Here come two more lists of the ten actors and actresses that are finalists for Emmy nominations in the supporting comedy categories. As with the other awards, there are some surprises on the list, and some notable omissions. For the ladies, the headline is that last year's winner, Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), didn't make the cut. Surprise finalists include Conchata Ferrell (Two And A Half Men) and Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live). I don't mind seeing Conchata on the list because she is consistently funny on the show, but I don't know that there is enough to her role for her to actually garner a nomination when you consider the competition.
In last season's finale of The Office, sparks flew between Michael Scott and Toby's HR replacement Holly. Amy Ryan, seen for four seasons on The Wire, brought a new dynamic to the show as Holly with her interactions with Steve Carell's Michael. "Amy gave the character of Holly an openness and matured innocence that exposed a new side of Michael," said Paul Lieberstein, who played Toby and was recently promoted to executive producer on the show. "She placed her character right on his level."
All I can say is bring on more Holly and congratulations to Toby! I guess since Lieberstein will still be so involved with the show, there's always a chance of more Toby in the future, but the beautiful Ryan will add a new dynamic to the series. While Amy Ryan's currently only set for five or so episodes, I hope they can expand that if it works. Now that Pam is back off the market and Karen's gone, Holly represents a new amorous target for the boys of the office. And having her be the HR rep at the same time makes it all the more taboo to pursue. Which means Michael will be all over it like Dwight on Second Life.
(S04E14) I performed tonight in Hartford, CT. Coming out of the comedy club, a woman who wasn't at the show checked me out. I heard her say helloooooo in a guttural way, like I was a really good looking guy. A few seconds later, though, once she got a better look at me, she said, "Never mind." Then, she and her friends laughed for as long as I could hear them.
Apparently, I'm only good looking when someone is looking at me out of the corner of her eye.
I bring this up not to inform you that I'm unattractive -- my blogger profile photo does a better job of informing you of that than I ever could -- but rather because I didn't think I could be any more depressed than I was after that comment. I honestly thought their derisive laughter was going to be the low-point of my evening. Then I watched tonight's Office finale...
"This is man is an impostor. Do not do business with him. This is not Dwight Schrute." --Dwight to Jim
NBC has released a sneak peek of The Office's season finale called "Good-bye Toby." After Thursday night's stellar episode, I'm psyched for the finale even though I tend to be underwhelmed by one-hour Office episodes. How about you? Ready for next Thursday?
In the scene, Jim reprograms Dwight's phone to forward to his own. Dwight reacts...well, exactly how you'd expect him to. It's pretty hilarious. I love the Jim-Pam-Dwight dynamic. And I love any time Jim pulls a prank on Dwight. My favorite prank had to be when Jim sent Dwight a fax from "future Dwight" telling him not to drink the coffee.
I put the video after the jump. I also put the two-minute recap of last Thursday's show just in case you missed it. The Office's one-hour season finale is Thursday May 15th at 9 p.m. ET / PT.
(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.
Creed has a new album. No, I'm not talking about the former Christian rock band with the lead singer who can't hold his liquor -- I'm talking about Creed Bratton, the actor. He's the guy who plays Creed on The Office.
His co-star, Jenna Fischer, posted about his album on her MySpace page. Of course, I had to listen. Creed's character is the dirty guy who liked the old Dunder-Mifflin social media webpage where pedophiles congregated. What kind of music does he make? Well, it has a lot of guitar. There's a folk/rock sound to it that reminds me of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
(S04E10) Hey Pam will you... wait for me one second while I tie my shoe?
For everything that happened this week -- a return to form for those of you who were upset that the previous two episodes strayed from the confines of Dunder-Mifflin -- I believe it's that question (and Pam's reaction to it) that will set up the conflict over the remaining episodes of the season. I'm about as good at reading female facial signals as Rain Man, but even I could tell that Pam's face during the "proposal" wasn't exactly filled with the kind of joy you'd expect it would be. Maybe the producers are just giving us a red herring and Pam's reaction tonight will be the equivalent of Lost's four-toed statue (interesting for a blip, then forgotten about) or maybe things are not all that well in JAM-land.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the rest of the episode first...
Jenna Fischer: This is one of those "I've arrived!" moments. Seriously. There's, like, little milestones... Like, being on David Letterman for the first time and then, like, being in Vanity Fair. Chelsea Handler: ... I knew I arrived when I got my period. Everyone: [groans and laughter]
Yeah, I know how most of our male readers are. They like their ladies funny, smart, and painfully out of their league. Well, start lurking around the magazine stands, boys, because the upcoming Vanity Fair has a new Annie Leibovitz photo spread featuring some of the funniest ladies on the scene. The impressive list boasts Sandra Bernhard, Susie Essman, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer, Chelsea Handler, Leslie Mann, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amy Sedaris, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Kristen Wiig, each of them doing very typical "Hollywood bad girl" things. I especially love Maya Rudolph's hair and how Silverman manages to do Amy Winehouse better than Amy Winehouse.
David Denman impressed me with the depth of emotion with which he played Roy, former coworker and boyfriend to Pam Beesly on The Office. The scene in which he erupted in jealous rage was portrayed so perfectly, it was one of the most uncomfortable moments on a series that excels at discomfort. Denman nailed it. And while it makes sense that his character arc has come to an end on The Office, it is nice to see Denman's arc continue.
