At the tail-end of an interview for BBC Radio, Steve Carell said that his contract for The Office expires at the end of next season (Season 7). After being asked if he would stay, Carell followed through with: “I don’t think so. I think that will probably be my last year.”

For a show so reliant upon its emsemble cast, can The Office survive without one of its principle actors?

Personally, I’ve been back and forth with The Office – the last two seasons, rather.  When the show started, it was a breath of fresh air for the American sitcom. Although borrowed stolen from the mind of Ricky Gervais, the documentary-like style was completely new for non-Reality American television. What made the show so strong initially was the large cast of oddballs and all of their quirks. Of late, however, the show has pretty much relied upon storylines surrounding Jim, Pam, Michael, and Dwight. (Ok, fine – I’ll let you throw Andy into that mix..).

If Carell leaves, can this show make it without its head honcho Michael Scott? Hell yes, I say! But what The Office needs to do is return to its ensemble-y goodness! Bring on the Kevin! Let Creepster Creed get his perv on! Set Kelly loose with her (and Erin’s) singing group – there’s no reason that webisode favorite can’t cross over to the show’s main storyline.

In sum, The Office has some insane secondary talent – it just needs to properly utilize its supporting cast and play to their strengths. And who knows – maybe Michael will stop by from to time. The ‘World’s Best Boss’ will surely miss his staff.