I wouldn't watch without him, but it's time to end The Office anyway.  What? It can't be! I am all about Jim, but Michael Scott is the glue that holds the show together!  The Office will live on without Michael Scott... as long as they don't get rid of Agent Michael Skarn.... that would be too much to bear.  it's a good contract negotiation tactic Mr. Carell. he will cash in even more on the office, guaranteed.  and no, the office would not be worth watching without him. he and nbc both know that, so again, cha-ching.  He IS the show, in my opinion.....love all the characters though, and I feel the show "jumped the shark" with the birth of the baby.....  The better question would be, would people still watch Steve after he abandons the office.  Isn't he like the main guy?  I'd agree, it's about time for the Office to call it a day. I'd rather it end on a high note than become some kind of zombie horror.  Steve is awesome and The Office is awesome, but this would be a perfect time for them to just end it all. Go out while they can still hold their heads up.  I agree with TBailey, I wouldn't watch without Steve and it's time to end The Office. It has definately jumped the shark this season with everyone falling in love, getting married, and having babies, which would be great if it were a soap opera instead of a sitcom. I don't know if they replaced the entire writing staff or what, but now it's a COMPLETELY different show with about a tenth of the humor. Maybe they hired a bunch of writers from the last eight seasons of SNL?  Nah, I won't watch with Michael Scott. The show has been going downhill the last couple of years anyway because it's turned into the The Jim & Pam Show. I totally agree with the previous poster who that it jumped the shark with the birth of the baby. Just end the show and do a spinoff of Jim & Pam and then those fans will be happy.  Oops, I meant I won't watch without Michael Scott.  Michael Scott is OK, but he's probably my least favorite character on the show. If it were cleverly done, the show could be better without him. (But the Scrubs comment that someone else made is well taken . . . )  Yeah, it would be better for the Office to go out while it's still good. Much better than having its network prolong an agonizing, pointless decline just to squeeze out every last penny of revenue from the franchise (cough X-Files cough).  Michael Scott is the best comedic character on tv next to Steve Brule. That guy rules!  I would actually enjoy the office more if Steve leaves. He's irritating. As for the movie career, someone not me is watching his films. Ick  I hope he leaves and brings with him the demise of "the office". Every character is so irritating and full of himself/herself.  I just hope American networks stop bringing rehashed TV shows from UK. Please!  I'm a huge fan of The Office, but I agree that it is time for the show to end. The quality of the show just isn't what it was in the first few seasons, and it is steadily going downhill – through no fault of anyone involved, but there's just nowhere else for the story to go once the main recurring plot point (Jim/Pam) is resolved. Hopefully next season is the last and the show can end while it's still better than most other comedies on TV.  The Office is wonderful. Certain episodes are not so great, but for the most part, the show is made up of terrific, realistic, relatable characters speaking believably humorous lines with perfect delivery.  The loss of Michael Scott is saddening. He is the biggest idiot in the world. But you know what? He is probably the funniest character ever imagined. So often I find myself saying, "who thinks of this stuff?" I have to imagine that it's a collaborative effort between the actors and the writers. It makes it so much more enjoyable to know that the actors are actually that funny in real life, and are totally on-board and invested in these characters.  The show will not be the same without Michael Scott, but honestly, who thought it would be good without Dunder-Mifflin? I thought that was going to be the show's downfall, but I was wrong. There have been some incredible episodes this season. I don't see it losing steam any time soon.  Favorite one-liner of this season... "I'm Date Mike. Nice to meet me."  PS – Does anyone else have a favorite line or dialogue from this season? Let's share! Woo.  There is only ONE man who could replace Steve Carell's Michael Scott.. That is Ricky Gervais's David Brent.. He could be "hired" as the new branch manager..  There's nothing wrong with ending a show honorably. Barney Miller did this, both of Bob Newhart's good shows did this... The Office hasn't yet jumped the shark, so yeah, why not end it on a high note?  The Office would not be the same without Steve Carell, and it would probably be best for it to end next season. The only condition that show should go on if he leaves is that Dwight (by far the funniest on the show) should be promoted to be the boss. That way he can paint his office black again in oder to intimidate his subordinates.  