Good morning, friends! While you’re sipping on that coffee and eating your bagels and listening to birds or whatever it is you people who normally function at this hour do, I’ll just be watching this little trailer for The Ministry, Afghanistan’s answer to the magic of The Office. I’ll just be cooing over Afghanistan Steve Carell and hoping he doesn’t break Afghanistan hearts by leaving them. Yeah, that’s where I’ll be.

Titled Afterlife, the new series will follow an atheist who dies and goes to heaven. Maybe it’ll be kind of like a bleak Touched by an Angel for the Richard Dawkins set, with Stephen Merchant playing Roma Downey (I wish!). But here’s the really exciting part: Gervais is collaborating on the show with writer and former executive producer of Dexter, Clyde Phillips. They’re writing the pilot right now. Like, they might literally be sitting at a desk together right now.

Ricky Gervais can be insufferable—in fact, I’d call his schtick “affably irritating”—but it helps that he’s witty. And if there’s one thing Gervais likes to talk about besides atheism, it’s his old TV show The Office (UK).

HuffPo published a column by Gervais yesterday, nearly in time for The Office‘s 10th birthday, titled “Why David Brent Is a Good Guy”. It’s a wistful tribute to Wernham Hogg’s cast of awkward weirdos, each character a composite of people Gervais met during his own eight years in an office:

My English teacher told me, “Always write about what you know.” Possibly the best advice I’ve ever had. Or at least the best advice I’ve ever taken.

Gervais has deeply considered the motivations for each of his characters, but he understands none better than The Office‘s lead dope, the blithely hapless David Brent:

David Brent doesn’t represent evil, or nastiness or even ignorance. He’s just a little out of place. Out of time. His worst crime is that he confused respect with popularity. He wanted both but concentrated on the wrong one. He didn’t really know what people wanted of him. He shouldn’t really have worried about that at all. He just tried a little too hard. He wasn’t a bad man. In fact he was quite a nice man and I have a real affection for him.

I like all my characters I play or create, to be honest. I don’t think you should ever feel above the role or sneery towards them. Comedy is above all about empathy in my opinion and I think as an actor, the more you empathize with a character, the more engaging he will be to an audience.

According to The Sun, The Office was initially panned by critics, with its first season having the “lowest BBC focus group score ever.” (It’s worth noting that the well-loved U.S. remake experienced a similar trajectory of success.)

The Office has also been remade in Germany, France, Chile, Israel, and Quebec.

Here is a real, actual phone conversation I had last night with my best friend, who recently moved to Los Angeles:

Me: Auuuugh! Did you read that Marie Osmond is joining Bold and the Beautiful?

BFF: I… just don’t think that’s true. I think she was kidding.

Me: OK, whatever. Forget it. How about this? James Spader might join the cast of The Office. They’re in negotiations now.

BFF: Oooooh, James Spader. I love him.

Me: Sure you do. Because you’re a big creep-o.

BFF: I know! But his cameo on the show was so good. Did you see it?

Me: Mhm, but only just now. Man, this is such inspired casting. You should always bring in James Spader to salvage a television show in its death throes. Remember when Dylan McDermott left The Practice? And they brought James Spader in? I remember watching him and thinking, ‘Oh, boy, they should just kill this whole dumb charade and give James Spader his own spin-off.’ And they did. Boston Legal?

BFF: Oh, my God, I loved Boston Legal.

Me: Really? I didn’t. But I was proud of my prescience. Oh, speaking of David E. Kelley shows, listen to this. From Entertainment Weekly: “But producers have a different role in mind for Spader: CEO of Dunder Mifflin, replacing Kathy Bates, who sources say will exit the show to focus on season 2 of Harry’s Law.”

BFF: Oh, nooooooo.

Me: Right? Kathy Bates, don’t do it! I love her, but Harry’s Law is the worst.

BFF: I want to like it, but it’s so boring.

Me: Oh. There’s more from Entertainment Weekly. “‘In the finale, he kicked ass,’ says a source close to the show. ‘He was so funny and had this weird energy. We didn’t want to pass it up.’”

BFF: Of course he has weird energy. He’s James Spader!

Me: He is such a freak, I love him.

BFF: Me, too!

Me: You’re so creepy.

After seven beautiful seasons of magic and wonderment, Steve Carell‘s very last episode is next Thursday.  And I’m not ready. I could go on and on about all the special moments that The Office has brought to this world, but I already did that this week (in a conversation that started with me telling a friend that she was going to “cut off her nose to spiderface” and ended with the two dudes we were with getting too annoyed after we started punctuating every sentence we said with “BOOM! ROASTED!”) and it’s just too painful.

