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If you don’t know by now that my favorite show on television is NBC’s half-hour sitcom, The Office, you’ve gotta crawl out from under that rock. If you have yet to catch NBC’s half-hour sitcom, The Office, we need to re-evaluate your purpose in life, because you’re missing out! I’m sure Ugly Betty is fantastic, but The Office is a half-hour of wit, sarcasm, heart and soul and some of the very best writing you’ll find anywhere on your TV these days.

Are you wondering why I keep emphasizing half-hour? WELL, that is an EXCELLENT question!

According to the most awesome Office website this side of the tube, OfficeTally.com, NBC CEO Jeff Zucker reveals a little Office info that would make any die-hard Dunder-Mifflinite squeal with joy. It’s a long article mostly about finance and the future of NBC in the new generation of entertainment, but check out near the end of the second page. A little ditty that goes a little something like this:

At NBC’s “upfront” presentation to advertisers on May 14, Zucker says he expects NBC to unveil five new programs — three dramas, one comedy, and one reality show — for its fall schedule. Zucker and Reilly are considering stretching The Office to an hour and canceling the original Law & Order.

So, our beloved half-hour of The Office may very well become ONE HOUR of The Office starting this fall!

We’ve got two episodes before the much anticipated season finale, one of the episodes is NBC’s fancy 40 minute extended version and we’re getting a full one hour helping of Scranton for the season finale that is likely to keep you counting down the days til early-mid September when our TVs will once again ring with that familiar tune and our homes will be busting at the seams with laugher. For one hour.

That being said, I’m skeptical about this, but I can easily quell my fears at least for a little while, and I’ll tell you why.
This sounds like it could potentially be the kiss of death, stretching a sitcom into one hour and hoping that it doesn’t get old. Most sitcoms work at half hour because at the end of the episode you’re left wanting more and you cannot possibly wait til next week. It sucks, but sometimes it’s the best part of your week that you have to look forward to.

However, I’ve got massive faith that this might not be the worst idea for The Office. Why? Well, I’ll tell you what, truth of the matter is, Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, BJ Novak and the rest of the bunch? They definitely bring that show alive. And for a while there, I had to remind myself that Dunder-Mifflin wasn’t an actual company and these people weren’t real. There are some of the most brilliant minds in comedy and drama bringing that place to life, but the masterminds behind it all are the crackerjack writers they’ve got on that show. Many of the main characters are writers on the show as well, and if last season’s finale written by Steve Carell is any indication, they’ve all got some excellent writing skills up their sleeves. These people know how to craft, deliver and sell a story that keeps me crying with laughter for 21 minutes and then pining for more all week long. They’re outstanding at what they do and I have every faith in the world that given the time, The Office will become a one hour comedy that leaves your hurting from laughing so hard all week long. Kind of like this friendly reminder of what you have to look forward to. Your abs will never look better.

So I say go for it.
Anyone who has seen the deleted scenes knows there’s so much brilliance that gets cut out of each episode, and with an hour, we’d get deleted scenes back and then some.

Take a chance, NBC. Let’s do this.