Rainn Wilson says studios wouldn't greenlight The Office-style politically incorrect comedy today

Rainn Wilson has thoughts about whether The Office could launch in 2026, and spoiler: he does not think it would make it out of development. Not exactly a shocking take if you have even a passing memory of Michael Scott, but there is an interesting wrinkle here thanks to the franchise ’s new spinoff quietly thriving.

What Wilson is saying now

In a new chat with Fox News Digital, Wilson said the show’s brand of cringe-heavy, boundary-poking comedy would be a nonstarter today. He pointed straight at the characters who drove the most secondhand embarrassment — Dwight Schrute (him) and Michael Scott (Steve Carell) — and argued that their most oblivious, inappropriate bits just would not clear the bar with 2026 audiences. He also framed the current media climate as more progressive than when the series aired, and suggested the ever-present threat of cancellation backlashes makes it harder for edgy half-hour comedies to breathe.

"I think that would be too hard to be as politically incorrect as the show was. And I do kind of miss that."

He has said this before

Wilson made the same case on The Last Laugh podcast back in September 2025, calling out the episode Benihana Christmas as the kind of storyline that would set off alarms now. The broader point: the mockumentary’s humor leaned on characters who were intentionally out of touch, and that design can collide with modern sensibilities when watched in real time rather than as a time capsule.

The Office still has a grip

All of this is theoretical, obviously — you cannot relaunch 2005 in a lab. What is not up for debate is the show’s staying power. The Office ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013, and the fandom’s appetite for rewatches has not really cooled.

Meanwhile, the universe kept going: The Paper

Here is where it gets a bit funny: while Wilson doubts the original could debut today, the universe around it actually expanded — and it is working.

• The Paper premiered in 2025 as a mockumentary spinoff set in the same world, following the original documentary crew as they stumble onto a struggling Midwestern newspaper and chronicle the staff and publisher’s attempts to revive it.
• Cast: Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Domhnall Gleeson, Melvin Gregg, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Gbemisola Ikumelo, and Tim Key.
• The Office alum Oscar Nuñez is back in the fold for the spinoff/sequel.
• The Paper has done well enough to score a Season 2 renewal, with the new season due in September.

So, would The Office make it today?

Wilson’s argument tracks if you remember how often the show surfed the edge. At the same time, the fact that The Paper is alive and kicking suggests there is still room for this flavor of workplace mockumentary — maybe just tuned differently for 2026. What do you think: would a day-one Michael Scott survive a modern notes call, or would the pilot never leave the room?