Watching The Office

Here are some photos from The Office’s Season Finale, Company Picnic.  It seems we haven’t seen the last of Charles Miner yet!

More Photos from Korbi.

Here’s a video with Steve, Rainn and Brian during the filming of The Office’s 100th episode, which is incidentally the season finale airing tonight!

From The Hollywood Reporter

• The Hollywood Reporter: What does it feel like to be the guy that revived "That’s what she said" for popular culture?
  Greg Daniels: That’s really funny, isn’t it? I think it was actually (supervising producer/co-star) B.J. Novak. He put that in one of his scripts, so I would give him the credit for that.
• THR: Speaking of Novak, you’ve got a lot of young staffers on the show. Does that help the appeal to a younger demo?
  Daniels: I think so. I also think that artistically speaking, the fact that it had a lot of difference to what was out there helped. When you look back at when we premiered, I think the previous big NBC show had been "Will & Grace," and the kind of shows that were like "The Office" were much more like cable, like the British "Office," "Curb Your Enthusiasm." … I think it was a little bit unusual to have the characters in the show be aware of the camera. Usually younger people are more interested in novelty.
• THR: Did that kind of novelty give you any concerns as to life expectancy with the network?
  Daniels: Oh yeah. Every moment — at the end of the pilot, and at the end of the first season — I felt like, "Well, if this is all we get, I’ll still be super happy about the experience because I really enjoyed all the people I worked with and was so proud of the stuff that we did." So I had a kind of peacefulness about it, I guess. But we were struggling really hard to stay on.

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John talks a bit about the show’s last episode this season on the promo of his latest movie, Away We Go.

Have you warmed up to Parks and Recreation or have you quit watching it?

New York Magazine takes another review of the show, after five episode helpings and finds that it has finally come to its own…

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Here’s an article from The New York Observer based on last week’s episode —

“ Tonight brings the penultimate episode of this season of The Office, which may or may not include a secret wedding between two beloved characters (hint: Jim and Pam). If you’re sitting there thinking this season has gone on forever, that’s because it kinda has; the episode, titled “Café Disco,” will be the 25th of the 2008-2009 campaign. Talk about oversaturation: It’s no wonder we’ve been down on the series for the better part of a year! Count us among the people who thought The Office had lapsed into borderline DVR-removal after too many lackluster episodes and lame plotting—Dwight and Andy literally dueling over Angela will end up being the show’s nadir. But then an intriguing series of events unfolded over the course of the last six weeks: Michael quit Dunder Mifflin and started his own company (which subsequently folded), Stringer Bell (guest star Idris Elba) showed up and put Jim in his place, Dwight became a preening jerk, and, most important, Ryan came back to work not a moment too soon. And just like that, The Office got good again.

B.J. Novak, the diminutive actor who plays ne’er-do-well Ryan, missed a large chunk of this season so that he could film a key role in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Mr. Novak was dutifully floored by the experience—he told Entertainment Weekly that filming Basterds was like a “movie version of making a movie”—and though we’re happy to see him find success outside of television, his absence from our telly was clearly noticed. Ryan is not only a hilarious construct—a repellent and petulant man-child whose recent put-downs to Pam have reached epic proportions—but a character that perfectly bridges the gap between the grounded Jim and the obtuse Michael. That he’s also one of the few supporting officemates who acts like a real-life human being doesn’t hurt, either. (And please note: Ryan went to jail for embezzlement, dyed his hair blond, worked at a bowling alley and, now, lives with his mother—and yet he still ranks high on the humanity scale when placed aside everyone else. This should tell you all you need to know about why the series had taken a dip.) Since he returned to The Office in March, Mr. Novak has been a constant source of surprise—and for a series that is airing its 90th episode later tonight, surprises have become somewhat of an endangered species.

Perhaps Mr. Novak’s return and the series’ rejuvenation are just a happy, unconnected coincidence. (Frankly, they probably are.) The writing has certainly picked up a bit—in a recent interview with USA Today, John Kransinski said that these late-season episodes were the best since season two—and the show seems more focused than usual. But we’d prefer to think Mr. Novak is the cause. What can we say? In Ryan we trust.”

Michael: I still have the lease on the Michael Scott Paper Company so occasionally I will sneak down here for a little coffee and dancing. I actually dance all the time. Top-toeing around Corporate is a ballet. When I am breakin’ all the rules, I’m break dancing. And…espresso.

Michael: Now I know what the founders of Phillip Morris felt like. You just wanna give people a smooth, fun way to relax, and suddenly you’re just some terrible monster.

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The new receptionist, the pretty and spunky lady named Erin who is now doing Pam’s job at Dunder Mifflin Scranton is no stranger to acting at all. She is Ellie Kemper, from St. Louis Missouri and she is part of the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City.

The actress also has a knack for writing and has contributed to The Onion and McSweeney’s. Here are samples of her work at McSweeney’s:

• IN RESPONSE TO ACCUSATIONS THAT MY MEMOIR, I, ELLIE KEMPER, BORROWS NUMEROUS PASSAGES FROM RIGOBERTA MENCHU’S MEMOIR, I, RIGOBERTA MENCHU.
• I AM NOT ON A ROLL.

She is also popular on Youtube as Blowjob Girl. Watch this funny video of her:

Her profile is after the cut…

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Writer, producer, actress Mindy Kaling has just signed a two year contract with NBC and Universal Studios to develop a new comedy series which will also star her. Sources say, she is being groomed ala Tina Fey.

