The Office Season 9 Is To Be Series' End; Expect A Lot of Drama in the Jim and Pam Story This Year

The upcoming ninth season of the Office will be its last, says show producer Greg Daniels.

With cast members reluctant to return for a tenth season, the decision was made to end the hit NBC comedy series.

"It didn't seem we could count on getting that many people back for a Season 10...We had debated whether to reboot it. It was a bit of a difficult decision. The format is a very strong format," said Daniels at a conference call.

He added that the lack of the show's central characters would "change it to such a degree that it wouldn't be the same show."

Daniels reassured fans that the show is not ending "for any reason other than the ones I have described," saying that the "show has been healthy and valued by NBC."

The producer commented on what we might see in the final season, stating "We are going to Roy's wedding ... we are telling some crazy Dwight stories, there is a lot of drama in the Jim and Pam story this year," he said. "The ending should be pretty cool."

Daniels regarded the ninth season as "the last chance to really go out together and make an artistic ending for the show that pays off a lot of the stuff that has mattered most to fans with the core characters."

The show, which has won four Emmys, lost Steve Carell's character Michael Scott last year. Yet, there may be hope for a return of sorts.

"This will be the last season of 'The Office' and we are planning a very big exciting last season. We are going to have a lot of familiar faces coming back," Daniel expressed.