and smart as it is now…
I’m delighted if this news is true. I am certainly not going to worry about the show “going bad” until I see that happening. No sign of it so far for me. Maybe I have a longer attention span than some…heck, maybe I am more easily amused. But long running shows like MASH and Seinfeld I can still watch over and over to this day. I’d love loads of seasons of the Office to enjoy for years to come.
um. YESSSSSSSSS. but they better not drag Jim and Pam out for those two seasons. I would probably get mad if they did. They just need to get together and make gorgeous babies.
Off-topic: wouldn’t it be great if in an episode we find out that Jan is pregnant with Michael’s baby? it would also be funny if we found out she was pregnant but it was with someone else’s baby. lol.
The word is that the signature is actually not about an additional 5th season (currently) but a spin-off, as “series” means for British producers. According to my sources, Martin Short is already signed, along with Lisa Kudrow, to star in “The Office: Henderson”, a TV show that will follow the activities of Dunder-Mifflin Nevada. When I first heard this, I was very cautious but Greg Daniels will also produce the show, so it might be an opportunity for twice as much fun as today. It it works as expected, you should even expect at mid-season ’07-’08 “The Office: San Diego”.
Umm…no.
No. No. No.
Can’t say it any other way.
Dwigt(Post 50)-
That is a joke, right?
I might be the worst joke writer in the world but it worked anyway. Besides, I had left some clues it was a joke, including the obvious “C.S.I.” model for franchise development. That sums up my worst (and unfounded) nightmare for the show. The Martin Short reference was the only thing with any truth in it, as he was in the short list for the lead role before they chose Steve. I hope that nobody took it too seriously.
FYI, I might have made up the facts but “série” really means “T.V. show” in French.
the word “series” in England actually just means 12 episodes. as in the original UK Office, the show only had 24 total episodes, the first 12 being labeled as “series 1” and the second 12 being labeled as “series 2”