Channel Surfing: Steve Carell Confirms Office Departure, Janeane Garofalo Circles Criminal Minds, Being Human Lands Sam Witwer, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Steve Carell has confirmed that he will leave NBC comedy The Office following the conclusion of next season, the series' seventh. "I just think it's time," Carell told E! Online's Kristina Guerrero while promoting his new film Despicable Me. "I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go... It doesn't certainly mean the end of the show. I think it's just a dynamic change to the show, which could be a good thing, actually. Add some new life and some new energy... I see it as a positive in general for the show." Carell pointed to the series' ensemble cast and the strength of the writers and didn't seem to feel that his departure would negatively affect The Office at all. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Wait, what? Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Janeane Garofalo (24) is in talks to join the cast of CBS' Criminal Minds spinoff, currently entitled Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, where she will play an agent in the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit overseen by Forest Whitaker's Sam Cooper. Garofalo had previous been attached to star in the untitled Hannah Shakespeare/John Wells medical drama pilot, which failed to receive a series order at CBS. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other casting news, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Sam Witwer (Smallville) has signed on to star in Syfy's US adaptation of Being Human as vampire Aidan. Meanwhile, Meaghan Rath (The Assistants) is said to have reportedly signed a deal to play Molly, the flat's resident ghost, while Sam Huntington (Cavemen) is "up for the role of werewolf Josh." (Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello)

ABC Family has ordered twelve additional episodes of nighttime teen soap Pretty Little Liars, bringing the episodic commitment this season to 22 installments. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva talks to Robert Greenblatt about his future plans following the end of his contract as president of entertainment at Showtime. "I had been wrestling with [the issue] for the last couple of months until I came to the decision that it was the time to move on,” said Greenblatt. "I don’t have any specific plans, I’m not in negotiations on anything, and I don’t have anything lined up." But don't look for Greenblatt to segue back into producing again. "Producing is a lonely, difficult work, and I’m not sure that’s where I’m headed. I’m leaning more towards an executive job at the moment," he said. "It’s all about innovating, building or rebuilding something. I don’t feel like walking into a place that needs a new head. It needs to be a place where I have to rethink the whole system; I’m very entrepreneurial.” (Deadline)

[Editor: meanwhile, Variety's Cynthia Littleton also has an interview with Greenblatt about the legacy he leaves behind at Showtime. "The degree to which we were able to break through the clutter with some programming that people seem to really love," said Greenblatt when asked about his major achievements at the pay cabler. "I've always tried to be innovative, going back to the Fox days (as a programming exec), and certainly as a producer. To be given this platform to reinvent it the way I saw fit was just such an extraordinary gift. And then to see the shows embraced the way they have been is just the icing on the cake."]

Variety's Cynthia Littleton also talks to inbound entertainment president David Nevins and chairman/CEO Matthew Blank about the transition. "With a tremendous batch of new stuff coming over the next year, David has the luxury of getting involved with those shows and looking around for the best new material that would take us forward in a way that is tune with his sensibility," Blank told Littleton. "One of the luxuries of the premium TV business is that we don't have a development season per se. David doesn't have to be ready to go with X number of pilots by any particular date." (Variety)

A&E is said to be in talks with 20th Century Fox Television to order thirteen episodes of FOX pilot Breakout Kings, which revolves around a federal fugitive apprehension program that is staffed with convicts. Project is created by Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora. (Variety)

Meanwhile, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reports that FOX has ordered two additional scripts for comedy Breaking In, after the network passed on ordering the Christian Slater and Bret Harrison-led pilot to series. Studio Sony Pictures Television will extend the options on the actors, which--as Andreeva points out--will prevent Harrison from being in the running to take over the male lead on NBC's Perfect Couples, which is recasting. (Deadline)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno has an interview with Louis C.K. ahead of tonight's premiere for his new FX comedy, Louie. "It's kind of like an autobiographical fiction," said C.K. of the new series. "It's like I'm playing myself, but none of these things have happened to me. Like I have a brother on the show, but I don't in reality. I just thought it would be interesting to have a one for a little while." (TVGuide.com)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Calista Flockhart and Brothers & Sisters executive producer David Marshall Grant about what the future holds for Flockhart's widowed Kitty. "It will be a little challenging for her," said Grant, who indicated that the action will begin a year after the death of Rob Lowe's Robert. "She might be seeing the kinds of guys that she didn't normally date, and I'm sure she'll have a date from hell." Flockhart added that she's sad to lose Lowe but said that Kitty won't be siting at home alone. "I don't think Kitty will be single for that long," she told Keck. "She'll have lots of guys — at least I hope." (TV Guide Magazine)

Executive shuffle: former ABC Studios executive Morgan Wandell has left Berlanti Television after two years, following the conclusion of his contract with the company. He will remain an executive producer on ABC's No Ordinary Family and will continue to develop projects. His responsibilities will be taken over at Berlanti Television by Melissa Berman. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.