Season 5 - Episode 19 - New Boss

On March 19, 2009 we find out what people are thinking about a New Boss!

Original Air Date: March 19, 2009
Writer: Gene Stupinsky, Lee Eisenberg
Director: Paul Feig

MEET THE NEW BOSS— IDRIS ELBA (“THE WIRE”) GUEST STARS—Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) has big plans for his 15th anniversary party at Dunder Mifflin, but is in for a shock when the new, no-nonsense Vice President (guest star Idris Elba) has some ideas of his own. Meanwhile, Jim's (John Krasinski) prank on Dwight (Rainn Wilson) has some unexpected results.

Click HERE to discuss your thoughts on the episode!

New Boss News:
Watch Online, Video Highlight - Dwight's Charm

SBO Exclusives:
Fan-site Conference Room, TwoCents Recap & Review

Deleted Scenes: 1, 2, 3

Stupnitsky & Eisenberg go back to Year One

Harold Ramis' new biblical comedy The Year One (based on an original idea by Ramis with the screenplay by The Office scribes Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg) is scheduled to open in June.

To get a early look at the film and inside scoop on the cast and artistic crew, visit this article at slashfilm.com.

And a side note: Stupnitsky and Eisenberg will be working with Ramis again real soon... they are currently writing the new Ghostbusters movie!

Season 5 - Episode 9 - The Surplus

On December 4, 2008 we will see what the staff of Dunder Mifflin Scranton will do with The Surplus.

Original Air Date: 12/4/08
Writer: Gene Stupinsky & Lee Eisenberg
Director: Paul Feig

SURPLUS SPENDING AT THE OFFICE--Oscar (Oscar Nunez) informs Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) that the office must spend a $4300 surplus or lose it in next year's budget. When Michael opens up the floor for suggestions, factions break out and officemates square off against one another in order to get what they want. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) takes Angela (Angela Kinsey) and Andy (Ed Helms) to Schrute Farms to work on their wedding plans.

Get the discussion going HERE.

"The Surplus" News Items:
Andy's Video Tour of Schrute Farms, The Surplus Photo Album, Two-Minute Replay, Watch Online, Video Highlight

SBO Exclusives: SBO Recap & Review, Fan-site Conference Room

Deleted Scenes: 1, 2, 3

What If Lee and Gene Stayed With Lonnie and Gordo?

Vanity Fair recently interviewed Lee Eisenberg and some real fun info is in this article.

"VF Daily: How did you end up writing for The Office?

Lee Eisenberg: Gene and I sold a pilot called Lonnie and Gordo, and [The Office executive producer] Greg Daniels got his hands on that.

What was that show about?

It was about two co-dependent magicians who live and work together. We were really happy with how the script turned out, but it didn’t move forward. But Greg read it and liked it enough to meet with us."

Read the whole thing 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

Season 5 - Episode 1 - "Weight Loss"

The Season 5 Premiere!
Thursday, Sept 25, 2008

Writer: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupinsky
Director: Paul Feig

For the first time, we see what happens over eight weeks of the summer, as a Dunder Mifflin weight loss initiative causes the branch to diet and become obsessed with their weight. Michael (Steve Carell) pursues a friendship with his new HR rep, Holly (Oscar nominee, Amy Ryan). Jim (John Krasinski) misses Pam (Jenna Fischer) who attends art school in New York. Dwight (Rainn Wilson), Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) attend to unfinished business.

WEIGHT LOSS NEWS ITEMS:
NBC Premiere Parties, Chili's Premiere Parties, TwoCents Review, Andy & Angela's Wedding Webpage, Download Pam's "Summer Project" Dwight photo, NBC's Weight Loss Photo Album, NBC's Episode Recap, Watch Online, SBO Conference Room, Full Episode Transcript

DELETED SCENES: 1, 2, 3

CAST MYSPACE BLOGS: Brian, Jenna, BJ, Angela

What did YOU Think of "Weight Loss"? Join the discussion HERE.

NBC Photo: Chris Haston

Speaking of Awards - EMMY NOMS!

In case you've been under a rock like me, here are the Office Emmy Nominations. The awards will be handed out Sept 21st on ABC.

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Office • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Producers TBD

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
The Office • Money (Parts 1 & 2) • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Paul Lieberstein, Director

The Office • Goodbye, Toby • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal edia Studios
Paul Feig, Director

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
The Office • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Steve Carell as Michael Scott

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (single Or Multi-camera)
The Office • Goodbye, Toby • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Dean Holland, Editor
Dave Rogers, Editor

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (half-hour) And Animation
The Office • Local Ad • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Ben Patrick, C.A.S., Production Mixer
John W. Cook II, Re-Recording Mixer
Peter J. Nusbaum, Re-Recording Mixer

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
The Office • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
The Office • Dinner Party • NBC • Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
Lee Eisenberg, Written By
Gene Stupnitsky, Written By

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Job Fair

NBC aired May 8th 2008's episode entitled: "Job Fair".