It must of been hard for him.....That's what she said!!!!  "scot" you stole my thunder! LOL!!!  Desiguy, did you get a restraining order from Dwight or no response to your million letters to Meredith or what? "I hope he leaves and brings with him the demise of "the office". Every character is so irritating and full of himself/herself."  Its a TV show! It isnt real!  I love the show and think it still has legs. Great TV. Tons of characters and subplots. Steve will cash in like the other greats (Danson, Friends, Jerry, etc). Good for him. I hope we get at least 8 or 9 years total of this classic.  No way, without Steve there can be no Office, he is the centerpiece of all the scripts. It's time for the show to end anyways...ever since season 3 ended it's gone downhill more and more every season.  There is no office without Michael Scott, as much as I adore all the other characters. 7 seasons in is a good time to quit, before the show outstays its welcome. Seinfeld ended while it was still wildly popular, and I'd like to see The Office do the same.  Please don't leave we need you. The office needs you what will we do without you. P.S I love Stanley.........  Watching the office without him, would be like a PB&J without the bread. No substance, just goo.  Knowing he's leaving, the show will either 1) play it up all season, with a big typical sit-com ending with everyone leaving (like the office being shut down, etc) and then canceling the series with a huge final episode. OR 2) they'll have Michael leave the show, and be replaced by some new manager, and limp through another season, to be cancelled the final season due to flagging ratings. NBC (and the other networks for that matter) like doing this...going all the way back to the Andy Griffith Show becoming Mayberry RFD when Andy Griffith left the show; Happy Days outlasted many exited cast members, but most real fans preferred the Ritchie years to the Chachi years; a few years ago Las Vegas replaced exiting James Caan with Tom Selleck...the show tanked. I love the Office, but would rather they spent the whole season building to a big dramatic finish and end the series...then have a cliff-hanger and get canceled (like My Name is Earl...which I liked better than The Office), or to replace Carell and have a final season that NOBODY likes.  Brett–Here's one for ya. Michael Scott from the Delivery episode: "Nope, not yet, not yet, not yet...I gotta go (pause) wash my eyes. That kid's gonna have a lot of hair." I thought I was going to lose it! LOL  I work for Michael Scott, it's not funny, and I'd love it if he left.  NBC EXECS: Please end this show next year! You don't want to turn this thing into ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE. You've had a nice ride, much nicer than I expected, given the very high bar set by Gervais. But you have succeeded wonderfully. Do a spin-off, if you must (Shrute Farm Antics? Angela's Kitty Botique? Actually, don't do a spin-off!), but get out while the gettin's good, I say. Don't even THINK about the show sans Carell–unless you can somehow snag Gervais (and that ain't gonna happen). But thanks for a great show, assuming it does end next year.  7 seasons is the perfect run for such a good show. I agree, go out on top.  Only if Ricky Gervais takes over as manager! That would be bloody awesome!  The show without him would probably chug along for one more crappy season and then get canned. NO HE SHOULD NOT LEAVE AND IF HE DOES THEY SHOULD JUST CANCEL THE SHOW WHILE ITS STILL GOOD.  Yeah, Carrell needs to quit the show. This season has not been funny at all. The Office is dying a slow, painful death  Dwight's the man!! He has the strength of a grown man and a baby. Can we see Pam's breasts?!  the difference being that scrubs was never good.  Please, Micheal IS the office! Sure Dwights the second idiot and the rest follow, (Except for Jim and Pam) But without Micheal, it's Scrubs without JD.  Sorry, didn't read down. People already gave the Scrubs analogy. Like anyones reading this anyway! lol.  Meredith: You know, Oscar is allow to wear sandals and I can't wear open toe shoes. Is that how it goes? (pulls jumpskirt lower)  Oscar: Meredith, your boob is out!  Meredith: Fine (yanks up terry cloth jumpskirt).  Kelly: Damn it Meredith, where are your panties?!  Meredith: It's casual day. Happy?!  I peed in my workout shorts on the treadmill when I watched this.  I have never liked The Office. So why did I read this article, and post a comment, you ask? I have no idea.  Question: What kind of bear is best? False! Black Bear. Fact: Bears eat beets. Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica  The looking at the camera is getting old.  And prison Mike was, well, really embarassing.  For me the "Mafia" episode right after the wedding signaled the beginning of the end. Something has gone horribly, horribly wrong this season.  