1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Terry Weinberg and I am the executive producer 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: of the Office. Hello everyone, and welcome to you guessed 3 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: it the Office deep Dive. I am your host Brian Baumgartner. 4 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: But I bet you guessed that too, because you are 5 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: all very smart, as is my wonderful guest today, Terry Weinberg. 6 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: That was a transition. Now, Terry was an executive producer 7 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: of the Office and a longtime partner of Ben Silverman, 8 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: which truly makes her a saint, let's be honest, uh, 9 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: But she was definitely there from the very beginning in 10 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: the room where it happened, as they say, the whom, 11 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: where they grew the Office from a tiny seed of 12 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: an idea into the crazy popular show that it is today. Um, 13 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: as you will hear all about momentarily, Terry was involved 14 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: from day one in the casting and and really the 15 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: creation of the show. But what's even more fascinating to 16 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: me is that in the later years of the show, 17 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: Terry jumped over to work on the network side at NBC, 18 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: so she saw things from the inside and then also 19 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: from the network side and how the network was dealing 20 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: with the show. She has a really unique perspective on 21 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: the whole story of the Office, and this conversation kicks 22 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: off another mini series that we're doing, highlighting just some 23 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: of the many talented, hilarious, super smart women who made 24 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: the Office what it is, both in front of the 25 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: camera and behind the scenes. This is a great bunch 26 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: of interviews, if I do say so myself, So I am. 27 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: I'm really excited to share them all with you. So 28 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: let's get started, shall we today with Terry Weinberg Bubble 29 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: and Squeak. I love it Bubble and Squeak on Bubble 30 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: and Squeaker cooking at every moment, lift over from the 31 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: nut Pole. You know, a lot of the cast I 32 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: will say, like, we do really still, you know, keep 33 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: in touch, Like our fantasy football league is still going 34 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: like fifteen years later. So John and Rain and me 35 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: and some of the crew guys, and good luck with 36 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: that this year exactly. But Oscar and Angela and I 37 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: and you know, Rain and I and John. And that's 38 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: part of the thing too about this COVID business is 39 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: that people are reaching out more. You know, my birthday 40 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: was on Monday, and I spent the entire day and Zooms, 41 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: I mean the entire day, you know, but people you 42 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: you're learning two things. One we're working harder to stay 43 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: connected with people, and then you're also learning who wants 44 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: to stay connected to you? You know. Yea Father's Day 45 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: I heard from people like Father's Day, Like what nobody 46 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: ever reaches that? Why are you? I'm not your father? 47 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: Like everyone's reaching out. I don't know. That's been really great. Okay, 48 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: So you were so omnipresent through all of the beginning. 49 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: So if you go all the way back now is 50 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: nineteen years ago, how did you meet Ben? When did 51 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: you start working for Reveling? What was the transition there? 52 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: I'm at Ben in two thousands. I had two roommates 53 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: at the time. One of my roommates, who Ben had 54 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: known for some time, who I think date he dated 55 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: for one second, introduced him to our other roommate. Now 56 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Ben was still working at William Morris, I think he 57 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: was still in London, and he would fly out to 58 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: l A and he would be out here every month 59 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: and he would stay for you know, a couple of 60 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: weeks whatever. So she introduced one roommate, introduces him to 61 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: the other. They start dating. In true Ben fashion, he 62 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: used to stay at the Lermitage I think it was 63 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: for three weeks at a time. Either she would stay 64 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: at the Lermitage with him or he would stay and 65 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: our duplex. And so I started to see him a 66 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: lot and got to know him just socially. And at 67 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: that point my roommate that he was dating and me, 68 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: I just left I c M and we started a 69 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: skincare company. I would be up all day, all night 70 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: making all these skincare products in my kitchen and I 71 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: was talking about about, you know what my experience was 72 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: at I c M and whatever. We just got to 73 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: know each other really well. And it was in March 74 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: I think of two thousand one. He pulled an all 75 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: nighter I think at the Oscars, came home. I'm up 76 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: at four or five in the morning making these things. 