Friday, November 14, 2008

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Business Trip

The seventh episode of "The Office" for Season Five is called "Business Trip".

Original Air Date: Nov 13, 2008
Writer: Brent Forrester
Director: Randall Einhorn

CANADA BOUND—Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) is ecstatic when David Wallace (Andy Buckley) decides to send him on a business trip to Canada. Andy (Ed Helms) and Oscar (Oscar Nunez) become unlikely friends when Michael decides to bring them along on the trip. Meanwhile, Jim (John Krasinski) is counting down the days until Pam (Jenna Fischer) gets back from art school.

"Business Trip" News Items:
Cast Discusses Foreign Trips, Two-Minute Replay, Episode Highlight - Pam Decides, Watch Business Trip Online, Forrester/Einhorn Q&A, Ed Helms Talks About Canada, Writer/Director Q&A

SBO Exclusives: TheTwoCents Review, Fansite Conference Room, Five Families' Thoughts

Deleted Scenes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Check back here often as information on Business Trip becomes available!

"Business Trip" Q&A With Brent Forrester and Randall Einhorn

Brent Forrester, who wrote this week's episode "Business Trip," and Randall Einhorn, who directed it, are taking your questions! Submit your questions below about this particular episode, the characters, and/or the writing and directing process.

All questions must be submitted by 9 AM/12 PM ET Monday, Nov. 17th. The most informative and imaginative questions will be answered by Brent and Randall in an exclusive video to be posted on "The Office" website next week!

Click HERE to submit your questions...

Life Lists

Do you have a list of reasons why it's good to be alive? If you don't, you can borrow Lisa Kogan's.

The Oprah.com contributor has posted a list on CNN.com of her "Eight Good Reasons to be Cheerful," and number 5 includes someone we know and love from The Office. Need a hint? Look at the picture, dearie.

Rainn Wilson, Spokesmodel

Yep... a spokesmodel. The Gap has launched it's winter ad campaign, complete with print ads and a musical website where their models sing holiday favorites. Rainn's hit? "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Selma Blair. For more information, read the USA Today article here...

Office Universe Interview - Rich Sommer

Rich Sommer has been part of the amazing cast, as Harry Crane, on "Mad Men" for the past two seasons and he had a great comic turn as Doug in the hit "The Devil Wears Prada".

What does this mean to us here in Dunderworld? Easy - he's the guy trying to break-up the beloved JAM. In season 5, Rich has played the role of Alex - Pam's art-school friend.

Recently ScrantonBranchOffice.com caught up with Rich and he shared his TwoCents with us about his role on The Office, PB&J, where his name comes from, Citizen Kane and more. Enjoy!

ScrantonBranchOffice: Could you please tell our readers a little about yourself and how you got your start in "show biz"?

Rich Sommer: I have a beautiful wife and daughter, I love Minnesota and board games, and I'm named after my father.

My big start came from doing a showcase with my Grad School classmates. I was approached by a fantastic manager, Davis Spylios Management, and we went from there. It's been amazing ever since.

Continue Reading...

The Office Conference Room – “Business Trip”

Welcome back to The Office Conference Room, a forum where some of your favorite Office Fan Sites can submit their TwoCents in the days immediately following a new episode of The Office.

In addition, YOU, the fans, can join in on the fun! Right here on ScrantonBranchOffice, we have a discussion going about the most recent episode, Business Trip, where you can give your very own TwoCents about the episode! To visit that forum, click HERE.

Now, on to the Conference Room...

In the seventh episode of Season 5, something very dangerous happens: Michael represents Dunder Mifflin on an international Business Trip.

