SteveCarell-related stories
Posted Nov 6th 2009 9:01AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E09) There was so much comedic potential in this week's episode, that I ended up coming away from this one unsatisfied. It played out as essentially two mini-episodes, and while the second one was better than the first, neither was particularly funny.
Michael Scott is always funnier when he produces cringe-worthy moments via his cluelessness. Cruelty just doesn't suit him well, and the only time it really works for him is when he's dressing down Dwight. What I was expecting to see during his and Helaine's double date with Pam and Jim was some blissful obliviousness on Michael's part and seething anger on Pam's part. What we got was a Michael that was about as cruel as he's been to anyone in quite some time.
Continue reading Review: The Office - Double Date
Posted Oct 30th 2009 12:07AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E08) You know, as a solitary episode, "Koi Pond" was incredibly satisfying from beginning to end. Outside the office, you had Andy and Pam making cold calls, while back at the office you had the aftermath of a different sales call Jim and Michael had gone on.
It was the perfect blend of everything that makes
The Office work, when it's on its game. There were plenty of laughs, great lines and little moments for everyone in the office. We got some developments on the dramatic side, and most important of all -- an incredibly awkward moment with Michael Scott.
As for Jim, he's really struggling with aspects of his new position, and it's adding a whole new dimension to his character. He's always been a little insecure about his leadership ability, but now we're seeing that he's about as ineffective in controlling the Scranton branch as Michael ever was, thus realizing many of his worst fears.
Continue reading Review: The Office - Koi Pond
Posted Oct 26th 2009 5:30PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: OpEd, Video, The Office, Reality-Free
Since
Fringe comes on at the same time as
The Office now, I'm a little behind on my
Office viewing. But no worries, because the folks at
SlashControl are fantastic about getting new episodes on the site shortly after they air. That means even if you missed last week's episode of
The Office, "The Lover," and your DVR / TIVO failed to record it for you, you can watch it at SlashControl.
Continue reading What's Hot on SlashControl: Last week's episode of The Office
Posted Oct 16th 2009 12:04AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E06) After the fantastic wedding episode, there was a pretty good chance that the follow-up would be a letdown. But when Greg Daniels and Paul Lieberstein
described this episode to reporters during press tour time, it sounded interesting. Michael mistakenly thinks he's talking to the Mafia. Sounds good, right?
Well, it wasn't. It was more than just a post-wedding letdown; it was one of the worst episodes in a couple of years. Why? Mainly because the entire episode was built around a silly misunderstanding that could have been cleared up in a few minutes. And this time, it wasn't even Michael's fault!
Continue reading The Office: Mafia
Posted Oct 8th 2009 11:35PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E04 / S06E05) The one thing you knew going into this episode was that Pam and Jim were going to be married at the end of it. There wasn't any big mystery; no old lovers were going to come back to interrupt the proceedings; Jim wasn't going to say Karen's name instead of Pam's.
Nope, that's been the beauty of the Jam pairing from the minute they got together; they just continue being a solid couple in the background while the craziness spins around them. Even when one of them gets sucked into the craziness -- Pam defecting to the Michael Scott Paper Company, Jim becoming co-manager -- the pairing is still solid.
That's what made this hour-long wedding episode so enjoyable. It wasn't the fact that Pam and Jim got married, it's that they had a memorable, very PB & J-style wedding
despite the presence of the crew from Scranton.
Continue reading The Office: Niagara
Posted Oct 7th 2009 6:09PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Video, Watercooler Talk, The Office, Reality-Free
The event that all of us hopeless romantics have been waiting for is almost here. On this Thursday's one-hour episode of
The Office, titled "Niagara," Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly will finally tie the knot. Their big plan was to have the wedding at Niagara Falls, so that no one from the office would be able to make it. Unfortunately, Michael gave everyone the time off to go to the wedding. Bad for Pam and Jim. Great for us.