77 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: He comes walking in in his Oswald Botang purple suit, right, 78 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: and um, we just started talking. He said, you know what, 79 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna start my own production company. I've been bringing 80 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: formats in to the States, and I really just want 81 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: to have more of a creative experience. I want to 82 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: be a producer. And when I do that, I want 83 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: you to go work for me. And I said, okay, well, 84 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: I have no idea what you're talking about. But okay, 85 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: Ben talked to me next year because I didn't take 86 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: him seriously, but he kept bringing up and he always 87 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: said to me, you know, I really appreciate your work ethic. 88 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: I like the experience that you have. I have no 89 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: idea what you'd be doing yet, but I know that 90 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 1: I need you to be a part of my company. 91 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,359 Speaker 1: So cut to that next year where he made the 92 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 1: deal with the vend Universal was Barry Diller at the time, 93 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: and he brought Howard Owens, Mark Coops, and Chris Grant 94 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: from New York. They were all still in New York, 95 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: and he said, I'm bringing these three guys. Didn't know them. 96 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: We have a bungalow at Universal. So I want you 97 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: to go and set at the office and I meet 98 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: a house, Go find me a house. This is no 99 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: surprise at all, and we will be there in two 100 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: months or something like that. So what do I do. 101 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: I go on the lot. I get the whole entire 102 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: bungalow up ready to go. All they had to do 103 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: was walk in and pick up a pen and go 104 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: to work phones everything. I'm navigated my way through the 105 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: entire Universal, every department you could possibly imagine anyway they 106 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: come out and we all just learned how to produce, 107 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: just the five of us. You would have thought that 108 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: a hundred people worked at that production company, and it 109 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: was us five and so Ben, Mark and Howard. You know, 110 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: we're focusing mostly on international. You know, we had Nashville 111 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: Star I think was being developed, and Biggest Loser just 112 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: kind of you know, looking at formats and kind of 113 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: touching on what that stuff was going to be, which 114 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: I really didn't have any interest in. And we had 115 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: the Format two Coupling. That was our first show that 116 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: we started to produce in scripted television, and so I 117 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: just kind of cut my teeth in that process. I 118 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: would just sit in the corner, you know, in a 119 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: room and listen to, you know, the conversations, and I 120 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: went to every I did everything with Ben. I went everywhere. 121 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: I was on every phone, call you everything that you 122 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: could possibly imagine. That's really how I learned is listening 123 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: to executives, listening to studios, listening to creative people. I 124 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: certainly had a deep familiarity with script because that's how 125 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: I was raised. A I C. M. And then I 126 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: just each day I just kept immersing myself deeper and 127 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: deeper in that process, and that's really how I built 128 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: the scripted department at REVLI. What did you learn from 129 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: your experience on Coupling that you felt like impacted bringing 130 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: the office over? We learned a couple of things. One, 131 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: you know, there was so much pressure on that show 132 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: because it was being coined the Next Friends, and we 133 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: realized that, oh, ship, that's a big problem because people 134 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: are going to have an expectation that we are trying 135 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: to be the next Friends, which we had no intention 136 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: of being. So learning about how critical marketing is of 137 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: a show, and also we pretty much adhered to every 138 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: script from the British version instead of kind of making 139 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: it our own, and so we also learned that that 140 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: stuff doesn't necessarily translate. So I think we learned that 141 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: going into that process we needed to have a voice. 142 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: We needed to have somebody come in that, you know, 143 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: understood the rhythms and the uniqueness of what that show was, 144 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: but had to bring in their own voice and make 145 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: it their own right. Stephen actually said to me that 146 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: he felt like his greatest contribution was actually and one 147 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: thing he said to Ricky was stepped back, like they 148 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: know culturally about what's happening in America or rhythms or 149 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: specific sensibilities or whatever. So the more we can stay 150 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: out of it, the better. I Mean, the most beautiful 151 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: thing about what Ricky and Stephen did was exactly that 152 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: they came over, met the cast, spent time with Greg 153 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: and just talked about the things that we really cared about. 