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.
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.
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.
(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 ...
I had forgotten how very funny The Dana Carvey Show was until several months ago when I decided to watch a bunch of episodes online. It may sound cliched to say, but I think this was an underrated show, ahead of its time, and would probably survive for a few more seasons today on Comedy Central or FX or FOX. I can picture that.
We won't get a revival, of course, but we now have a great DVD set (in stores today) to keep forever. All of the episodes are here (including one that didn't even make it to ABC), and a couple of good extras.
Here's another reason to love Adult Swim. Cartoon Network's late night brand -- home to some of the best animated fare on TV, like The Venture Bros. and the awesome G.I. Joe Resolute -- will begin airing the original BBC version of The Office starting this summer.
The network will air both seasons of the British comedy, produced by Ricky Gervais, plus the Christmas special. This is great news for U.S. comedy nerds dying to introduce the show to their friends (and don't feel like buying all three DVD box sets). Hopefully they'll air it in between Aqua Teen and Tim and Eric -- and not at 4 a.m.!
I love this show, and I love the NBC version. I won't even try to compare the two here, since the NBC version has evolved into such a completely different show. But there's one thing the NBC version is missing -- Ricky Gervais. I'm aware of Gervais' producing role on the show, but I've always wanted to see him make a cameo as David Brent -- the UK version of Michael Scott.
So what does it mean to hit 100 episodes? Well, it usually means the chances for syndication are a lot better. But you also get to eat cake! Here's some behind the scenes video of the cast of The Office enjoying their 100th episode party, with an introduction from Steve Carell. The 100th episode airs May 14.
(S05E20) I've always said, if you're going to assemble a "Dream Team" for your new company, you need: 1) a super-hot redhead in a business suit, 2) an incompetent man-child, 3) a bowling-shoe-stealing sociopath, and 4) a surgeon-turned-telemarketer named Vikram. I mean, it's just common sense.
The Dream Team in question applies to the four new cornerstones of The Michael Scott Paper Company, an enterprise built on such shaky ground that even Michael's grandmother doesn't believe it has a shot to make it.
But, after a generous dose of Pam's tears (is there any better motivation for a stupid man than a crying woman?), it seems like Michael is starting to believe he has a shot. Pam, too. And you know what? Sign me up. I believe in the Michael Scott Paper Company ...
Ever wonder what the Dunder Mifflin gang would look like if they were made out of gooey, rainbow-colored, bunny-shaped goodness? Here's your chance to find out.
Inspired by the The Washington Posts's Peeps Diorama contest, the folks at OfficeTally.com started The Office Peeps contest – just in time for Easter. The site asked readers to design a scene from The Office using Marshmallow Peeps as stand-ins for the cast. Twenty finalists inspired by classic Office eps like "Diversity Day," above, and "Dwight's Speech" have been chosen. You can view and vote on the finalists now.
(S05E19) And just like that -- as mysteriously as he arrived -- he was gone.
SPOILER ALERT: At the end of The Graduate, Ben Braddock and Elaine Robinson get together after Ben makes an impassioned plea at her wedding to another man. They hop on a bus and as they ride off together, the camera lingers just long enough for us to watch the enormity of their decision wipe the smiles off their faces. A happy ending ruined by reality.
Watching Pam walk out with Michael tonight made me think of that scene. I don't know if this episode compares favorably to one of the greatest comedies ever filmed, but certainly, that idea -- that nothing ruins a good time like a dose of the real -- infused every bit of it tonight.
(S05E18) Today, reality came crashing down on the good people of Dunder-Mifflin like Godzilla's foot onto Bambi. It came not in the form of a giant, atomically mutated Japanese lizard, however, but rather in the striking good looks of "black George Clooney" Charles Miner, the new Vice President of the Northeast Region.
Michael's batting average with VPs has been pretty good -- he got to have sex with one and got to act like Jennifer Jason Leigh from Single White Female with another -- so he figures he'll be in fine shape with Charles Miner.