This talented lady will continue to appear on The Office though, while working on her new series.

Congratulations to Mindy!

The full details are after the cut…

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Creed talks to TV Guide and it is actually refreshing to see him looking so…normal!

Creed: So hey. I wanna, set you up with my daughter.
Jim: Oh, I’m engaged to Pam.
Creed: I thought you were gay.
Jim: Then why would you want to set me up with your daughter.
Creed: I don’t know.

Meredith: (to Ryan) Don’t fall in love with me Kid.

Toby: Well I was in the seminary for a year, and dropped out because I wanted to have sex with this girl, Cathy. Followed her back to Scranton. Took the first job I could find in HR. Later she divorced me. So, no, I wouldn’t say I have a passion for HR.

Erin: Do I still have a job here?
Michael: Not important. Ok. Alllright. Yes. Yes, you have a job. Frankly you have a job because Ryan and Pam, are starting with us as salesmen.
Dwight Schrute: Wait. What!
Stanley: How is that going to work?
Michael: It is going to work very smoothly because Pam and Ryan are bringing over a ton of clients, from Michael Scott Paper Company and you’re n–
Phyllis: You mean the clients you stole from us.
Dwight: Aren’t we getting those clients back?
Michael: No you lost– those clients.
Andy: I call foul sir!
Dwight: You were bought out, so the company then bought out all of the stolen clients.
Michael: Dwight, let me explain something to you. I set the rules and you follow them. Blindly. Ok? And if you have a problem, with that, then you can talk to our complaint department. It’s a trash can!

Jim: This is awkward to talk about but there may or may not be but definitely is a mutiny forming in the warehouse right now.

Dwight: When held over heat, the invisible ink will reveal that everyone should meet at the warehouse immediately. Do not ask me where I got the invisible ink. Urine. It was urine.

Dwight: We need to DO something. I’m thinking maybe a coup or we take Ryan hostage.
Phyllis: Those sound too harsh.
Dwight: No I’m not saying we DO those things I’m saying something LIKE those things.
Jim: Of course, what is "like" a hostage.
Dwight: Excellent question.

Andy: We could write a strongly worded letter.
Dwight: Words will never be enough.
Jim: Strongly painted picture.
Dwight: No, pictures are too interpretive.

Michael: When I needed salespeople for my new paper company, everyone here turned their back on me. Am I going to ask them to beg for forgiveness, no. Am I going to ask for a big, crying, apology? No. Am I going to ask them to slit their wrists for me? [smiling] No! I just want a tiny microscopic version of that.

Michael: The old Michael Scott might have taken this but not the new Michael Scott. They are in, for a bitter surprise. I am not to be trifled with.

Are you missing Charles Miner?

The Washington Post had an interview with him from two weeks ago. Here are excerpts to that one…

• Speaking of “The Office,” I’m curious: which member of that show’s cast raised your game the most when you were shooting?

It was actually a combination of Steve Carell and John Krasinski.

[Krasinski] hazed me, okay? While we were doing scenes, especially scenes where I would be in front of the whole team and telling them orders and such, he would always throw jabs at me and see if I’d crack. A few times, I got him. Because when the camera was on him, I’d be exactly the same way and be a complete goofball and he just wasn’t expecting that from me. Because he’s like: “Oh my God. Stringer Bell’s funny.”

And Steve Carell is unbelievably funny and crazy. I mean, he’s so good at the improvisation. And never cracks up. Ever.

This week’s episode is called Cafe Disco.

Episode Summary: Michael decides to enter the cafe-disco business. Pam and Jim are away from the office on a secret trip.

Dwight: Case of the beet bandit. Missing beets from all over the farm, no footprints. Inside job. Mose in socks. Boom. Case closed.

Ryan: I never went to Thailand.
Pam: really?
Ryan: I went to Fort Lauderdale
Michael: Was it nice?
Ryan: Yeah, it was amazing. There was a great pad Thai place though.
Michael: I love pad thai.
Ryan: You’ve never had pad Thai.
Michael: No. There’s a lot I haven’t done.

Michael: Did I ever tell you about the day that Steve Martin died?
Pam: Steve Martin’s not dead, Michael.
Michael: I know. But I always thought, that the day that he died would be the worst day of my life and I was wrong. It’s this.

David Wallace: Here’s the situation. Your company is four weeks old. I know this business I know what suppliers are charging. I know you can’t be making very much money. I don’t know how your prices are so low, but I know it can’t keep up that way. I’m sure you’re scared. Probably in debt. That’s the best offer you’re going to get.
Michael: I’ll see your situation and I’ll raise you a situation. Your company is losing clients left and right. You have a stockholder meeting coming up and you are going to have to explain to them why your most profitable branch is bleeding. So they may be looking for a little change in the CFO. So I don’t think I need to wait out Dunder Mifflin. I think I just have to wait out you.

Michael: Our company is worth nothing. That’s the difference between you and I. Business isn’t about money to me, David. If tomorrow my company goes under I will just start another paper company. And then another and another and another. I have no shortage of company names.

Michael: There are certain defining moments in a person’s life. The day he’s born. The day he grows hair. The day he starts a business and the day he sells that business back to Dunder Mifflin. What have I learned from all of this? It is far to early to tell. All I know is that I’m flying high and I don’t even want to think about it. I just want to enjoy it.

Variety has reported that The Office creator, Ricky Gervais, whose children’s book, Flanimals, will soon be turned into a 3D animated film feature. The film version will have Steve Carell doing the voice to one of the characters…

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