No Steve Carell on the series finale of The Office says showrunner, Greg Daniels. Daniels told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that the titular Dunder Mifflin Scranton boss will not be making an appearance in the series finale of the popular NBC sitcom.

Daniels said, "I think Steve felt, and I agree, that the 'Goodbye, Michael' episode was his goodbye and he didn't want to overshadow the ending that all the other characters deserved."

The former Daily Show correspondent and actor, portrayed the dunder-headed manager, Michael Scott, of a fictional Scranton, Pennsylvania paper company on the popular NBC mokumentary comedy, The Office from 2006-2011.  

It's said that NBC only renewed the show, despite tepid first year ratings, after Carell's starring turn as the titular character in the blockbuster comedy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Executives hoped he'd be able to attract viewers to the show, which was adapted from the British incarnation of the same name. The British version starred Ricky Gervais in the Steve Carell role as the manager of a mundane office.

Carell left after the seventh season of the show, and it’s trudged along in the interim making up the eighth and ninth seasons by bringing in a host of guest actors, including James Spader, Jim Carey, and even Ricky Gervais reprising his role on the British version.

Despite the show being nominated for 40 Emmy awards up to 2012, Carell himself never was nominated, much to the chagrin of the cast, crew and critics who loved the way he acted out his lovably obtuse character. Carell did win a Golden Globe for Best Performer in a Comedy or Musical in 2006, though.

The shows developer, Daniels, returned for this, the ninth and final season, after B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling left after season eight.
Showrunner, Daniels, also teased audiences by saying the ending will be "very similar" to the way the original British version ended.

The one-hour series finale will air on it's usual Thursday night spot, on May 16, but instead of the half hour, it'll run from 9 to 10 p.m. ET, and Daniels is hoping NBC will find a way to give them a little more than 60 minutes.