"The Office" to end after upcoming ninth season

(CBS/AP) The next season of "The Office" will be the show's last.

Series developer/executive producer Greg Daniels told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that the NBC comedy will end after its ninth season, which premieres on Sept. 20.

"It was a hard decision but this is going to be a real gangbuster season," said Daniels, who served as "The Office" showrunner for seasons 1-5 and returned for season 9, according to Deadline.

Daniels said that the final year will be exciting and memorable and will take creative chances. And it will reveal who's been making the mock documentary that has provided the show with its format.

"I think endings can be very powerful," he added.

Will former regional manager Michael Scott return as a guest? Daniels says he hopes Steve Carell will reprise his role as the socially inept boss, but he isn't counting on it. Carell left in 2011.

"The Office" was adapted from its British predecessor and premiered on NBC in March 2005.

While its ratings have slipped, it's still NBC's highest-rated scripted series.