154 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: How did you create these characters? What made you want 155 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: to be in this world? How did these rhythms, like 156 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: all of the things that we're more important. Instead of 157 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: tell us exactly how you, you know, get this shot 158 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: or whatever, it was really more about all the impetus 159 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: is on creating the show. And then they were the 160 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 1: most incredible cheerleaders one could ever have. I mean, they 161 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: were absolutely dream partners, and they literally just sat back 162 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: and like fans, fell in love with the show. And 163 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: I'll never forget, and I'm sure you'll remember. I mean, 164 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: I was kind of a blur, but when we won 165 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: the Emmy and we were all up on the stage 166 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: and Greg reached out and said, Ricky and Stephen, I 167 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: know you're out there somewhere, you know, because of you, 168 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: you're brilliantly I can't remember exactly what he said, And 169 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: then I remembered watching the telecast back and Ricky and 170 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: Stephen they were so proud but got so shy and 171 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: didn't want to take any of the credit for it. 172 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: It was beautiful, and they never had egos about it 173 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: to say, this is our thing and we're lending it 174 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: to you. This is our thing, and we're giving this 175 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: to you and we're trusting you to go and do 176 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: your own thing. Yeah. So, at what point in the 177 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: process when you were working with REVELI did you become 178 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: aware of the office, the British Office. I mean it 179 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: had to be in the beginning, because Ben had the rights, 180 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: he had already secured them. And I remembered Ben showing 181 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: it to me and said, look at this and tell 182 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: me what you think. And I remembered watching and said, 183 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: oh my god, I have to we have to do this. 184 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: I don't know what the funk we're doing, but we 185 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: have to do this. I was absolutely obsessed so very 186 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: early on. And then then we put the time into, 187 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: you know, try to find the right voice. And in 188 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: the conversations that Bennett had with Ari, Greg's name obviously 189 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 1: came up, and I'm sure he probably told you this, 190 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: but he just would not watch it. I mean I 191 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: think he sat on it for three weeks or something 192 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: like that. And then finally Ben was talking to Ari 193 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: and said, is this guy that ever you know watched this? 194 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: And I think already said the same thing to Greg, 195 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: are you gonna watch this? You know, because they're going 196 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: to move on? And then Greg, I think watched it 197 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: over that weekend and came back and said, oh my god, 198 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: I hope to god they didn't move on because I 199 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:22,719 Speaker 1: have to do this. Yeah, that's awesome. What was your 200 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: initial impression of him? Introvert, brilliant, one of the nicest 201 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: people I've ever met, collaborative, open, you know, and welcome, 202 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: didn't bring any ego, respected us and me even I 203 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: don't know if he knew how much I'd ever you know, 204 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: produced in my life, and immediately just treated us like 205 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: his partners. I fell in love with them immediately and thought, 206 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:53,839 Speaker 1: my god, how do we get so lucky? This man 207 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 1: is just brilliant, you know, Greg, He's thoughtful, he's tactile, 208 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: and his hands like he thinks before he you know, 209 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: there's a lot ruminating in here before he would share 210 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: an idea, but he was incredibly thoughtful and very very 211 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: respectful of the format and of Ricky and Stephen, and 212 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: cautious because we all knew we were stepping in a 213 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: gigantic pile of are you guys kidding me that you're 214 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: actually going to attempt to do this? So yeah, I 215 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: just I only have the most and still the fondest 216 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: memories of Greg. Was there anybody else that you feel 217 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: like you seriously considered or was Greg at Greg? Was it? 218 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 1: Ricky and Stephen told me both separately that what sold 219 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: them was that Greg saw it as a love story. Yeah, 220 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: it was a It was a love story. Was about humanity, 221 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: it was about human behavior, It was all about people. 222 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: It was all about heart. The thing that we can 223 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: all relate to is that, in some form or fashion, 224 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: we've been in a work place where you're not necessarily 225 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: happy about the work that you're doing, but you fall 226 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: in love with the people. It's love and hate relationship. 227 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: They become family, they become you know, you see them 228 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: more typically in your life than you do your family members. 229 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: And so it really was about the love that's created, 230 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: you know, in a workplace. For sure, you were in 231 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: the room for the majority of not all of the 232 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: casting sessions. Was there anyone who walked in right away 233 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: that was ultimately cast that you went, that's the person 234 00:14:55,600 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: John Steve. But Steve is a different story. He didn't 235 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: really audition. Um you know, it was a really interesting 236 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: audition process because I don't think any one of us 237 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: had ever really kind of been through anything like that before. 