The beginning of the end has arrived for The Office. Steve Carrell’s last episode as Michael Scott will be shown on April 29th, and I’m sure it’ll be great, but it’s going to mean the end of entertainment at The Office. The show’s producers and creators are still planning on continuing the show without Steve Carrell but it doesn’t matter. No show can survive when the main character leaves.
Most recently, Zach Braff left Scrubs after 8 seasons, but the cast and crew decided to continue to a ninth season without him. Braff’s last scene was great, and ended the entire series quite well; if that was the end of it. Season 9 took Scrubs in a completely new direction. There was a new batch of interns centered around Lucy, a new female intern whose thoughts and fantasies we see instead of J.D.’s. Zach Braff guest starred for the first few episodes of season 9 but after he left the show got dull, and Lucy just wasn’t satisfying as a female J.D.
The Office has brought in film funny man Will Farrell to guest star in a few episodes to soften the blow of Carrell leaving, but the whole time I watch all I can think of is how unfunny the show will be without Michael Scott. He is the glue that holds everyone together. It’s everyone reacting to the funny and embarrassing things Michael does that makes the show so hilarious. How Michael rips on Toby or Dwight. How he tries to be pals with Jim and Ryan. Any character brought in won’t be the same, and any character that is different will take away from the chemistry of the group.
Back in 2005 Topher Grace decided to leave That 70’s Show, but the rest of the cast and crew continued on without him. They brought in actor Josh Meyer’s a series replacement for Grace in the role of Randy. Meyer’s character wasn’t like Grace’s character, Eric. Randy was good looking, a little goof, but not that nerdy. But he still filled the role of Eric, mostly by being Donna’s new love interest. But only after 1 season of Grace being gone, as well as the loss of Ashton Kutcher, That’s 70’s Show had its series finale. That 70’s Show showed once again that a great show has a unique chemistry, and when the main character flies the coop it’s time to call it quits. But people have jobs on the line, and I’m sure a hit show is a great money maker.
A main character in a show is the one everyone gets behind. They are who audience members roots for each week because they can see themselves in that character. After many seasons of show an audience becomes invested in the character, and swapping them out just doesn’t work. When Cheers traded Shelley Long for Kristie Alley is was ok because Ted Danson was the star of the show. And this just doesn’t apply to comedies.
I am now declaring, online, that was an avid watcher of the teen soap’s known as One Tree Hill and the original Beverly Hills, 90210. But I never watched the entire series of 90210 because at the beginning of the ninth season the main character Brandon, played by Jason Priestly, left and it wasn’t the same anymore. The series ended shortly after with 10 season. One Tree Hill is still on the air, but has been on the possible chopping block every season after Chad Michael Murray’s departure at the end of season 6. I tried watching the season 7 premiere, but haven’t watched an episode since. It’s like taking a beautiful horse and running him every day until he can’t even stand, when all you have to do is know when to say quit.
I think Smallville should have ended when Michael Rosenbaum left after season 7, but here they are on their final season, season 10. People consider it alright since Tom Welling is the star of the show, but creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough said at the beginning that Smallville was just as much about Clark becoming a hero as Lex becoming a villain. I’ll spare you my rant about how Smallville has gone astray, but at least they announced in the fall that season 10 would be the final season. This gives everyone a whole year to find new jobs.
I will try to watch The Office when Steve Carrell leaves, but I just don’t think Jim picking on Dwight and Andy’s hopes of scoring the new receptionist will be enough. When you take out a foundation piece in the game of Jenga the tower can’t stand in its own anymore, trust me. Besides, we all know the episodes of Happy Days without Ron Howard weren’t nearly as good as the ones with him. Even if it still had the Fonz.
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