Brian's Office Blog

I have done a lot of blogging this summer. A lot. Of blogging. And I have read a lot of blog responses. Sometimes literally hundreds of responses. And in all of the blogging and discussion that has taken place regarding the webisodes... not one person got it right. Nobody guessed the Mystery of the Missing Money (MMM, for the coolios). Maybe the writers and I should audition for CSI. They could write the stories and I could crack the cases. Like I did in today's webisode. Do you think we could get as many viewers to watch if the mysteries were harder to solve? That is a mystery all its own.

So anyway, my point about that is: nanny-nanny, pooh-pooh. For all of you who said it was Michael, or Dwight, or Stanley, or Creed, or Toby, or me... well, you were wrong. And so by my logic, I was right. I love being right.

You know what this means? The webisodes are over. This was the first-ever originally created miniseries for online viewers (or, if you'd rather, OCMOV). What did you think? Should we try it again next year? Was it fun to see some original material? Yes, I know, I know, if you are a fan of the show, "they were too short." But there are many computer technobabble things that require the clips to be short. Like bandwidth and jpegs. And in addition, if we could afford the time to make the clips longer, then we would just shoot some more episodes. So you decide: a success or a failure? And if you say you just want to see more Steve Carell, yeah, well, don't we all.

So the OCMOV is over, and this means the summer is over. Back-to-school time. And this means that the television season is starting. And The Office will now be back on the air with all-new original episodes. Two weeks from today, to be exact.

Break out Meredith's whiskey bottle, 'cause this one will be a doozy.

No repeats tonight. Next week will be a repeat of "Casino Night," followed by the season premiere on September 21, entitled "Gay Witch Hunt."

So be good, and peace. Now get back to work.

Happy Thursday to blog readers around the globe. Well, it has been quite an eventful week in and around Dunder-Mifflin. As you probably know by now, The Office was awarded the Emmy for best comedy series on Sunday night. It was my first Emmy Awards and I have to say, I had a great time. I thought I would begin the blog by giving some of the highlights, spliced with some amusing anecdotes.

I went to the Emmys with Angela Kinsey. Even though I hate her. Someone needs to explain to me that choice, but anyway.... The mother ship was kind enough to provide us with transportation for the evening. In order to do all of the activities surrounding the Awards, you kinda need to have a car pick you up and drop you off at the various events. So let's file this under the heading of "Best-Laid Plans." Our car was late picking us up. Not disastrously late, but a little late. The kicker was there was no air-conditioning. In the car. At all. So we ended up traveling to the Awards half-naked. Not an altogether unpleasant thought, but when you are trying to look presentable in a black tuxedo at 3 pm in the afternoon when the temperature is nearing 100 degrees... well, I will let your imagination run wild. Much as I hate her, I have to admit that Angela somehow managed to arrive looking like a movie star despite the three-hour baking she had endured.

To add to our preshow experience, our driver took a "short cut," which turned into a very "long cut." We missed the entire red carpet and even missed the beginning of the show. We were... disappointed, to say the least. Pissed is another word you could use, but I won't because this is TV Guide.

We finally arrived, sweaty and full of beans. But when we walked into the auditorium at the first commercial break, all was forgotten. We saw our friends from the show, and other friends from other shows. Everyone was in great spirits, buzzing with excitement.

I thought Conan did a masterful job. And everyone looked amazing. I met Portia de Rossi and Tony Hale from Arrested Development in the lobby and we had a great time together. I met many of the cast of The Sopranos, which is my favorite (drama) show on television, so that was a thrill.

The event is supposed to be a celebration of television. We get so caught up in who wins and who loses, but at its core it still is a celebration of excellence. Be it Dick Clark, or Simon Cowell, or The Amazing Race, or 24, or High School Musical, or The Sopranos, or Rescue Me, or The Office, or Arrested Development or The Girl in The Café... all of these people and shows have impacted television in a positive way, and this night is meant to celebrate that. Yes, there are people who take home Emmys, and there are people who don't. But the evening is meant to celebrate all that is television. And IMHO, television is getting a lot right these days. OK, enough of the soapbox.

So, as we were nearing the end of the show and there were only a couple of awards left, I thought of my parents, who were sitting in the balcony, and how happy they would be if we won. So I sent my mom a text message. I don't think she knows how to get them, but oh well. Then Bob Newhart said the words, "The Office," and I did get caught up in the moment. I did, I admit it. I gave a little yell, and leapt to my feet.

I really don't think of it as "winning" or us "being best." But here's the thing: I am so proud of our show. And let me be honest: For us it has been a struggle. We only shot six episodes our first season. We were only given six more in our second season. We have been the little engine that could, and so to be recognized as being an outstanding program in the eyes of the Academy is very, very sweet.

