One of the most trying periods a person can go through is seeing their favorite TV shows come to an end. Emotions run high as you beg the heavens for one more season – but alas your prayers go unanswered. In this day and ag, though, some shows have a second chance at life as studios scramble to bring back beloved shows to capitalize on nostalgia. NBC is currently rebooting WILL & GRACE and MIAMI VICE, and they already have a wish list of potential revivals that includes two adored comedies and two acclaimed dramas.
NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt recently spoke with Deadline at a TCA press tour, and they talked the network's thoughts on bringing back THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK, WEST WING and ER, with even so much as a limited run. There has been some “chatter” about bringing back OFFICE, possibly with a new cast. However, Greenblatt says the plans are far from concrete, yet often in a discussion:
We often talk about The Office, I’ve talked to Greg [Daniels] four times over the past few years. It’s always, ‘maybe some day but not now.’ There is certainly an open invitation but we don’t have anything happening right now. If he wants to do it, I would do it.
As for 30 ROCK, series creator Tina Fey has been approached several times but the actress/writer/producer doesn’t seem to be high-fiving a million angels over the idea:
I’d say to Tina ‘Hey, you think some more 30 Rock makes any sense?’ She’d say, I don’t know maybe.’
Same goes for WEST WING, with creator Aaron Sorkin saying that though he loves the show nothing would begin to happen “right now.”
I keep saying to him, ‘Do you want to do The West Wing again, wouldn’t it be great to do it?’ He says, ‘You know I love that show and some day I’d love to revisit it, but it’s not going to happen right now.’
Greenblatt also approached ER creator John Wells but asserted MIAMI VICE is the only revival new show they’re going to start working on. WILL & GRACE will be premiering this year, and a second season has already been greenlit.
I love me some OFFICE and 30 ROCK, and both shows are nestled at the top of my Most Binge-Watched Shows Ever list. Needless to say, I’m down for more, but only if the idea is great and the original cast is down. I feel like an OFFICE revival without the likes of Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski (fingers crossed for Steve Carell) would just draw negativity. But this pattern of reviving shows is clear evidence some networks are running out of ideas and show debut and are axed like crazy. Give the people what they want, they say. Who said that? I’m guessing someone at NBC.