‘Office’ Expansion?… Spin-Off & More Hour Long’ers Could Be On Deck

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 31, 2007) – Fans of “The Office” could be getting another likeminded series to love.

NBC is reportedly planning an episode that will introduce new, original characters to the world of Dunder Mifflin; characters which may end up with their own series, according to

When it came back to screens last month, “The Office” returned with four, hour-long episodes instead of its usual half hour run. More Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (Jon Krasinksi) boosted the ratings by 19% over the half-hour versions from one year ago, according to TV Week.

“This is the most gratifying move we have made all year, and probably the riskiest,” NBC scheduling chief Vince Manze told TVWeek. “Creatively we didn’t think the show lost anything at all. If you look at the ratings, I don’t think the viewers felt the same way [as critics]. We were up against the No. 1 shows on ABC and CBS, and not only did it pay off, the show grew and helped us establish the night.”

In fact, the ratings boost means more extended “Office” episodes, if the creators are up to it.

“[The show’s producers] have an open invitation to do as many [hour-longs] as they like,” Manze said. “It’s totally up to them if they want to do more. But there is a price. It’s tough physically and creatively to keep these going.”