The most promising idea was a series that centered on Ed Helms’ character, Andy Bernard, with a new, quirky family living in the suburbs. It would’ve been be inspired by the 1970s documentary, The American Family. It would have also used the mockumentary format, and they envisioned calling it American Family. They would make Andy’s family the most average family in America, with the most common number of kids, living in the most average city with the most average income.
Other ideas included a show about Jim and Pam’s family, a show about Dwight on his beet farm, or about the warehouse’s rule-following foreman, Darryl.
Pam, Jim and Dwight were deemed too critical to leave The Office and the ideas went nowhere until the final season when they pulled at the Dwight thread for a bit.
More: New book says Parks & Rec was almost a terrible Office spinoff starring Andy Bernard in a very off-character mockumentary called ‘American Family’ Here’s an interesting post from https://reddit.com/r/PandR/comments/1t00eh7/new_book_says_parks_rec_was_almost_a_terrible/: The most promising idea was a series that centered on Ed Helms’ character, Andy Bernard, with a new, quirky family living in the suburbs. It would’ve been be inspired by the 1970s documentary, The American Family. It would have also used the mockumentary format, and they envisioned calling it American Family. They would make Andy’s More here: New book says Parks & Rec was almost a terrible Office spinoff starring Andy Bernard in a very off-character mockumentary called ‘American Family’