238 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: Because actors would come in and read a scene and 239 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: then they would improv, you know, and Greg would throw 240 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: ridiculous little lines out and say, go tell me you 241 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: just got into the refrigerator this morning, you know, or 242 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: just these really kind of weird random things. And we 243 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: saw so many actors, you know, Greg, myself, Ken Howard, Ben, 244 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: you know, Allison and um Phillis would be in the 245 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: conference room at REVELI for eight or ten hours a 246 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: day just and it was just a constant. And Alison, 247 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: she had such a deep knowledge of you know, stand 248 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: ups and second cities and groundlings and people that we've 249 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: never seen before. And so there were so many people 250 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: that were so interesting to us. I think is we 251 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: whittled things down and it became all of you. We 252 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: knew it was all of you, because everybody didn't fit 253 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: the mold that we were looking for, but they brought 254 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: something special and beautiful. It was like making a puzzle. 255 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: Everybody just fit in so beautifully for you know, Jim 256 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: and Pam and Dwight, etcetera. Talk to me a little 257 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: bit about doing screen tests, filming them in the office 258 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: as opposed to doing regular studio and network tests. How 259 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: rare was that at that time we were the first, 260 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: if I remember correctly, And the reason was very It 261 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: was selfish on our part because a we thought, they 262 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: will never make this show if two actors, you know, 263 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: because at that time, actors used to walk into the 264 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: president's office and there would be twenty people behind the 265 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: president and two people would be asked to perform a 266 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: scene or something with all these eyeballs on them, and 267 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: it was the most unnatural process anybody could ever imagine. 268 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: And then I remember when I went to NBC and 269 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: became a programmer and we were asking people to do that. 270 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: I said, I don't want to I don't want to 271 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: do that. I want to put people on tape because 272 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't you don't get the real person because they're 273 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: so busy performing for a room. And so so yeah, 274 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: I think we were the first of its kind, and 275 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: I think because of that, it started to kind of 276 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: shift the way people were auditioning. Do you remember Phillis 277 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:30,719 Speaker 1: of course, no, I mean reading, and of course anything 278 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: about the discussion around casting her, yes, I mean part 279 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: of the process was either she would run the camera 280 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: or Allison would run the camera, and then if Allison 281 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: didn't feel like reading, Phillis would read. And then Phillis 282 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: started reading more and more. And I don't remember if 283 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: it was Ken that said it first or Greg but said, 284 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: oh my god, she has to be in the show. 285 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: She's so funny, and we all said, oh my hud, yes, 286 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: And I remembered us asking Allison, how do you feel 287 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: about if we steal Phillis? And she said, oh my god, 288 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,719 Speaker 1: you know, yes, you know, take her. And I remember 289 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: us telling her and it was it was pretty amazing. 290 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,719 Speaker 1: What do you remember so thinking about the Office and 291 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: what that show was, the style to no laugh track, 292 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: all that, what was the landscape of television that that 293 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: show was born into, Like what was popular what was 294 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: done on broadcast TV at that time? Seinfeld cheers all 295 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: of the seminal comedies that were so smart. But the 296 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: thing about that time, as I remember is that ratings 297 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: were everything. Eighteen to thirty four was everything. You had 298 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: to have, you know, a twenty share or something. So 299 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: having you know, five million people or six million people 300 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: watching your show is just a non starter. You know, 301 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: it had to be twenty million. And our audience was very, 302 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: very concentrated in the eighteen to thirty four and it 303 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: was very K plus, but it was small. And so 304 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: that's the challenge was how do we keep ourselves on 305 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: the air when A the pilot tested worse than I 306 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: think any other pilot had ever tested on NBC. Besides, 307 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: I think Seinfeld didn't test well either, and uh, you know, 308 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: we only had six episodes to prove ourselves, and we 309 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: were kind of at that time also scheduled in kind 310 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: of the okay, you're dead. It was in March, and 311 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: that's when people said, well, wire shows starting to air 312 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: after the you know, prime time fall in mid season shows, 313 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 1: and so we kind of felt like they were just 314 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: getting rid of us. So the pilot bombed when it 315 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: was tested. Were you concerned about that, yes, because it 316 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: was you know at that time, if something tests really bad, 317 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: it's d o A, you know, and if it's not 318 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: d O A good luck trying to convince your network 319 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: that it's a pilot that they should bet on. And 320 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: so if not for Kevin