My favorite moments after The Office was announced... well, it was seeing the eyes of everyone else in the cast and crew. Seeing how happy they were. After we shot six episodes last year, we went away before the show started airing and didn't know if we would ever be back together working on the show. After shooting No. 6 of the order, I was sitting with Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson, and Steve said, "Well, at least we got to do 12 episodes. It was more than any of us thought after the pilot."

Look, it all comes down to this: As actors we are lucky to be working. Even more lucky to be working on a show that we are proud of. And luckier still that we are working with people we like and respect. The Emmy is great. Really great. But knowing it might help us stay around a little longer together is the best part of it all.

I ended up scoring an invite to the TV Guide party. And the Entertainment Tonight party. And I was really excited to go. But after the Governors Ball, all of us decided we were going to go to a party that was not nearly as fancy, a party at which no celebrity singer was playing. We went to a little bar in Hollywood where the crew of The Office had gathered to be together to watch the Awards. And so Jeff Zucker and Kevin Reilly and the cast and the writers and the producers went someplace with no red carpet and no photographers. And we celebrated together. And truly, that was the most fun of the night.

Except for the fact that we won. (OK, I couldn't resist.)

But anyway, there are only two more webisodes left in the exciting mystery of who took the $3,000 from Dunder-Mifflin. I will give you a hint: You will not find out until next week. But this week, the accountants venture into Michael's office to investigate him, and I get to play with all the toys in there. Man, it must be great to have an office and not a cube. You could get into so much more mischief in an office. Thank goodness, because at least I am in a corner.

On Thursday night on the mother ship (NBC, for those of you reading for the first time), there is another mini-marathon starting at 8:30 pm/ET: "The Dundies," "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" and "Conflict Resolution" will be airing for your viewing pleasure. The mother ship is trying to catch everyone up on the goings-on leading into the season premiere on Sept. 21. That's right, only three more weeks. Let the speculation continue.

And also on the mother ship, on Saturday, Sept. 2, The Office is hosting NBC's fall-preview special. Like the webisodes, this will give viewers original Office content prior to the season premiere. It should be a fun way to catch up on all of NBC's new shows, and what the final schedule is going into the fall.

Be good, everyone. Watch the webisodes, and thanks for all your support over this long summer.

Peace.

So this week, in honor of the fans, I have decided to make this blog totally cyber-active. That is, interactive in cyberspace. Basically I'm planning to answer some questions that were posed to me last week. I will continue to do this as we wrap up the summer, so keep the questions coming. I won't give credit or bylines to these questions, nor will I take any flak for paraphrasing or changing the questions completely. Why? Because that’s just the way I roll.

Question 1: Where will The Office shoot this season, apart from the set? Any chance we could see Michael at Hooters or Applebee's again?
If I were running the ship, we would be at Hooters weekly. But alas, I am not, so we are not. Not sure about frequenting either of those establishments, but future episodes call for outings to a convention in Philadelphia, a Hindu festival, a beet farm and, rumor has it, a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Question 2: I heard that Ed Helms (The Daily Show) may be doing a few episodes of The Office, and I just wanted to know if that was true.
Yes, it is true. Ed Helms will be making an appearance in The Office. And it is also true that Ed and I went to the same high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and our families are friends. I have also recently found out that we will be inducted into our high school’s "Hall of Fame" at some point this year. It is not Cooperstown (my lifelong dream), but it is still nice.

Question 3: Will Scrantonicity play an office party?
You can bet your bottom dollar.

Question 4: Will Angela's poster of the babies playing instruments have a bigger role this year?
For all of our sakes, let us hope not.

Question 5: Will Oscar's significant other make an appearance?
Oscar’s significant other (it's Gil, by the way) does make an appearance in Season 3. Oscar’s secret may not be a secret for long.

Question 6: Will Phyllis and Bob Vance of Bob Vance Refrigeration get engaged?
What?!? You don’t want to know about Kevin and his barely seen fiancée, Stacy? Why do you care about Phyllis and not Kevin’s love life?!? Well, just for that, no comment on either front.

Question 7: Does Kevin have a MySpace page yet? An iTunes playlist?
Kevin has had a MySpace page for some time, set up by Pam. He runs that all by himself, with no help from me. This is his URL. I don’t know if Kevin has a iTunes playlist or not. There have been rumors, but he hasn't told me anything.

Question 8: "The Injury" is one of the funniest episodes, but I tend to watch "Drug Testing," "The Dundies" and "Booze Cruise" the most.
OK, I guess this is not really a question, but it is cool to hear. Hey, did anybody notice that I picked the episode ("The Injury") that would be the fan favorite? And I promise there was no cheating.

