TVSquad

"Obama Quest: The Legend Begins": I guess the political comedy world has decided that the go-to digs on Barack Obama will be about the pressures of his golden boy image. Unfortunately, I can't say my middle school days were spent quite the same way, dealing with people making fun of how awesome I am. There are definitely worse ways to be mocked, is what I'm saying. Anyway, Mr. Obama has made his way to the Middle East for the first time, providing the Daily Show graphics department with the opportunity to make the most freakin' epic clip to accompany the report. Awesome. This trip also gave the media a chance to eagerly await a major cross-cultural faux pas. As it turns out, Obama has fangirls and fanboys all over the world.

(S04E13) Remember that movie The Chase? Okay, you probably don't, but believe me, it exists [link NSFW]. Anyway, Charlie Sheen takes Kristy Swanson hostage, and over the course of the movie some major league Stockholm Syndrome kicks in (like, really major league: they do it while he's leading the cops on a high speed chase). The lesson of the movie is obvious: if you kidnap the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she'll eventually fall in love with you.

I bring this up because I'm becoming scared that I might have lost perspective on The Office. I've sincerely loved every episode that has aired since its return from the break. Now, here's the question: is this because the writers spent the entire strike doing brain push-ups? Or is it because The Office is Charlie Sheen to my Kristy Swanson? My (glowing) review after the jump...

(S04E12) Jay Black couldn't be with us today because he was called away suddenly. Something about not leaving the table until he'd finished all his vegetables but he didn't like asparagus and yet that didn't matter he can sit there all night if he has to or until the asparagus evolves arms and legs and jumps off his plate and leaves on its own. So he figured since my name is the closest to his, maybe we could get away with this last minute pinch hit.

I got an episode that won't necessarily go down in the annals of time as an Office classic, but does bring us back to the core of the show: the office. The episode takes place entirely in one day, entirely in the office, and virtually every cast member gets pulled into one storyline or the other. For me, this is when The Office is at its best, when its presenting us barely controlled chaos. Offices are constantly bustling with activity productive or otherwise. Tonight's episode captured just that, and very well.

Hey, Viacom, don't screw this up. After being hated by YouTube-visiting Daily Show fans everywhere, Viacom is taking a big step in making up cool points. Starting today, Viacom will have every minute of the Daily Show, dating all the way back to the first episode in 1999, online at DailyShow.com. Sorry, Craig Kilborn lovers, it's just ol' Jonny Stew and his crew.

Of course, this move is probably less about pleasing the fans and more about the mad cash that Viacom will make in advertising. Hopefully the ads won't be too intrusive on the videos and folks will be able to watch their favorite "This Week In God" without being bombarded with Lars and the Real Girl imagery.

Not too long ago I told you about a funny short from Funny or Die featuring actor/comedian Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office) as a zombie who's just trying to live a normal life but facing all the trials and tribulations that come with being one of the walking dead.

The last two chapters of his saga are up on the site, and I've also placed them below for your viewing pleasure. In the second segment, Glenn the Zombie tries the dating scene, but apparently normal women are too good to be seen with someone whose flesh is falling off their bones. In the third and final installment, Glenn shoots some hoops and decides that, as hard as it may be, he's happy with who he is.

I'll admit that these videos weren't exactly laugh-out-loud funny, but I don't think they're meant to be (although the final scene of chapter three cracked me up). Helms plays the character perfectly straight, which is part of the overall charm.

You think you're so great, don't you? Yeah, I'm talking to you. You there with your non-rotting skin and your oh-so-civilized way of not eating the flesh and organs of the living. Maybe it's time you stepped out of your comfort zone and learned a little about your fellow man (or, more precisely, your walking dead man).

Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office) tries to put a human face on the zombie by showing us that the living dead are not that different than us. They have jobs, friends, play the guitar, absent-mindedly pick decaying flesh from their faces -- well, I guess there are some differences.

At any rate, if you want a good laugh, and also maybe even get grossed out a little, the video is below.

Imagine this scene: an early-evening party in a hotel lounge area. Half the people there are reporters; the other half are actors and producers from NBC shows. To give you an idea: Ali Larter and Hayden Panettiere of Heroes were there; Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, and Melora Hardin of The Office were milling about; Meredith Vieira was bonding with reporters; and Shane West, Linda Cardellini and Parminder Nagra of ER were talking into tape recorders (Parminder's nickname is "Mindy", by the way). There were others there, but those are the ones I remember.