TV Guide says that if this pesky strike ever ends, Scrubs' Zach Braff will executive-produce Saint of Circumstance for FOX, written by his brother Adam. The pilot will feature Denman as a man who quits his office job to work as a night-shift paramedic in the midst of a mid-life crisis. That could be a spin-off. Roy had to quit his office job (granted he worked downstairs in the warehouse) so this could be the next chapter in his life. Maybe he could get a call to Michael and Jan's house for a freak implant spork-related accident.
In a reversal of their stance on most of the major awards shows this season, Variety tells us the WGA is not only allowing Guild member Rainn Wilson to host the 2008 Spirit Awards, but he has received a waiver to write gags for it as well. The awards ceremony will be held February 23, a day before the Oscars (which did not receive a waiver), on the Santa Monica beach in a tent.
Broadcast live and uncensored on IFC at 5/4pm Central, the Spirit Awards honors the best in independent filmmaking and tends to feature a lot of off-color humor and remarks. Hell, last year's host Sarah Silverman opened the ceremony with a long discussion of her Mommy parts! Hopefully Wilson won't feel the need to discuss his Daddy parts, but if he wants to tell any off-color stories about Jenna Fischer, I'm all ears. Pam Beesly is my Office crush (Shh! don't tell HR) and now that Jenna's as "single" as Pam is, I can fantasize about both of them without feeling guilty! It's a win-win ... win!
I'm talking about the American version of the show. I'll put the answer to this question on the second page, but it's actually pretty easy to figure out. Just remember that The Grass Roots was a band in the 1960s and 70s (that leaves out 98% of the cast right there, they're too young) and that it was all male (that leaves out Pam and Angela, even if they were old enough). I think you've probably figured out who it is by now, but that doesn't make the video after the jump any less amusing.
On the show's season premiere this past Thursday, longtime fans of The Office surely noticed Pam Beesly's (Jenna Fischer's) new sexier wardrobe, make-up and hair. For the past two seasons of The Office, Pam has sported the following:
button-down cotton shirts (nothing too colorful, mostly stripes and neutrals)
frumpy skirts (paired with opaque stockings or pantyhose)
comfortable loafers with low wide heels
Her skin was pasty and pale lacking any real make-up and showing little to no evidence of ever being in the sun. And her gorgeous curly hair was suppressed back into a a half-ponytail. Clearly, Pam put little effort into her appearance for her workday. But keeping that extra button fastened on her shirt and not wearing lip gloss does deter Toby from asking her out and Michael making inappropriate comments about how well-endowed she is. Well, in the case of the latter, nothing prevents that.
NBC has released a 3-minute promo for the next season of The Office. First of all, it's great to see the cast again and I am now feeling very impatient for season 4 to begin (Sept. 27).
The video is like that old elementary school essay: What I Did Last Summer. The cast--supporting and main players--all talk about what their summers were like. Some of them even seem to tie up a few loose ends, especially Karen's testimonial, which is a little... bitter. We also get to see Ryan at his new job and Kelly's reaction to him is priceless.
Video after the jump and I've also embedded a great promo for Chuck with NBC's promo guy:
Here come two more lists of the ten actors and actresses that are finalists for Emmy nominations in the supporting comedy categories. As with the other awards, there are some surprises on the list, and some notable omissions. For the ladies, the headline is that last year's winner, Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), didn't make the cut. Surprise finalists include Conchata Ferrell (Two And A Half Men) and Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live). I don't mind seeing Conchata on the list because she is consistently funny on the show, but I don't know that there is enough to her role for her to actually garner a nomination when you consider the competition. 
In last season's finale of 
(S04E14) I performed tonight in Hartford, CT. Coming out of the comedy club, a woman who wasn't at the show checked me out. I heard her say helloooooo in a guttural way, like I was a really good looking guy. A few seconds later, though, once she got a better look at me, she said, "Never mind." Then, she and her friends laughed for as long as I could hear them.
"This is man is an impostor. Do not do business with him. This is not Dwight Schrute." --Dwight to Jim 
(S04E13) Remember that movie The Chase? Okay, you probably don't, but believe me, 
(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.
Creed has a new album. No, I'm not talking about the former Christian rock band with the lead singer who can't hold his liquor -- I'm talking about Creed Bratton, the actor. He's the guy who plays Creed on The Office.
(S04E10) Hey Pam will you... wait for me one second while I tie my shoe?
Jenna Fischer: This is one of those "I've arrived!" moments. Seriously. There's, like, little milestones... Like, being on David Letterman for the first time and then, like, being in Vanity Fair.
David Denman impressed me with the depth of emotion with which he played Roy, former coworker and boyfriend to Pam Beesly on 
In a reversal of their stance on most of the major awards shows this season, 
I'm talking about the American version of the show. I'll put the answer to this question on the second page, but it's actually pretty easy to figure out. Just remember that The Grass Roots was a band in the 1960s and 70s (that leaves out 98% of the cast right there, they're too young) and that it was all male (that leaves out Pam and Angela, even if they were old enough). I think you've probably figured out who it is by now, but that doesn't make the video after the jump any less amusing.
On the show's 
NBC has released a 3-minute promo for the next season of 
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