To ease our broken hearts, NBC is totally bringing it with the season finale on May 19.  It’s going to be an hour-long extravaganza featuring the talents of Ricky Gervais, Will Arnett, Jim Carrey, Ray Romano, James Spader, Catherine Tate and, of course, Will Ferrell.  It’s not going to make up for the hurt in my heart, but at least I’ll probably laugh through the tears. Especially with Will Arnett.  Arrested Development, right?

So where do you guys stand on this?  Do you still think that The Office is going to fail after Steve leaves, or are you willing to give it a chance for season eight?

That’s right, Will Ferrell is coming to The Office. In these, Steve Carell’s last hours as Michael Scott, Will Ferrell will swoop in like a similarly styled comedian from heaven to ease everyone’s worried hearts as Michael heads on out to greener pastures in the form of eloping with Holly (right? That’s what’s going to happen, isn’t it?).

Here’s how it’s going down:

Ferrell, 43, will join the NBC sitcom for a guest role in which he plays a branch manager who arrives from the home office and proves just as inept as Carell’s Michael Scott, Deadline.com reports.

“We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star, and we turned him into a television star,” executive producer Paul Lieberstein says. “We are proud to continue The Office‘s tradition of discovering famous talent, and we hope that once America gets a good look at Will, they’ll see what we see: tremendous raw sexuality.”

After seven seasons as the show’s dunderheaded boss, Carell, 48, is leaving four episodes before this season’s finale. Ferrell’s guest role will include Carell’s last three episodes, plus one more after his departure.

Ferrell reportedly called the producers and offered his services because he’s a fan and wanted to give Carell a proper farewell.

This seems about right to me.  I do have some severe sad feelings about Michael leaving (did you guys see last week’s episode?  Who else is going to force Kevin to eat his broccoli, you guys?), but this is a proper send-off.  Or at least as proper as it can get  - I’m not sure how realistic it would be if we found out that Michael and Holly had been married for years and had several children together.

The Office, also known as one of the best TV shows that ever happened, is currently about to wrap up its sixth season, and Steve Carell’s contract is up after the seventh.  And he doesn’t plan on sticking around afterwards.

That first part isn’t that new, but there hasn’t been much word on NBC’s stance.  They’ve recently stated that they’re about as happy with the prospect of Carell leaving as I am, which is not at all. Representatives of NBC said “we hope we can keep him around for a long time,” but regardless of Carell’s presence, the show will go on. Writers are already working on possibilities for continuing on without Carell’s character.

I have no idea what would happen to Dunder Mifflin without Michael. Jim would probably take over to get more money for the baby.  But then there’s Ryan, who at some point went from being a smarmy douchebag to an adorable hipster/smarmy douchebag.  Or maybe Dwight could pull through, though I think he’d be heartbroken at Michael’s departure.

Goddamnit, NBC, you just make me fall in love then you break my heart.  If The Office gets cancelled because Steve Carell leaves, I can’t be held responsible for the angry, tear-stained letters that you receive.

I swear, the best shows on TV never last as long as they should. Ever.

Steve Carell of The Office kinda confirms that this upcoming season will be his last on the show. His contract expires at the end of the season and Carell stated that it’s “probably going to be” his “last year.”

Carell’s plans to leave the show will probably devastate the show’s following. Dwight is a pretty cool character that’s been a super big part of the show, but who the hell is Dwight without Michael Scott?

I wonder if they’ll even keep the show running if Carell officially decides to bail.

I’m bummed.

I just finished watching the entire BBC “Office” series and I have to say that I am in LOVE with the inspiration for the American hit. Tim and Dawn really give Jim and Pam a run for their money. If you need something to watch on a rainy (or snowy) afternoon get “The Office” on DVD and enjoy a lovely English comedy.

You will recognize some of these actors from “Love Actually,” “Studio 60″ and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” They, like their American counterparts, were mostly unknown actors and actresses and now have enjoyed quite a bit of fame post series. It is funny to compare the two shows. There are many things that are taken directly from the English version and something things that are slightly implied.

The BBC “Office” is very dirty and much more bawdy than its American counterpart. A gigantic inflatable penis in the British version is toned down in the American version to a blow-up doll. They also have a brilliant usage of the word “muff.” The characters go out to clubs and get tanked and talk very frankly about sex. It is really funny to watch Tim and Dawn tease Gareth about homoerotic activities in the army.

I have to say I love our neighbors across the pond. I’m an Anglophile and I’m very proud to say it.

The finale will make you cry. The rest will make you laugh so hard you will pee your pants. Here is a funny clip to wet your appetite.

The Internet is full of debate on this very important Office issue. I really think “The Office” is the best show on television and now it is getting really interesting.

For our readers who are big Office fans please leave your thoughts on this important national issue below.