Riley, this show would not 321 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 1: have a life. I really do believe that he put 322 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: his career on the line. So yeah, we're very concerned, 323 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: and I think it's part of the reason why it 324 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: tested so poorly. It's just because it was something that 325 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: people have never seen before. And those groups that come 326 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: in to do the testing, you know, they get paid 327 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: seventy five or fifty dollars or whatever, and then they 328 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: judge your material based on twenty minutes of something and 329 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: tell you if it's good or it's bad. That was 330 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: a real learning experience for me and something that I thought, 331 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: God if I could And I think when Ben and 332 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: I went to NBC, we didn't care so much about testing. 333 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: We cared more about instinct. We cared about the shows 334 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: that we loved and wanted a program So I think 335 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: that came into a full circle as we went from 336 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: producer to programmer. That testing serves a certain purpose, but 337 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: it shouldn't be the be all hand all of the 338 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: success of something. Right. Well, speaking of that, how did 339 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: your relationship to the office change when you moved to NBC. 340 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: The only thing that changed was that I could be 341 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: an even larger advocate for it inside the network. Not 342 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: that I needed to be, because at that point, you know, 343 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: we were we were just a well oiled machine. You know. 344 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: It was interesting because then I became Greg's executive and 345 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: to switch from being partner and fighting for certain things 346 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: over here and now being you know, I had programmer, 347 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: having to fight for certain things that I knew were 348 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: in the best interest of the network without interfering with 349 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: the integrity of the show. And here's a perfect example. 350 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: We want The Office to to air after the super Bowl, 351 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: and um, we needed to make sure that if whoever 352 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 1: was watching the super Bowl had never seen The Office before, 353 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: that we had to do something completely outrageous to let 354 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: people say, oh my god, I have never seen this show. 355 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: I love this, I'm staying And Greg had pitched a 356 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: cold open, and I remembered saying, you know, this is 357 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: kind of cool, but getting a little pressure from Jeff, 358 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: you know, and Ben to make sure that we have 359 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: some celebrities in there. And you know, we never had 360 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: celebrities on our show. It was always about, you know, 361 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: making sure that it felt like we were dropping into 362 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: a world of just human beings, and in Greg's brilliant fashion, 363 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: found a way to bring in celebrities without having the 364 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: celebrities feel like they were really a part of the office. 365 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: And I challenged him to do the most outrageous cold 366 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: open that he could, you know, if people were only 367 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: going to see the first minute and a half of 368 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: the show. So it was having to you know, maneuver 369 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: a little bit differently as becoming a kind of network 370 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: person as opposed to his partner on the show. That's fascinating. Yeah, 371 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: I never put it within that context that at that moment, 372 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 1: the people that he was having to do this push 373 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: and pull for that episode was you guys. I was 374 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: the person that would call the network for Greg or 375 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: the studio and say he's not doing that, or we're 376 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: not changing this or you know, because he did not 377 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: like those confrontational moments. And I always said, you want confrontation, 378 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: just bring it over to Mama and I'll take care 379 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: of it. Now I'm the person on the other end 380 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: of the phone getting, you know, well, we want to 381 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: do this, we need to do that, uh, you know, 382 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: and and giving notes you know, on scripts was crazy, 383 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: but it wasn't it was. You know, my instincts didn't 384 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: change because I always knew that he was way smarter 385 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: than me, and I would, you know, I could only 386 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, the one thing that Greg said to me 387 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: way back in the beginning when we first started this 388 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 1: relationship and he started developing the show, was what's most 389 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: important to me is that you tell me how you feel. 390 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: How does the episode make you feel? How did the 391 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 1: relationships of the characters in this episode make you feel? 392 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: You know, do you feel moved enough? Do you feel 393 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: motivated enough? Do you feel And so I would look 394 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: at the scripts and just think about how did it 395 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: make me feel. I didn't look at it and say, well, 396 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:47,439 Speaker 1: the structure isn't so much blah la lah. It is 397 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: about are we accomplishing this really quiet moment between Jim 398 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: and Pam? Is there something going on with the accountants 399 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: in the in the corner that we're peeking in on, 400 