Unfortunately for Michael, Miner is neither a sex-crazed cougar nor a coke-addled narcissist. He's a no-nonsense businessman who very quickly realizes what every executive at Dunder-Mifflin should have realized a long, long time ago: Michael is an awful manager. Really, just brutally awful.
The sparks between the two were brief, intense, and glorious...
Sometimes it takes a few years to realize how funny a show was. I think that's what happened with The Dana Carvey Show.
It was on ABC for a very short time back in 1996, and even though a lot of people found it funny, a lot more people found it odd. Now the show is finally coming to DVD. Shout! Factory is releasing a two-DVD set on May 12 that will not only have all of the episodes uncut, the set will also include a bonus episode of the show that never aired.
I often compare this show to The Ben Stiller Show, and though I loved both shows, I think The Dana Carvey Show was tighter and put their ideas across in a better way. Not too many sketches from this show went on and on to ruin the joke. But that would be a good DVD to have: the best moments from each!
After the jump, a little piece of what you'll see on the DVDs (yup, that's Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert). AOL Video has more episodes.
We haven't heard any rumors that Steve Carell is leaving the show, but we do know that Michael Scott is going to become increasingly upset with his corporate bosses at Dunder-Mifflin. He thinks he deserves crazy Jan's old job, but that job is going to former The Wire star Idris Elba. He has signed for six episodes (so far) and just might be the new guy in charge in Scranton. When this happens, Michael actually leaves, and another character leaves with him.
In a way, I'm just as interested in who leaves with Michael as I am the reasons why Michael himself leaves.
The late night (soon to be 10pm) talk show host has come in first place in the annual Harris Poll to determine who is America's favorite TV personality. Here is the rest of the top 10 to give you an idea of who he's up against:
2. Hugh Laurie 3. Ellen DeGeneres 4. Oprah Winfrey 5. David Letterman 6. Jon Stewart 7. Charlie Sheen 8. Steve Carell 9. Stephen Colbert 10. Mark Harmon
So let's talk about last night's episode of The Office. Should Hilary Swank be offended that half of Dunder-Mifflin didn't find her "hot," or should she be flattered that the other half did?
It's funny that this even came up because just the other day I made a reference to Swank in another post about a reality TV star that was rather unfair so I won't link to again, and here we see a major network sitcom discussing whether Swank is hot or not.
This being the web, where a mention of something on a TV show can mean an almost instantaneous response (even Wikipedia locked the Janis Joplin entry after last night's 30 Rock episode), we knew there would be a lot of talk about Swank, and someone has put up a site called IsHilarySwankHot.com. It's pretty basic, you just go there and click yes or no.
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.
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?
(S05E26) Driving home tonight, I got a text from my wife: "Wow wow wow Office... just wow! Rivals 'Casino Night!'" 
I had forgotten how very funny The Dana Carvey Show was until several months ago when I decided to watch a bunch of episodes online. It may sound cliched to say, but I think this was an underrated show, ahead of its time, and would probably survive for a few more seasons today on Comedy Central or FX or FOX. I can picture that.
Here's another reason to love Adult Swim. Cartoon Network's late night brand -- home to some of the best animated fare on TV, like The Venture Bros. and the awesome G.I. Joe Resolute -- will begin airing the original BBC version of The Office starting this summer.
(S05E20) I've always said, if you're going to assemble a "Dream Team" for your new company, you need: 1) a super-hot redhead in a business suit, 2) an incompetent man-child, 3) a bowling-shoe-stealing sociopath, and 4) a surgeon-turned-telemarketer named Vikram. I mean, it's just common sense.
(S05E19) And just like that -- as mysteriously as he arrived -- he was gone.
I don't think this is going to happen (not permanently anyway), but Zap2It thinks that it's possible that Michael Scott could be leaving Dunder-Mifflin.
So let's talk about last night's episode of The Office. Should Hilary Swank be offended that half of Dunder-Mifflin didn't find her "hot," or should she be flattered that the other half did?
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