I'm one of those people who's been patiently waiting for this day to happen. In fact, it ranks right up there with Luke and Laura on my list of most anticipated TV weddings. Ever since Jim planted a big smooch on Pam after Casino Night (season two finale), my heart's been all aflutter for these two. Sniff ... I knew they'd be walking down the aisle (or whatever they have at Niagara Falls) one day.
After the jump, check out
seven sneak peek clips straight from AOL's awesome video site,
SlashControl.
Continue reading Sneak peek at Pam and Jim's wedding on The Office (tomorrow!)
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 1:40AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E03) Your regular host, the esteemed Joel Keller, is off hiking the Appalachian Trail this week, so he asked me to cover for him. He should be back in time for the nuptials of Pam and Jim next week. But before we could get to that, David Wallace decided to throw new co-manager Jim a major curveball fresh into his new job.
I'm with Joel on the David Wallace situation. Is he really as clueless about how things are at the Scranton branch? My experience with executives is that ... well, he probably is. In fact, on the one hand, I'll say it's a smart move to make Jim and Michael co-managers. Wallace knows the branch brings in solid sales figures, but he also knows what a loose cannon Michael is.
Maybe the thought was that Jim could reign him in and bring a semblance of sanity to the office. If tonight's challenge is any indication, it's not gonna happen.
Continue reading The Office: The Promotion
Posted Oct 1st 2009 12:42AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Jay Leno
We've seen comments the past few days regarding the fact that we're reviewing this show daily so I thought I should go ahead and address this at the top. We're continually evaluating our coverage of this show, but for the rest of this week at least, these will be daily reviews. Regardless of how we or you feel about it, the very existence of
The Jay Leno Show is a groundbreaking chapter in television history.
As such, we'd be remiss to not acknowledge it and cover it upon its premiere. It is a primetime major network show that has completely shaken up the television landscape this season, after all. As for how we'll continue covering it, we have considered weekly roundups or even sporadic reports. And we do listen to you, our readers, as to what you want to read.
Tonight, Jay brought us Steve Carell, "Celebrity Pets," and the "Jackass of the Month." If you think about that last one, I'm sure you can figure out who it was.
Continue reading The Jay Leno Show: Steve Carell/Vince Gill & Emmylou Harris
Posted Sep 24th 2009 11:10PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E02) Well, we knew the closing of the Buffalo branch would intrude on the world of Scranton at some point. Little did we know that it would produce convoluted but ultimately positive results.
Well, the results could have been even
more positive, but you just know that can't happen in the world of Dunder Mifflin, not with the insecure Michael Scott running the branch and the seemingly clueless David Wallace in the executive offices.
This episode proves to me that Wallace is either a brilliant executive or the most patient sap I've ever seen in an executive position.
Continue reading The Office: The Meeting
Posted Sep 17th 2009 9:37PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S06E01) Welcome to season six of
The Office (wow... who would have thought we'd be looking at the sixth season of this show? I didn't, and I liked the show from day one). Jay Black did a great job of reviewing the show the last couple of years, but his stand-up and other duties have called him away on Thursday nights. So your humble editor has decided to take over and sink his teeth into one of his all-time favorite shows.
Even though we pick up season six somewhat where we left off last year -- Pam's preggers, but she and Jim haven't told anyone around the office yet -- it's otherwise just a regular day around Dunder Mifflin. Well, regular in that Michael spends the day telling rumors to cover up one that's actually true, we find out that not all is what it seems in Stanley's life, and Andy is seriously questioning his sexuality. Like I said, just a normal day...
Continue reading The Office: Gossip (season premiere)
Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:05PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, 30 Rock, Awards, Emmys, Chuck, Reality-Free, The Big Bang Theory
I know what many of you are thinking. Alec Baldwin is probably gonna win for
30 Rock again so what does it even matter? Hollywood is in love with that show. Which is true, but not entirely undeserved. Baldwin still commands a scene like almost no one on television. But I don't think he was as dominating a comedic force as last year, and he was part of a
30 Rock sweep, so I don't think Emmy intends to repeat that.
Pushing Daisies was still sweet in its last year, but I'm going to have to snub Lee Pace and replace him with
Chuck's Zachary Levi on the ballot. He balances comedy and drama so convincingly you can't help but root for him.
