# Confirmed: Carell to leave The Office after 7th season
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 28, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858 "2010-06-28T23:12:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/1 "2010-06-28T23:12:25Z")
I know it has been talked about but as far as I know it wasn’t official until now:
[Steve Carell leaving ‘The Office’](http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2010/06/steve_carell_le.html)
> [@](#):
>
> A seven-year run is pretty great, but NBC will probably still keep trying to squeeze life out of it after Carell leaves. The desperate network needs to hold onto any remnants of greatness it can find.
He’s so iconic of The Office it’s hard to imagine the show without him. I still enjoy the show despite the whiners’ constant complaints of how it has declined, but without Carell? I’m not so sure.
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### Author:  [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/2 "2010-06-28T23:51:49Z")
Well, that’s a shame. I still enjoy the show, but they should probably wrap it up next year and not try to continue without him. I wonder what the series finale would be like. I hope it’s something less gut-wrenching than seems to be the fashion for the end of series, but a little more significant than this year’s season-ender. I felt like they didn’t even say goodbye!
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/3 "2010-06-29T01:07:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The desperate network needs to hold onto any remnants of greatness it can find.
A sad-but-all-too-accurate statement. So many great shows came out of NBC. What happened?
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/4 "2010-06-29T01:20:21Z")
My WAG - reality tv and execs with their heads firmly up their asses.
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/5 "2010-06-29T01:41:46Z")
I know I’m in the minority here, but Steve Carell is my least favorite actor on the show.
However, he is important to the integrity of the cast, so I say shut it down.
A key character like Michael Scott cannot be replaced. What would they do, promote Jim or Dwight? It has run its course. Let it die a peaceful death.
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### Author:  [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/6 "2010-06-29T01:52:04Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#):
>
> A key character like Michael Scott cannot be replaced. What would they do, promote Jim or Dwight?
Or Kelly (shudder), thanks to the minority executive program.
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### Author:  [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/7 "2010-06-29T20:25:14Z")
I wish they would end the show. I still like it, but if Michael Scott were to leave, so would a lot of the show’s audience. I wouldn’t mind giving a spin-off series a try, but I’m not sure about watching the show past next year, with or without Carell. I just think it would be a good time to end it.
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### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/8 "2010-06-29T20:27:49Z")
Time to wrap it up, folks.
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### Author:  [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/9 "2010-06-29T20:34:18Z")
I’m sure the rest of the cast have contracts for later. Khadaji is right though.
Maybe the writers can be clever about it… eh.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/10 "2010-06-29T20:38:42Z")
I still maintain this depends entirely on how Steve Carrells movie career is doing at that point in time. It’s easy to say he’s going to leave right now that he’s getting a lot of movie roles, but if that dries up he won’t be going anywhere.
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### Author:  [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/11 "2010-06-29T21:12:07Z")
I think the show would do quite fine if David Brent got a U.S. work visa.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/12 "2010-06-29T21:54:46Z")
It’s a tough one for me.
On the one hand, i’ve grown to detest the character of Michael Scott, and i only watch the show _despite_ his presence.
On the other, he is also central to the show, and it’s hard to see viewers sticking around if they continued without him.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/13 "2010-06-29T21:59:23Z")
Yeah, he’s the conflict that drives the show. I would love, LOVE to see Ricky Gervais on tv again (I was a huge fan of “Extras” and fully plan to watch the UK version of “The Office” some day).
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/14 "2010-06-29T23:21:37Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> Yeah, he’s the conflict that drives the show. I would love, LOVE to see Ricky Gervais on tv again (I was a huge fan of “Extras” and fully plan to watch the UK version of “The Office” some day).
Is the UK version still running? Maybe it’s time to bring Ricky Gervais over to the U.S. Office. Now that would merit watching!
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/15 "2010-06-29T23:27:36Z")
Seems like a good idea. I was impressed how long they were able to keep the show interesting, but by last season it was pretty obviously running out of places to go. Hopefully the knowledge that this is likely to be their last season and they don’t have to worry about keeping a bunch of open-ended story arcs will let them innovate enough to end on a high-note.
> [@Khadji](#):
>
> A sad-but-all-too-accurate statement. So many great shows came out of NBC. What happened?
I don’t think I watch any sitcoms that _aren’t_ from NBC. 30 Rock, Community and The Office are basically the only network TV I watch. Not sure how well they do making money, but as far as producing funny shows, NBC is the only network that seems to be trying.
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### Author:  [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/16 "2010-06-29T23:44:17Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#):
>
> Is the UK version still running? Maybe it’s time to bring Ricky Gervais over to the U.S. Office. Now that would merit watching!
No, the UK version ended a while ago. It doesn’t have nearly as many episodes as the US version, but that’s also part of what makes it great. They were able to end things properly before they ran out of ideas and jumped the shark.
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### Author:  [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/17 "2010-06-30T01:36:31Z")
I like Steve Carrell, but I haven’t really be able to stomach Michael Scott since Holly left. The writers make him too broad, too unbelievable.
I don’t think the show is dependent on him, but his absence and replacement would have to be written with care.
And I think his exit should be him running off to Nashua.
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/18 "2010-06-30T01:41:21Z")
I’m still hoping for a Creed based spin-off.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/19 "2010-06-30T03:30:24Z")
> [@Waffle\_Decider](#):
>
> No, the UK version ended a while ago. It doesn’t have nearly as many episodes as the US version, but that’s also part of what makes it great. They were able to end things properly before they ran out of ideas and jumped the shark.
Gervais has a rule of only doing two series/seasons and a Christmas special to wrap things up.
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### Author:  [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confirmed-carell-to-leave-the-office-after-7th-season/544858/20 "2010-06-30T14:38:19Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> I’m still hoping for a Creed based spin-off.
Nah. I don’t think that would work. Creed is like a very strong spice. A little bit is good but more than that would be overpowering. The screen time he gets now is just right. He drops in, says something absolutely insane, and is gone again.
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