[Last Updated: 11/14/08 at 12:00 AM]

TheTwoCents.com: Rachel
Favorite Moment: I LOVE DRUNK OSCAR!
Favorite Quote: It's a toss-up between Kelly's "I don't know...it's well written and all..." and Oscar's "Why won't you do Andy?!?"
Overall Episode Grade: B+

NettesLayouts: Nette
Favorite Moment: My favorite moment was the scenes between Oscar and Andy drunk and then calling Angela! SO funny!!
Favorite Quote: "I had to go all the way to Canada to get to know a guy who sits twenty feet away from me. And he's delightful!" -Andy Bernard
Overall Episode Grade: B

Life in the Office: Donna
Favorite Moment: When Pam surprised Jim in the parking lot
Favorite Quote: "I scoped out the joint. Those two dudes are as good as naked. How do you know they're gay? Oh come on! It's Dainty Dale and Floppy McGee over there!"
Overall Episode Grade: A

Watch "Business Trip" Episode Online Here

Business Trip - Deleted Scene #1

Business Trip Highlight - Pam Decides on Her Future

Business Trip - Two-Minute Recap

The Cast Discusses Foreign Country Mishaps

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Office - Recap & Review "Business Trip"

The Office
“Business Trip”

Original Airdate: Nov 13, 2008

Shannon – TwoCents Staff Writer
shannon@thetwocentscorp.com

Michael is super excited to go on a business trip to Canada, while Jim is counting the days until Pam comes home from art school. Kelly and Ryan pick up where they left off and Angela almost gets caught with Dwight. Wow, for my first Office recap, this one’s a winner!

Continue reading...

[photo: NBC]

Jan moves from Scranton to 'Chicago'

For the first seven weeks of 2009, Melora Hardin will trade in her Office digs for a jail cell as she steps into the role of murderess Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning production of Chicago on Broadway.

This is not her first foray into the world of musicals. This summer (as you may remember from posts right here on Scranton Branch Office) Melora starred as Fantine in a Hollywood Bowl concert version of Les Miserables.

To read more about her trip to Chicago, visit the Associate Press article here...

[photo: Associate Press]

Steve Carell is 'Despicable'

Steve Carell will voice Groo, the title character of Despicable Me, a 3-D CG-animated film about a man who plots to steal the moon.

The movie is being produced by Illumination Entertainment, a new Universal Pictures-based family film unit. To read the announcement in Variety, go here...

[photo: Variety.com]

Steve Carrell on Jay Leno 11-12-08 Video

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Goodbye, Ryan?

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that everybody's favorite white-collar criminal is taking a leave of absence from the show (as both a writer and actor) to appear in Quintin Tarantino's latest movie Inglourious Basterds.

Specific details about the length of the leave are sketchy. Even whether or not he will even return. To read the full story in EW's The Ausiello Files, go here...

[photo: EW.com]

A Love Note from Craig

This just in from Craig Robinson's MySpace bulletin post (Thanks for the heads-up, Katie!):

Hello,
Please join me as I bring my comedic/ musical self to Philly Nov 19-22 at Helium Comedy Club and New York the 26-29 at Caroline's on Broadway. The band will be with me the 28 and 29th!
Thank you,
Ily,
Craig

Bad to the Bone

Who do you love to hate? Yahoo!TV has posted a slide show of the top ten characters who are "so sneaky we love them."

What does this have to do with The Office? Oh, I think you know.

David Brent v. Michael Scott?

Is Ricky Gervaise planning a visit to the American Office?

Perhaps as Andy Melman from HBO's Extras?

To read Ricky's TVGuide.com interview here...

[photo: TVGuide.com]

Office Name Dropping

What would your reaction be if your name was dropped on The Office? Last week, during the great Cornell one-upmanship between Dwight and Andy, that exact thing happened Cornell QB Nathan Ford, who was pretty surprised, not only for the shout-out, but for all the new Friend Requests he has received. Read his interview in the Cornell Daily Sun here...

Webisodes - The Outburst

Starting November 20th, we will be treated to a new set of Webisodes!

This time the webisodes center around a very angry phone call Oscar has in the office and how everyone else in the office reacts to it. The series is entitled "The Outburst".

Beginning Air Date: Nov 20, 2008
Writers: Nate Federman & Jonathan Hughes
Directors: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupinsky

We will post all pertinent information on "The Outburst" here and hope you'll feel inclined to get the discussion going in the comments here.

"The Outburst" News Items:
Preview, Cast Interviews

Episodes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Cast Talks About "The Outburst" Webisodes

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Customer Survey - Deleted Scene #4

Happy Veteran's Day from Bob Vance

Celebrate Veteran's Day with Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration! Bobby Ray Shafer's new MySpace blog discusses his family's military background and his appreciation for those who have fought for our freedom. Check it out HERE.

