Wed, 31 October 2007
I saw these products at the convention this past weekend, and thought they were pretty darn cool. Lots of people seemed to agree with me, since the lines to buy stuff at the con never, ever seemed to decrease. First up? Your very own Dundie Award: ![]() "Once again, it's time to hand out the Dundie Awards! Now you can have your very own trophy, which recalls the classic "Dundies" episode. The trophy comes with six interchangeable placards." (including all of the awards given out in that particular episode, like "bushiest beaver," "whitest tennis shoes," "don't go in there after me," etc.). At first I was a little let down by the generic "Dundie Award" placard, but the extra 6 cards are a great touch. Next... the Michael Scott talking bobblehead: ![]() "Now The World's Best Boss can be the center of attention in your office too! Buy this exclusive talking Michael Scott Bobblehead featuring some of his infamous catch-phrases." The Dwight bobblehead was cool because... well, because it made sense in the context of the show. This one really DOESN'T... but it's still pretty neat, nevertheless. Click on the link above to see which phrases he speaks.
Category:general
-- posted at: 7:50pm EST
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Tue, 30 October 2007
In case you were wondering what was going on during the video introduction at the Writers' Block panel, Future_Dwight was kind enough to provide this clip (thanks to the OT convention links page).
Category:Convention
-- posted at: 4:23pm EST
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Tue, 30 October 2007
The fansites are buzzing today with rumors that NBC is prepping a special episode of THE OFFICE which will introduce characters who will then be spun off into their own series. Say what? ![]() According to TV Guide's Ausiello Report "the proposed Office 2 is not expected to
include any of the mother ship's core cast. In fact, producers are
already casting about for a 'name' to headline the potential show." Now, I'm a pretty big fan of THE OFFICE, but why on earth do I need or want a spin-off show? There have been rumors of the "Dwight" spin-off for a while, and I hope these amount to the same hills of beans. One of the reasons why THE OFFICE is so special is that the cast and crew have a laser-like focus to produce a quality product. A spin-off, even if no cast leave the show to follow it, will surely divide the creative staff... stealing some of the producers and writers we know and love. That way, we end up with two mediocre shows instead of one GREAT one. Am I going a little too 'Cassandra' on you guys? Perhaps. I mean, sure, BUFFY was good, and ANGEL was decent... although after ANGEL started BUFFY pretty much went downhill... hmm. Not sure what to make of this. At the very least... for the love of god, DON'T hire David Spade for the "Michael Scott" role.
Category:general
-- posted at: 3:16pm EST
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Tue, 30 October 2007
Thanks to Jennie Tan (a.k.a. Tanster) for being kind enough to link to
my convention special podcast episodes on OfficeTally.com.
I recognized her from the "internets," and introduced myself at the press conference. She's very nice and certainly more down to earth than I might be if I got to hang out with the cast on a regular basis. Since starting this podcast, I've often felt cut off from most of the other "The Office" fan community. The convention was a good chance for me to meet the cast and people like Tanster, and I'm glad to be feeling more connected with things "post-show." My carpool-mate Adam presented Tanster with a cool parking sign with the Dunder Mifflin logo at the Bloggers' Breakfast (he works for a company that makes traffic signs), and it went over pretty well. He also gave one to Melora Hardin which earned him a much talked about hug. Check his flickr page for images.
