Steve Carell is leaving NBC's "The Office" at season's end, and the question of who should replace him as Dunder Mifflin's head honcho has been energetically debated. Ricky Gervais, who created and starred in the original BBC version of the series, has thrown out another name: Will Arnett. Writing on his blog, Gervais says the "Arrested Development" star is "amazing" and would be a great addition to the cast. Could Arnett be on his way to Scranton?
Arnett would fit right in: "I like it!" says Meghan Carlson at Buddy TV. Even though Gervais didn't exactly say that Arnett would take over as Carell's replacement, it's hard to imagine him in any role other than "the bossy, hapless and hilarious new regional manager." He'd "fit right in" on NBC's Thursday night line-up.
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Wrong choice: Arnett may be "very funny," says Wookie Johnson at Screen Junkies, but "I'm hesitant to see his cocky guy character show up in Scranton." Instead, "The Office" should go for someone "completely unexpected," a left-field choice like Christopher Meloni from "Law & Order: SVU." Plus, following the cancellation of "Arrested Development" and "Running Wilde," you'd have to conclude that Arnett is "sitcom poison."
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This job is still up for grabs: Arnett would be an "interesting fit" for "The Office," says Katey Rich at Cinema Blend. But it's far from clear that NBC would even "consider" Gervais' advice — and the "maybe" list is already "very, very long." Go ahead and add Arnett to it, but at this point "it's really still anybody's game."
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