It’s hard to remember a time before The Office became one of the funniest shows on TV, anchoring a new block of NBC sitcoms that have become appointment viewing for most comedy fans. It’s harder still to remember the groans we all let out when it was announced that the U.S. remake of Ricky Gervais’ modern classic U.K. series would star the then mostly unknown Steve Carell, then referred to as “some guy from The Daily Show“. Five years later, Carell is a massive star, and he announced today that he’s leaving the show that made him a household name.

While some have complained about the creative direction of the show in recent years, it’s still hilarious and gets better ratings than any other scripted show on NBC. So where does The Office go from here? It seems doubtful that the manic Dwight or the straight man Jim will take the lead, so all eyes have to be on Ed Helms’ Andy at this point. But since Helms’ star is on the rise as well with the success of The Hangover, will he want to tie himself to a network sitcom for a lucrative but long-term deal? The network may opt for someone new anyway, looking to add fresh blood to a show in its eighth season.

SPJ is dusting off its casting couch and will announce our findings in the coming days. In the meantime, help us out: who can replace Michael Scott?