Writers: Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Director: Tucker Gates

Jim (John Krasinski)hits the links with Andy (Ed Helms) and Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) to try and land his biggest client ever. Meanwhile, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) sets up a booth at a local job fair, which happens to be at Pam's (Jenna Fischer)alma mater, to find "the best and the brightest" for Dunder-Mifflin's summer internship.

This post will keep getting update as information about this episode is released/updated.

It's time to start the discussion! Head over HERE and let's talk it up. What did you like? What didn't you like? Favorite Quotes? Favorite moments? Overall episode grade? Let us know HERE!

"Job Fair" News Items:
TwoCents Review, Job Fair Conference Room, Cool Guy Paul's Cool Quotes, SBO Interview with Trevor Einhorn

Deleted Scenes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Watch Entire Episode, Two-Minute Replay

Head over HERE and let's talk it up. What did you like? What didn't you like? Favorite Quotes? Favorite moments? Overall episode grade? Let us know HERE!

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Dinner Party

April 10th 2008's episode was entitled: "Dinner Party".

Writer: Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg
Director: Paul Feig

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER-Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) find they have run out of excuses and are forced to go to Jan (Melora Hardin)and Michael's (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell)house for dinner. When Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) are also invited to dinner, Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) jealousy gets the best of him.

"Dinner Party" News Items:
"Dinner Party" Conference Room (input from favorite Office Fan Sites), Watch "Dinner Party", SBO Review, Deleted Scenes: 1, 2, 3, 4, Buy "Serenity by Jan" Candles, Dinner Party Photo Album, Listen to or download Hunter's "That One Night", Dinner Party has good ratings!, Listen to SBO's KP on TheOfficeAlliance Podcast reviewing Dinner Party.

Interview with Gary Weeks and Steve Seagren (The Cops from the Episode)

Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky's New Movie...

The L.A. Times has an article about the upcoming movie "Year One" that was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg.

"Penned by writer-producers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg ("The Office") with director Harold Ramis ("Vacation"), the script has great anachronistic fun with the idea of applying contemporary characterizations and language to a biblical context, and vice versa (i.e. "I want to lay with her so badly" and "What happens in Sodom, stays in Sodom")."

To read the article all about the film, click HERE.

"Office" Gets Award Nominations

Nope

Not Dundies this time.

Over the last 24 hours nominations have been announced for the Golden Globe awards and the Writers Guild Awards and some of our friends from "Dunder Mifflin" have been nominated.

Golden Globe Awards
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALEC BALDWIN - 30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL - THE OFFICE
DAVID DUCHOVNY - CALIFORNICATION
RICKY GERVAIS - EXTRAS
LEE PACE - PUSHING DAISIES

Writers Guild Awards
COMEDY SERIES
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, Written by Larry David; HBO
ENTOURAGE, Written by Marc Abrams, Lisa Alden, Michael Benson, Brian Burns, Doug Ellin, Alex Gansa, Tim Griffin, Dusty Kay, Stephen Levinson, Ally Musika, Wes Nickerson, Rob Weiss; HBO
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, Written by Damon Beesley, James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Eric Kaplan, Bret McKenzie, Iain Morris, Duncan Sarkies, Paul Simms, Taika Waititi; HBO
THE OFFICE, Written by Steve Carell, Jennifer Celotta, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Farrell, Brent Forrester, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, B.J. Novak, Michael Schur, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Caroline Williams, Larry Wilmore; NBC
30 ROCK, Written by Brett Baer, Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Dave Finkel, Daisy Gardner, Donald Glover, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner; NBC

EPISODIC COMEDY - any length - one airing time
Pie-Lette (Pushing Daisies), Written by Bryan Fuller; ABC
The Job (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur; NBC
Negotiation (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard; NBC
Local Ad (The Office), Written by B.J. Novak; NBC
Phyllis's Wedding (The Office), Written by Caroline Williams; NBC
Sally Returns (Flight of the Conchords); Written by James Bobin & Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie; HBO

Thoughts on the Strike

TheTwoCents has reached out to friends we've made in TV Land to see how they are handling the current work stoppage from the WGA Writers' Strike.

In this first installment we hear from three of "The Office" folks.

Kate Flannery
(Plays "Meredith")

"I miss the feeling of making a difference. Our show has been a gift to so many people. And a gift to all of us who get to work on it.
The best thing for all of us would be to get back to work before the Christmas holidays. That would be the best present I could ask for.
We have all been knocked off balance by the strike.
I am still feeling off balance.
These are strange times."
-Kate Flannery

Lee Eisenberg
(Writer: "The Fight", "The Secret", "Michael's Birthday" and more.)

"I miss sitting in a room all day with some of the funniest people I've ever met -- and getting paid for it. Also, we have a ping pong table at the office. I miss that, too."
-Lee Eisenberg



Bobby Ray Shafer
(Plays "Bob Vance - Vance Refrigeration")

"This strike is already TOO-MANY days old and the greedy ones need to share. Since this is just the first battle in the war with the DGA and SAG contracts due up next, AMPPA has decided to make their stand here and it could get dirty. On a personal level, I'm missing being in the new Christmas Episode and continuing the BIG-MOMENTUM that we all left the convention with.

