John Krasinski revealed he refused to include a Jim and Pam storyline on 'The Office' because fans would 'never come back' (2024)

Everyone knows Jim and Pam are from thereThe officeis #CouplesGoals - and so what I'm about to reveal may be a little disturbing. According to Brian Baumgartner's new book:Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of the Office, a storyline for the series' Season 8 episode "After Hours" involved Jim cheating on Pam with her gestational surrogate Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad). GentlemenJohannes Krasinskididn't have it. “That's the only time I remember putting my foot down,” he said, explaining that he went straight to series creator Greg Daniels with his concerns. "I remember saying things I never thought I would ever say, like 'I'm not going to shoot it.' “My feeling is that there is a threshold at which you can push our audience,” he continued. "They are so dedicated. We have shown them so much respect." "But there's a point where if you push them too far, they'll never come back. And I think if you show Jim he's cheating, they'll never come back." Daniels eventually agreed to switch, but in the book he also explains why the pair seemed to be on thin ice in later seasons. “[The fans] felt very comfortable with the show they were getting,” he said, “and I had to worry that they might get a bad ending, so they were happy when they got a good ending.” Go get itthe whole bookfor yourself - if you're a fan, this sounds like essential reading.