1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Hi. I'm Greg Daniels. I was the showrunner of the Office. Hello, 2 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, Thank you for diving in to another episode 3 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: of the Office Deep Dive. See what I did there. 4 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: I am your host, Brian baumb Gartner, and I am 5 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: so thankful that you are here. Yes, for those of 6 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: you listening in real time. It is Thanksgiving week here 7 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: in the States, and I love this time of year truly. 8 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: The Crisp Air, my birthday, the fall Leaves, my birthday, Football, 9 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: it is the best, all right. And as I mentioned 10 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: last week, working on this podcast with some of my 11 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: favorite people and the whole entire world has just been well, 12 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: it's hard to put into words, but it is definitely 13 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: the thing that I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving 14 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: my family aside, of course, but know this, my podcast, 15 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: this podcast, it has truly changed my life. And the 16 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: other thing that, without question has changed my life. Who 17 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: I'm so thankful to be talking to today is our showrunner, 18 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: Greg Daniels. His brilliance, his mentorship, his general aura of greatness. 19 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: I am just so happy and feel so blessed that 20 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: this man is a part of my life. So I'm 21 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: going to bring you today the last part of my 22 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: conversation with Greg. As you know, he was the creator 23 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: of the Office, and he has gone on to make 24 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: Parks and Wreck and Upload and Space Force and so 25 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: much more. He also wrote the foreword of our new book, 26 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to dunder Mifflin, So if you get a chance, 27 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: go check that out. But it was important for me 28 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: that on this week of giving thanks, that I give 29 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: thanks to my boss of almost a decade. And while 30 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: famously Michael Scott was the world's best boss, everything he 31 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: knew he learned from Greg Daniels. Is that a compliment? 32 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, but anyway, give it up for the 33 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: best boss on the entire planet the galaxy, the incomparable 34 00:02:52,600 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: Greg Daniels. Love it bubble and squeak bubble and squeaker 35 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: cookie at every moment. Lift over from the nut people. Okay, well, 36 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: here's kind of a fun one. So you worked with um, 37 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: Steve Carrell, Yeah, John Krasinski, Rain Wilson, and well myself 38 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: and um I've heard it has been said that your 39 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: favorite actor of all time is Paul Aberstein. Paul is 40 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: very good. I mean, I'm certainly not gonna say anything 41 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: negative about Paul. I don't want to rank you guys, 42 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: I don't think that's fair. But Paul is like it 43 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: didn't expect him to be so good. You know, he 44 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: basically just filled in at the table read in season one, 45 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: and Kevin would go to the table reads and Paul 46 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: got laughs and Kevin was like, what happened to that 47 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: guy with the red hair? You know? Put him in 48 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: more And that's how he got on the show pretty much. 49 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: But he always had an interesting attitude about it. And 50 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: you know, Paul is like a jazz vibraphonist. Uh and 51 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: I feel like something about that jazz timing was in 52 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: his performance and was like a little bit unusual. Yeah, 53 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: I know he's great, but I don't I don't want 54 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: to say like, uh, anybody's better than anybody else. Why 55 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: why did you? Why did you choose Paul and Jen 56 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: to run the show after when when you left to 57 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: go to Parks. Well, Um, the interesting thing about making 58 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: the writer's performers is that that kind of bites you 59 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: a little bit. Like season one, we wrote all the scripts, 60 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: we shot all the shows, and then I went into 61 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: editing and just did full time editing. And that was 62 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: great because you could be physically presented everything it was 63 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: really on. And that was when you know, Paul became 64 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: a character, Mindy became a character. B J was always 65 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: a character, and there was no downside to that. Season 66 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: two we start and then those guys go off to 67 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: the set and I'm suddenly looking around. I've got like 68 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: half the staff, you know, I got Mike and Jen 69 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: and Lee Jean, and that's it. Everybody else is on set, 70 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: you know. And then they'd show up and they obviously 71 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: still did great stuff and wrote great episodes and everything, 72 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: but there were times when the room was a little 73 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: bit thin because they were acting and Mike was a 74 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: very mature, full package, like he could produce, he could write, 75 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: and he wasn't one of the main characters. And I 76 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: also felt very much responsible to the cast and to Steve, 77 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: and if Steve was not going to go do movies 78 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: and bug out and was going to stick with it, 79 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: I didn't want to be the guy who was, you know, 80 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: gonna do something to detriment the show, right, So I 81 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: didn't want to haven't be like, oh, you can't find 82 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: me into your pall on set because they're doing a 83 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 1: spin off or whatever, and it and I guess Mike 84 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: could worked there for four years, and he was gonna 85 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: go anyway, do you know what I mean. It's not 86 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: like he was gonna put the rest of his career 87 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: working there. He was pretty icious and headed places. So 88 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: I felt like he would be a good choice to 89 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: do it because I could set it up with him 90 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: and then he could run it and I could still 91 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: see the office throom. So and we had different ideas, 92 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: like the Parks is the idea of Okay, it's mockumentary. 