Watching The Office

Missing Melora Hardin from The Office? She will soon be back on television via the FX drama, Lights Out. Details of the show, and Jan’s possible reappearance on The Office, are after the cut…

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You can now download The Office episodes via your Playstation (PS3, PSP) as Sony announces early today that it has tied up with NBC Universal for the release of movies and TV episodes via the game console. Among the selection? Episodes of The Office, of course.

Here’s part of the press release —-

New movie download releases, such as the irreverent hit comedy Role Models and the Academy(R) Award-winning movie Milk, will be available beginning today for download to own. Other recently released and library titles from Universal Pictures and Focus Features, such as Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Death Race, The Incredible Hulk, Burn After Reading, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and The Big Lebowski, will also be offered for download to own in SD (Standard Definition) or to rent in both HD (High Definition) and SD.

An initial lineup of NBC Universal television programs will include popular and hit shows such as NBC’s The Office, Heroes and 30 Rock, as well as SCI FI’s Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. Episodes will be available for purchase the day after they air in both SD and HD. Previous seasons and additional programs will be added in addition to content from the extensive NBC Universal television library. NBC Universal and PlayStation Network will also be heavily promoting the availability of HD content by launching a joint campaign to create awareness of these hit shows in the highest quality experience.

NBC Universal will provide PlayStation Network users with a variety of attractive ways to purchase and view movies and TV shows, including varying price points depending on the content and format (HD or SD).

“In just over seven months our video delivery service has grown by leaps and bounds, making PlayStation the premier purveyor of online movie and television content for nearly 9 million PlayStation Network registered accounts in the US,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. “The addition of NBC Universal television content adds to our Network’s diversity while Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s movies establishes PlayStation Network as a premiere platform to access content from every major motion picture studio. Whether consumers choose to be entertained at home through PS3 or on-the-go with their PSP, PlayStation delivers an unparalleled combination of versatile and rich entertainment hardware, software and online services.”

Source via Office Tally

The Amy Poehler non-Office spin-off is actually going to be a show that takes place in an office…a government office, that is. It will be done documentary style (much like the office?) in which Amy Poehler will play the role of  Leslie Knope, whose character is described as “mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana.”

Earlier reported to be joining Amy are Rashida Jones, who plays the local nurse and Aziz Ansari, also another government official who apparently, based on a script revealed at the TCA conference happening this week, changed his character’s name from Aziz Abdul Al’Rahman to Tom Haverford. Also in the cast is Aubrey Plaza, the intern who follows Leslie Knope around.

The show still remains untitled. Created and written by Greg Daniels and a few other The Office scribes, the humor is said to be very much like it. Production of the pilot episode will begin February 19th.

The pilot episode, by the way, in a nutshell has this story — In the show, Leslie attempts to improve her town and advance her career by helping a local nurse (Rashida Jones, “The Office”) turn a construction pit into a park. They’re opposed by defensive bureaucrats, NIMBY neighbors and developers. She’s helped and hindered by Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari, “Human Giant,” “Scrubs”), another government official. In the process, Leslie hopes to inspire her bored college intern (Aubrey Plaza) and reach her goal of becoming the first female President of the United States. - Pittsburg Post Gazette

I don’t know why to this day, the press still calls Amy Poehler’s series’ the non-Office spinoff. Something about it just makes if funny…it’s like a phrase Michael Scott would coin.

Anyway, former The Office regular, Rashida Jones, has been tapped to star in the Amy Poehler comedy which should be in next year’s NBC line up. Rashida, who was a visible presence in the earlier seasons of The Office as Karen, Jim’s former girlfriend before Pam (you all know that, being Office fans), is set to play a nurse named Ann in the new sitcom. Ann has a boyfriend with a strange injury.

Aside from Poehler, the series will also star Aziz Ansari, earlier reported to join The Office.

Is it going to be set in a hospital? Or is being a nurse just her job? Those details are still not clear, except Michael Schur, one of the show’s writers said — “It is a spinoff of ‘MASH’ called ‘Seinfeld II.’ “

Rashida Jones, for her part, did seem happy she’s back working with Greg Daniels and Michael Schur again. “For my money, there’s no more emotionally intelligent, cerebral comedy writers in TV than Mike and Greg. There’s something about the way they capture the complexity and awkwardness of human dynamics that’s so relatable yet so unique.”

