‘The Office’ Finale Gets 15 Extra Minutes

The Office finale had already been approved for a hefty one-hour time slot, but NBC announced on Tuesday that fans could expect the finish to go even longer.

According to The Wrap, the final episode, which has been given a May 16 air date, will clock in at 75 minutes, running from 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. EST.

Fans will then jump from guffaws to gruesome when the first season of Hannibal comes to a close immediately following.

The Office finale will take place several months after the airing of the Dunder Mifflin documentary that the unseen camera crew — at least “unseen” until recent episodes — has been shooting for nine seasons.

Dunder Mifflin’s past and present employees will come together for a wedding and a final round of interviews. From the network: “Mysteries are solved, hatchets are buried, and pranks are prunked.”

Mindy Kaling, Rachael Harris, Joan Cusack, Malcolm Barrett, Mike Schur, Bobby Ray Shafer, Andy Buckley, Matt Jones, Ed Begley, Jr., Dakota Johnson, and B.J. Novak, have all been confirmed as guest stars.

There may even be a Michael Scott appearance, though that is definitely not etched in stone just yet, and any potential glimpse we get of the former boss, played by Steve Carell, will not “overshadow the ending that all the other characters deserved,” according to executive producer Greg Daniels.

One character (from the British version of the show) that won’t be appearing is David Brent (Ricky Gervais), which was confirmed on April 29. We’re a little more inclined to agree with this denial since Brent, who has appeared on the American version, isn’t as much of a fixture as Michael Scott.

It’s not that fans wouldn’t welcome it, but an appearance from Gervais wouldn’t pack the same punch as this man:

Are you excited for The Office finale, and today’s news that it will run 15 minutes longer than initially planned?