Question 9: When will we meet the other branch?
There is an episode in the early part of the season called "The Convention," so it is safe to say we will see some other employees of Dunder-Mifflin there.

Question 10: Is there any word on the cast from the British version of The Office visiting?
Most, if not all, of the cast of the British show have come by and visited us on set. The only confirmed rumor/plan/intense speculation is that Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant will be writing an episode this season.

Lucky Question No. 11: Ryan is a temp. Just how temporary will he be? If The Office goes for 10 seasons, will he be in all 10? I love Ryan and hope he gets hired full-time.
Hey, as soon as you have word that the show will go 10 seasons, I will let you know if Ryan will be there for all 10. Until then, B.J. Novak is still playing Ryan in Season 3.

Question 12: I'm getting married soon. Can Scrantonicity play my wedding?
Scrantonicity is currently booking engagements. We are cheap and, as long as there are drinks, really, really good.

Question 13: I get the sense that a Jan/Jim/Pam triangle is brewing. Any truth to this?
I only know of a Jan/Michael/Carol triangle. Or at least, that is the only triangle I am permitted to speak about due to my arrangements/contractual obligations with the mother ship.

Question 14: If the Dundies are an annual event, does that mean the viewers will get to see another awards show this year? Will we get to see Kevin win any more Dundies?
The Dundies are an annual event, but I am not sure the cameras will record the event this year. With the Dundies, Christmas, Valentine's Day, the Olympics, Halloween, etc, we could probably just repeat these events and have pretty close to a full season. So the writers will probably not have all of these events captured by the camera each year. Some, yes. But probably not all.

Question 15: Also, I am kinda curious what exactly Kevin's job is. What does an accountant do all day? Why does it take three of them — Angela, Oscar and Kevin? (I have never worked in that kind of office.) Has Kevin highlighted the numbers "6" and "9" on his keyboard?
Kevin’s job at Dunder-Mifflin is very difficult. First, he has to deal with Angela. That, in and of itself, is a full-time job. Second, he has to account for employee spending, which with Michael is also very difficult. He processes sales slips and makes sure those accounts are paid. He does payroll. And eats a lot of M&Ms. The numbers "6" and "9" are not currently highlighted. But by this afternoon, they will be.

Non-question 16: Thanks for giving me some other options for summer TV-watching. I do enjoy some of the shows mentioned, but I am just loving Deadwood and Rescue Me. As I mentioned before, I will not and do not watch any reality programming in the summer, aside from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This week on the webisodes [at NBC.com/the_office]... Angela really gets under Kevin’s skin, and Kevin pays homage to one of the great comics. No really, he does. Let’s hope you enjoy it more than Oscar and Angela did.

And Thursday night on the mother ship, NBC is airing three repeats of The Office, prime-time edition. The minimarathon will air from 8:30-10 pm/ET. Central-time-zone dwellers should do their own math accordingly. First up that night is "Michael’s Birthday," or as I like to call the episode, "Oh, No, Please Tell Me Kevin Does Not Have Skin Cancer." I was told the only reason the network did not name the episode that was due to complaints from TV Guide about the title length. Damn them.

Thanks again for all your questions. Feel free to keep them coming. I may not be able to tell you much about Jim and Pam, but if you are really nice to me, I will tell you what happens when you don’t restart the computer on Lost. I have some writer friends over there. I am sure they wouldn’t mind me telling you.

Next week: My exclusive Emmy coverage from the Shrine Auditorium. Now, if I could only get that invite to the TV Guide after-party. Anybody know who I can call?

I am not complaining. I love my job. My job, that is, of trying to add some enlightening comments to TVGuide.com on a weekly basis. But it is not as easy as it looks. Oh, sure, my searing insight and biting comedy must look easy from the outside, but it is not so easy to replicate week after week, when I am not allowed to really talk about anything that is going on at work, i.e., on the set.

Things at The Office are very hush-hush, you see. The wheels of information and disinformation are rolling along. Let me tell you something: Every time a fan finds some information online, people at the mother ship know about it — and they work diligently to seal all leaks. If that means lying, so be it. If it means putting out a misleading press release, so be it. If it means altering production information and adding erroneous information to websites and closing the sets, so be it. Even if it means paying off someone who writes a blog on TVGuide.com, so be it. Hey, like I said, I'm not complaining. I am only saying it makes a guy's job just a little bit tougher. After all, why all this mendacity on the part of the mother ship? It is all for the good of the show. Isn't it more fun for things to be fresh and original come Sept. 21?

