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« Kate's Office Blog
Episode 7: Branch Closing
Jenna Fischer thinks that this week's episode of The Office [Thursdays at 8:30 pm/ET, on NBC] is the best yet, and I concur! Yes, I'm Kate Flannery. Thank you. Thank you so much. I play the drunken redhead on the show, who seems to be the favorite of many folks. There is so much I want to share with you, so much I want to tell, but I am contractually obligated to keep my big, fat mouth shut. Now, in case you hadn't noticed, the words "branch" and "closing" are in the title of this week's episode. Kind of gives it away, right? So, let me just say that the downsizing issue of the first two seasons is nothing compared to this.
Jenna speaks more freely about it in her MySpace.com blog:
"You must catch our show this Thursday night. I've already seen it, and it is the best one we've ever done. I'm not kidding. Michael finds out that the Scranton branch is being shut down. He and Dwight go to New York to try to save the branch. The stuff they do together is the absolute funniest thing ever on our show (also the most touching). Meanwhile, the folks at Stamford find out they have to absorb the Scranton folks. The entire episode is amazing. I can't wait for you to see it. And, as if it could get any better, Pam has a new hairstyle again. I won't tell you what it is. I'll let you be surprised."
Well spoken, Jenna.
Hairstyle aside, Jenna has had a very big week: she won the Women in Film's WIN Award for best actress in a comedy! Isn't that great? She was up against some heavy hitters, too — Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jane Kaczmarek, to mention a few. Her speech was really moving. Jenna really understands who Pam is, and that's why she is such a strong part of the success of our show. Go, Jenna, go!
It was quite a night. Harry Shearer of Spinal Tap fame was the host. One of the runners-up on "American Idle," Ace, sang a few songs for us. Oops, did I spell the name of that show right? Anyway, Ace sang a mean version of George Michael's "Father Figure." (Perhaps "mean" is the wrong word.) Ace actually made eye contact with me while he was singing. Somebody pinch me. Senator Barbara Boxer gave an inspirational speech, as did Katie Holmes! OK, maybe hers wasn't quite inspirational, but it definitely made me think. Katie accepted for Helen Mirren, who couldn't be there, not once, but twice. Kind of weird. But Katie insisted that she and Helen are very good friends, which I found strange. Plus, Katie was the only person who didn't come out of the audience to the stage. Kind of odd. Perhaps she was in her cage backstage? Or not.
The women of The Office were invited because The Office won for best comedy! Pretty cool. Teri Weinberg, our female exec producer, asked us to join her on stage when she accepted this award. So it was Angela [Kinsey], Melora [Hardin], Jenna and me on stage. (Phyllis [Smith] and Mindy [Kaling] couldn't make it.) The women who created and star in Campus Ladies on Oxygen presented the award. (Carrie Aizley and I toured in The Real Live Brady Bunch from 1993-94.)
All told, the night was a trip. We had a blast. It's hard for us to go out on a school night. It's a long day, as we'd been up since 4:30 am. Somebody behind her accidentally hit Angela's head with their butt, and Angela is a tiny girl, so she nearly fell out of her chair. After that, Angela got the giggles. The rest of the night she was crying with laughter. She was making me laugh. The Office ladies are really fun. There are pictures of us up on WireImage.com, DailyCeleb.com and GettyImages.com. Go to "Nov. 1 WIN Awards" to find them.
Back to this week's episode of The Office. Cool alert! NBC.com is going to show an uncut version of the show at 9 pm/ET! Isn't that cool? I think the Office fans are going to really dig it. I love the Stamford characters. Everyone is so much fun to work with.
This week we hit our halfway mark, and the actors said goodbye until after Christmas. Steve [Carell]'s movie schedule is mixing things up. Thanks, Steve! I'm going to get me a Red Stripe or two and kill some time. Not.
I am off to Frisco to do a talk show called View from the Bay.
Speaking of which, Melora was just on The Megan Mullally Show this week; it's up on YouTube.com if you missed it. Don't miss Jenna, who will be on Letterman this Thursday, Nov. 9.
Last week I mentioned that booze and I weren't getting along. Well, guess what? We made up! Cheers, everyone. Please watch The Office on NBC Thursdays at 8:30 pm/ET, any which way you can! Thanks.
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Nov 8, 2006 3:19 PM
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Ace? Davey? What is it with you and crooners???
I'm glad to hear you made up with the booze, as long as it doesn't "come back up" we'll see you at Poor Richards.
Drink up!
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Nov 8, 2006 3:47 PM
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I hope by "Frisco" you mean the one in Texas. I don't recall there being a bay, there, though.