93 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: Instead of being about business and the private sector, it's 94 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: about the public sector. But at the same time, I 95 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: had an idea that I thought was good, which was 96 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: all right, workplace is a good genre of TV comedy, 97 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: But an even bigger genre is family show. What about 98 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: a mockumentary about a family show? And and I had 99 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: a plan after Mike was going to spin off and 100 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: do Parks, I was going to do a show with 101 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: Jen and we were going to do the family sitcom 102 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: one And we had worked it out ed Helms was 103 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: gonna maybe be the lead with Catherine Tate as his wife, 104 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: and they were, and it was going to be the 105 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: mockumentary looking at a cul de sac, some kind of 106 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: suburban cul de Sac and then Modern Family came out 107 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: and you know, it was huge hit that kind of 108 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: put the end too that plan, right, Mike Sure said 109 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: about being asked to go and develop Parks and rec 110 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: they basically said that it feels like, um, Mozart told 111 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: me he wants to design a piano with me. It's 112 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: not Steinway Mozart both are designing a piano. Let's are 113 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: very incompetent piano maker. Yeah, but still somebody who probably 114 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: should follow. But yeah, that's cool, that's nice. Yeah, it was. 115 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: It was certainly fun to do Parks. I mean we 116 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: you know, we're so close to the Office that we 117 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: thought Parks was just completely different. I mean like we 118 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: I didn't see it as having any bearing it all 119 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: on the office, Like we got a female and it's 120 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: a completely you know, a different world and everything. And 121 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: of course, in the same way like it took season 122 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: one to be able to get free of the English show, 123 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: you know, like season one, Parks was too close probably 124 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: still and I think we figured that out. We didn't 125 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: have a pilot because Ben was now running NBC and 126 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: Ben hooked us straight to series for Parks, and so 127 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: by the time we looked at the footage of the pilot. 128 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: We already shooting episode three or something from Parks, but 129 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: we kind of steered it around. Part of it was 130 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: I remember thinking, like, Okay, it's not all about a 131 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: crazy central character. It's more like thirty Rock maybe, where 132 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: the central character is surrounded by crazy and like when 133 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: we kind of made that adjustment, it seemed to work better. 134 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: But but Amy is like very different from Steve. She's 135 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: a different type of performer in what way. Well, like 136 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: I don't think she can hide her intelligence. Like one 137 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: of to me, one of Steve's um real gifts is 138 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: you can stare at his face and he's doing something 139 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: really stupid and you can't tell that he is aware 140 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: that is stupid, you know what I mean. He completely 141 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: hides his intelligence. And Amy probably could if she wanted to, 142 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: but chooses not to, and she just she doesn't hide it. 143 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: And I think maybe it's also being a woman, you 144 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: know what I mean. It's like it means something different 145 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: to hide your intelligence. It's more retro and you know, uncool, 146 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: probably to hide your intelligence as a woman. So it 147 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: didn't fit great to have her play naive. She had 148 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: to be a little smarter. What do you think was 149 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: the bigger loss, Michael or Steve. Huh wow, Oh yeah, well, um, 150 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: I do think that when we said goodbye to Steve, 151 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 1: it became really clear how much the crew loved him, 152 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: and the stories from different crew members was really sweet. 153 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: I mean, I remember like when forty year old Virgin 154 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: was still in theaters and he was the biggest movie 155 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: star in the country and we were shooting I think 156 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: the Dundee's, and um, we were in a parking lot 157 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: like of a defunct Black Angus. It's two or three 158 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: in the morning, and his entire role is to drive 159 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: the car away from Jenna after saying his line. And 160 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: he's doing it at three in the morning, take after 161 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: take after take to support her in that scene where 162 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: so many people would have been like, yeah, you put 163 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: the photo double in goodbye, And I'm doing a show 164 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 1: with him now. I'm doing Space Force with him now, 165 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: and he's number one on the call sheet. Same deal. 166 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: We just had our rap party. The crew came up 167 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: to me. They were all like, it starts at the top. 168 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: The vibe on the set is so beautiful and everybody's 169 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: you know, such a great feeling and and everything, but 170 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: you know, one of the things that I got out 171 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: of working with Steve was like I didn't really have 172 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: an improv background, you know what I mean, Like I 173 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: had come from Sketch Comedy and then Simpson's. And when 174 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: we started working together, he told me about this book 175 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: Truth and Comedy, which is kind of like the bible 176 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: of the Chicago improv world, and I found that to 177 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: be really the key to kind of how he worked 178 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,559 Speaker 1: and it saved us a bunch of times. When one 179 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: of my favorite memories of Steve as a producer or 180 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: as a you know, not as an actor, is we 181 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: were doing Dundee's and the problem was we went to 182 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: Black Angus and then we went to Chili's restaurant, and 183 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: we didn't actually get any money for it. You know, 184 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: it's not like what they paid us a lot of 185 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: money to use Chili's. What they did was they sent 186 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: us their branded