Is ‘The Office’ returning? The Facebook announcement, explained

This month, YODA BBY ABY, a popular Facebook page that boasts over 100,000 followers, shared a post containing a poster teasing a revival series for the beloved sitcom The Office (U.S.).

“Get ready to dive back into the hilarious world of Scranton Branch with “The Office Returns” on Peacock!” the post, now with over 50,000 shares, states. “Join Jim Halpert, now running the branch, alongside Dwight and the gang for 10 exciting episodes filled with laughs and surprises.”

The attached image depicting Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) sitting at the manager’s desk, with the Peacock streaming logo included. The comments on the post show a lot of excitement from The Office fans, with many asking if the rumor is true, and if so – when is it airing? Here’s what you need to know about the alleged revival series.

Is The Office returning?

The answer is a surprisingly long one. First up, sadly The Office is not coming back for more episodes with the original cast. John Krasinski, pictured in the poster and teased in the description, is not currently attached to any Office-related projects, as of May 2024.

YODA BBY ABY is notorious for posting promotional images for allegedly upcoming TV shows and movies that never come to fruition – as they don’t exist. “I’m just here to eat frogs, lift rocks and be satirical. The page is 100% satire and fake news,” the page’s description reads – although fake news and satire are two very different things. In more recent times, YODA BBY ABY has added “For entertainment purposes only. Not real.” to their posts.

The page’s typical style of somewhat realistic posters and attached descriptions, often including where to stream and release dates for these apparent films and TV shows, is enough to trick many Facebook users. Recently, the page successfully fooled much of the internet with a post about a modern-day remake of classic sitcom The Golden Girls, starring Lisa Kudrow, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler.

However, The Office is, in a new form, expected to hit TV screens in the near future – although it is not like anything we have seen before, as will be explained in the section below.

The Office universe revival, explained

Before this year, a female-led remake of The Office on Australian television, produced by original creator Ricky Gervais, was announced last year, but so far, this series has not hit screens.

As announced by NBC (the original network of the U.S. version of The Office) this month, a new series, set in the same universe as the American take on the sitcom, will air on Peacock, the network’s designated streaming service, has been officially picked up for development.

Details surrounding the new series are still pretty vague, but the network confirmed that the show will also take on the mockumentary format, and have original series co-creator Greg Daniels and Nathan for You co-creator Michael Koman at the helm. No release date has been announced so far.

The network, did, however, confirm an early premise for the new series, detailing ” a struggling Midwestern newspaper and its publisher’s attempts to revitalize it with a group of volunteer reporters, according to a press release”. The new story is in keeping with the synopsis of the initial series, which follows Dunder Mifflin, an ailing paper company struggling to keep profits up in an increasingly digital world.

Technically speaking, the new TV series is not the first expansion to The Office’s television universe. Parks and Recreation, a sister TV series created by Office producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, has a subtle wink to audiences that these TV shows exist within the same realm. Sabre, a company that supplies printers to the Pawnee government offices, is the same company that bought over Dunder Mifflin in The Office.

How can I identify a hoax Facebook post?

Often, Facebook hoaxes surrounding potential TV and movie announcements will be the only place you see these announcements. If these announcements were legitimate, multiple sources would post them – for example, The Office’s official Facebook (and Twitter, TikTok, etc) would also share the news. Be sure to check who is sharing the announcement – notorious clickbait generators like YODA BBY ABY can safely be ignored.

Other popular entertainment outlets, such as E! News, Entertainment Weekly, or TV Guide would post extensive coverage of major TV news like this announcement. Film and television industry reporters, such as Deadline or Variety, would report production details such as cast, producer/director/writers lined up for the new film or series, as well as a planned release date for the project.