Peacock has announced that Melvin Gregg, known for his roles in The Blackening and Snowfall, has joined the cast of its upcoming Office spinoff. The untitled mockumentary series, created by The Office mastermind Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, is set in the same universe as the original NBC hit comedy The Office.
In the new series, the familiar documentary crew from Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is back, this time searching for a new subject. They stumble upon a historic Midwestern newspaper on the brink of closure and its publisher’s attempt to revive it with the help of volunteer reporters. Gregg joins previously announced cast members Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore. Chelsea Frei (Poker Face, The Cleaning Lady), and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever, Santa Clarita Diet) have also been added to the upcoming untitled mockumentary series.
In preparation for their roles, Gregg, Frei, and Young recently visited the Palisadian-Post, a 96-year-old bi-weekly newspaper serving Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades community. The newspaper shared the news of their casting in a feature about the actors’ visit, where they shadowed staffers to gain firsthand insight into the life of local journalists.
The Office spinoff is backed by several executive producers who were instrumental in the success of both the original British series and the U.S. adaptation. Alongside Daniels and Koman, the show’s executive producers include Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas (formerly Reveille). The series is being produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
The original The Office premiered on NBC in 2005 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon with its unique mockumentary style, quirky characters, and relatable office antics. It was an adaptation of the British series created by Gervais and Merchant, and it followed the daily lives of the employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The show ran for nine seasons, earning a devoted fanbase and numerous awards, solidifying its place as one of the most beloved comedies in television history.