James Spader joins The Office, not to replace Michael Scott (*shrugs*)

How long do you think it will be before he has some kind of perverted sex scene in the Dunder Mifflin offices? Just because that's what James Spader does.

So while we're all waiting on tenderhooks to see who's going to be taking over Michael Scott's desk toys and 'World's Best Boss' mug, here comes news that former Hollywood A-lister...ok, B-lister at best... is joining the cast. But instead of replacing Steve Carell as manager, he'll be filling a much larger hole.

Spader will become the new CEO of Sabre, the Dunder Mifflin owners, in place of Kathy Bates who is to concentrate on her own TV show, Harry's Law. Harry's Law is, unsurprisingly, about lawyers.

Reprising his role of Robert California, who appeared among a selection of manager applicants at the end of the last series, Spader will be seen in the Scott chair briefly, before he finds himself promoted up to the top after only a few hours. Of course, this happens all the time in business. I started my first job at Woolworths 12 years ago and now I'm Emperor of the Universe.

Anyway, while Spader prepares himself for a series of occasional guest spots, the rest of us will be trying to work out which of these other applicants will take the manager job.*