Category:general
-- posted at: 10:51am EST
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Mon, 29 October 2007
We woke up pretty early on Sunday morning (since my two roommates have IMHO overly complicated morning rituals) in order to get to the BLOGGERS' BREAKFAST on time. It was set to start at 9am, and the place was surprisingly crowded. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, since this was one of the "big" events that people had to choose between with their different ticket levels. Donuts, coffee, and juice were provided, which was a nice touch (just don't get caught in that stampede for the Krispy Cremes). I felt sort of bad for the bloggers present at the event, since most of them got lost in the shuffle between Jennie "Tanster" Tan and the cast members. Seriously, who would you rather ask a question? Random blogger, or Brian Baumgartner? As you can imagine, most people chose option "B." But hey, that's what you paid the big money for, right? Brian explained how he got started blogging, his decision to write as his character, and his undying love for OfficeTally. Bobby Ray Shafer was a bit more brief, partly because he'd lost his voice for most of the weekend. Kate Flannery popped in a bit later, talking briefly about her TV Guide blog. I guess Andy Buckley was just there for moral support, since he proclaimed his complete and utter ignorance of all things computer related. (For the full audio of the panel, download the podcast below) After the BB, we headed across the campus to the Scranton Cultural Center for the big WRITERS'S BLOCK panel. I had an awesome seat for this event, as the press was assigned the upper balcony. I sat front row center, with no one else in front of me. I struck up a conversation with the three people around me, and found they worked for NBC.com-- one was in charge of video production, another for writing copy, and the last was in charge of the whole Dunder Mifflin Infinity website. Very cool. A few minutes later, a woman came up and said everyone had to get out of the first two rows because NBC wanted them... my new buds said I could stay, though, so I was the only one down there with them. It was very cool hearing the writers discuss the show, since we rarely seem to get their point of view in any of the extra material. Greg Daniels, Mike Shur and Jennifer Celotta did most of the talking, although Mindy Kaling and B. J. Novak (a surprise drop-in) also got most of the audience questions. (For the full audio of the panel, download the podcast below) After the panel, we got to see the first 8-10 minutes or so of BRANCH WARS, which I thought was hilarious. By all accounts I should have hated it -- most of the humor was totally "over the top" and silly -- but I found myself laughing louder than I have in a few weeks. Maybe it's the return of director Joss Whedon... I don't know. I just know that I was digging it and look forward to this Thursday. There was a final VIP cocktail party next, and I managed to sneak myself in and chat with most of the writers. B. J. Novak was only there for about 10 minutes or so, and he was getting mobbed, so I had no chance to talk to him. Writer Mike Schur (a.k.a. Cousin Mose) was also getting mobbed. The lesson here? Acting is better than writing :) With that, our magical weekend came to a close. Sigh. We'll always have Scranton.
Category:Convention
-- posted at: 10:37pm EST
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Mon, 29 October 2007
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Mon, 29 October 2007
I posted all of my pictures to the FLICKR account.
![]() Have fun! Other photo collections from the convention: Adam's page Alison's page
Category:Convention
-- posted at: 6:55pm EST
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Sun, 28 October 2007
Sadly, Paul Lieberstein couldn't make it out to the show this weekend, but as you can see, B. J. Novak made a surprise appearance to (hopefully) make up for it. Oh, and we also got to see the first ten minutes of "Branch Wars," which "Sunday Matt" proclaims to be "dawesome." Again, sorry for the audio quality... hope you can still enjoy the content.
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Sun, 28 October 2007
Saturday:
Well, today was pretty crazy. Woke up-- still raining. Since Adam and Laura were hungry/thirsty, we hiked to the Steamtown Mall and found the famous food court home of the "Scranton Welcomes You" sign. The place was essentially deserted, and we were goofing around taking pictures... I suddenly looked over and frigging Mindy Kaling was standing two feet away from me (also getting her picture taken with the sign). I got up the courage to ask her to talk, but alas, she didn't have time for me right then. Walking back to the main square, we hung around the autograph tent for a while, sneaking pictures of Phyllis and Bobby Ray, Melora, Angela, Ed and Mindy (again) as they signed autographs for the people lucky enough to have tickets. I did the paparazzi thing and yelled "MELORA!" to get her attention, and it worked-- she looked right into my camera. Good stuff! At three, Creed and The Scrantones hit the stage and played a few tunes (including the theme song, and the song Creed sang during the deleted scenes from "Booze Cruise"). Craig Robinson got up on stage next, singing a Daryll-rific version of Radiohead's "Creep." Unfortunately, I had to take off for the press conference at four, so missed the rest of the show. The press conference... wow. Me and about 30-40 other members of the press got to ask the cast anything we wanted. I got up the gumption to ask them about the writer's strike (they all laughed when I said I was from the TWSS podcast... they thought I was joking). Greg Daniels didn't have a specific number of how many episodes they had in the can, but they eventually said that every month of the strike would knock three episodes off the schedule. I'll post the audio from the press conference eventually. After the conference, I got to go around and talk to EVERY. SINGLE. CAST. MEMBER. Only for a few seconds, but I got them to record little bumpers for the show, which you should be hearing sometime soon as well. Definitely very cool to shake everyone's hands and introduce myself. At around 5:15 pm, we moved across the hall into the PUBLIC Q&A session (download the audio podcast below). Crap, that place was packed... it was essentially a basketball arena, and it was filled to the top of the bleachers on all sides. With my press pass, I wormed my way into the "photographer" area directly in front of the cast... essentially sitting 4-5 feet away from them during the entire show. Great, great times. After the event, I tried to find the Lackawana College campus, as it was hosting the "cast lookalike" contest and Scrantones encore. Needless to say, I got lost, and when I finally got there, I spent 10 minutes running up and down stairs trying to find the frigging bathroom. I walked around for a few minutes, but I just had to bail. I was wiped. Tomorrow, I plan to hit the "Blogger's Breakfast" and then the "Writer's Block" sessions (more audio to come). Peace out. P.S. Adam got a hug from Melora Hardin. He's ready to die now.
