It turns out that one iconic scene from the classic NBC comedy The Office came with a surprisingly hefty price tag.
On a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, via Mashable, co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey discussed how the Season 5 premiere, "Weight Loss," cost a whopping $250,000 to produce. Despite the scene's unassuming gas station setting, Jim's proposal to Pam left a burning hole in The Office's pocket. "They built this in the parking lot of a Best Buy that I have been to many times, actually," Fischer said. "They set up cameras on the other side of this raceway, and they had cars drive around it at 55 miles an hour. Then they added rain pouring down on us [with] these giant rain machines."
Fischer then revealed that the 52-second scene became the most expensive sequence to shoot throughout all nine seasons of The Office. To create the moment, the production team used Google Street View to take pictures of an actual gas station along Merritt Parkway and built the set to match the location. Additionally, production manager Randy Cordray hired 35 precision drivers in cars and semi-trucks to capture the feeling of a gas station accurately.
Will The Office Get a Reboot?
While the mockumentary-style series ended with 201 episodes to its name in 2013, rumors surrounding a potential reboot have circulated for the past four years. Susan Rovner, chairman of entertainment content at NBCUniversal TV and streaming, declared that she wholeheartedly trusted The Office writer Greg Daniels' opinion on the matter. "Whatever Greg Daniels wants to do, I'm standing by with open arms," Rovner said. While, in 2021, Daniels wasn't hopeful about a reboot due to his busy schedule, the tone eventually changed. In March 2022, The Office showrunner teased the possibility of a revival becoming like The Mandalorian as an "extension of the universe." "I can't tell whether fans would want more of it, and when I say more of it, I don't think it would be the same characters," Daniels said. Originally, The Office served as the reboot of the U.K. series of the same title.
Daniels also co-created the mockumentary show Parks and Recreation with Michael Schur. Like The Office, some fans have expressed interest in a revival. Previously, Rob Lowe revealed he would willingly star in a Parks and Rec reboot if Amy Poehler joined the cast. Poehler played Leslie Knope, the NBC sitcom's protagonist, for seven seasons until the show ended in 2015. Lowe also hosts the Park and Recollection podcast with Parks and Rec writer and producer Alan Yang, where they discuss behind-the-scenes stories.
The Office is available to stream on Peacock.
Source: Office Ladies via Mashable