So what can I talk about that has happened at work? Good question. Maybe I should ask it? Let me do that, and get back to you next week.

Or better yet, let me ask you: What would the fans at TVGuide.com like to know about the new season of The Office? I can't promise I will tell you, but it would be fun to try.

So post your questions below, and I will do my good-gosh darndest to find the answers for you.

I will tell you this: Miguel Arteta is directing the episode that we are filming this week. I am such a fan of his movies, and it has been a pleasure to meet and work with him on this episode. For those of you who don't know, Miguel has directed (among other things) The Good Girl and Chuck & Buck.

Last week, another director new to the show, Roger Nygard, was in the house. Roger has directed (among other things) Trekkies, which I just watched again the other night. What a fascinating character study that movie is. Hilarious and heartbreaking. For anyone who missed any of the movies I just mentioned, run to your local movie-rental place. Or just order them from Netflix. And no, I am not sucking up to the directors, but if it will get me a chance to work with either of them again... I could go on a bit more, I guess.

On the webisodes this week (available on NBC.com), we have "Things Are Getting Tense," and things are indeed getting tense as the accountants try to find the missing money. In this installment, there is a break in the case, and Oscar momentarily believes he has figured out who took the money. Does anybody have any ideas who the culprit is? This one is seven out of 10, people. By this point in a CSI episode, you would have to be in a catatonic state (or worse, French) not to know who the culprit is. Am I wrong? And CSI, I mean no blatant disrespect to you or anyone in the CBS family. Congrats on your success.

Swinging wildly off topic — but I can do that on the Internet, right? I mean, here, people can only pay attention to one thing for about seven seconds at a time, and I am sure most people reading this have already minimized the screen at least four times to hide it from their bosses, or just closed it completely due to sheer disinterest — do you know what two shows I have been loving this summer? I mean, really enjoying? Rescue Me and Deadwood. I just wanted to say that. Both are incredibly smart shows that are at once funny and terrible and sweet and grotesque. I am just loving those shows. I cannot stand reality shows, so the summer is not a good time for me and the TV. But these two are examples of great dramas with stellar acting and directing and writing. So kudos, for whatever it is worth.

Speaking of great television (there's a transition for you, expertly getting back on track)... The Office will be airing a "very special episode" this week. Yes, it is a repeat, and no, it is not "very special" as in, like, someone dies. It is special because the episode airing this week is the one the fans have declared their favorite. And as of press time here... I am totally unaware of which episode actually won. So, it's a very special surprise as well as a very special episode. We will all learn together which episode was the fans' favorite. I could guess.... But that seems silly.

Hmmmm, well, I am going to guess anyway. And I will guess... "The Injury," because it is arguably the funniest episode from start to finish. And people like funny. And since the show is a comedy, that is a good thing. But I promise I have no idea. I am just guessing.

I voted for "Christmas Party," so that gives me two chances to win.

So get back to me with your questions about Season 3. And while you're at it, let me know what your favorite shows of the summer have been. Maybe we can help each other survive until Sept. 21.

Peace.

As many of you might know, I write a blog on MySpace. For those of you living in a bush or under a tree, MySpace is the super-über friend-type website that is run by some guy named Tom. Or Jim. Something like that. A real ordinary name, but he has got to be a super gajillionaire. I heard they just merged with Google. Or Google just bought them. One or the other. Anyway, it is a phenomenon, this MySpace thing. Sweeping the globe. There are about 90 million people who have signed up for accounts on MySpace. That is a lot of people (in case you were wondering).

Anyway, Jenna Fischer signed me up on MySpace last year and created a page for my character on NBC's The Office, Kevin. So Kevin has a MySpace page. And since last December or so, I have run this page for Kevin. (Yes, I really do manage it. For the time being anyway.) Initially, I thought that I would keep up with it for a month or so, then it would kind of peter out. But now it’s kind of taken on a life of its own.

See, the page was started for Kevin. In that spirit, I thought it only fair that Kevin be the one who shares his thoughts. Not me. Contrary to popular opinion, I do not share a whole lot of characteristics with Kevin. So this is, at times, a difficult thing. It has become almost a character study. What would Kevin think about certain things? How would he respond to Sasha Cohen? Does he like ice-skating? What are his favorite sports and teams? Does he like the camera folks who tape him at work?

Because our show is a documentary, or a mock documentary, it seemed like the perfect fit. The premise of our show is that we are real people, living in Scranton, Pennsylvania, working at a paper-supply company, and that a camera crew has decided to film us and broadcast us on television. So Kevin really exists, unlike the characters on, say, Seinfeld, who live in their own world and are presented to the viewing public without their knowledge. The characters on our show know they are being recorded, and presumably know that they will be viewed sometimes by other people. So Kevin works at a paper company. He is being recorded. And he writes a blog on the Internet from work for others to read. Make sense?

