I think the show has been coasting for a while. The season opener was unimpressive.
Last couple seasons have generally been disappointing. The show is running on fumes and years of good will. I don't laugh nearly as much anymore, but at least I usually find it fun to hang out with the characters that we've spent so much time with.
I really don't think the show should go on for much longer, with or without Michael. If the show does continue, some new blood might be the only way to invigorate it.
But I wouldn't be sad to see it bow out at this point. I don't want to see it get bad. It's not terrible, but it is definitely past it's prime and it would be depressing to watch it flounder.
I think the show has been coasting for a while. The season opener was unimpressive.
Last couple seasons have generally been disappointing. The show is running on fumes and years of good will. I don't laugh nearly as much anymore, but at least I usually find it fun to hang out with the characters that we've spent so much time with.
I really don't think the show should go on for much longer, with or without Michael. If the show does continue, some new blood might be the only way to invigorate it.
But I wouldn't be sad to see it bow out at this point. I don't want to see it get bad. It's not terrible, but it is definitely past it's prime and it would be depressing to watch it flounder.
Shows rarely end in their prime, for obvious reasons. It's a brave move to do so, to say "that's it" in the face of an audience demanding more. Yet, those that do are often those that remain highly regarded. Ricky did that with the BBC version.
There's only the good times to remember. The same, I fear, could be said of our mutual friend Indy...
Yes, I agree. I think it's time for it to draw to a natural close. It'd save it's integrity. Quality not quantity, Corporate. You ought to know this, being in the paper/printer buisness.
Well... I suppose that's not a sound analogy, considering 500 sheets of bright is more productive than 157 of ultra for everyday documents--but you get the idea!
On a different note, there's all that talk of Pam, but what about Karen Filippelli?
I think she's got that realism to her. Like, she's believable as if she could very well be your own co-worker (if you were lucky).
I'm sure they're wagering somewhere about the show's new lead. Here's a theory I saw somewhere...
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Steve Carell for some reason is abandoning The Office next year and the TV world is abuzz with who’s going to take his place. If you’re like me, you’re thinking, how is it possible to replace Steve Carrell in The Office? Well guess what? It’s possible. I have a name for you. How ‘bout a little someone called Ricky Gervais!? He would not only fill Carell’s shoes, he’d bust out of them. Gervais is the only choice where you’d actually upgrade the Dunder-Mifflin’s boss position. I mean what’s Gervais done lately anyway? He hasn’t broken out as a movie star. He knows the role can turn people into stars. He still hasn’t caught on with the American audience – what better way to do it than here? He owns the damn show so it would be as easy as saying, "Me." I don’t know why they don’t just announce this now. I mean it’s a match made in Heaven.
Edit: oops, Gervais says:
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I'm not taking over from Steve Carell and will just continue to make millions for doing **** all because I created the show and all the characters, and own the format and it's being syndicated now and I get paid every time any episode of any version is played anywhere in the world, and I stopped my version at its height and I don't think I can improve on that, and I don't want to go back to that and get up at 6am every day of the week for 7 years.
I've heard this show was awesome for a long time now, but never really put much effort into catching it...until I discovered She Who Must Not Be Named* had a brief supporting role at one point. NOW I'm sold!
*I got a free "Good Job!" for whoever can guess who this is...
I was a big fan of the BBC original version of "The Office" after catching it in the early 2000's. So, when I heard of the American version coming out circa 2005, I made a point to avoid watching this since I thought there was no way it would be as funny or as good as the BBC version.
However, in early Fall 2006 I finally caught the first season of the U.S. version of the show, and was immediately hooked. After seeing S1, I promptly went out and bought S2 of the show on DVD, which was much funnier than the short S1. In fact, I feel that in just these first two seasons this U.S. series eclipsed the BBC version in quality and humor.
In general, the first 3-4 seasons of the show was very well-written and acted, and in many cases hilariously funny (and/or uncomfortably funny). The entire cast really made for a great ensemble & IMHO each character brings something to the show, even those who have smaller parts than others (i.e. Creed & the red-headed woman). And, the high point of many of the episodes were Dwight Schrute's geekiness/intensity & Michael Scott's stupidity and lack of social skills/graces, which at times were side-splittingly funny. The various "tricks" that Jim/Pam would play on Dwight (which in many cases started off the show, before the credits) really added to the show as well.
That being said, IMHO S5 and S6 (which I just finished watching) are weaker than the previous seasons, which is not to say that they're not worth watching. They still hold my interest and there are many funny moments.
I haven't seen any episodes of S7 yet, but will wait for the DVD set next year (I only watch TV shows on DVD).
I think they should probably end the show after S. Carell leaves after this Season (7), since I think 7 seasons is definitely a respectable run for any type of show. However, it is possible that they can get another character to replace Scott who, while he/she will probably not have the same dynamic, may still make the show quite funny. And, no matter what they do, I am onboard for getting any future DVD sets as long as the show continues to be produced.
The entire cast really made for a great ensemble & IMHO each character brings something to the show, even those who have smaller parts than others (i.e. Creed & the red-headed woman).
Yes, Creed... indeed! I really like how they wrote him into the series; playing an alter ego of himself, the crazed old man who was never the same after the '60s trip. I love how the writers build his character's past. I remember one deleted scene where Creed's talking to the camera about remorse;
"Oh, I've done many things I'm not proud of... Committed some atrocities in Vietnam... Uh, oh, and I steal paper clips from the office..." Something like that. LOL.
I'm also fond of Kevin.
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That being said, IMHO S5 and S6 (which I just finished watching) are weaker than the previous seasons, which is not to say that they're not worth watching. They still hold my interest and there are many funny moments.
Agreed. "Coy Pond" stands out well in there, though.
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I think they should probably end the show after S. Carell leaves after this Season (7), since I think 7 seasons is definitely a respectable run for any type of show.
I quite like how the BBC version ended. Gervais really pulled it out with his character. The scene in which David begs Neil and Jenifer not to make him redundant was powerful, you really see how small a man he is; if it weren't for his position of Peter-Principled power, he'd be nothing. He sacrifices his facade and has to beg to the man he'd tried to belittle for so long. The humor came in the following scenes where he claims it happened completely differently--even comparing himself to Jesus Christ!
--HAHAHA!!
I can see Michael being replaced at the end of this season. Not by another actor, but rather being 'let go'. Then he must go find a different road for himself. He wouldn't be able to use his RM job as a crutch anymore--which, really, for him it is... He'd be pressed to explore himself. They say people only change when circumstances become too uncomfortable for them. Thinking of this and remembering what that play producer told him. . . Maybe Michael goes into acting? He already has an interest in it, as seen before. Perhaps he goes into it and in a follow up, we find he sort of went down the path Brent did with music(?) ... (snickers)
Yeah, that was definitely the thing to be excited about last night...
I actually wasn't a long-time Office viewer, but I watched both the BBC and NBC versions starting in January and finishing...in January. So while I got on board with the show, it hasn't been a years-long thing for me. I thought the proposal was great, and possibly even greater were the so brief reactions from everyone at the office that Michael is leaving. From what I've read, this may have been Amy Ryan's last episode as Holly, so I imagine a lot of what we'll get is Michael's good-byes to everyone, in addition to the replacement storyline and accompanying schtick.
(I'll let you all google the spoilers if you care, but there's a couple of interesting guest stars in the season finale that seem to more or less reveal who's taking over.)
Anybody catch last nights episode? It Michael Scotts (Carell) second to last.
His last dundies. That tribute they all did for him at the end choked him up a bit. It kinda almost choked me up too.
I'm all over this like swamp moss on a dead Mississippi grasshopper
