Where every day is Pretzel Day.
SPOILER WARNING! This message and subsequent comments will contain spoilers.
Listen to an important message from Dwight K. Schrute by calling this number:
1-800-984-3672
This phone number, as you may recall, is the one from Dwight’s business card, included in last fall’s Best Buy’s Severance Package.
Tipster: Jörgen
The next new episode of The Office will air on April 5th, and it will be supersized!
From NBC:
NBC announced it will return its critically hailed “30 Rock” on Thursday, April 5, for a special night of super-sized comedies and laughs that includes original episodes of “The Office,” “Scrubs” and “Andy Barker, P.I.” and an encore episode of “My Name Is Earl.”
On April 5, NBC’s super-sized lineup will include (times approximate): “The Office” (8-8:40 p.m. ET); “30 Rock” (8:40-9:15 p.m. ET); “Scrubs” (9:15-9:50 p.m. ET); “Andy Barker, P.I.” (9:50-10:20); and an encore episode of “My Name Is Earl” (10:20-11 p.m. ET).
No official word on an episode title yet.
It’s a relatively short list today …
Tipsters: Marc, Neal, MoxieTime
The Arizona Republic has an interesting story about how “stupid is the new smart” where TV comedy protagonists are concerned.
The Office’s Michael Scott, of course, is the poster boy for this phenomena.
“I don’t consider Michael as the stupid guy,” [Greg] Daniels said of his lead character. “He makes some very bad choices … I think in certain circumstances he’s very competent. There are just certain circumstances he’s not suited for.”
Indeed, The Office takes care to point out on occasion that, while Michael is a train wreck as a manager, he was an excellent salesman. And that’s crucial to being able to stomach the guy.
Link: Dumb but deep
This just posted by NBC:
On Thursday, March 29 (8 – 9:30 & 10-11 p.m. ET), “Toby Flenderson” (co-executive producer/writer/ actor Paul Lieberstein) who plays the Director of Human Resources, will host “A Night at the Office” marathon. Five “human resource nightmare” episodes will air surrounding an all-new episode of “Andy Barker P.I.” at 9:30 p.m. ET. The encore episodes include “Diversity Day” (8 –8:30 p.m. ET), “Healthcare” (8:30-9:00pm), “Sexual Harassment” (9 – 9:30 p.m. ET), “The Injury” (10 – 10:30 p.m. ET) and “Gay Witch Hunt” (10:30-11 p.m. ET).
Read the full press release here.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting:
In an unusual experiment aimed at improving ratings for reruns, NBC next week plans to air two previously seen half-hour episodes of “The Office” that have been re-edited into a new hour-long show. Some scenes will be cut so producers can weave in unaired footage that introduces a new storyline into the older episodes.
Producers of “The Office” say re-editing the episodes is a way to keep the program’s rabid fan base from moving on … “Their loyalty must be rewarded somehow, and we don’t have the budget to send out 10 million muffin baskets,” says Executive Producer Greg Daniels.
This would be next week’s airings of Traveling Salesmen and The Return.
Greg did mention at Paley Fest last weekend that an additional four minutes of new footage would be added to next week’s episodes. (Did I get that right, Kath?)
Shouldn’t every Office rerun be a ‘newpeat’? Clap your hands say yeah.
Link: NBC Remixes ‘The Office’; Reruns Become ‘Newpeats’ (subscription required)
Tipster: John
From Playbill:
Debra Messing, Rainn Wilson, Richard Kind, Michael Cerveris and Philip Bosco will be among the performers at The Shakespeare Society’s second annual free Shakespeare Birthday Marathon on April 9 at 6:30 PM at the Kaye Playhouse [in NYC].
Link: Messing, Wilson, Kind, Cerveris, Bosco to Celebrate Shakespeare’s 443rd Birthday
From the NY Post:
He’s doing Dogberry, the dogged policeman of “Much Ado About Nothing.” “Rainn is one of the funniest people on the planet, and Dogberry is a great part for him,” says Michael Sexton, the artistic director of the Shakespeare Society. “He’s someone who speaks with great conviction while being absolutely wrong. That, to me, is the essence of comedy.”
Link: Arresting Bard Role for Dorky ‘Office’ Guy
Tipsters: jljcc, Myra