Trae Patton/NBC The Office's executive producer Greg Daniels is back at the helm and started dropping big announcement bombs. The most important: that the NBC comedy will end after its upcoming ninth season.
Say what? We'll let you process that for a second. OK, ready?
Why is the Peacock net closing shutting down The Office? And what can you expect in this final season from your favorite Dunder Mifflin crew?
Last Hurrah: Daniels—who adapted the British sitcom for NBC and served as showrunner for the first five seasons—is back to give The Office the perfect sendoff. "This year feels like the last chance to really go out together and make an artistic ending of the show," Daniels says.
Brass Tax: The Office has some high-class problems, with big names like Ed Helms, Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski among the cast. Daniels admits that it would have been difficult to retain all the stars past season nine: "If we didn't let it end this year, I don't know that we would have been able to tell the ending stories for so many characters."
Pam and Jim: Daniels calls the lovebirds "the heart and soul of the show." And since the early days he's had an idea of how he'd like to see their story end. "To look at the possibility of that never happening was a compelling thing to try to grab." Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim shippers, we have a feeling this season will be for you.
Wrap-Up: The overarching storylines like the Scranton Strangler will be addressed in the show's final season. Plus, long time fans will be rewarded with a look at the film crew who is still making a documentary after all this time. But Daniels isn't taking the easy way out: "Now that we have an end date we can blow up things and take some chances."
Full Circle: Daniels announced that we would see 15 veteran members of The Office return in the final season. And he's even trying to get Ken Kwapis, who directed the pilot, to direct the final episode.
Old Home Week: The biggest question mark is if Michael Scott (Steve Carell) will return in the final season. While Daniels would love to have Carell back on set, he isn't tying them to that ending. "I think for [Steve], he really loved how he was exited, and probably is anxious about not messing up such a stylish exit—so that's a perfectly legitimate point," Daniels explains.
Bob Greenblatt, Chairman NBC Entertainment, released this statement:
"The Office is a classic, award-winning television comedy and all of us at NBC couldn't be prouder to have produced and telecast the series as it heads into its ninth season. Greg Daniels, the cast, and crew have some terrific storylines planned for the final season. Fans are in for a treat. It's always difficult to see these kinds of shows come to an end, but we are honoring the cast's and producers' desire to make this the final season."
The Office's final season will premiere on Sept. 20 at 9 p.m.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Do you think it's the right time for The Office to end? Are you sad to see it go? Head down to the comments!