For some reason, it makes perfect sense to me. Or did make perfect sense until recently. You see, I keep getting asked the following question: "Is this really you... Kevin from The Office?"

There are so many issues with this question that I don't know where to begin. Does the questioner know Kevin is a character, and thereby not real? If so, then how could it possibly be Kevin? If not, then no, I am not the actual character. I am the actor pretending to be the character. But see, I don't want to admit to being the actor, so I answer as the character. But then, does the person think I am insane for pretending to be a character when I am just the actor? Or have I even answered the question? Man oh man, now I am confusing myself even more.

To try and clear up this confusion — or perhaps in an attempt to ignore the underlying issues — I came up with a stock answer. I write the following:

Yes, it is me.

As with God, sometimes you just have to believe.

Peace,
Kev

Two days ago, someone got mad at me. I think they thought I was comparing myself to God. I was not. (Although Kevin might; this is where it gets tricky.) I was merely saying that sometimes you have to accept things with blind faith. Because really, imagine the confusion it would cause if people asked me to prove I was Kevin. I justify my response by considering that I guess Kevin lives inside me. Somewhere very dark and deep inside me. But he is there. And as long as he can keep up with it, he will continue to try to respond to friend requests and to write blogs. And let's face it — he is better at it than I am.

This week on The Office's webisode, we have "The Memo." This is the first of several webisodes that focuse exclusively the accounting department. In this installment, our heroes (the accountants) are looking for a plan of attack to try to find the missing money. We decide the best plan would be to write a memo to the employees of Dunder-Mifflin. I should say no more....

But do let me take this opportunity to say... I love working with Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez. They are a couple of gifted comedians with great improv skills, so they constantly challenge me to create material with them. The three of us enjoy some smashing tomfoolery in our little corner of the office. From our very first episode, "The Pilot," Angela and Oscar and I began doing little bits, little scenes for ourselves that we would convince the director to tape. We have been told that all those scenes we created while trying to entertain ourselves, and that we manhandled the writers and directors into watching, are what birthed the webisodes. So enjoy. We did have a good time making them. Check them out at nbc.com/theoffice.

And you can also check out "Dwight's Speech" tonight at 8:30 pm/ET on the mother ship. Rainn Wilson deserves an Emmy, IMHO.

My best to you all.

Peace,
Kev

Well, things have cooled off here in L.A., and we are madly shooting Season 3. See, in the world of TV, even though you don’t get to see new episodes right now, we are still working away. It is amazing how seamlessly the new season has begun. While the actors did have a couple of months off when the writers began the scripts, it seems like no time has passed at all.

Let’s call today Sharing Day. I am going share with you something about work, and then you have to share something back with me. How about something weird and insiderey? Hmm... OK. So here is a weird thing about working in film and television: in television you spend a lot of time with your coworkers. 12- to 14-hour days, so lots of time together. But here is what is weird: You never finish a conversation with anyone. No matter how serious the conversation, no matter what is being disclosed between two people, there is no “sanctity of conversation." It is always interrupted, and that is OK. It is understood. But it does take getting used to. And this happens about 37 times over the course of the day.

Here is an example: I start talking about something, like say, my recent root-canal surgery-ma-bob. “Oh man, I am fine now, but I had a huge issue with....”

“Brian, we need you on set please.”

And then I just walk away. I don’t turn to the other person and say, “Excuse me, please. I have to go right now. But I would love to continue our chat at a later time.”

And I am not being rude. Usually the person I was talking to already walked away in response to the fact that they know I am going to be walking away.

Then what is even weirder is that four hours later the same person will walk up and go ”Wow, root canal....”

And the conversation will continue as if zero time has passed in between.

It might sound cool, but imagine doing that to your friends and family. They, for some reason, don’t understand the unwritten code of conversations on set. To them, you ignoring them and then walking away as if you were never even talking, is absofreakinlutely not OK. So it takes some adjusting once you're away from the workplace.

So that is something you may not have known about working in television. That on set, nobody ever never ever finishes a conversation. So now tell me something about your work. Share something good. Let’s get it all out there, so we can live just a little through each other. Isn’t that what blogging is all about?

