When NBC announced the launch of its own streaming service in 2019, it meant bad news for fans of The Office on Netflix: Their favorite comedy would be stripped from the platform soon. Now we’re getting even closer to that date, so why not share some shows like The Office to tide us all over for when the inevitable occurs.
As for when that’s happening, exactly—consider your time with Michael Scott to run you until 2021 before he’s gone from Netflix for good. NBCUniversal has plans to regain the rights to the beloved mockumentary-style sitcom in Jan. 2021, making it available to stream exclusively on NBCU’s platform, Peacock (which, while we’re at it, is set to kick off availability in July 2020). That leaves us with little time left to enjoy all things The Office—either that, or shell out more bucks for another streaming service by next year.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve also *probably* exhausted your weekly binge allowance for the show in recent weeks. Nothing says social distance like sitting on the couch with a classic. It also helps to imagine the absolute chaos of a WFH-edition of The Office à la our current times—but since we’ll never really know what that looks like, at least these shows will shake things up a notch.
Here are five shows like The Office to stream ahead of its departure from Netflix in 2021.
Scrubs (9 Seasons)
If you love Grey’s Anatomy, but think that sometimes the drama of it all is simple *too much* to handle, allow me to introduce you to Scrubs. That is, if you haven’t watched it already. Viewers nowadays seem to shy away from the 9-season hospital series because, well, it’s a lot to chew on. But we promise that like The Office, the complex characters and their profoundly goofy antics are well worth the commitment.
Parks and Recreation (7 Seasons)
Get acquainted with Leslie Knopes, a do-gooder city employee, if you still haven’t yet. Think of her as if Michael Scott were actually a good boss—sometimes, too good.
Derek (3 Seasons)
If the mockumentary style of The Office is really what you love about it, Derek is another great option. Ricky Gervais stars in the title role, based on a stand-up character of his own making.
Party Down (2 Seasons)
Jane Lynch is at her finest in this seriously underrated series following a company of caterers. If you’ve ever worked food service, you know how rife with comedy (and stress) the daily interactions can be. And if you haven’t? Watch Party Down to get a clue.
Trial and Error (1 Season)
The Office‘s small-town appeal meets its match in Trial and Error, a short-lived sitcom where oddball investigators and attornies work out of a makeshift law office in the back of a taxidermy shop. Yep. It’s weird, and all the more hilarious for it.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.