decorations for set deck. So we say, yeah, 187 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: we've got the menus and we got some signs and stuff. Anyway, 188 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: so we're there. We're at this defunct Black Angus for 189 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: three days shooting with all the Chili stuff, and like 190 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: on day two, the Chili's lawyers call and they go oh, hey, 191 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: we just looked at the script, the part where Pam 192 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,439 Speaker 1: is so drunk she throws up. That's not gonna work 193 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: for us. We're being sued for overserving patrons and we 194 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: can't that's a bad look, So you can't do that. 195 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: And I was like cocky at this point. I was like, yeah, 196 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: well we're shot two thirds of our shoot, you know. 197 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: And I turned to the Universal executives and I was like, well, 198 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: check the contract with the Chilis because obviously you know, 199 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 1: they don't have editorial control. And they're like, uh, there's 200 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: no contract. There's no written contract. We just thought we'd 201 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: say fifty thou dollars of set deck and we just 202 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: did it on a handshake. So then we were like, well, wait, wait, wait, wait, 203 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: what do we do? What do we do? And they 204 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: were like, well, you don't have to take that note, 205 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: but in that case, you can't show any of the 206 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: branded set decoration that we sent you, which meant that 207 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: we would have had to shoot go back to the 208 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: beginning and not used the two days that we already shot, 209 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: which we couldn't afford right because it was hundreds of 210 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars. So I was like getting ill in 211 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: the corner freaking out, and Steve notices and it's like, 212 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: what's up. And I told them the situation and the 213 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: thing that was so cool to me was this improv thing, 214 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: like he had utter faith always that he would his 215 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: creativity would never flag, that he would be able to 216 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: find an answer when it was necessary, Like that's what 217 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: all that improv training was. And I completely shut down. 218 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: I was like going to blow my brains out, and 219 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: he was like, okay, all right, well, all right, and 220 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: then he came up with this notion of the manager 221 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: being interviewed and saying that Pam had a lifetime band 222 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: from Chili's and it solved everything. And I really was like, huh, 223 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: that's a different way to live than I'm used to. 224 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: You know, the overthinker doesn't doesn't do that right. I 225 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: had all my plans had just been thrown for a loop, 226 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: and uh so I feel like I tried take that away. 227 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: I think it's like a little bit of a religion 228 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: for him to be an improv guy. What do you 229 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: remember about because you obviously you came back for Goodbye 230 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: my call Um, How did you feel writing him off? 231 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: I mean, did you did you feel like the show 232 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: was going to should go on past him. Um, yeah, 233 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: I did, because you know, part of the painful part 234 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: of my job is as the showrunner, you're not done 235 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: when the rap right. You've got to go edit all 236 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: of the things. So, like at least the third maybe more, 237 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: my job was sitting with the editors cutting the show 238 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: down and it then it made a huge difference in 239 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: our show because our rough cuts were thirty eight minutes 240 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: long and we had to get down to three or whatever. So, um, 241 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: that's an enormous amount to throw out, and it was 242 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: very painful because we could get the show down to 243 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: twenty six minutes or something with with just cutting the fat, 244 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: but then after that you got to cut the muscle. 245 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: You know, there's good scenes that are not going to 246 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: be brought cast. And you know, once we got five 247 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: or six years into the show, the full ensemble was 248 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: really working and capable of doing really good stuff. And 249 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 1: so the best argument to me to continue was it 250 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: would let all these people who didn't have as much 251 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: screen time have more screen time. And Steve didn't obviously 252 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: didn't want us to shut down, so I kind of 253 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: felt like it was it was good that we would 254 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: do Okay, Now, the difficulty is that people are not 255 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: created to be leads and you know, all that stuff 256 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: that I was saying the beginning of positioning Steve in 257 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: in season two and finding you know, ways that he 258 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: has good intentions and is more of a lead and everything. 259 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: Like I knew the Dwight had been created to be 260 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: the foil to these people and was a charactery creation 261 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: to begin with. Andy Bernard was created to be the 262 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: Stanford version of Dwight, you know, in season three, like, uh, 263 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: you know, Jim shows up in Stanford and he's got 264 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: this weirdo who's like a preppy weirdo, like a different 265 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 1: type of weirdo, and um and well and also he 266 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: was an idiot, like unlike Dwight, who you know, Dwight 267 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: was an idiot in his own way, but I mean, 268 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: like sorry bad at his job, Like he had been 269 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 1: positioned as being not good at his job. He was 270 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: not very good at his job. He punched holes in walls. 