Her last comedy series, Unhitched, which aired early this year on ABC, failed to take off with viewers. She is expected to appear in one more episode of The Office this season, reports say.

The new and yet untitled Amy Poehler comedy has began production early last week. It’s scheduled to be a mid-season replacement, if I am not mistaken. But just to be clear, this is not a spin-off.

Via UK Press

Work is officially under way on Baby Mama actress Amy Poehler’s spin-off TV show from the US version of The Office, the show’s writer has revealed.

Veteran writer Greg Daniels, who originally adapted Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s award winning formula into a hit stateside, is also leading the work on the new show.

At a special writer’s event at the Paley Centre for Media in Beverly Hills, The Office’s executive producer said. “Well, we just opened up the offices for the other show this week and I’ve been going there in the mornings, then going over to do The Office at lunchtime.”

But Greg wouldn’t give away too much about what viewers can expect. “It’s got Amy Poehler, it’s a comedy. We’re doing a little casting, we’ve found some interesting people. We haven’t got any new deals to report yet, we’re finishing the script,” he said.

He even hinted that the show, which is slated to air next February, might only be similar to America’s version of The Office in its format.

He said: “I refer to it as a companion piece in that it’s more similar in tone than anything.”

“There aren’t any characters that have left that world and come over to this world. It’s not the same state and it’s not the same subject matter but currently it is a mockumentary and I think that that form is great for comedy, it feels to me like there’s room for 10 mockumentaries on TV.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Office” star B.J. Novak may be joining the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie, the remake of “Inglorious Bastards.” He is up for the role of Private Ultivich, who is described (for now) as a soldier who hails from New York.

If he does get the role, he could be playing opposite Brad Pitt, who is negotiating for he role of the leader of the troop. Leonardo DiCaprio is also said to be interested.

B.J.’s right up there with the A-listers, wow!

The Inglorious Bastards, as mentioned, is a remake of the Italian film by Enzo G. Castelleri which ran in the 70’s.

Here is the full summary from IMDB:

During World War II a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Press release (tip from Cassie):

Beginning today, Warner Bros. Pictures is offering a seven-minute sneak preview from the upcoming action comedy “Get Smart,” exclusively on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com) as a free download.

Fans can view this first-look footage with a special introduction by Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway, who star in “Get Smart” as CONTROL secret agents Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, on a mission to thwart a plan for world domination by the evil crime syndicate KAOS.

Later in the month, iTunes will also offer an exclusive clip from the direct-to-DVD parallel content release, “Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control,” introduced by its stars Masi Oka and Nate Torrence, who reprise their “Get Smart” roles as the tech duo behind CONTROL’s arsenal of spy gadgets in their own feature-length adventure.

“Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control” will be available in its entirety on the iTunes Movie Store July 1, with the “Get Smart” feature following in fall 2008.

Visit Warner Bros Pictures

Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Get Smart

Long time running game show, Family Feud, will be airing on primetime on NBC and will air July 1st.

Here’s a list of celebrities joining courtesy of EW.

Our Office faves will be represented by Creed and Brian and they will be up against the contestants from American Gladiators! Oh, I hope I will be able to see this! Go Team Dunder Mifflin!

• Episode 1
-Christopher Knight/Adrianne Curry and family vs. the Teutul family (American Chopper)
-Margaret Cho and family vs. Corbin Bernsen and family

• Episode 6
-Vincent Pastore and family vs. the cast of The Girls Next Door (including Holly, Bridget, and Kendra)
-Kathie Lee Gifford and family vs. Duane “Dog” Chapman and family (Dog the Bounty Hunter)

Family Feud, The Office, Creed, Brian Baumgartner

With two movies to do this summer, I doubt Ed Helms will have the time to star in an Office spin-off, don’t you think? Also, catch him at the big screen this July, with Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave.

Variety reports the projects Ed Helms is keeping busy with. Read after the jump…

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Just a quick post to remind you that Steve Carell is hosting the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 17th with Usher as musical guest. He first hosted the show in 2005.

