Brian Baumgartner and Mindy Kaling conference call

Press: I was wondering about the status of Paul Lieberstein and BJ Novak. As they do more behind the scenes, are we going to see a little bit less of Toby and Ryan this season coming up?

Mindy: I think that we, without giving away anything from this next season, I think that we will be satisfied with how much we see Toby and Ryan. Because both of them have, you know, Toby disappeared in the finale of last season and Ryan seemingly is arrested. So tying up those stories will be interesting and we haven’t seen the last of Toby what I can tell of him.

Mindy: Those are the worst. So personally I don’t mind seeing less of him. I’m just kidding everybody.

Press: And Mindy, do you ever get back to Cambridge and if you do is there anything in particular that you have to do, that you’re looking forward to doing?

Mindy: I was actually in Cambridge with B.J. Novak three days ago and we had Vietnamese food at Sylvester in Harvard Square. So yeah I did it.

Press: Brian, first for you, these webisodes as you enter kind of on the cutting edge of so-called new media, that’s also a point of the ongoing deal with SAG …

Brian: Yeah.

Press: And the producers. How important do you see — I mean you can almost be a test case I guess. I’m not going to ask you how much you’re compensated, but do you see this as kind of in some ways a Litmus test of where the media — where television is going and what the guild needs to do to stay up with it or?

Brian: You know, that’s a really interesting question. I mean initially I would say very much two years ago when we did the first set I think that was — we were very much a Litmus test. And it sort of changed I think the way everybody was looking at online and what the networks were requesting for making performers and writers and directors do in terms of additional content.

I think now it’s a little different because whatever SAG decides all of the contracts here on out are going to have an online component that they’re going to require writers and directors and actors a sort of a part of their package. And I don’t know what form that’s going to take.

To me, the dispute between the guild and the producers is much more about that other kind of material where they want to create actually new programs and original stories. I think that the jurisdiction there is really much more what this dispute is about. I mean the reality is that the networks feel that it is beneficial to have supplemental material for their shows. And whatever SAG and them work out, they’re going to make that a part of their contract.

So what they’re arguing about right now, is really kind of irrelevant for this kind of thing. I mean obviously for me for example yes, you’re right. I mean they have to come and figure that out on an individual project basis with me at the moment. But going forward, it’s going to be part of the contracts one way or the other. So I don’t know if that answers your question, but I think the dispute is much less about this than it is about when they want to try new material or try new shows and how those programs, who has jurisdiction over those.

Press: Here’s a chance to rebut that Entertainment Weekly – I just saw the issue, the so-called new classes for the past 25 years. They had the British Office in the top 10, they had your Office in the 70’s or 80’s which I think is way too low for your show. So do you want to say anything to that?