Category:Convention
-- posted at: 12:11am EST
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Sat, 27 October 2007
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Fri, 26 October 2007
Well, we made it here in one piece, despite a ridiculously long and tiring drive. Five minutes after pulling into the parking lot, though, we saw Oscar (we waved, he waved back). Going into the hotel, we saw Leslie (Stanley) standing by the registration desk (he shook hands and made fun of the sleeping bag I was carrying at the time). About 10 minutes after that, I went back downstairs and ran right into Brian (Kevin) coming in the front door-- he was kind enough to pose with me for a picture, but I looked like someone's "special" illegitimate step-son. Ah well. Walking outside immediately after seeing Brian, I bumped into Bobby Ray (Bob Vance). They're EVERYWHERE! :) I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, check out Adam's FLICKR page for updated photos of our journey (mine will have to wait until I get home). EDIT: Around 5:30 PM, there was supposed to be a "kick off" party here in the hotel. Not sure what's going on with that, but Phyllis Smith, Leslie David Baker, and Bobby Ray Shafer were being mobbed in the lobby. I got a few paparazzi shots, but my ancient camera eats through batteries faster than Kevin through M&Ms... long story short, it died on me. I don't know if anyone reading the blog is going to be AT THE SHOW, but give me a shout here if you'd like to try and do a meet-up. Last minute, of course, but what the hell.
EDIT 2: It's about 7:30 PM, and Adam & Laura have left to the "casino night" event. Sadly, as a reporter, I am unable to attend this function, so instead I will go to sleep (something I haven't done for about 30 hours). Only one other cast sighting-- I saw Creed & "The Scrantones" jump on the elevator. I guess he must have been in a hurry, because he didn't stop or pose for pictures with anyone waiting nearby.
Category:Convention
-- posted at: 3:04pm EST
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Thu, 25 October 2007
Can't believe I forgot to put this up... blame it on the stress of trying to get everything ready before the big trip! Augh.
LOCAL AD 9/8c TV14 10.25.2007 ![]() THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ADVERTISING - When the Scranton branch is asked to participate in a Dunder Mifflin ad, Michael seizes his chance to exhibit his creativity. Meanwhile, Dwight explores the online world of Second Life.
Category:general
-- posted at: 11:08pm EST
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Wed, 24 October 2007
Holy crap.
Looks like I'm going to Scranton this weekend. I got my press pass, and I've got a car-pool lined up. I'll be able to get into anything EXCEPT the VIP cocktail parties (damn that Ryan!). I'll also be able to attend the "press only" chat with the cast and crew on Saturday. I might be able to interview people as well! GAH! Here's where I need your help-- you have 24 hours to send in ANY questions you'd like asked of the cast members (be serious, please). Post your questions here in the comments section. I will be recording ALL of the cast events, and will assemble them into a podcast sometime next week. I'm not sure when the LOCAL AD episode will be up, but I might be able to work on it during some down-time this weekend. Ain't no party like a Scranton party!
Category:general
-- posted at: 3:46pm EST
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Mon, 22 October 2007
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Sat, 20 October 2007
Fresh off the AP wire:
Oct 20, 12:43 AM (ET) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Members of Hollywood's film and television writers union have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike anytime after their contract expires at the end of the month. More than 5,000 members of the Writers Guild of America cast ballots, with 90 percent voting in favor of authorizing the strike, the union said Friday evening. Members voted Thursday. "Writers do not want to strike, but they are resolute and prepared to take strong, united action to defend our interests," guild President Patric Verrone said in a news release. "What we must have is a contract that gives us the ability to keep up with the financial success of this ever-expanding global industry." Since July, the guild has been in talks with film studios and production companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Both sides acknowledge they have not made progress. Nick Counter, the alliance's president, said he was not surprised by the vote. "Our focus is on negotiating a reasonable agreement with the WGA," he said in a news release. A key issue dividing producers and writers, as well as actors, whose contract expires next June, is compensation for DVD sales and productions that get distributed on the Internet or in other new media formats. The writers' current three-year contract expires Oct. 31, and their vote gives the union's leaders authorization to call a strike anytime after that day. Studios and TV networks have accelerated filming of shows and movies and begun stockpiling scripts in case of a strike. The last strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks. Losses to the industry were put at $500 million. Now, this doesn't mean they are
definitely GOING to strike. It simply means that they COULD strike at
any time after the contract expires on October 31st *IF* they don't
come to an agreement. Knowing the WGA is ready to strike will
hopefully spur the studios to make a quick negotiation before the
entire industry is shut down once again. Here's hoping for the best.