271 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: You know, he would have needed a lot of the 272 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: same kind of moving the character over that we did 273 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: in season two, and I believe Paul was doing that 274 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 1: with Andy, but it was different because we were everybody 275 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: was paying close attention to the show at that point, 276 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: so there was definitely a lot of like, there was 277 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: a lot of for some reason. The thing with the 278 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: Office is like people get super into it obviously, which 279 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: is great, but then there's then there's so much attention 280 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: and worry about changing it or touching it or you know, 281 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: don't touch my my beloved thing. Right. So in the 282 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 1: same way there was all this negative attention about adapting 283 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: the British show. I think that there was a lot of, 284 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: you know, worry about making any changes to it, right. Well, 285 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: but I think you you think of the Office right 286 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: as this place of stasis, right, and we're all there 287 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: in one room, and there's the whole bullpen and everybody's 288 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: there all the time, and it's all the same. But 289 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: I think one of the special things that you did 290 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: was you created sort of a kinetic energy by changing, 291 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: by constantly changing it and not keeping it the same. 292 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: Bringing in the Stanford Branch and Ed and Rashida or 293 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Jenna leaving and going to art school or so much 294 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: of that was being driven by Pam and Jim and 295 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: the romantic storyline and the way those two characters were 296 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: set up. They were soul mates. And what I didn't 297 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: want to do was, like so many shows, they come together, 298 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: they break apart, they come together, they break apart. You know, 299 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: it didn't seem real. I felt like, when they finally 300 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 1: get together, they're going to be together. I don't see 301 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: anything breaking them up. So then the question was, well, 302 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: how do you spend this out for a certain number 303 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: of years? Right? So? Um, you know, so a lot 304 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: of it was what are the obstacles? And we you know, 305 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: when I was trying to figure out what came next 306 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: in the show, I didn't have an entire season broken. 307 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: I would be able to have about a half a 308 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: season arked out. And the thought with Pam and Jim was, okay, 309 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: you know season one, she's obviously with Roy. Well, actually 310 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: season one there the only kind of thing was he 311 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: was obviously pining, and then he starts dating first girl, 312 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: right right. So season two she's with Roy and he's 313 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: getting closer and close short to confessing his feelings and 314 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: he rolls the dice. And you always feel like when 315 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: you're watching a TV show, we're worry about the yank, 316 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: you know, that's what we call it in the writer's 317 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: room where the Jeopardy of the episode is something you 318 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: don't really believe because it would change the show. You know, 319 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: like you don't really believe like Rain is going to 320 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: go work for Staples. Why it's going to leave the show. 321 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: It's like, no, he's too important to the show. You're 322 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: not gonna set him to the Staples. So we set 323 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: up the situation where Jim was like, well, maybe I 324 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: should take that job in Stanford, and um, we were 325 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: like us, that a yank. I don't know, We're worried, 326 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: is that a yank? And then we were like, let's 327 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 1: let's put him in Stanford, you know, let's really make 328 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: it happen, and that'll give us a whole new lease 329 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: on the Jim Pam thing because it's a new obstacle. 330 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,959 Speaker 1: And that cooled it off a lot. And then by 331 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,479 Speaker 1: the time he finally came back, he had Karen and 332 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: that gave us another thing. And then around the like 333 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: Beach Games area, the obstacle was Okay, the obstacle is 334 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: now Pam. It's in Pam's court. She wants to be 335 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: with Jim, but she's too timid, and so then she 336 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,159 Speaker 1: walks on the fire and we were like kind of 337 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: got past that obstacle and then eventually was like, well, 338 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: I can't see any more obstacles. Got to get it together, 339 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: and get them together sooner, like slightly sooner than the 340 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: audience thinks, so that you could preserve you know, a 341 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: surprise to it. Uh yeah, so, but that drove an 342 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: awful lot of the changes and bringing people in and everything. 343 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: Another thing that was super unique about what you did, 344 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: and I remember you talking about it when it was 345 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: going on, but that you wanted the episodes to air 346 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: roughly when they were happening, right, So it's obvious every 347 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: network just show Christmas around Christmas time or whatever, but 348 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: that it was happening sort of within the calendar year, 349 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: and that you chose to keep the form and the 350 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: format of each episode is one day. It takes place 351 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: over one day, and in the summer, the camera crew 352 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: goes on their holiday and their vacation and they're not there, 353 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: so we don't see it as opposed to Ross and 354 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: Rachel kissing and then four months passing and the next 355 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: moment is the same moment that we left with, because 356 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: the audience now has to work and find out what happened. 