(God this is the greatest transition ever....) So this week on The Office Webisodes the accountants get to “share” some time with one of the warehouse workers, Roy, played by David Denman. We learn just a little something about Roy and a certain someone who has feelings for him. I am not going to spoil anything. (Mostly because I don’t want to have to write Spoiler Alert. I hate that phrase, Spoiler Alert. If you don’t want to spoil something for someone, then why write it in the first place? See, as I see it, you have two options: 1) Don’t freaking write it, or 2) Write it like there’s no tomorrow and laugh and laugh cause you spoiler-ed something for someone. So, as you can see... I hate spoilers. And spoiler alerts. And now, I am just trying to make this the longest parenthetical phrase in the history of TV blogging. Maybe the absolute history of blogging, anywhere, ever. I can’t think of anything more to say in this parenthetical phrase, except to write the word "parenthetical" a few more times because I am so proud that I spelled that awesome word correctly without the help of spell check. Ok, done.) So Roy comes up to accounting and gets interrogated about the missing money.

Now, this may be a weird thing to say, 'cause I think the webisodes just keep getting better and better, (and I have seen them all — a couple of my favorites are coming up) but this one has, for me personally, the funniest exchange of all of them. Can you guess what the moment is? Check it out starting today on nbc.com/theoffice.

David is fantastic and it was a treat for us, the accountants, to get to work with him a little. Look for David (and Roy) to be around even more in The Office as we begin Season 3.

On the mother ship, NBC Thursday night, at 8:30 pm/ET, watch "Valentine’s Day." In this episode, I promise that you will see the largest stuffed bear you have ever seen in your life. And the delivery guys who bring it in are two writers on our show, making cameos. They are cool. Cool as the other side of the pillow.

So, until next week. And don’t forget to post your own work insider info. Fair is fair, and you promised you’d share. Or at least I thought you did.

Also, what should I wear to the Emmy Awards?

Hello, readers of blogs. Well, we have had quite an eventful week here. It started at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pasadena, California, shifted to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Supply Company, and is now finishing up on your computers and on your television sets at home. WAW! ("What a whirlwind," for the Internet rubes.)

Let’s begin at the Ritz. Last weekend the Pasadena hotel hosted the TCA Awards. TCA stands for Television Critics Association. This unbelievably smart and incredibly insightful bunch named on Sunday night The Office best comedy program of the year and named Steve Carell best actor in a comedy. It was very exciting for our little show.

Some people may say, "Well, whoop-de-doo. The Office show won some awards that we have never heard of. Congratufreakinlations."

Not so fast, my friends. Consider this: These awards are given by critics, the only award-granting people who are actually required to watch television. And believe me, based on the award winners and nominees, they know good television. Or, at least they know my favorite shows. And it truly was an honor for all of us. (Critics, please read: I would like to receive an award next year. I understand this might require you to "invent" an award for me, but, hey, it is the least you could do for receiving all this love.)

Also, let’s take a moment to look at the proceedings with some perspective. Our little show has had some difficult times. We only produced six episodes our first year. And then last year — our second season — we were only guaranteed another six. A major reason we are still on the air was the attention we received from members of the press. They got people interested in our show. They wrote and talked about it. And now, wonder of wonders... I am writing a blog for you. Just think, if it were not for the press, you and I, dear readers, would not be meeting like this. And whose loss would that be? OK, fine — mine. 'Cause I would be out of a job. But I so majorly digress. My main point is to the critics: Please give me an award next year. I don’t even care what it is for.

From the Ritz, let’s go to Scranton. This week (Monday, to be precise) Dunder-Mifflin opened its doors for business for our third season. It was great to see everyone again. Well, most everyone. I still hate that Randall Einhorn, our director of photography. And if you don’t remember my sharp words about Randall, read my first blog for TVGuide.com (shameless plug for my other material.)

Anyway, we are back filming and just let me say that the writers are in top form. The season-premiere episode was written by executive producer and grand poobah Greg Daniels, and is being directed by Ken Kwapis. Those guys are hella-good. I will repeat: hella-good.

What is new on the set, you might ask? What is happening with the various stories? Are the rumors true that Kevin is now dating Angela? Is Michael really gay? These questions and many more will be revealed come September.

And what of Jam? (The Interneters combine Jim and Pam and call them Jam, I am told. I like to think of them as Strawberry, for no particular reason.) I could tell you, but then, again, I would not be writing this blog for much longer due to the fact that I would be — all together now — "out of a job." If you really want to know, I suggest calling NBC and asking for Jeff Zucker. He is the only one who has clearance to give out that information.

And from Scranton, let’s just climb right into your computers and your living room. This week in the NBC.com webisodes, the accountants interview Stanley. Stanley can be scary, it is true, but the actor who plays Stanley, Leslie David Baker, is so gentle he could not scare a mite. ("Mite" seems weird, but I was trying to think of something small.) I met Leslie when we first auditioned for the pilot. In fact, we were there to read for the same role — Stanley. Yes, people, that's breaking news. I originally was auditioning to play Stanley, the guy who dismisses authority and is just working to feed his family. Obviously Leslie won the role, but I scored Kevin, the guy who occupies the lowest rung on the evolutionary chain. Seems like a fair trade to me....