None of the characters make any sense anymore. What type of character has Ryan become? He's different every week.  Steve is the heart and soul of the show and his Michael Scott is one of the greatest creations to ever grace tv. It's funny because I actually am related to someone who is for lack of a better description a real life Michael Scott, so I guess in a way he will live on in my life even if they do end the show.  NBC I beg you to please pay Steve whatever he wants so that he feels inclinded to stay on board. The performance of this cast under Steve's leadership is truly inspired. You do not want to lose that kind of magic. This show has that special mix of talent and writer/cast chemistry which has resulted in a product that is greater than the sum of it's parts. It takes a certain kind of grace for something so special to come together like this, and I feel that "grace element" is what Steve has brought and continues to bring to the show. NBC you need to hang on to that level of talent and I hope you can find a way to hold it all together and allow the show to run it's course with Steve onboard. The end product is still very strong and I believe if Steve stays, the best is yet to come.  A personal note to Steve Carell, you truly bring joy into the lives of a lot of people every Thursday night and not a lot of people can say they do that at the level that you do with the office. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I hope that you can find a way to stay on and continue to entertain us as Michael Scott for many years to come. Life without The Office & Michael Scott would be sooooo hard. (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!!) Sorry ....I could not resist. God bless and best wishes for your continued success and happiness.  No because I don't watch it now. I really like Steve Carell tthough and will watch his movies.  Love the Office but it would not be the same without Michael. I would watch just to see what would happen to those people without him there, it might be interesting to see how they would function.  Dwight is the only reason i watch that show.  "Take me by the Hand...make me a man...cause Tonight...you make everything all right" (Andy: Riii–ghttttt).  When is Hunter going to release the album so that his other fans (Jan) can have a go?  The office would suck without Michael Scott. I would be really disappointed if Carell left, but like others have said, this season has taken a wrong turn.  I think that the show should have ended last season to be honest. They are wearing thin right now...and most people know that. They should reboot with a few familiar faces like: Creed, Kevin, Andy, and Angela, and have them transfer to a new company or something.  As a HUGE fan, I would watch it even if it carried on for 20 more seasons... but I also think the series has run it's course. And if Steve Carrell goes, the show just wouldn't be the same; no one could ever fill in those shoes.  it was inevitable. I was surprised they got him for as long as they did!! The show jumped the shark once pam and jim got married. I gave up on it after that. Better to remember the old gang funny and new.  The Office should have called it a day years ago. Leave it to American television for this show's long painful death.  No, I wouldn't watch it without Carell in it. And I agree with a lot of other commentors that it's time to call it a day on this show... the whole Pam and Jim thing is unwatchable at this point, and the vibe has gotten way too "wink wink".  A perfect return opportunity for David Brent! Corporate hires him from Slough as the Scott's replacement.  Well yeah...what would The Office be without Michael Scott? But then again the whole Jim and Pam buildup through numerous seasons has been resolved, married with a kid. So what's next after that? Plus, there's no more Dunder-Mifflin. The show does keep changing and adjusts to them but then again it may be heading toward an ending while it's still popular. End on a high note instead of waiting for that "jump the shark" moment.  Probably...but they should get another character as funny as he is.  Screw the Office that show needed to end gracefully about 4 seasons ago, anybody who still watches the Office is as dumb as anybody who still watches Lost.  I don't watch it now since the plot lines have gotten so silly and at times impossible to follow. Carrell however, given his less than stellar history of picking scripts may want to hold off on giving up that steady pay check. Anyone who saw Bruce Almighty knows what I'm talking about.  Not without Steve, no. The Office is really not complete without:  Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam and Andy. The other characters, while they would be missed big time, do not make or break the show IMHO.  