357 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: What happened? Right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I think 358 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: that that was um, you know that that works well. Uh, 359 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 1: I mean obviously Friends did good too, Oh I know, 360 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: but that was a conscious decision for you that it 361 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: was important that it seemed real. And again also like 362 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: if you're going to try and stay in the pace, 363 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: you got to catch up over the summer somehow. I 364 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: mean we did it with weight loss. We we did 365 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: a different type thing, yes, but yeah, I don't know. 366 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: I mean it helped with the storytelling to jump a 367 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: little bit, because the other thing is like, with the 368 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: Office being so realistic, sometimes it is hard to do 369 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 1: a restart or to jump and you sometimes you have 370 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: to shoot down ideas because you're like, well, how did 371 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: they get there from yesterday? So sometimes a little uh 372 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: time jump is really good for that, right, why did 373 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: you come back? Well, two questions and two questions one. Um, 374 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: the Office has a beginning, a middle, and an end, 375 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: and it was my belief that you knew fairly early 376 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: what that end was going to be. Well, it did 377 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: shift though, because like my idea for the end in 378 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 1: the beginning was like around season two, I had this 379 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: idea that you know, I was a big fan first 380 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: of all, I love documentaries and I was a big 381 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: fan of seven Up. If you remember that one, well 382 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: seven Up changes every seven years. It was fourteen up up. 383 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 1: And what it is is they are following a group 384 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: of British seven year olds. This is guy Michael Appted 385 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,959 Speaker 1: and and he's been doing it. They just did like 386 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: sixty nine up or something. Okay, that's that's how old 387 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: the segmentary is. They're following these guys for every stage 388 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 1: of their life. And um, I think that is like 389 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: a reality show thing too, of like, oh, it's Survivor 390 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: Survivors over and let's get them together on a stage 391 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: and see what happened. And I thought, well, this is cool, right, 392 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,120 Speaker 1: we could get them together on a stage and you 393 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: think that it didn't work out for certain things that 394 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: you want, but the documentary is still filming. Things are 395 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: going to happen backstage at the wrap up. That was 396 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: kind of my notion was that I would provide an 397 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: unhappy ending for Jim and Pam in the last episode 398 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: that looked like the series, and then I would do 399 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: the wrap up and I'd have a happy ending at 400 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 1: the wrap up something like that. Anyway, this is the 401 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: obviously five seven years out, So this is just a thought. 402 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: So then the idea of a wedding also is a 403 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: good one because it attracts people back. So I mean, 404 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: I think the idea was, let's jump a year, you know, 405 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 1: like if you jump a year, you can really find 406 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: out what happened everybody in more of a rappie up way. 407 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: And then we're like, well, let's do both, you know 408 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 1: what I mean, And it made sense kind of like 409 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: the if I was the documentary crew and I knew 410 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: Dwight was getting married, that's when I would do my 411 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: reunion show because everybody's coming in for the wedding, because 412 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: otherwise I don't think I can get everybody, like I 413 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: can't get Toby to come back from wherever he was 414 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:27,920 Speaker 1: Poland And were you were you ready for the show 415 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: to end that season nine? I mean, for for me personally, 416 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: this was the most wonderful, you know, experience in all aspects. 417 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: It was like creatively super interesting, It was successful. It 418 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: had a great story in the sense that it didn't 419 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,959 Speaker 1: look like it was going to be successful and then 420 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: it turned out to be successful, which is obviously the 421 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: best kind of story. And also it was me being 422 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 1: kind of daring a little bit like to take on 423 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: doing the remake was a little bit fraught with danger, 424 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,160 Speaker 1: so I did something a little bold, you know. And 425 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: it was also like there hadn't been shows like this really, 426 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: so it was a little bit artistically bold. I don't know. 427 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: It was a great story, obviously, and I really loved 428 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: the whole experience, and everybody was so much of family 429 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: by the time, and part of it was the fact 430 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: we were in this weird little lot all by ourselves 431 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,879 Speaker 1: and we had every meal together, you know, and it 432 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: wasn't that show busy. So it was a tremendous, tremendously 433 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: wonderful experience. So when definitely what I knew was I 434 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: wanted to be there to do it at the end. 435 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: And I also realized how much more pleasurable it is 436 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: to be the show runner than to be an executive 437 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 1: producer who gives notes that sometimes they're taken and sometimes sorry, 438 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:56,439 Speaker 1: you know, it's not as much fun, uh of an experience, 439 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: And there is something very personal about show. I mean, 440 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: part of it is the whole docu thing, the realism 441 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: and the people and the truth and beauty and all 442 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff like that was everything I felt 443 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: was important about writing for TV, and it all was 444 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: able to happen in that show. So after the show 445 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: was over, I was pretty spent, do you know what 446 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: I mean? I was like, well, I did it. You know, 447 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 1: I'm done. I don't know if I need anything else, 448 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 1: you know, And so yeah, so it kind of felt like, 449 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: when you're gonna get this opportunity, let's see what a 450 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: great ending is, you know. So I guess maybe I 451 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 1: like the idea of of that. I do think it 452 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: plays well now when you look at Netflix, like, I 453 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: think the fact that it hasn't ending is a positively. 