And on the mother ship (NBC) tonight at 8:30 pm/ET it's "Boys and Girls." Michael pays a visit to the warehouse and destroys the warehouse workers — their spirit and their warehouse. This was a weird episode for us to film due to the fact that all of the boys and all of the girls were separated from each other for almost the whole week of filming. The office guys got to interact with the warehouse guys, though, and that is always fun. Craig Robinson and Patrice O’Neal (Darryl and Lonny) from the warehouse are so damn funny. Yeah, I said it: damn. I cursed, which means they are hella-funny. Check out this episode, especially if you missed it the first time.

And that is it, our little tour around The Office. I hope you enjoyed it. Oh, by the way... it is hot outside, isn’t it? All around the country, we are experiencing a heat wave of unprecedented proportions. There is only one thing to do to beat the heat — check out those webisodes on NBC.com.

(How was that for gracefully plugging the Office webisodes? Take that, PR people around the world.)

Hot fun in the summer, indeed.

OK. For real. I have no idea how many people watched the webisodes of NBC's The Office last week at NBC.com. Early indicators had the number around 3 billion, but this was unconfirmed and strictly a conservative estimate made by me. My mom told me they figured by week's end the number was nearly a trillion. Angela [Kinsey] said she thought 17. That is, a total of 17. She can be so negative.

This week in our little story, The Accountants interrogate Meredith, played by Kate Flannery. A little backstory on Meredith, if you are one of the 3 billion who have just tuned into the webisodes without having seen the series: Meredith is a drinker. Which makes her irresponsible. So she is considered a prime suspect, IMO ("In My Opinion," for the folks who are not Internet-savvy.)

Kate Flannery is an exceedingly funny lady who created and stars in one of Los Angeles' wittiest and most highly regarded stage shows, The Lampshades. Kate's final moment in The Office's "Christmas Party" episode (which garnered an Emmy nomination for writer Mike Shur), is my favorite moment of our first two seasons.

Odd transition....

Remember the final days in August as a child? Right before Labor Day. When the pool closed for the year. When all of the freezy pops had been eaten. When Mom or Dad would take you to the store to get new clothes. You were about to see those friends you really liked a lot but not enough to call them over the summer for a playdate. Yes. The beginning of the school year. Seeing old friends, avoiding familiar enemies. Meeting new teachers. Getting in trouble. Being sent to the principal. No, wait — before that. The happy times. Do you remember?

That is how I feel this week. You see, we are going back to work [on Season 3] starting Monday. And that is a good thing. Sure, I will miss the 100-degree days in my house with no air conditioning. But ding-dong, the witch is dead, strike up the band and all that. I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. So in short, next week's blog will be written in my corner of Dunder Mifflin. I wonder what Jim and Pam have been up to?

Transitioning oddly for the second time....

Also in big news for The Office: A few weeks ago we were nominated for several TCA Awards. These awards are given by the Television Critics Association, and they will be handed out this Sunday [July 23] in Los Angeles. The suspense is killing me. I will be your inside man on the red carpet this weekend and will report all the goings on next week.

Not really. TV Guide has enough reporters that can get more "inside scoop" than I can even spell. So I will just have fun. And let you know what happens. :0) (I just tried to make a smiley face like people online do. Twice. But I can't do it. Or at least I don't think I can. It doesn't really look like a smiley face. Can anybody help?)

Final odd transition of the blog....

This week on The Office — Primetime Edition, Thursday at 8:30 pm/ET — is an episode from Season 1 entitled "Basketball." I have been asked one question a lot, so I am just answering it, truthfully and honestly like always.

The Question: Was that really you who shot all those baskets at the end of the episode, or was it some trick?

The Answer: Proudly, yes. It was me. All me, baby. I used to play a little ball back in the day, and it was me, unedited. I hit approximately 14 shots in a row in our first take of that sequence, and I have been told we had to edit them out for time. I believe that on the Season 1 DVD they show me make many more. The exact number has become a bit of lore around the set, but suffice it to say, I did make all the shots that were shown in the episode and quite a few more. The phrase "deceptively athletic" has been used to describe me, and I think that pretty much says it all. What made me most proud was doing it in front of John Krasinski. He is quite a baller and all told, I think I made more shots in the episode than he did. Or at least that is what I'm telling myself.

Enjoy the webisodes. Enjoy the show. And I will have one more freezy pop for you all before I go back to work.

