EXCLUSIVE: Peacock has acquired a new documentary about the history and cultural impact of NBC’s The Office, and it’s set to stream very soon.
Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to The Office, directed by Shawn Cauthen, will debut on the streamer on September 7.
Throughout six episodes, Fan Level Midnight explores how the U.S. version of the workplace comedy grew from a ratings-challenged adaptation to one of the most enduring television series of its era. Traveling from the home of Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to the soundstages in Van Nuys, California, the filmmakers also turn the camera toward the fans themselves.
Fan Level Midnight also revisits some of the moments that shaped the series, including the battle to keep The Office on NBC, the evolution of Michael Scott, the creative risks behind episodes such as “Diversity Day,” “Office Olympics” and “Dinner Party,” the impact of Steve Carell’s departure, and the show’s lasting connection with audiences.
Watch on Deadline
The doc will feature new, sit-down interviews with key figures from the show’s history, including former NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly, director and executive producer Paul Feig, and cast members Andy Buckley and Leslie David Baker.
It will also incorporate extensive archival interviews and footage featuring the cast and creative team of The Office, including Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Jenna Fischer, Greg Daniels, John Krasinski, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Will Ferrell and many more.
Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to The Office is directed and edited by Cauthen and produced by John Matthews and Cauthen. Executive producing credits include Tim Ogletree and Jeremy Loethen.
The series will serve as a nice lead-in for Season 2 of The Paper, which debuts September 9.
“The Office became something much bigger than a television show,” Cauthen said in a statement to Deadline. “People have built friendships around it, found comfort in it during incredibly difficult moments, and continue discovering it for the first time. We wanted Fan Level Midnight to tell the story of the people who made the show, but just as importantly, the people who never stopped loving it.”
Courageous Artists represented Fan Level Midnight and Cauthen in the deal with Peacock.
Cauthen is currently in production on his next documentary series, which Deadline also announced, Texas Forever: The Legacy of Friday Night Lights. That project, which is not attached to a distributor yet, will feature more than 60 interviews exploring the complete legacy of Friday Night Lights, from H.G. Bissinger’s landmark book and Peter Berg’s feature film to the acclaimed television series and the real-life players, coaches and communities at the heart of Friday night football in Texas.