454 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: I think people like it that has an ending and 455 00:27:46,280 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: then you can start up up again if you want it. Ye, 456 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: last year, The Office was the number one show on Netflix, 457 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: streamed over fifty two billion minutes. Why do you think 458 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: that it has endured? Mm hmm, Well, I mean we 459 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: did put a lot of good work into it. You know. 460 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: I think there was a lot of talented people assembled 461 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: for that show. It was kind of a dream team. 462 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: And I think that the approach that we took to 463 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: value character, comedy, and behavior as opposed to jokes, Like 464 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: jokes kind of don't last that long, but you fall 465 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: in love with the characters, and you you always have 466 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: something to see like and the stuff. The work that 467 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: you guys did also gave so much rewatchability to it, 468 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: you know, because you could follow the sorry, but you 469 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: guys were constantly acting in all moments, Like you can 470 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: watch the entire show looking at one character and it's 471 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,719 Speaker 1: interesting because they're doing their thing, they're being in character, 472 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 1: and they're working the way and being funny in the background. 473 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: I think the layers maybe help the rewatching. And I 474 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: think that the voice of the show is a very 475 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: humanistic voice too, you know. If there's a message or 476 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: something that that was maybe in the finale just about 477 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: the importance of just decency and ordinary lives are worthy of, 478 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: you know, being on TV. I don't know. That's all 479 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: good stuff. Yeah, it's it's occurring to me truly that 480 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: I think about who the show appeals to now, and 481 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: it's so often it's young people and even younger and 482 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: people who are potentially marginalized or they don't quite fit 483 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: in this awkward teenage years or high school college. And 484 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: the show appreciates people of all shapes and sizes, and 485 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: but it does it in a funny way which young 486 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: people like too, yeah, you know, yeah, everybody gets to 487 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: the pluses and minuses. It's not like where anybody's excluded. 488 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: It's a pretty inclusive show, yeah, which I think is great. 489 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: And uh, the other thing about kids, like, I didn't 490 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: understand why it would be appeal to kids because a 491 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: lot of people were like, well, you know, it's the workplace, right, 492 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: what do kids know about the workplace? But it's actually 493 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: really similar to the experience of being a kid in school, 494 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: because you know your teacher is your boss, and you're 495 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: sitting at your little desk next to somebody else, so 496 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: you may or may not like you know, and you're 497 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: compelled to listen to whatever or ring crap. You know 498 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: it's coming down there, down from above. So I think 499 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: they relate to it from that standpoint. I also think, 500 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: I wonder what you think that I think the show 501 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: is subversive in a way. It's looking at issues or 502 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: race or the brilliant gay witch hunt episode that you wrote, 503 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: and it's looking at things in a subversive way, which 504 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: I feel like the older you get is less appealing. 505 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: But that sort of young idea of doing something a 506 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: little bit under the radar, and that it's become cool. 507 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's tough. You know, it's hard to 508 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: talk about what you're doing. I think that there's something 509 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: um that always makes me worried when you talk about 510 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 1: comedy or whatever. At some point you start to be like, 511 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to lose the ability to do it. 512 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: I don't want to talk about it too much. Interesting. Yeah, 513 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: there's that power ruble of the centipede. I think it 514 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: is where they have hundreds of legs and when the 515 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 1: centipede tried to think about how it was that his 516 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: legs all worked properly, they all got taggled up, but 517 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: he couldn't he couldn't walk. I don't know. What do 518 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: you think the legacy of the Office is? Well? I 519 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: do think that it did. Like that thing that I 520 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: was saying about, maybe if we go to NBC will 521 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: change the boat of comedy. I think it did. You 522 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: know that seems like a lot of the shows that 523 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: came after are, if not completely doc you definitely have 524 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: that style. And the people went on to do a 525 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: lot of great things, and I loved it all this 526 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: new people like the show so much. We used to 527 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: have a lot of visitors from different make a wish 528 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:54,479 Speaker 1: type things, and I always thought that was indicative of something, 529 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Like people with all these 530 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: health problems would get at so much solace out of 531 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: the show. And I always was proud of that, but 532 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 1: I didn't really know what what what what it was. 533 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: But it seems like it's a it was a valuable 534 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: thing to have made. We did a good job making it. 535 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: People like it and it provides something good for them. 536 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: I was at a children's hospital last year and um, 537 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: we were going room to room and one of the 538 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: administrators would go to the next room and make sure 539 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: that the kid was able to be seen and we 540 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: could still kind of go on our little tour. And 541 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: she came back and she said, so, he doesn't know 542 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: that you're coming. And I turned the corner and I 543 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,239 Speaker 1: walked into his room and he's got tubes everywhere and 544 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: he's watching The Office Hiss TV. And it like took 545 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 1: my breath away. That's something that we've created. It can 546 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: really mean something to people and give them comfort or 547 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: a laugh in a moment month that they have a 548 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: difficult time. That's something valuable. Yeah, I definitely, I definitely 549 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: agree with that. That is nice. I mean you guys 550 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: in the cast feel it more than I do because 551 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 1: I walk around and doesn't come up all the time, 552 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,919 Speaker 1: but like if I walk around with Paul, it comes 553 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,720 Speaker 1: up all the time. Like like I was just walking 554 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,360 Speaker 1: down the street with Paul the other day and I 555 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: hear the squeal of you know, breaks and somebody you 556 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: know just turned his car around and did a you 557 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: turn because he saw Paul out of the corner of 558 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: his eye and you know, jumped out to tell him 559 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:39,400 Speaker 1: how much the show meant to him and everything. It's 560 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: it's it's crazy. It is way bigger now than it 561 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: was when it was on Thursday. Interesting, I knew it 562 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: was big now, but I didn't know it was felt bigger. 