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:04pm EST
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Sat, 20 October 2007
Apparently, the reviewers at Slate.com haven't been too thrilled with season four of THE OFFICE. In a post on this past Thursday, they lay out just where exactly they feel the show is going wrong so far. To quote from the article: 'We believe that the show's new long format is to blame. The season
has kicked off with several hourlong episodes, the fourth of which airs
tonight. In seasons past, each 22-minute episode has been a model of
comedic restraint. Easy jokes were avoided. Funny ones landed swiftly
and moved on to make room for the next. Rather than encouraging actors
to mug and showboat, the camera paused briefly on subtle glances and
smirks. Mindy Kaling, who writes for the show and plays the ditzy
customer-service rep Kelly Kapoor, told Rolling Stone that The Office is a show without "chuffa"—a writers'-room term for "filler that seems like it's funny but isn't really a joke." The hourlong episodes make us wonder if there's a word for "filler that seems like a joke but isn't really funny."' (click HERE to read the rest of the article) I don't agree with all of their conclusions, but I do think they're dead-on with some points (especially with how Ryan has been handled so far, and whether or not a happy PB&J is best for the series). I will admit that we have a LOT of room left this season, and it's hard to say how the whole thing will play out. I wouldn't say I'm "worried" about the show at this point, but this article has tapped into some of my fears about what COULD happen. So what do you guys think?
Category:general
-- posted at: 3:53pm EST
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Thu, 18 October 2007
Sounds like a pretty Jan-heavy episode, so this might be interesting. And seriously, Dwight's B&B? This is either going to be pure comedy gold or a horrible, horrible disaster. Let's hope for the former! From NBC.com: MONEY
9/8c TV14
10.18.2007 ![]() ![]() EASY
COME, EASY GO - As Jan (Melora Hardin) renovates the condo, Michael
(Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) confronts his growing debt every way
he can, which includes pressuring his employees for a loan. Pam (Jenna
Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) spend a night out on Dwight's (Rainn
Wilson) family farm, now a bed and breakfast. B.J. Novak, Ed Helms,
Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez,
Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Creed Bratton and Craig
Robinson also star.
EDIT: Remember, this is going to be the LAST hour-long episode in a good while (they only ordered five, and I'm guessing the last one will be the season finale). I guess we'll see next week whether or not we miss the 45 minute running time or not! I have a feeling that 21 minutes is going to seem a bit too short... wish we could hit the sweet spot of about 30 total minutes of show. Seems like it'd be just about perfect. Also, remember to join us in the TWSS CHAT room after the show.
Category:general
-- posted at: 8:06am EST
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Wed, 17 October 2007
Listener Luke sent me an e-mail today, pointing me towards a headline on IMDB regarding the possible writer's strike. From IMDB:
Raising legitimate hopes for the first time that a strike by the Writers Guild of America against Hollywood film and TV studios could be averted before the expiration of the current WGA contract on October 31, the producers on Tuesday withdrew a proposal that would have delayed payment of residuals to writers until the costs of production, distribution and marketing were recouped. Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, said that the group was withdrawing the proposal "in the overriding interest of keeping the industry working and removing what has become an emotional impediment and excuse by the WGA not to bargain." The WGA issued a terse response, stating that it hoped that the withdrawal of the recoupment proposal "means the companies are ready to begin serious negotiations." Sounds good. Let's hope for the best, otherwise I'll have to start that long awaited DEAL OR NO DEAL podcast I've been toying with.
Category:general
-- posted at: 7:56pm EST
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Tue, 16 October 2007
Some people aren't very amused, but accommodation review site TRIPADVISOR has posted a listing for the Schrute Farms Bed & Breakfast.
![]() From the copy: "Schrute Farms is the number one beet-related
agrotourism destination in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We offer the
finest accommodations for the casual traveler and/or beet enthusiast.
Come join us and experience majestic Schrute Farms. Room Amenities: -Three Themed Rooms: America, Irrigation, and Night-time -Handmade mattresses -Beds do not conform to traditional sizes; closest is twin Property Amenities: -We cater to the elderly -Field and barn tours -Side car Rides -Table-making demonstrations -Tractor Mosey -Homemade Beet Jam demonstration Policies: -Check in time: After 5:30pm on weekdays, 3pm on weekends -Check out time: Before 9:00am, 11am on weekends" Book your getaway weekend now. (the reviews are good for a chuckle as well...)
