Good-bye, Netflix, it’s been nice, hope you find your paradise. As has been known for well over a year at this point, The Office will be leaving Netflix on December 31 to relocate to NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock, in the hopes of educating a new generation of viewers about the joys and perils of working at a paper company. Now, though, the streaming service is finally being transparent about what to expect with the sitcom’s new home. Peacock confirmed today that all nine Office seasons (or 201 episodes) will be available to stream on January 1, 2021, which will include several “superfan episodes†that contain “never-before-seen footage and deleted scenes in extended cuts†of the original series. There will also be a 24/7 Office channel of “ambient noise†devoted to the sights and sounds of the show, which, for our sake, we hope include Stanley’s gentle snoring and Dwight mumbling “dammit, Jim!†every hour.
However, there’s one important caveat that Peacock buries in the last sentence of its press release: Only the first two seasons will be available for viewers to stream for free. If you want to access the remaining episodes, as well as the entire slate of superfan episodes, you have to pay $4.99 per month for Peacock’s “premium service†with ads, or $9.99 per month for its “premium plus service†without ads. (Perfect reminder that DVDs readily exist and will never let you down.) That’s such a Toby move, but whatever.