Thanks for the info, Katie!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Customer Survey - Deleted Scene #3

The Families' Thoughts - Customer Survey

Once again the members of the other 4 families of the Scranton Business Park have convened to discuss the activities over at Dunder Mifflin. We are joined by Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, Paul "Cool Guy" Faust of Disaster Kits Limited, W.B. Jones of W.B. Jones Heating and Cooling and Bill Cress of Cress Tool and Dye.

So, without further ado, we present the thoughts of the men who run the Scranton Business Park, sent in directly from them about the "Customer Survey" episode.

Cress' Convo: Kelly is a venomous, slithering cobra just waiting to strike if you wrong her. Good for her, my kind of cobr.... uh..... woman. I like her.

Vance's View: At VANCE REFRIGERATION, Customer Satisfaction is JOB #1. It's something we take very seriously -- unlike some of our fellow tenants here at SBP. Of course this only confirms an earlier memo that I sent to all V-R employees warning them to steer clear of the wily Kelly Kapoor. I've seen her in action and I know TROUBLE when I see it.(Kelly cornered me one time and did a ten minute monologue on Paris Hilton that I'm still trying to forget!) There are certainly some "dusky" do's-and-don'ts at play here, and I'm reminded of some of Bob Vance's old adventures in The 'Nam, but that's another story for another time. Stop by this week for our big sale and I'll give you a CUSTOMER SURVEY that you won't soon forget.
Yours in refrigeration,
BOB VANCE, VANCE REFRIGERATION

Cool Guy Paul's Cool Thoughts: This week has been rather hectic as I am only a one man operation and have been dealing with Hurricane Paloma. However….after watching the way the employees of Dunder Mifflin backstab each other I cant see how they stay in business long. I may expand my company and have already spoken to the landlord about taking over their space. I did however have the time to tap into Jim’s new Bluetooth…..you should hear what him and Pam talk about in private!!!!

W.B. Jones' Grade A Badass Review: "You juked the stats cupcake". How can you run a successful enterprise when you can't depend on the accuracy of customer surveys ?? It seems that Dunder Mifflin runs via an informal, personal vendetta performance system, where reprisals are the mainstay of the work day. You would think Michael Scott could get his act together and stamp out this corruption once and for all. On a sadder note, I really feel like my good friend Andy is being led down the proverbial path buy his unscrupulous fiance and her malevolent gigolo - unconscionable !

As always we have to thank the men BEHIND the men behind Scranton - Bobby Ray Shafer (Bob Vance), Paul Faust (Cool Guy Paul), Barry Sigismondi (W.B. Jones) and Terrence Beasor (Bill Cress) for their amazing willingness to share with us and all the Dunderheads out there!

Ricky Gervais' Comedy Special Debuts This Weekend

Ricky Gervais, Emmy(r)-winning star of the acclaimed HBO series "Extras," makes his American TV stand-up debut when RICKY GERVAIS: OUT OF ENGLAND - THE STAND-UP SPECIAL is presented SATURDAY, NOV. 15 (9:00-10:15 p.m. ET/10:00-11:15 p.m. PT). Taped in summer 2008 before a live audience at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the special includes material from his three sold-out British stand-up tours, featuring Gervais' unique take on such disparate (and often politically incorrect) issues as fund-raising, fame, nursery rhymes, Nazis, moronic friends and obesity.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 15 (12:45 a.m. ET/12:10 a.m. PT), 18 (1:00 a.m.), 21 (8:30 p.m.), 24 (9:30 p.m.) and 30 (2:00 a.m.), and Dec. 3 (11:30 p.m.)

ET Talks With Jenna Fisher Clubbin' in Vegas

From Entertainment Tonight: This weekend marked the third anniversary of popular Las Vegas nightclub Tao and the stars were there to help make the night a memorable one.

"Private Practice" star Kate Walsh says there's no better place for a bachelorette party. "It's just the place to be," she continues.

Jenna Fischer stepped out of "The Office" to hit the Vegas hotspot. Fischer raves about the club: "Great drinks, great people, great energy, it's just the best."

Click HERE to read more and watch the video...