What tonight’s Office might have been …

The Scranton Times-Tribune reports on what will take place on tonight’s new episode of The Office, as well as what could have been …

Tonight’s “The Office” takes place on St. Patrick’s Day
BY JOSH MCAULIFFE (STAFF WRITER)
Published: March 11, 2010

Whether it’s a parade, a party or a well-known TV show, there’s no shortage of ways to get your Irish on during the next week.

As usual, the Scranton area will be teeming with Emerald Isle-style revelry in the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. Meanwhile, those goofballs from Dunder Mifflin Scranton are getting in on the act, too.

Tonight’s episode of “The Office,” airing at 9 on WBRE-TV, Channel 28, will take place on St. Patrick’s Day, and will revolve around Michael and Co.’s attempts to get out of the office and celebrate the holiday. Unfortunately, the company’s new head honcho, Jo Bennett, is visiting the office and putting a crimp in everyone’s plans.

“She won’t go home. They’re all waiting for her to go home. They all have St. Patty’s Day plans, but she won’t leave,” said “Office” executive producer Paul Lieberstein, who also plays Toby on the show.

As it happened, the show’s producers had plans to send a film crew and a couple of cast members here to take part in this Saturday’s 49th annual St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown Scranton, Mr. Lieberstein said. From there, the show was going to take the footage and incorporate it into the episode, which was originally slated to air on March 18.

Alas, when last week’s Jim and Pam baby episode went from being a two-parter to a one-parter, the St. Patty’s episode was moved up a week, thus nullifying the parade element, Mr. Lieberstein said.

“We were going to put Phyllis on a float and Creed on a chair,” he said. “We were really excited to do it, and maybe we can try to do it again at some point.”

P.S. My insider gave me a little teaser about tonight’s episode; find it on the spoiler page.