Then there was Ed Helms. He was also at the party to represent The Office; but, unlike some of the other cast members, he wasn't exactly a veteran of press events like this. So he sticks by the bar, chatting it up with a friend (heck, I'd do the same thing if I were in his place). He happily but guardedly starts speaking to a small group of reporters (including me) who wanted to find out what it's like to be the guy who made Dwight Schrute likable. Then, all of a sudden, one of the women listening in starts to slowly slink to the floor.

The Daily Show's Ed Helms has signed on to join the cast of The Office! For ten episodes, Helms will play one of the Dunder-Mifflin employees. Before Steve Carell left TDS a few years ago, the two of them worked together as correspondents, I'm really looking forward to seeing them onscreen together once more. However, I hope this new role doesn't mean that Ed's going to leave TDS... I don't think I'm ready to let another oldie go.

Rashida Jones (Boston Public) has also signed on to play an employee and Chip Esten (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) will be returning as his Josh Porter character from the Valentine's Day episode.

Okay, so Condoleezza Rice went to Rome for a meeting about the Lebanon situation. It didn't go so well. Jon showed a Condimeter graphic to illustrate just how bad it was (TDS has been really graphic-happy lately). Of course, the meeting wasn't as great as "Three days alone at Camp David with the President" or "Christmas morning"... It ended up somewhere between "Kofi Annan cops a feel" and "Bin Laden determined to attack WHERE?!". I have a feeling I may have switched up a few of those details, so apologies ahead of time. I swear TDS knows I'm scrambling to type this all down. They probably have a hidden camera on my monitor, broadcasting live right into Jon's office so that they can giggle at my panic.

Jon Stewart started off by announcing that Congress has raised America's limit of debt to a whopping $9 trillion. "Are you getting an 'F'? Don't study harder! Just make the grading scale go to a 'K'!"

March 19 will mark the 3 year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first year anniversary was paper, the second anniversary was (we were hoping for) oil, and the third year anniversary will be Operation Swarmer, the largest air assault since Shock and Awe. Happy anniversary! "It's our way of telling Iraq we would do it all over again..."

Tonight's episode starts with the ongoing coverage of the courts. The first Justice Sunday was a 90-minute broadcast set on ending the filibuster against "people of faith". Okay, well they've called it again with Justice Sunday II. The superstars of this event included Zell Miller, Tom Delay, Dr. James Dobson, and... the Jerry Falwell Good Time Strict Constructionist Jamboree! Anyway, according to these people (Jamboree not included), the greatest threat to the people of faith are the out-of-control judges. Jon Stewart points out that one of the judges in question might be 4th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Osama bin Laden.

Tonight's episode begins with hard-hitting news: Sean Combs... uh, Puff Daddy... uh, P. Diddy... whatever has shortened his name to simply 'Diddy'. And what caused this dramatic change of identity? Mr. Diddy says that he felt like the 'P' was "getting between me and my fans". Yes. The 'P'. Not the army of bodyguards.

Next up is the failed deadline for the new Iraqi constitution. This brings the number of false assumptions about Iraq we were operating on to... 19024. So what's up with this delay? Hashim al-Hassani, Iraq's parliament speaker, speaks through a translator that sounds remarkably like Stephen Colbert. He apologizes for not being able to whip up a constitution within seven months for a country plagued with two millenia worth of religious, ethnic, and cultural turmoil. They just need another week to work out the kinks, y'know.

Hey look! It's another week of The Daily Show! I think tonight's episode is super-special because the guest is former TDS correspondent, Steve Carell. He's my all-time favorite correspondent so I'm extremely glad he's on the show.

Okay, all my fangirlness aside, there's a war in Iraq (remember?) and they were supposed to have a constitution ready by today (Rumsfeld said there'd be one, anyway, and everything Rummy says is gold, y'know). Well, it turns out that they've missed the deadline and now they want another week to complete it. They had over two weeks to fix up an entire constitution for a country. Now they're just being needy. Geez. Jon Stewart sighs and then says, "Okay, you can turn it in a week. But let me say this: The best you can do -- the best -- is a B".