But there was a looming shadow in comedy this year that no one could escape. I don't see how Emmy could ignore the work of Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on
The Big Bang Theory. He's so convincing in the role that when you see him in interviews you fully expect him to demand his spot on the couch and condescend the host at every turn.
Continue reading Emmy Wish List: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Posted Jun 13th 2009 5:30PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Reality-Free
This installment of
Sketch Comedy Saturday is less about you pining for new episodes of
Saturday Night Live and more about me having an excuse to use this old image of Stephen Colbert with a puppy. It makes me sick, it's so adorable. Unfortunately,
The Dana Carvey Show wasn't just twenty-some minutes of Mr. Colbert nonchalantly holding baby animals, but it was still a pretty funny program.
Continue reading Sketch Comedy Saturday: The Dana Carvey Show
Posted Jun 9th 2009 11:19AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Interviews, The Office, Celebrities, Reality-Free
The last few years have been very good for Amy Ryan. She's had a recurring role in
The Wire, nabbed an Oscar nomination for her role as a drug-addicted mother in
Gone Baby Gone, co-starred in
The Changeling and helped Matt Damon find WMDs in the upcoming Iraq-themed action pic
Green Zone.
But if you show most people a picture of the veteran actor, who's also been nominated for Tonys for her stage work, they'll just go, "Oh, that's Holly." Ryan's role Holly Flax on
The Office not only represented a soul mate for Steve Carell's Michael Scott, but she was surprisingly adept at channeling her inner dork for the role. She has no idea if she'll be back next year, but she I can't imagine Greg Daniels and his minions won't think of some way to work her in again.
Ryan recently wrapped up production of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's first directorial effort,
Jack Goes Boating, and was taking a welcome break when I spoke to her in late May. But at least she did something nice for our mid-morning interview, as you'll see after the jump.
Continue reading Amy Ryan: The TV Squad Interview
Posted May 28th 2009 3:02PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Interviews, The Office, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
This morning, I had a really fun interview with Amy Ryan, who's taking a little time off after a busy couple of years. During the conversation, which mostly revolved around her fantastic guest turn on
The Office as Michael Scott's soulmate Holly Flax, I had to ask her the question most
Office fans have been wondering about since the season finale: Is she coming back?
Your guess is as good as hers. "They keep that (the plans for Holly) under wraps, if they are indeed thinking of it. There's no plan there." When I asked her if she was under contract for any episodes next season, she said she wasn't.
What is she hoping Greg Daniels and company do with Holly in the coming years? "The viewer in me, the fan of the show, hopes that they (Michael and Holly) get together. The actor in me would love to see that there's still conflict along the way. That's where it's fun."
I'll have the complete interview with Ryan next week.
Posted May 15th 2009 1:34AM by Jay Black
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E26) Driving home tonight, I got a text from my wife: "Wow wow wow
Office... just wow! Rivals 'Casino Night!'"
That kind of praise has the potential to ruin what would normally be a very good episode, if only because you're prepared for something extraordinary. So far, only three things in my life have ever lived up to the hype: Heath Ledger in
The Dark Knight, sex, and Cadbury Flake bars. Everything else has been kind of a letdown.
I was worried, then, that my wife's words would condemn tonight's
Office to be more meh than magnificent. After all, we're not at the end of a grand storyline like we have been the last few season finales -- part of what made "Casino Night" so special was that it was the culmination of two years of Jim's pining away for Pam.
I just didn't think "Company Picnic" would be able to pull off that kind of greatness as a standalone episode ...
Continue reading The Office: Company Picnic (season finale)
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