For all the folks who think they are true Office Fans and keep making silly comments concerning hiring Ricky G's character David Brent – If you will go back and actually pay attention to the BBC version – What you really mean to say is Sabre should hire Gareth away from Wernham Hogg, as David Brent is no longer an employee as seen clearly in the 3 year anniversary edition The Office Special. Please try to keep your ideas in order so as not to confuse anyone.. what a bunch of lookyloos.  no...probably not...cause its not the Office without him.  but shows have lasted long past 7 seasons...maybe Stever will reconsider??  Nah...I love the Office, but it has run out of steam in my opinion. But by far the funniest show ever.  This show is ridiculous – not funny. It should have been cancelled years ago. The writers have obviously never worked in a real office. There are plenty of things that happen in a real office environment that are funnier than anything depicted in this show.  For all the folks who think they are true Office Fans and keep making silly comments concerning hiring Ricky G's character David Brent – If you will go back and actually pay attention to the BBC version – What you really mean to say is Sabre should hire Gareth away from Wernham Hogg, as David Brent is no longer an employee as seen clearly in the 3 year anniversary edition The Office Special. Please try to keep your ideas in order so as not to confuse anyone.. what a bunch of lookyloos.  How many times can we all say "Jumped The Shark" ?  Even though everyone in our family is a HUGE fan, we would hate for the show to start going downhill and feel Mr. Carrell's Michael is the glue that holds the gang together. Maybe Sabre would have to close the branch and that's how they could end it (that wouldn't seem like copying MTM, would it?). The wedding was by far my favorite episode ever - laughed and cried. Those "mental pictures" between Jim and Pam and Jim's speech at the rehearsal dinner - the best. The wedding entrance - classic. Favorite Office line ever was delivered by Michael on diversity training, "Abraham Lincoln once said, 'If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North.'"  Steve Correll IS the show. The man's acting is priceless. Without him I would never watch The Office. As for the love/baby angle – yuk! In fact, the current script writers have really lost the plot. If Steve goes, then so should the show.  I'm not sure I want to watch it WITH him lately. Major decline in writing and freshness. Next season would be a good time to end it.  No Michael Scott = No Jensen McGuire watching  Remember Spin City? How could the show EVER go on without Michael J. Fox. Then comes Charlie Sheen; a totally different flavor, but the show is still great in a different way.  If they went crazy, and got a totally different personality; someone like Jeff Bridges to fill the role.... The show would succeed in a totally different way.  the show hasnt jumped... yet. it has been hit and miss this season, and part of last. just a speed bump The Office and 30 Rock are still the two best sitcoms on tv. it is worth 2 or 3 more years.  he isn't my favorite character but the show needs him, jim, pam, and dwight and would fall apart if any of those 4 left  Personally, Steve Carrell's Michael Scott is the most annoying aspect of the show and every episode his inane stupidity finds new ways of getting on my nerves. The Office is one of those shows that could have new characters every couple of seasons because in a real office setting, people come and go all the time (including managers). I would definitely continue watching and probably enjoy the show a little more without him.  It hasn't been the same since the writer's strike  They should get the british office boss dude. He is funnier than Carell once you get past the language barrier  The office is my favorite show I love it i dont really want it to end yet but it wont be the same without Michael, I cant think of another actor that could come close to replacing him. No one could.  No michael scott has to stay at the office he is my favorite character  How about a black version?  That show is awesome. Funnier everytime. Terminator the series was bad ass too.  To Mark, who said the writers have obviously never worked in a real office; I actually worked for a company, a children's book publisher, where the vibe was EXACTLY like the Office. Our boss was a lovable idiot who had kooky marketing ideas. We were always having parties, talent shows, silly meetings. Everyone was hooking up with everyone. I mean, to a T. This company is now defunct, surprise, surprise. The show is ready to end now...  i for one recall a time when i used to get 'steven colbert' confused with 'steve carrell'. they were both on a little show ... what was the name of it ...?> hmmmmm :-p  i'm totaly happy to see steve coming into his own. i always liked him better  Maybe they will replace him with justin bieber.
Judging by an interview Steve Carell gave BBC radio while promoting his movie “Date Night,” Carell's run on “The Office” may be coming to an end. Carell said his contract only runs through next season, the show's seventh.