Eh. Steve Carell confirmed to Entertainment Weekly and other media outlets over the weekend that he is going to be leaving The Office after next season, which is all that he is contractually obligated for. So, I have to applaud him for not being an a–hole, and actually acting like a professional and fulfilling his contract. And I also have to give him credit for making the most of out the midlife career opportunities he’s had, parlaying television success into a genuine nice-guy comedic likeability in several very successful films. But still, it kind of sucks that he’s leaving a series that gave him so many opportunities:

It looks like Dunder Mifflin may soon have to hire a new boss for its Scranton branch. After more than half a dozen seasons on The Office, Steve Carell hints to E! News that he may not be returning to the hit NBC comedy after its seventh season wraps next year.

“I just think it’s time,” he said at the premiere of his new movie, Despicable Me, Sunday in L.A. “When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go.”

But Carell, 47, who plays regional manager Michael Scott on the show, says fans shouldn’t get too worried -– the show will do just fine, maybe even better than before.

“[This might] add some new life and some new energy to the show,” he says about leaving a role that earned him multiple Emmy nominations. “I certainly didn’t anticipate any hubbub over it. I didn’t see it as a huge deal.”

“[The writers],” he adds, “have incorporated so many new characters and so many new, great storylines that I have no doubt it’ll continue as strong if not stronger than ever.”

When reached, NBC had no comment.

[From People]

Will The Office survive without Michael Scott? Believe or not, I don’t think people are tuning in for him, and I could easily think of a dozen different scenarios that would work on a sitcom-level for the post-Michael Scott Office. Scenario 1: Put Creed in charge. Scenario 2: Put that crazy redheaded drunk in charge. You get the picture. Anyway, I do think that The Office won’t survive but another season or two after Steve Carell leaves – not because it stopped being funny (although it stopped being as funny as it used to be), but because it’s just getting predictable and it might have overstayed its welcome if it stays on much longer. Just my take.