And now, from the Department of “I Thought Mitch Miller Was Already Dead/Steve Carell Hadn’t Already Announced He Was Leaving The Office“?: Steve Carell is leaving The Office (DISH 120, NBC, Thursdays, 9 PM EST). Oh, but don’t worry. The bosses of this boss have a plan. Word is that Portia de Rossi of Arrested Development fame is stepping in as… a socially awkward management type!
Latest in from the rumor mill is that de Rossi (Portia Lee James DeGeneres, if the name change she reportedly filed for goes through) is taking Carell’s place. Normally, adding an Australian to any conceivable scenario can do nothing but improve it. But no matter what de Rossi’s island of origin, it’s mighty cringable that NBC actually seems to be forging ahead with its plan to continue The Office without its central character.
Of course, this is a shark jump of apocalyptic proportions. It might outstrip Totally Different Darren on Bewitched, or even actual Fonzi strapping on water skis and actual jumping over an actual shark in Happy Days.
The only conceivable plan which might work is the potential trial balloon which recently circulated the Internet–that Brit Ricky Gervais, who originated the role on the BBC, might step in. Putting Gervais in the same office where a British flag rested in his honor would be a major-network sitcom first, and create a sense of continuity fascinating enough to carry The Office for at least another season or two.
But it’s not just the sense of a sense of closing an international sitcom circuit which makes Gervais a rare acceptable substitute for major star: He’s not Michael Scott. He was David Brent, who was also a piss-poor manager and cocktail party nightmare–but in utterly different ways than Carell’s take on the character. Gervais wouldn’t attempt to copy Carell; he would be his own obnoxious self. And with last season’s finale suggesting that Michael Scott is going to ride off into the goofy sunset with his lost Human Resources love, Holly, that might be a series reboot worth watching.
