This isn’t a bad question really, but the answer is fairly simple since as Nina Starner of Looper alludes to, a true spin-off of The Office just wasn’t what was desired. There was a spin-off that was attempted a while back called The Farm, centering on Dwight Schrute and his family, but NBC chose not to say yes to it and the idea was made into an episode of The Office instead. Parks and Recreation was apparently meant to be a spin-off, but again the kibosh was laid down in a big way since the decision was made to let the show be its own entity and nothing ever came of the idea. In reality it’s likely a good thing that The Office never attained a true spin-off since the hit and miss record for such shows is kind of an iffy prospect and while those that were making the show and those that were behind the scenes might have thought that they had comedy gold with a few ideas, it’s usually up to the fans to let them know if they’re right or wrong. Obviously the audience doesn’t have the power to say yea or nay when it comes to actually making the show, but the reaction of the viewers and the ratings that occur as a result tend to tell a compelling story that’s hard to argue with. The Office was fine just as it was realistically, and creating a spin-off that might have taken its initial cues from the show might have detracted in a big way from the main show at some point.
The conversation that Nina mentions about the issue that those in charge of The Office had with Modern Family is kind of ridiculous, not to mention childish really, since it’s akin to a kid complaining that someone copied their idea but didn’t follow through with every aspect of it. This is likely part of why Modern Family worked as long as it did, since there was really never much of a reason given why there would be a camera crew documenting the lives of the extended family that were the main actors on the show, it was just a good bit of fun that a lot of people enjoyed. The Office obviously had a point as it was a mockumentary, as was Parks and Recreation in its own way. That was the overall design for both shows however, and it was what worked, so therefore it was what was kept. Modern Family decided to go a slightly different route, but the fact that anyone was willing to whine about it is a bit hard to grasp since the overall idea is sound but grousing about someone doing something similar but different is a little silly.
In all seriousness The Office had a nice long run and was one of the more popular shows that’s come along in quite a while, but it was bound to have its time in the sun and then experience its own twilight as things began to wind down. Things have to change eventually or the whole thing gets a bit stale and fans begin to drop off as they find greener pastures elsewhere in an attempt to be entertained in the same manner or so that they might find something different but just as fun. A lot of people still miss The Office since the possibility of a reunion show is still tossed about now and again even if it’s not likely to happen. At this point the articles that continue the idea of the show either feel like a fondness that has yet to die out or a pining need to see something that will bring the same type of magic back to the small screen. People need to be entertained, that much is obvious, but getting the audience to let go of an idea and just move on is kind of like trying to pry a toy out of a pitbull’s jaws with a plastic knife. Audiences lock onto a show or a movie and tend to talk about it incessantly for months if not years after it’s come and gone, leaving many to believe that eventually the subject will get stale and old enough to simply drop. Obviously that’s not the case with The Office.
Everyone from the show has moved on, taken on other gigs, and in some cases have experienced a huge jump in their careers, so thinking that The Office will ever come together for more than a special somewhere down the road is a faint hope at best. But hoping for a spin-off was an idea that kind of came and went like an errant breeze, even if Dwight nearly had his own show, which would have been kind of awkward, especially seeing how Dwight is a better character with others to play off of.
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