You'd think that as The Office draws closer to Steve Carell's departure, the list of candidates to replace Michael Scott would be growing shorter.
Lucky for the speculative types, that's not the case! TVLine reports that NBC has added three more potential names to step up to the job, including Ray Romano, James Spader and Catherine Tate.
Already confirmed to appear over the course of the season's final episodes are Will Ferrell, Will Arnett and Ricky Gervais, but each comes with its own set of reasons to either count or discount as next in line for the job.
Shall we? Will Ferrell is committed to a four-episode arc, and wouldn't be settling down into a TV role anytime soon given his comedic stardom. Same goes for Ricky Gervais, who would be unlikely to reprise his David Brent character from the original UK Office more more than a few cameos.
Will Arnett seemed like a possibility for a time, but has committed to another NBC pilot for the Fall. Additionally, series writer and star Mindy Kaling recently confirmed via Twitter than Arnett would play the show's infamous "Scranton Strangler," and that James Spader would play his public defender.
So what of Ray Romano and Catherine Tate? Ray still maintains his committment to TNT's Men of a Certain Age, so by default is Catherine Tate the next Michael Scott? Or will the next promotion come from within the cast?
Tate is best known for her roles as companion Donna Noble of Doctor Who's series four, as well as her award-winning self-titled sketch comedy show, and would make a fine choice.
What say you? Would you like to see Tate as the next Dunder-Mifflin boss, or is The Office lost without Steve Carell? Give us a memo of your casting choices below!
