Photo: Chris Haston/? NBCUniversal, Inc.
Steve Carell’s exit from The Office gave the show a nice Nielsen bump, according to early ratings. Just over 8 million viewers tuned in for the 52-minute event; among viewers under 50, the series averaged a preliminary 4.1 rating (bigger than anything else on TV last night, save for American Idol.) The Office rating includes about 8 minutes of Parks and Recreation, however; we won’t know the actual number for The Office until later this afternoon. It’s a safe bet to assume the final rating will be a few tenths higher, however, putting overall viewership for last night’s episode a bit below (but in the same ballpark) as last spring’s Jim–and–Pam baby arrival.