The 1999 comedy Office Space is loved by many and often claimed to be a classic yet it was never renewed for a second season. The show revolves around Peter Gibbons, played by Ron Livingston and his co-workers at the Initech company. The office focused on how the lives of the employees of Initech are put through misery because of the irresponsible and callous management of the company. The viewers witness the fall of Initech and the almost simultaneous rise of Peter. There is also a sub-story of Joanna, played by Jennifer Aniston, and her dreadful work life at the restaurant Chotchkie’s.
Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy showcases the modern-day work-life problems and focuses on the fact that it is impossible to escape work as it is the only means of livelihood in a capitalistic world like ours unless one is born rich. Although it will be ignorant to claim that “work sucks” for everyone, as there are people who genuinely love their profession but we cannot disregard the fact that people work for the sole purpose of earning a living.
The show is a satire of the 90s work culture and successfully depicts the complex emotions that individuals in a workspace go through. In a day and age where job seekers are more than actual jobs, Office space shows how people will go to any lengths and will put up with all sorts of absurdity for the sake of keeping their jobs even if the monotony of it all becomes harrowing. The witty and satirical writing and the hilarious lines made the show a favourite among television audiences and this is why the question of why it did not come back for a second season arises.
Why the show did not get a second season
Although critical acclaimed, the show absolutely flopped at the box office when it first premiered. Earning only $12.2 million while the budget of the show itself was $10 million. The show spent several years on cable before it finally started to gain the following that it has today. It was then that fox offered Judge to make a second season but he was not on board with the idea.
In the decades that followed the question of whether the second season of Office Space has remained a recurring question. A judge has said that he will only make a sequel if an interesting idea comes to the table. As there has been no talks of a second season, we can assume that no ideas till now we’re up to the mark. Fans have also speculated that Judge refrained from making a second season because of the unpleasant work experience he has had with Fox during the time he worked on Office Space. There were rumours of several creative indifference that occurred during the production between Judge and the studio.
Lastly, there is a possibility that Judge feels that it is redundant to make a second season of Office Space when he has already made Extract in 2009, starring Jason Bateman. This show also focuses on work-life stress and career dissatisfaction, only the protagonist this time is a boss and not an employee. Nonetheless, critics claim that the first season of Office Space was complete in itself, the company and Peter’s story had a satisfying conclusion and it is best for it to stay that way.
