Dwight Centered Office Spin-Off In Development – Really, NBC?

While they put on their best brave face and confidentially spoke of the infinite story possibilities, you just know everyone knew The Office was never going to be the same. The moment Steve Carell confessed in the spring of 2010 the (then) forthcoming seven season for the hit NBC comedy was his swan-song, we all speculated that perhaps the showrunners would have the good sense to let the series end as its lead character, Carell's kind-hearted doofus Michael Scott, walked off into the sunset to begin his new life with the love of his life Holly (Amy Ryan).

But then we snapped out of that idealistic delusion of grandeur and realized this is NBC we're talking about; once the #1 rated network on television now reduced to having its ass handed to it by the likes of A&E, Univison and MTV (to name a few cable channels). No, we were stuck with a comedy without its protagonist to anchor on and no viable B-plots (Jim and Pam now have two children and, as much as they try, the Andy/Erin love-woes ain't cutting the mustard) to keep us watching anymore.

Now NBC, as reports "TOLDJA," so needy for programming they're leaning on an, that's right, Office spin-off. One that will serve as a vehicle centered on the odd-ball, but dedicated, salesman Dwight Schrute, as played by Rainn Wilson.

Let's just put aside not only how desperate this comes off and how far too late into the series' run this is. Just think to yourself. Is there anything else left to be said or done with Dwight as a character (as brilliant as he is portrayed by Wilson) that requires now an entire half-hour comedy where he is the primary focus?

If all works out (and again...this is NBC we're talking about; they need the programming so it will most likely go down), the untitled Office spin-off would premiere in the midseason 2013 season.