Hit comedy series The Office had been set to use a “sensational” Electric Light Orchestra track as the theme song.
According to Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute on nine seasons of the American remake of the classic Ricky Gervais programme, the producers had been hoping for a Jeff Lynne track to serve as the theme song. But it did not come to be, and instead of Mr. Blue Sky, the creators opted for a piece composed by Jay Ferguson. A post to the r/ELO forum saw users discuss how the song would have affected the show. Three songs had been suggested for the show, with the cast very keen on the much-loved Lynne song.
One user posted: “Dwight Schrute actor Rainn Wilson revealed Better Things by The Kinks and Float On by Modest Mouse both nearly became The Office theme song, and the cast really wanted Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr. Blue Sky, before an original theme was composed.”
While the cast loved the song from Electric Light Orchestra, he has since gone on record as to why the show ended up composing its own tune. He wrote: “It’s [Mr. Blue Sky] a sensational song, and its jubilant, upbeat refrain would have fit perfectly over the drab video of the opening credits.
“Then we found out another show, the doomed and dismally conceived LAX, used the song. (Yes, this was a television show that was about the day-to-day operations of A GIANT CRAPPY AIRPORT starring Heather Locklear. THINK ABOUT HOW STUPID AN IDEA THAT IS! Besides prison and a dentist’s office, what place do we want to avoid more than any other? Long lines, missed flights, shootings, pushy crowds, metal detectors, overpriced food. Just the kinds of things you want to curl up on a couch with a bag of yogurt raisins and watch more about week after week, no?).
“The theme we eventually ended up with was a beaut. Composed by former seventies rock/pop star Jay Ferguson, it was fun and catchy with just a hint of melancholy. It perfectly set the tone for the show. I’ve written pretend lyrics to it on many occasions. Perhaps I’ll sing them to you one day if you’re nice.”
While fans would have been delighted to hear the song used on The Office, others believe the song is already overused and would have failed to stand out. One user on the r/TodayILearned forum wrote: “I love ELO, but Mr. Blue Sky was already obscenely overplayed in commercials and movies by the 2000s that it’s hard for me to go back to it as an actual song. Thank god they didn’t choose it for the intro theme.”
Another added: “This is exactly how I feel. I think it definitely would have fit, and it would have ruined the song for me forever.” A third wrote: “Better Things and Mr. Blue Sky would have been fine. I don’t really hear it with Float On.”
You can see a snippet of the alternate intro below.