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:39pm EST
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Tue, 16 October 2007
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Mon, 15 October 2007
Holy crap on a crutch! We actually WON the DMI logo contest! Alicecomplex's logo (seen below) won out in the general voting over all the other DMI branch logos. I couldn't be more proud. For her efforts, she'll receive 300 SchruteBucks AND Angela Kinsey's "Sprinkles" t-shirt as seen in the season premier (autographed to boot). Nice work!
Category:DM Infinity
-- posted at: 11:57pm EST
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Fri, 12 October 2007
well, we all voted for out favorite logo from within the Schaumburg submissions, and now "alicecomplex" has her logo going up against the best of the other branches. What I'm not happy about is the fact that the final voting is open to ANYONE. Yes, ANYONE. Anyone at all. You don't even have to be playing the game in order to vote. So what does that mean? Well, for one thing, it means PENNY ARCADE's huge audience can freely vote for the Spokane, WA's Dunder Mifflin "Fruit F*cker" logo and pretty much kill anyone else's chance to win. Same thing for branches associated with other giant forums or personalities. Now, I'm not saying that the TWSS branch isn't big, but we're not pulling in anywhere near the numbers of these other sites. Voting closes on Sunday, so if you read this blog and get a chance, please vote for the Schaumburg branch's logo HERE. At stake for the grand prize winner is the T-shirt Angela Kinsey wore during the FUN RUN episode.
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Thu, 11 October 2007
What's that? Another party, you say? Oh, THE OFFICE, will you never learn? Season three was filled to the brim with party after party, and hopefully season four will keep things focused back where they belong-- at work! In any event, let's hope for a little Michael redemption this episode if at all possible. ![]() From NBC.com: LAUNCH PARTY
9/8c TV14 10.11.2007 ![]()
THE
WORLDWIDE WEB - The Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is launching and
Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) is excited about going to
the big launch party in New York while Angela (Angela Kinsey) plans a
satellite party for the Scranton branch. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn
Wilson) competes against the website to see who can sell the most paper
in one day. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin,
Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy
Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton,
and Craig Robinson also star.
Category:general
-- posted at: 3:38pm EST
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Tue, 9 October 2007
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Thu, 4 October 2007
You want more Ryan? You GOT more Ryan.
From the NBC website: DUNDER MIFFLIN INFINITY
9/8c TV14 10.04.2007 ![]() THERE'S
A NEW BOSS IN TOWN - Much to the dismay of Michael (Golden Globe winner
Steve Carell) and many of the employees, Ryan (B.J. Novak) returns to
the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin to bring the company into the
digital age. Angela (Angela Kinsey) is still upset about her cat. Rainn
Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie
David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis
Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Creed Bratton
also star.
------------------------------- I enjoyed the premier, but I'm really looking forward to this episode because Mike Schur is listed as the writer (Schur, who portrayed "Cousin Mose" last season, has written or co-written many of my favorite episodes). Post your thoughts in the comment section!
Category:general
-- posted at: 2:21pm EST
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Tue, 2 October 2007
All I can say is... Yowza. From the cover story: ----------------------------------------- 'The Office': Working OvertimeThere is no way you will find The Office's set unless someone tells you where to look, and even then, it ain't easy. Buried deep in a swath of Van Nuys warehouses, the soundstage sits at the rear of a dead-end street where 18-wheelers turn around and the hot sun bakes the concrete blister gray. The first thing that catches your eye is a sign for Vance Refrigeration, and then another for a paper company by the name of Dunder Mifflin. Soon you're idling past that familiar parking lot, the very spot that's been home to both a tear-jerking confession of unrequited love and a ridiculous bouncy castle intended to catch the faux-suicide attempt of an unhinged boss desperate to prove a point. ![]() On this mid-September day, though, the anonymous lot, clogged with trailers and craft services, is almost unrecognizable. Inside, you're ushered into a small room just off the stage, and things become more familiar. Two monitors transmit shaky, nausea-inducing images from the mockumentary cameras: boxes of paper, drab carpeting, venetian blinds, a poster of some very scary babies. You watch an ordinary day in the life of The Office unspool as cast members wander in one by one to talk about how blessed they feel to be a part of this show. But that's where the conversation starts and ends: They're reluctant to spill any details about the series' fourth season, which started Sept. 27. If they do, it seems, executive producer Greg Daniels — described by one actor as ''the most quiet badass you'll ever know'' — will kill them. So here we are in a tiny room on a dead-end street in an industrial section of Van Nuys not being told anything. In a way, it's appropriate: a very awkward story on the awkward genius that is The Office. Read MORE here (or buy the issues... you know you want to).
Category:general
-- posted at: 7:03pm EST
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Tue, 2 October 2007
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