By Kevin CrossmanThe Office creator and Executive Producer Greg Daniels announced that the NBC show’s upcoming ninth season will be it’s last. Daniels also announced that he is returning to the role of showrunner, taking over from Paul Lieberstein who is prepping a Dwight spinoff with Rainn Wilson. According to OfficeTally, Daniels spoke about making an artistic ending to the show but also that “all questions will be answered” about the world of Dunder Mifflin and it’s characters.

• Who is behind the documentary, and why are they still filming?
• A “big year for Jim and Pam”
• Identity of the Scranton Strangler

This news is sure to reinvigorate the desire for Steve Carell’s character Michael Scott to return to the show in some capacity. Daniels left that open but also indicated he didn’t want to force it. And it would be Carell’s call as well, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“We’ll see,” Daniels said of the idea to bring the actor back to the series that helped launch his career. “We have ideas for the ending, and obviously if he would participate, we would have a lot of good times. The idea will fly without him if he can’t make it. He is pretty busy.”

Much of last season’s cast will not be present as regulars or even at all for the upcoming season. Both Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak are expected to make occasional appearances, while James Spader’s character is definitely out. Andy Buckley is returning as David Wallace who will be “running things” according to Daniels. Importantly, deals were signed with key leads John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Ed Helms.As for Wilson and his Schrute Farms-inspired spinoff The Farm, a key cast member was announced last week. Comely blonde Majandra Delfino has been cast as Schrute’s younger sister Fannie, who previously left the farm but returns as a single mother. Though the key creatives for the spinoff are top-notch, it’s still unclear if sibling-inspired spinoff will be great (think Frasier) or awful (Joey).