The "UTOPIAN" ending would be for the Producers to have to share revenues like professional sports teams do... because without THE PLAYERS they have NOTHING!

They tell an old joke around here about the Polish Starlet. It seems when she came to Hollywood, she slept with all the writers... Please remember that this is the same town that had blacklists and seemingly revels in breaking down literary GIANTS like Fitzgerald and Chandler and Faulkner and Hemingway and Mailer and THOUSANDS MORE... They are used to taking the words of great writers and getting to edit them just because they had the means to buy them.

As for my MORALE, I do not despair of things I cannot control, so I rely on my home puppet shows and a richly detailed fantasy life which mostly involves a young lady from P-A, and a spinoff series entitled: "BOB VANCE, VANCE REFRIGERATION" which in short order makes me rich enough to ride off into the sunset with the pretty blonde.

They need to get it done in a hurry. Why not today? For BOB'S sake!"

Bobby Ray Shafer - Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Women's Appreciation

What is a better way to appreciate women? Take them to the mall on May 3, 2007!

Writers: Gene Stupinsky & Lee Eisenberg
Director: Tucker Gates

Outrage breaks out in the office after Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) gets an unexpected eyeful from a flasher. Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) makes some important personal decisions when he takes the women on a special outing. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Andy (Ed Helms) work on catching the predator.

"Women's Appreciation" News Items:
Fan Site Conference Room, SBO's Laura Ann's Set Visit During This Episode, Dwight's Wanted Poster

Season 3 - Episode 13 - The Return

The funny is always coming back and it did again in "The Return" on January 18, 2007.

Writers: Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupinsky
Director: Greg Daniels

Oscar (Oscar Nuñez) returns from his long vacation with mixed emotions on whether or not he still wants to be a part of the office. Meanwhile, Andy (guest star Ed Helms) takes advantage of recent events to get closer to Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell). Jim (John Krasinski) turns to Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) for help to stage a prank on a new target.

"The Return" News Items:
Interview with Yvette Nicole Brown (Paris - Staples Worker)

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Traveling Salesmen

We all got in the car and went to make sales in "Traveling Salesmen" on January 11, 2007.

Writers: Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupinsky
Director: Greg Daniels

On Andy's (guest star Ed Helms) suggestion, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) has staffers team up for sales calls, leading to some interesting, insightful moments in the field. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) attempts to cover for Angela (Angela Kinsey) after she misses an important deadline. Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) receives surprising information.

Season 3 - Episode 2 - The Convention

Sept 28, 2006 brought us "The Convention" - and the birth of "Ain't no party like a Scranton party..."

Writer: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupinsky
Director: Ken Whittingham

After meeting Jan (Melora Hardin) in Philadelphia for the annual Northeastern Mid-Market Office Supply Convention, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) enlists Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) help in organizing a party in his room for fellow conventioneers. Meanwhile, Ryan (B.J. Novak) and Kelly (Mindy Kaling) join friends out on a double date.

"The Convention" News Items:
Fan Site Conference Room

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Michael's Birthday

Michael's birthday was celebrated on March 30, 2006 and who better to throw a party for Michael than, well, himself. Also, Kevin is worried he has cancer and even Angela feels bad for him! Live Strong! Fun fact of the episode? Michael's favorite song is "For The Longest Time" by Billy Joel.

Writers: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupinsky
Director: Ken Whittingham

It's Michael's birthday (which he proudly shares with actress Eva Longoria), but nobody in the office seems to care---except for Dwight. Meanwhile, Kevin waits to hear from his doctor about whether or not he has cancer. This upsets the staffers, but none more so than Michael, who sees the medical crisis taking attention away from his special day. - TV Guide

"Michael's Birthday" News Items:
Fan Site Conference Room

Season 2 - Episode 13 - The Secret

The best place to take Michael to keep his mouth shut from spilling secrets? Hooters! That's where Jim took him on January 19, 2006.

Writer: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupinsky
Director: Dennie Gordon

Worried that Michael knows that he secretly pines for Pam, Jim begrudgingly hangs out with his ego-inflated boss in an effort to keep him from spilling the beans. One of their manly outings: a trip to Hooters. - TV Guide

"The Secret" News Items:
Fan Site Conference Room

Season 2 - Episode 6 - The Fight

On November 1, 2005 Kevin told Michael to "sweep the leg" as Michael and Dwight fight it out in Dwight's dojo. We also learned, that if you like a girl, don't lift her into the air infront of all of your co-workers. She won't like that - or you. Until you give her a bag a sour cream and onion chips anyway.

Writers: Gene Stupinsky & Lee Eisenberg
Director: Ken Kwapis

After Dwight karate punches Michael, Jim sets up a lunchtime rematch at Dwight's dojo, where Pam becomes annoyed by Jim's friendliness. - TV Guide

"The Fight" News Items:
Interview with Lance Krall (Sensei Ira)