563 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: But you know, like sometimes I feel almost bad that 564 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: you guys are walking around and unable to escape it 565 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:04,919 Speaker 1: for the slightest second, you know. I mean, I'd never 566 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 1: have wanted to be an actor, so maybe this is 567 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 1: just maybe it's fun, But it's a heavy. It's a 568 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: heavy thing in a way, right because it's like, oh yeah, yeah, 569 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: it's very very constant, and and it's television and it's 570 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: special and they're watching it as they lay in bed 571 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 1: or there in their box or shorts or you know 572 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: there and their underwear and they're watching you and they 573 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 1: think they know you, you're intimate with them, And I 574 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 1: wonder also, like to what extent um, you know, the 575 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: changes in the TV business have changed things, because like 576 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 1: it doesn't seem like there will be a lot of 577 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:48,720 Speaker 1: two episode shows made in the future, and the amount 578 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: and that stuff, the sausage thing that I was talking 579 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: about before, Like when I turn on the show, there's 580 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: bits and jokes and like, like there's so many with 581 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: two episodes, plus all the subplots and all the like 582 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: cold opens and the little side. There's really a lot 583 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,839 Speaker 1: of ideas packed into that, you know, into the show 584 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: and all the stuff happening in the background and performances. Yeah. Right, 585 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:17,279 Speaker 1: I think it's it's worth me saying to you the 586 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: degree to what I mean, you are a director, you're 587 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 1: an actor, Fern, you played Fern in the office. You're 588 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:30,080 Speaker 1: fantastic performance um. But you the degree to which you 589 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: made decisions from the beginning and are so purposeful in 590 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:41,240 Speaker 1: terms of actors is amazing. The idea that you wanted 591 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: reality and that behavior was so important for you on 592 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: this shows. It's really good for actors. Yeah, well thanks 593 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: for saying that. Yeah, no, I um, I do love 594 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 1: that part of it, and and maybe part of it 595 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:02,359 Speaker 1: is just that it's not my part. Right if I'm 596 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: writing a script, it's hard to say. And now he 597 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: touched his head in a very you know, important way 598 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:10,000 Speaker 1: or whatever, you can't really put that in the script. 599 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,360 Speaker 1: So it's always really fun to see other people adding 600 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: all this creativity because you you've gotten you know, you've 601 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 1: gotten it too as far as you can get it, 602 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: and then you hand it over and then you just 603 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 1: like marveling at the people that run with it. And 604 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,239 Speaker 1: then I guess that's sort of improv because like I 605 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 1: think part of the yes and spirit of improv and 606 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 1: the team aspect of improv is you take something and 607 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:34,839 Speaker 1: you add to it. You don't contradict it, you kind 608 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: of elaborate on it. And like in the Halloween episode, 609 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,800 Speaker 1: I had written a whole scene between Dwight and Michael. 610 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember this, but there's a 611 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: scene where Dwight comes in and is agitating for Michael 612 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,799 Speaker 1: to get rid of Jim or somebody. Yes, He's like 613 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: he's like a sith lord and Michael's got another head 614 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: on it and just just at the very end, it 615 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: was like no, no no, no long scene. At the very end, 616 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: I had some like notion of Michael talking to his 617 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 1: head about Dwight in his presence, and they just ran 618 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:14,279 Speaker 1: with that and we didn't end up using anything that 619 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,400 Speaker 1: was written in the scene. We like started the scene 620 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:20,400 Speaker 1: two lines after their improv began, you know, And it 621 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: was so good. It was such a joy to watch 622 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 1: that the run with this notion. But like, when you 623 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,000 Speaker 1: think about it, improv is this mix of writing and acting, 624 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 1: and it's more well known. I think that actors will 625 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: do that, right, They'll they'll be in the moment, they'll 626 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 1: be in their characters and they'll make up what they 627 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:45,319 Speaker 1: have to say. But it's the same process mentally that 628 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 1: we're doing in the writer's room, you know what I mean. 629 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: We're we're thinking of what to say and then we're 630 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: pretending really hard to be the actor in the situation 631 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,919 Speaker 1: in order to see what comes. What's the next line? 632 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: You know, what can you think about? So we're sort 633 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: of coming out from two two angles. I guess, right, 634 00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 1: what are you most thankful for? Well, I'm really thankful 635 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 1: obviously to have had the experience, like I said after 636 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: every season, because it was exactly what I wanted from 637 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: an artistic point of view, you know, just the kind 638 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,600 Speaker 1: of stuff I like. And to be able to have 639 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: so many people with me on the ride who were 640 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 1: so much fun, and that we managed to do it 641 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:36,319 Speaker 1: and still like each other is pretty cool. I