Rainn Wilson, 'The Farm' No Longer: Wilson to Play Cop in CBS' 'Backstrom', NBC's 'The Office' Season 9 Coming to Close

With NBC's hit sitcom "The Office" coming to an end this season, the stars of the show will have to move on. That is just what actor Rainn Wilson, who plays show favorite "Dwight", will be doing. According to Entertainment Weekly, CBS has cast Rainn Wilson in the leading role of their new sitcom "Backstrom." This is a huge get for the network that has also recently cast stars such as Robin Williams and Anna Faris in roles.

Wilson will be taking on the lead role where he plays Detective Backstrom. The show is based off of a Swedish detective series with the same name. The show was created after a Swedish book series by Leif G.W. Persson. Wilson will be starring alongside Dennis Haysbert and Kristoffer Polaha in the new CBS series.

Wilson starred as Dwight Schrute for nine seasons on NBC's "The Office." The actor was originally planning on starring in a spin off to "The Office" titled "The Farm." However, NBC passed on the show and Wilson seems almost relieved when he told HuffPost TV in an interview, "But it was kind of a relief in a way, because it's time to hang up the old Dwight bad haircut and glasses and move on." The pilot episode aired as a part of the shows most recent March 14 episode on season nine.

After "The Office" first aired in the U.S. to over 11 million viewers back in 2005, the season 9 premiere garnered just over four million viewers. A spin off show was proposed back in 2008, but the writers instead went with "Parks and Recreation."

What do you think about Rainn Wilson branching out in his own show on CBS? Do you think Wilson will be able to shed the Dwight character or will he forever be linked to his "The Office" fame?