Canada's online magazine: Politics, entertainment, technology, media, arts, books: backofthebook.ca

Politics, tech, media, culture and more, from a Canadian point-of-view

  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Science and Tech
  • Living
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
You are here: Home / Culture / A post-Steve Carell “The Office”? Cue the shark.

A post-Steve Carell “The Office”? Cue the shark.

07/03/2010 by backofthebook.ca 3 Comments

By Rachel Krueger

steve-carrell-michael-scottSteve Carell made the more-or-less-already-official rumors official when he announced that he really will be leaving “The Office” after his contract is up in 2011, thoroughly surprising everyone who thought “That will probably be my last year” was Italian for “I’m holding out for teh moneys.”

I like “The Office” as much as the next girl-who-watched-the-first-three-seasons-zealously-and-then-started-watching-seasons-in-fits-and-starts-and-sort-of-ran-out-of-steam-circa-Christmas-and-hasn’t-really-gotten-around-to-finishing-this-season-yet. But I feel like by this point people mostly only watch it because hey look, it’s on.

Because all of the major categories of Things That Happen have been exhausted. Whole new slew of characters, for up-shaking purposes? Check. Michael Scott leaving and setting up a rival company, with hilarious and predictably faily results? Check. Ryan the Temp becoming a corporate bitch? Hella check. Jim and Pam finally hooking up, Jim and Pam finally getting married, Jim and Pam having a baby (no “finally” here; this shit is shotgun)? Checkkkkk. Other than minor variations (uhhh, maybe Andy gets pregnant? Phyllis takes off her shirt at the Christmas party this time?), all the good jokes have bin dun.

Predictably, though, people have started shouting random, nonsensical shit to drag the glory out a few more seasons. A Dwight-and-Mose spin-off! Replace Carell with Charlie Sheen because it worked for “Spin City” (did it work for “Spin City”?)! Throw Creed on some water skis and bring in a shark! People hate to see a thing they love die with dignity and grace.

And the Seinfeld Precedent is being evoked on both sides. Granted, “Seinfeld” made it to 10 seasons before exiting the scene (“The Office” is only going into its seventh), the cast left while the show was still funny, or at least ratings-y. Carell’s departure leaves “The Office” on a knife’s edge between refreshedly hilarious and unspeakably bad, and a good stiff breeze could blow it either way.

The mighty peacock should take advantage of this natural pinching off point and let “The Office” join the ranks of those few shows that chose when to leave the party. I’d hate to see it stick around, becoming increasingly disheveled and ornery, until it gets kicked out on its ass.

Filed Under: Culture

Subscribe to BoB by e-mail or RSS

Comments

  1. hell no says

    07/16/2010 at 7:43 pm

    What a pointless rant. Unlike other shows the office has secondary characters who people actually care the same amount as the main characters. The show could easily continue with Dwight taking over for one season or two.

  2. Nolan says

    07/13/2010 at 11:08 am

    I think they should end it this year with a theatrical release. Sex in the Office: The Movie. And later Sex in the Office 2.

  3. Stephanie says

    07/06/2010 at 7:48 am

    Oh, say it isn’t so. I’ve been a fan of The Office since the very beginning (and I cried like a baby when Jim and Pam got married – I know, I know, but I’m a sucker for fake TV marriages) but agree that if Steve Carell leaves than the show really should end (and if they stick Charlie Sheen in there I’ll stick my eyes out with hot pokers – I hate that guy)!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Google+
  • Living
  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
Fire sale sign

Fort McMurray: Shopping time!

By Brady Tighe We’re now officially in the aftermath phase of the northern Alberta wildfire crisis. The fire is long gone, and everyone with a home to return to is back in its … [Read More...]

Nathan Cullen

Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking

By Alison@Creekside The most interesting and innovative idea to come out of the first meeting of the all-party Special Committee on Electoral Reform, or ERRE, was Nathan Cullen's suggestion, … [Read More...]

Trudeau on quantum computing

The Trudeau gush fest is getting old

By Jim Henshaw There have been several bewildered as well as angry accounts coming out of the USA lately about how little media time has been spent covering the Democratic Presidential Primary … [Read More...]

Rick Meyers in Nanaimo Pride Parade

My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade

By Frank Moher On this dreadful day, I don't want to write about the shootings in Orlando. I want to write about my friend, Rick. Rick lives just outside of Nanaimo, a city of about 80,000, … [Read More...]

Stephen Colbert on Late Night set

Triumph of the drama nerds

By Frank Moher Two drama nerds have recently moved into high profile positions. Before I name them (or perhaps you’ve already guessed who they are; or perhaps you’d like to scroll down and look at … [Read More...]

From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon

Originally published on Our Rape Blog, the author's account of the aftermath of a violent sexual assault. By Mary Fraughton Have you ever played Hearts? It’s a card game. For our purposes, … [Read More...]

First Nations defending Lelu Island

The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

From Creekside: The B.C. provincial government is trying to green light the construction of a massive LNG terminal on Lelu Island in the Skeena Estuary -- Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian … [Read More...]

Google

Follow Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RSS CBC News



Recent Posts

  • Fort McMurray: Shopping time!
  • From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon
  • Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking
  • The fish hotel
  • Hatred on an Alberta golf course
  • The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”
  • My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade
  • Our selective sympathy
  • The Water Bomber, The Frogman and The Great Canadian Novelist
  • Komagata Maru: The story behind the apology

Tags

9/11 Afghanistan Alberta bad behaviour books British Columbia business Canada Canadian military Canadian politics CBC celebrity computers Conservatives crime environment family film G20 Globe and Mail internet Jason Kenney journalism Justin Trudeau law Liberals Maclean's music National Post NDP newspapers oil sands online media Ontario Quebec RCMP religion sports Stephen Harper television theatre Toronto U.S. Vancouver women

Archives

The Video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

Pages

  • About
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in