don't know, 642 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: it was just the best experience. Well, Greg, you changed 643 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,760 Speaker 1: my life, and you change the lives of every single 644 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: person you invited to join you on this journey, and 645 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,239 Speaker 1: we're stuck with each other. Now, that was what I 646 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: was going to say, were ghost ship totally? Do you 647 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 1: remember going to the TV Land Awards that was? That 648 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: was so crazy? Yes, I'm not. I have an R 649 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: s v P. At least for the next decade. I'm 650 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: going to stay away. But has anyone told the story 651 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:11,360 Speaker 1: of that? No? I don't think so. Yeah, you should 652 00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:15,920 Speaker 1: tell we wont This was odd. The Office was still 653 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: on the air and we won the award for Future 654 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:24,319 Speaker 1: Classic Television Show and Greg, you were there with me, yes, 655 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 1: And they had an opening number where I think it 656 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 1: was Vanessa Williams maybe it was singing, and she was 657 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,880 Speaker 1: singing a song about all the different characters on different 658 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: TV shows, and it started off pretty respectfully with you know, 659 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: like the guy that played Greg Brady or something. I 660 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 1: forget that, but she would say the person's character name 661 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: and their or their actual name, and then that person 662 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:56,960 Speaker 1: would slide in on a hook on a hook over 663 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 1: the auto of the audience zip lining in yeah, and 664 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,279 Speaker 1: if it started off kind of cool and people are like, okay, okay, 665 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 1: and then she then she stopped using the the actual 666 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: actor's names, had just said the character's names, and it 667 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 1: was like horse shack and you'd slide in, and then 668 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,880 Speaker 1: the people started banging into each other, like slabs of 669 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:20,440 Speaker 1: beef in the slaughterhouse. And then then she started uh, 670 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 1: and then she didn't even know the character's names. Was 671 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: like the guy from the Great American Hero and he'd 672 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: slide in and bang into the other people, and they 673 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 1: were like on these hooks about the audience. And I 674 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 1: looked at you guys, and you're all looking up and 675 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 1: like oh go oh yeah, well yeah, we're we're all 676 00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 1: stuck together, and it's it's uh, we'll see what what 677 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: happens in the future brings y um. Well, eventually they'll 678 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 1: turn on us. We can't be this successful. Where it's popular, 679 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 1: something will turn they'll be like, oh that generation Z 680 00:41:55,040 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: office love that was everybody. Yeah, um, thank you. I 681 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,719 Speaker 1: mean we covered so much, you were here so long. 682 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: I'm so thankful, super fun. I just would have been 683 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: you know, even if they weren't recording, it would have 684 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:25,399 Speaker 1: been nice to have the conversation over a coffee with you. 685 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,600 Speaker 1: You know, I honestly couldn't think of a better man 686 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:32,719 Speaker 1: to be stuck with. Thank you, Greg for coming on 687 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:37,520 Speaker 1: and and for sharing so much with all of us. 688 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:42,360 Speaker 1: And I couldn't possibly end this episode without giving thanks 689 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: to you, every single one of my listeners that has 690 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:49,839 Speaker 1: been with me every step of the way on this 691 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 1: wild ride. I appreciate you so much, and I hope 692 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,920 Speaker 1: that we have brought just a small fraction of the 693 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 1: joy into your lives that you've brought into ours. So 694 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:08,320 Speaker 1: please go out there, hug your friends, hug your family, 695 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:11,799 Speaker 1: and remember the lesson that Greg has burned into all 696 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:16,279 Speaker 1: of our minds by now that each and every one 697 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:22,360 Speaker 1: of us weird human beings, is deserving of love, and 698 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:29,400 Speaker 1: there's always beauty in ordinary things. And since I believe 699 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: we're all deserving of love, I would like to remind 700 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 1: you about our call in episodes where I will be 701 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,680 Speaker 1: showing you guys all of the love. So be sure 702 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 1: to send me those voice memos that you can record 703 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:48,279 Speaker 1: on the voice Memo app on your phone. Email me 704 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:53,640 Speaker 1: at the Office deep Dive at gmail dot com with 705 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:59,840 Speaker 1: your questions, your comments, special requests, stories, take out orders, whatever, 706 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,920 Speaker 1: Leave your name, your phone number, where you're from, and 707 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 1: then anything else you want to tell me. I'm so 708 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:09,360 Speaker 1: excited to hear what you have to say. Oh and 709 00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:13,600 Speaker 1: of course don't forget to tune in next week because 710 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:16,839 Speaker 1: we have a really fun episode coming up. I'm not 711 00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:21,719 Speaker 1: gonna lie. I'm going back to Scranton where it all started, 712 00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:43,319 Speaker 1: and you are coming with me. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. The 713 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,640 Speaker 1: Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me 714 00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:51,840 Speaker 1: Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer, Lang Lee. Our senior 715 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 1: producer is Tessa Kramer. Our producers are Liz Hayes and 716 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:59,479 Speaker 1: Diego Tapia. My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. 717 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:03,400 Speaker 1: Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great 718 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski. 719 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:14,200 Speaker 1: Would you say your Name? And your role on the Office. Okay, um, 720 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:18,960 Speaker 1: my name is Greg Daniels and I was the adapter 721 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: and showrunner for most of the Office. How about that. 722 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: I mean, that is such a long identifier that will 723 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:36,719 Speaker 1: never play that. I'm Fred, I'm ver Hi, I'm Greg Daniels. 724 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 1: I was the showrunner of the Office. Well, thank you, 725 00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: my friend. Now you're directing me. Oh yes, shoes on 726 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 1: the other foot. Oh my gosh.