Writing this blog makes me feel like Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. I don't know why exactly. My piercing insight and homespun storytelling is my best guess....

But greetings, readers of blogs! Boy, does NBC have a surprise in store for you. Due to The Office's appeal among our Internet-savvy audience, they have decided to launch original online summer promo clips involving the Dunder-Mifflin accountants, especially for you. Well, you and anyone else who happens to get online and can log onto NBC.com's website to view.

Starting today, exclusively on NBC.com, fans of The Office can begin downloading the first of 10 clips, which all follow one story line: the accountants and our quest to find some missing money. I like to think of it as part murder mystery — without the murder — and part tragic comedy — without the tragic. So that would make it more of a mystery comedy, and as far as I know, this would be the first mystery comedy ever shown on a TV network's website. Pretty freaking cool, huh? (PFC, for the Internet bunch.)

NBC will be unveiling a new webisode every week, leading up to The Office Season 3 premiere in September. I just got a sneak peak at the finished series, which marks Randall Einhorn's first work as director on our show. Randall is The Office's director of photography and — how do I say this — we hate him. And when I say "we," I mean, like, everyone. His mother called me last week and told me how much she hated him, too. We tried to make the whole webisode series as terrible as possible, because our ultimate goal was to get him fired.

Unfortunately [sigh], he is a genius and our attempts to oust him failed miserably. Randall has such a clear vision of the look of the show, and working with him as a director was, as much as I hate to admit it, superb. Boo. I still hate him. Him and his smarty-pants talent. If anybody has a really cool reality program that needs a DP, please call Randall. I mean, he is great, if you can get past the hating-him part.

The accounting department (Angela, Oscar and I) appear in all of the webisodes, as we are the ones trying to crack the case of the missing money. In Part 1, Jan Levinson comes to the office and gives us some instructions in regards to the money. It is always such fun to have Melora Hardin on set, and it was such a pleasure to have her work with us in this webisode series. Most of Jan's scenes take place with Michael in his office, so it is a rare occasion when the rest of us get to interact with her. Jan's seemingly blunt confidence adds such a different energy to the office dynamic. And it doesn't hurt that Kevin thinks she is super hot. He is always happy when Jan stops by. Next week,the accountants start interviewing suspects, and I will outline those interrogations on a week-by-week basis.

In other Office news this week, NBC is taking us back to where it all began: The pilot episode will air on Thursday, July 13, at 8:30 pm/ET. This episode was shot almost two and a half years ago, and I have no idea what happens.

No. OK. A lot happens, and if I try really hard I know I can remember. We find out in this episode that there is going to be downsizing at Dunder-Mifflin. The documentary crew is introduced. Michael hires a temp. Basically, the series is launched. And, on a personal note, I figured out pretty quickly that I was involved in a show that was pretty darn special. True story: while filming this episode, Angela, Oscar and I, at various times, thought we were going to get fired. For real. Like us, the actors. We thought art was going to imitate life and we were going to be downsized. We didn't have any real reason for thinking this (or at least any reason that I am willing to blog about here), but we figured we were on the chopping block. That is my "behind the scenes" memory from that episode. That we were goners. So I am just glad we are around two and a half years later.

After the pilot, NBC will be airing "The Secret" at 9 pm/ET. This is one of the cast's favorite episodes. I mean, you have Hooters, for one. As some of you may have read, our cast likes to get together and watch the episodes as a group on Thursday nights. We think that is a pretty special thing. Special because we actually like each other. It's cool. Anyway, for this episode, Hooters hosted our cast viewing party. It was the week Steve won the Golden Globe, and Hooters made a sign for him. A really big sign. It still hangs in our production offices.

What else happened at Hooters? Oh yeah, we all got to sign the Hooters girl's shorts. Everyone enjoyed this immensely, especially Meredith.

Also in "The Secret," Michael restyles his hair to look like Jim. As far as visual laughs... it has to be in the top three for me. The other two would involve me, of course, so let's just say this is the funniest visual gag in the series that doesn't involve Kevin. Fair enough?

Oooooh, I have an idea: Let's do a survey. What is your favorite visual gag in the series that doesn't involve Kevin? The nominees are:

1) Michael restyles his hair to look like Jim.

2) Michael and Dwight in their karate attire.

3) Dwight in his basketball mask.

4) WRITE IN: __________ (This one can be about Kevin.)

Finally, The Office was nominated this week for an Emmy for outstanding comedy series, as well as four additional Emmys. Suffice it to say, we are all truly honored and humbled by this. Our show has been the "little engine that could," and we are all enjoying our ride immensely. We have to thank our fans, for it truly is because of them that we are still on the air.

Enough said.