Now that I've gotten the nitpicking out of my system, good blog. Super excited for tomorrow!
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Nov 8, 2006 10:22 PM
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frisco = san francisco
very excited for the new episode
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Nov 8, 2006 11:00 PM
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Yay, another blog from Kate! It sounds as though you had fun at the awards and congrats to the show on the win! Enjoy the talk-show gig! Can't wait for tomorrow night's episode!!!
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Nov 8, 2006 11:10 PM
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I'm so excited for the episode tomorrow!
I also love the Stamford bunch. I was so skeptical of them to start out with, particularly the rumored Karen. I was not a happy camper about Karen. But then...well, she had me at her Jim!face. And now I just love the Stamford folks. Absolutely love them.
Congratulations to all of you on cleaning up at the WIN awards! The women of "The Office" are the most real women on television, and that certainly deserves to be honored.
I hope you're enjoying your break!
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Nov 8, 2006 11:12 PM
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You made coffee come out of my nose! Thanks 
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Nov 9, 2006 11:25 AM
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Just wanted to say how much I appreciate the time you take to write this out for the fans of the show. Its always funny and uniquely tagential. See you tonight...on the show of course.
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Nov 9, 2006 11:42 AM
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I'm so excited about the new episode (as I am every week) and that you gals had such a good time at the WIN Awards last week.
Looking forward to seeing you on "View from the Bay." I'm not a regular watcher, but anywhere you're on, I'll watch! 
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Nov 9, 2006 12:30 PM
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Ha ha ha ha!!! Angela got hit in the head by someone's butt? That's the most ridiculously funny thing I've ever heard. Nothing like getting hit in the head by a butt to cut you down to size. I LOVE Angela, but that's hilarious. And I think I would have been giggling for the rest of the night too, if that had happened to me. But seriously, how cool that both Jenna and the show won awards that night! Congrats...they were well deserved. And from the pictures I've seen, you ladies all looked gorgeous.
I think I should tell you that I'm more excited about all of tonight's Office events than I've ever been about anything in my entire life. Literally. It's kind of sad. But come on--a new episode (which Jenna says is the best one ever?!?), the Producer's Cut, and Jenna on Letterman all in one night? It's almost too much awesomeness for me to handle. My heart is bursting with anticipation and joy. I can't wait!
Keep up the great work on the show, Kate...and keep your super-cool blogs coming. I thoroughly enjoy them. Also, enjoy the Red Stripe. I like Red Stripe too...cute little bottles. I'm glad to hear that you and booze have reconciled your differences. You really do belong together.
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Nov 9, 2006 1:29 PM
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Excellent Blog Kate!
You are always so informative, and I think you are doing a teriffic job here at TV Guide.com.
OMG! I caught the Real Live Brady Bunch when it made it's way to San Francisco around that time. Andy Richter was touring with them. Were you with the cast at the time? I may have seen you live!
Let me know, OK?
By the way, I am one of your MySpace buddies (well, one of hundreds!)
Keep up the excellent work, and I'll see you tonight (on TV!).
Much love,
-Larry Lee-
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Nov 9, 2006 1:34 PM
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Definitely your best blog yet, Kate! It was jam-packed with amazing information, so thanks!
Congratulations to The Office and the amazing Jenna Fishcer on the Women In Film awards. That is so great that Jenna beat out some tough competition in that category. And the incredible recognition for your show is so well deserved and as it should be, damn it!
Looking forward to next week's blog, but until then, have a great week and a few drinks for me!
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Nov 9, 2006 10:06 PM
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I was wondering why you didn't post a blog on your myspace to check this out, and I was thinking that of course she posts it every thursday and doesn't need people to check it out because they should KNOW!
Great blog, Lots of cool stuff. Do all the office gals get along in real life? Seems like it so it must be fun on the set! Why can jenna tell everyone about the episode and you can't?!? Oh well none the less it was an AWESOME episode, can't wait for the rest of the season to unfold!!
How did your show go? You never posted anything about it on myspace so I am hoping that it went well!
Congradulations on Week 8, you made it through the hard times! I look forward to next weeks blog, Should be extra BIG since the episode is huge!
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Nov 9, 2006 11:12 PM
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Congratulations on the WIN Award -- that's awesome!
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Nov 10, 2006 2:00 PM
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What a fun blog! Keep up the good work... I loved having the whole directors cut on NBC... you know, ABC does that for ALL their shows (full length), when do you think NBC will get a clue?
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Nov 12, 2006 2:27 AM
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