The fact that he was still doing 28 episodes of TV some years really put a crimp in the number of movies that he did, and it’s, I think, testament to his integrity that he went ahead and completed the whole series according to his original contract of seven years.”Ĭarell’s integrity was cited multiple times by his co-stars and the creatives on the podcast. Because he became a huge star in season two. “ was so graceful and full of integrity that you could never be mad. “You couldn’t be mad,” he told Baumgartner. The show’s pilot is famed for being one of lowest-rated ever tested at NBC, early viewing figures weren’t strong, and it wasn’t until 2005 movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin made Carell a comedy star that NBC really sat up and took notice.) As the seven-season deadline approached in 2009-10, everybody but Carell renegotiated for a further two seasons. When The Office started, its cast signed the customary contracts holding them until the end of a potential seven seasons. Speaking on the ‘ An Oral History of The Office’ podcast presented by Brian Baumgartner (who played Kevin Malone on the show) producer Ben Silverman and editor Claire Scanlon explained that Carell was prepared to stay on for more, but the network frustratingly fluffed it. However well-played Carell’s farewell was, it didn’t have to be the end of his time on the show. Michael Scott had grown up and it was time to go. After a long, hard (that’s what she said) journey, his future with Amy Ryan’s adorably dorky character Holly Flax was set. Once a thin-skinned, desperate-for-approval man-child, Michael had been redeemed into somebody who didn’t take himself too seriously and no longer needed the spotlight. They showed branch manager Michael Scott finally getting the love he’d always craved, and crucially, deserving it too. His farewell episode ‘Goodbye, Michael’ and those running up to it, were emotional and satisfying.

On screen, Steve Carell’s departure from The Office was pretty perfect. Warning: contains spoilers for The Office: An American Workplace.

The office season 8 episodes