Meanwhile, Rainn Wilson’s The Rocker has a new trailer up at Yahoo! Movies. Go watch it.

And reruns of Fun Run and Dunder Mifflin Infinity are airing Sundays, replacing Monk and Psych.

Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, SNL, The Rocker

ET is reporting that Angela Kinsey and husband has welcomed Isabel Ruby last Saturday noon, May 3rd.

Congratulations to the Kinseys!

Angela Kinsey

Oh boy, do I’ve got a running theme for today! Adult-oriented content? From the cast of The Office? Naaah. But I bet you did a double take when you saw the headline, huh?

Anyway, yes it’s true —Jenna Fischer will be on Playboy Magazine. But not in a way you think (although she’s one gorgeous woman, she can do Playboy anytime!). Jenna has an interview on it with David Resin. The issue will hit stands March 2008.

Meanwhile, Rainn Wilson did drop his pants down for a comedy sketch he has done for the Spirit Awards (which he will host on Feb 23).“When I signed up I said, `I’m not a standup comedian. I’m happy to tell jokes and stuff but it’s not really what I do. And you know, they were like, `Great, let’s film some stuff and make it close to what you did when you hosted “Saturday Night Live.” That’s kind of what we’re aiming for - just funny comedy stuff. I assure you, I make an (idiot) of myself. My (butt) is actually revealed a couple of different times, so if anyone’s curious about what my (butt) might look like ……I don’t know why they would be. It’s all for a laugh. My body being exposed is good for a great deal of laughs. They use it on `The Office’ quite a bit when they need a laugh - they have me take my shirt off.”

The Spirit Awards is like the opposite of the Oscars, because the ceremony itself is a completely different atmosphere. Says Rainn Wilson, “It’s on a beach in a tent in Santa Monica so it’s more freewheeling. There’s no time limit as to how long people can talk. It’s kind of a ramshackle, crazy awards show that’s really about cutting-edge cinema, and it’s really for movie fans and actor fans.”

Jenna Fischer, Jenna Fischer on Playboy Magazine, Rainn Wilson, Rainn Wilson at the Spirit Awards, Spirit Awards

I know, I know…this isn’t exactly The Office territory anymore, and it would have to look like Karen has moved on from her break up with Jim. But I know we still have some Rashida Jones fans visiting this site, so I bring you this behind the scenes clip from her new show, Unhitched, which will be airing on Fox.

Aside from this, Rashida, a fashionista, is also set to launch a clothing line, Laloo, this month:

Her career is seriously taking off in all kinds of direction. Good for her and good luck, too!

Rashida Jones, The Office, Unhitched, Laloo

As much as I am on board the PB & J train, I also like having Karen around the show.  I wonder if Rashida Jones will come back to the show and do a few more episodes again.

Anyway, I know where she’ll be in April —- shooting a movie!

The first one is with Paul Rudd, where she will play the female lead. The movie is entitled, “I Love You, Man” and it also stars Jason Segal (from How I Met Your Mother). It’s a story about a man who is bound for the alter and seeks out a best man for the wedding.

Rashida Jones is also set to shoot, “Chill” with Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. She will play best friend to Zellweger’s character, a big-city businesswoman who has to move to a rural town in Minnesota.

Her upcoming TV Series, Unhitched, on the Fox network is expected to premiere this year, too.

Busy, busy woman, this Rashida Jones. I don’t think she’s coming back to The Office anytime soon.

The Office, Rashida Jones

Ed Helms, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez were interviewed by Jeff Berman (of UnitedHollywood) recently, in connection with their participation at Armando’s Improv Show at the IO West Theater last February 4th. The show’s proceeds went to the Below the Line Fund, which will benefit members of the WGA.

Below is the video:

Speaking of Angela, she will be on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show tonight (Don’t you forget it!). And has appeared on VH1’s Free Radio, too:

Angela’s all over the place even with her tummy growing bigger and bigger. Of the cast members, I dare say, she’s the one most visible one, bustling with all kinds of activities lately. She was even on Last Comic Standing with Oscar. Pregnancy must have boosted her energy levels. I’m so happy to see she’s carrying this baby just fine.

The Office, Angela Kinsey, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez