Stay ConnectedTHAT’S WHAT SHE SAID takes an in-depth look at the world of NBC’s THE OFFICE. Each and every week we will offer audio highlights, episode commentary, news, reports on upcoming media appearances of the cast, retro reviews, a selection of podsafe music, and much more.
Often imitated, yet never equaled, TWSS is the longest continually running podcast dedicated to the best show on TV.
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Copyright: © Matthew R. Sommer
I got an e-mail today from Amazon.com linking to pre-order pricing for all of the "Emmy nominated" shows coming out on DVD this Fall.Now, for me, pre-ordering is always a gamble. Is this the best price? Will it be cheaper in stores when it actually comes out? Still, for those who appreciate "to your door" delivery service, I guess this is pretty hard to beat. Most (if not all) of these sets are 35% off the suggested retail price, so I suppose you really can't go wrong. Remember, too, that Amazon gives free shipping on all orders over $25.Pre-order THE OFFICE season three -- $32.49 (normally $49.99)Pre-order HEROES season one -- $38.99 (normally $59.99)Pre-order 30 ROCK season one -- $32.49 (normally $49.99)Pre-order MY NAME IS EARL season two -- $32.39 (normally $49.99)For the complete list of all winners/DVD sets, click HERE.If you look at the cover for season three posted above, you'll notice one subtle difference from the earlier cover-- no Prison Mike! Which is the "true" cover? Only time will tell.
The Office made big strides with today's Emmy nominations:
Comedy Series: The Office
Lead Actor In A Comedy Series: Steve Carell
Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Rainn Wilson
Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jenna Fischer
Directing For A Comedy Series: Ken Kwapis, for Gay Witch Hunt
Writing For A Comedy Series: Greg Daniels, for Gay Witch Hunt
Writing For A Comedy Series: Michael Schur, for The Negotiation
Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series: Dean Holland, Dave Rogers, for The Job
Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (half-hour) And Animation: John Cook, Peter J, Benjamin Patrick, for The CoupKEVIN'S COMMENTS:
While JAMers are probably complaining about John Krasinski being left off the list (he was on the initial list of top 10 nominees for Supporting Actor), if you look at the actual nominees it's not like Krasinski was robbed. While I don't watch Jon Cryer's Two and a Half Men, I can say with certainty that the nominations for Jeremy Piven and Kevin Dillion, and Neil Patrick Harris are most deserved. Certainly Rainn Wilson did a better job this season than Krasinski who's Emmy chances were likely doomed to his character's required sleepwalking through the entire season. The fact that Wilson scored one of the slots should be viewed a big step forward for the show and actor, considering how competitive this category is.Besides, The Office employee most deserving of a nomination was Jenna Fischer anyway. She was the focal point of the entire third season and continues to be the emotional center of the show. The show could have swept the Supporting Actor cateogory including Creed Bratton and Brian Baumgartner but if Fischer had been snubbed it would have been a dark day. So, let's celebrate Fischer's recognition, along with Steve Carell, the producers, the writers, and directors. Krasinski will have plenty of time next season to show a range of emotions. Or so I hope.
MATT'S COMMENTS:I pretty much agree with Kevin's comments above. Steve, Rainn, and Jenna really WERE the most integral characters to season three, and I also agree that John K. didn't really get a chance to show us anything noteworthy.I'm a bit more baffled by the TWO nominations for one of my least favorite episodes of season three, GAY WITCH HUNT. Are they giving Kwapis credit for that totally improvised kiss at the end? Maybe it got the recognition simply because it dealt with the issue of being gay in the workplace. For my money, though, there were MUCH better episodes they could have chosen (although the way I understand it, the show itself submits what they think are the best episodes). In any case, let's hope our favorite show gets the recognition they deserve come Emmy time.NBC held a panel for their Thursday night comedies at the TV Critic's Conference this past Monday (July 16th), and representin' for The Office were producer Greg Daniels & John Krasinski.Gael Fashingbauer Cooper of MSNBC's TEST PATTERN described what went down:Executive producer Greg Daniels and star John Krasinski (Jim Halpert) were on the panel, and had a little fun with that show's big online presence and tech-savvy audience. When Daniels noted that online spoilers were a big problem, Krasinski humorously butted in with "That's my bad, by the way. I needed a little extra cash, (I'm online) dishing the secrets."
The Jim-Pam romance of course was discussed. One critic noted that last year's promos for the show tended to hype the "Jam" lovin' even if it meant ignoring the show's humor, and Daniels agreed. He noted that the Jim-Pam romance actually has "more impact when it's not carrying the weight" (of being the show's main thread) and claimed that "(the romance) has always been the B-plot," to which Krasinski pulled mock outrage and pretended to storm out.
The panel was also asked how they would handle NBC's newly announced "green week" in November, which might seem a tough fit for comedies. Krasinski was quick to joke "Well, we're screwed. We're a PAPER company."
To see what's in store for the OTHER three shows on Thursday night, click the link above.
So what's an OFFICE fan to do for comedy during this interminable Summer rerun season?Me? I'm on a Patton Oswalt kick right now. I empathize with his "wow he reminds me of ME" nerd character Spence on THE KING OF QUEENS, I enjoyed his voice work as Remy in RATATOUILLE, I laughed my ass off at his last comedy album FEELING KINDA PATTON, I dug his COMEDIANS OF COMEDY TV show (with Zack Galifianakis, Brian Posehn, and Maria Bamford)... he's a comic book geek, loves Star Wars, and other pop-culture crap, but is also highly educated in the same snooty "English Major" way that I and most of my friends are. In fact, if there's one "celebrity" I'd like to hang out with, Patton's probably the guy.His new album WEREWOLVES AND LOLLIPOPS came out on July 10th, and he's been making the rounds this week. He's got in interesting interview in THE ONION, and is also featured in the latest episode of THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA podcast.So if you'd like to hear a bit about why Patton wants to kill George Lucas with a shovel, how Bush and Cheney are like the Dukes of Hazzard, or how KFC's new #1 menu item is a "failure pile in a sadness bowl," check out the new album. Well worth it.
Thought this was kind of interesting. The Citizens Voice is reporting that the new "prop guy" for The Office will be in in Scranton next week to make a pitch for local props for next season. Well, I'll let them get into it:---------The prop master for "The Office,? the Emmy-winning sitcom about a fictional paper supply company based in Scranton, will visit The Mall at Steamtown next week to meet with businesses for two days to see what else Scranton has to offer in the way of local props to augment the sets of the sitcom. Philip Shea, prop master for "The Office,? will be at The Mall at Steamtown, Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Representatives of businesses willing to be mentioned or have their material or products shown on the hit NBC show "The Office? are welcome.Previously, the show relied on the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce for local props. The search for additional props through this prop casting call at The Mall at Steamtown is an effort to give the show more scope as it prepares to film its fourth season.Company representatives are asked to bring business cards and promotional and marketing materials.---------Here's to a Scranton-ier season four!
Episode # 25 of THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID finds Matt and Kevin awash in a seas of Summer (not-so) blockbusters, discussing the future of TWSS. Hey, where's our RETRO episode? There's a shake-up in TWSS-land, people... one host shall live, and another will die... well, not REALLY, but I do have some bad news. Out of the ashes, a contest is offered... who will be americas next podcasting star? Who will be... THE ONE? Only the oracle knows for sure. Incidental music provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Email us at TWSSpodcast @ gmail.com, or leave a comment on our blog page at thatswhatshesaid. libsyn.com. iTunes reviews are always appreciated! Help spread the word!
I know I've been having some health issues, but some of you might be wondering when Ian & I will be getting to those promised Season One retro episodes.I'm afraid I have some bad news.Because of work/time related issues, Ian has told me that effective immediately, he will no longer be able to participate as co-host of TWSS. When I thought up this crazy idea for a podcast last Summer, Ian really stepped in and helped save my bacon. I felt the show was something of a snooze-fest as a solo production, and he really helped to establish that sense of banter and reparte that I think we've become known for. For that, I definitely owe him a debt of gratitude. It wasn't easy putting out more than 25 episodes of TWSS this past season, and he stuck by my side through thick and thin (except when he had to go party in Hawaii... the bastard). He participated here on the blog page, and did a lot to help the show become what it was.So now I'm left with a couple of choices-- end the show, go back to a solo show, or try and find a new co-host. I think it'd be a shame to just quit, and if episode #3 of TWSS taught us anything it was that I should not do this alone. I guess that leaves option number three, although part of why I did the show in the first place was because it allowed me to work with a friend... I'm not sure if I can find someone else who I can be comfortable with or who'll make me want to record an episode when my grades are due or some other bit of trouble crops up.So here's what I'm going to do-- if you think you'd like to try and step into the TWSS co-host role, I'm going to hold open auditions. Send me an audio clip of yourself talking about an episode of THE OFFICE, making sure to tell me what you liked about it, and some things you thought could have been better. You guys know how we roll-- I don't want anyone who can't be both objective and critical of the show. If you think every episode is "the best episode," don't bother to waste my time. :) I don't really know what will come of this whole thing, to tell you the truth. Maybe I'll find someone that I really click with. Maybe we'll have a rotating panel of co-hosts. Maybe, in the end, I'll just decide to retire from the world of podcasting. We shall see.I'm planning on releasing a mini-episode sometime in the next few days which talks about this and gets out to everyone that subscribes, opening up the field for possible co-hosts even more. I just thought I'd let you guys in the "inner sanctum" get the first head's up. Thank you, too, for your patience and support of the show this past year. Both Ian and I really appreciate it.
I've been toying with this for a while, since I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested, but what the hell. I set up a storefront for TWSS at the cafepress.com website. For those of you who don't know, cafepress is an online "boutique" shop where people can create their own t-shirts/mugs/hats/etc. using their own images. Normally, if you want to make a profit, you can mark the prices up HIGHER than the base price... but since the base prices are so high, I am offering these products to listeners of the podcast AT COST. I repeat-- if you order one of these shirts, neither Ian nor I will be making a penny.check it out, if you so desire:http://www.cafepress.com/twsspodcastBe the first on your block to show your support for TWSS :)
The other big piece of news from this past week has been the big syndication deal NBC has brokered for reruns of THE OFFICE. This has been pretty much all over the place, but I'll stick with the home-team and quote this article from the SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE:----------On Thursday, NBC Universal's syndication worked out a deal to sell the rerun rights to the Scranton-set comedy to comedy-focused cable station TBS, as well as 10 big-market Fox stations, in a deal worth more than $130 million. TBS also picked up the rights to "The Office's? Thursday night schedule mate, "My Name is Earl.? Reruns for the show's first three seasons will begin airing on TBS and the 10 Fox affiliates this fall.TBS will pay about $650,000 per "Office? episode, while the 10 Fox stations, which does not include the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market, will collectively pay $300,000, according to Daily Variety. The deal is unusual in that "The Office? is about two seasons away from the normal syndication period. In recent years, TBS has devoted most of its programming to comedy, with a powerhouse lineup of sitcom greats that includes "Seinfeld,? "Friends,? "Everybody Loves Raymond? and "Sex and the City.?----------Not too shabby.
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