Steve Carell Leaving The Office?

NBC's hit show "The Office" is currently on it's sixth season and it's showing no signs of slowing down. We've watched the show's characters experience every kind of antic that is possible in the workplace, and often out of it. Six years later, Jim is still playing practical jokes on Dwight, Angela is still frowning on all the tomfoolery and Michael Scott is still the world's most inappropriate boss. But perhaps not for long.

In a recent interview with BBC radio, Steve Carell dropped a bomb that could foreshadow the end of the long-running workplace comedy. During the interview in which he and Tina Fey were promoting their new movie, Date Night, he was asked about his future on the office. The funnyman confirmed that he was contracted through the next season. But when asked if he would continue after that, he replied, with: "I don't think so. I think that will probably be my last year." The interview can be heard at the source.

So what does this mean for the show? Should viewers expect season seven to be the last or will they try to keep the show going without Carell? On the one hand, we would hate to see the show go. But at the same time, it's had a successful run and perhaps it should go out while it's still fresh and well-liked. If Michael Scott won't be terrorizing the employees of Dunder Mifflin, will it really be worth it?

It would be unfortunate to see the show go the way "Scrubs" did when Zach Braff left and they went ahead with a tenth season anyway. Though, perhaps a show like "The Office" with such a strong supporting cast wouldn't suffer as much from the departure of the show's head honcho. Could Jim and Pam's marriage and Andy and Erin's budding relationship carry the show?

Another possibility still is that from now until the end of the next season, Steve Carell might be convinced to stick around for at least one more. Only time will tell, but fans should be prepared for an upcoming final season if the show decides to pack up and go along with its star. No matter what happens at this point, the show is already forever part of American pop culture and for many fans, it will always be inside them. (That's what she said.)