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: you know, with the rest of the offices and seeing 401 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: so those little things. Are you feeling them? Are you 402 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 1: picking up on them? It was really about how it 403 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: made me feel, and that's how I continued to produce 404 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: from that point on. How do characters make me feel, 405 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: how do the moments make me feel? I love that 406 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 1: so much. Um Musty TV became a big thing for NBC. 407 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: Where do you feel like the Office fit into that 408 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: legacy of musty TV comedy on NBC? Oh well, maybe 409 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 1: you know this is um arrogant, but we're integral to 410 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: the NBC Thursday lamp. I mean we are integral to 411 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 1: the conversation about what a seminal NBC comedy is. I 412 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: absolutely believe that. I believe that we defied all odds 413 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: of becoming a successful comedy. Who would have ever thought 414 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: we were going to do two d and twenty episodes. 415 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: I mean, think about it. We got a five episode 416 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 1: pick up and then we got at episode pickup. Really 417 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: we didn't get a full season, so not only define 418 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 1: all of those odds, but also kind of redefining what 419 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: a comedy was, you know, on television and introducing people 420 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: into a world that might have felt different, but they 421 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: also felt like it was so familiar to them and 422 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: that you could really you know, because people come to 423 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: comedies for two reasons, really to laugh their faces off 424 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: and to fall in love with a cast, a family, 425 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,479 Speaker 1: a workplace, you know, buddy comedy, whatever, it is. And 426 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: I think having the extensive cast that we had, I mean, 427 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: what did we have towards the end of the run? Characters? 428 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: Fifteen characters? Who does that? And every single one of 429 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: you had people who just loved you. Everybody had their fans. 430 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: I mean, we got our TV Land Future comedy classic 431 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: in season three or four or something. It's right here. Yeah, 432 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: so what year is that? Oh my god, there's not 433 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: a date on it. Hold on, now there's a date. 434 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: It's probably on the other side. Oh, it is tight. 435 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: So we were a classic already in season three or four. Yeah, four, 436 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: And the fact that we were considered that and look 437 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: at it, you know now, I mean, I have young kids. 438 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: I went to a kid's of our Mitzvah last year. 439 00:27:54,800 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 1: They're all thirteen fourteen. I was accosted. It was like 440 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: I was a celebrity at this bar Mitzvah because these 441 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: kids were obsessed with the show. And we always said 442 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: we had a hidden demographic from the beginning that was 443 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: under eighteen. But now we have This show has had 444 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: a life and then another life and another life. And 445 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: I really do believe that we are are a part 446 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: of that conversation. What do you remember about the decision 447 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: to end the show pain. I hated it. It was 448 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: one of the worst memories that I have of our 449 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: beautiful love story. It's always hard when you're making decisions 450 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: about when you move forward on a show and when 451 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: you don't from a business standpoint, which I can't respond 452 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: to because I wasn't on that side of the business 453 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: at that point, but it was really fucking hard. It 454 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: was hard all the conversations we had, you know, from 455 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: from being an executive producer, sitting with our cast, talking 456 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: to you know, the studio, the network, and it's kind 457 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: of a blurn out because I've tried to push it 458 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: out of my consciousness, but it was. It was excruciatingly painful, 459 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: and um, I think it hurt a lot of us. 460 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: I don't know if people really talked about it, but 461 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: when we shot the last episode, I was so emotionally 462 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: and physically exhausted. I think I cried for the last month, 463 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: you know, but when we were all taking that very 464 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: last shot. I have a book that NBC made for us. 465 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've looked at it, and my face is 466 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: this big, and I'm bright red, and I am crying, 467 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 1: and I couldn't believe that it was over. I felt 468 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: like we had so much more to do and it 469 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: was over and took a long time to I have 470 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: a lot of my own kind of internal things about 471 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: the show that you know, I'll you deal with as 472 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: a profession and all. It was excruciating, the hard. Yeah, 473 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: what are you most proud of about the show? What? 474 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: My god, how do I put that in one thing? Dude, 475 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: I'm most proud that every single one of us that 476 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: were involved in the first season of our show, we 477 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: came to work every day and said, if we're only 478 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: making six total episodes, let's make the best episodes that 479 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: we know how to make, and let's come in here 480 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: and do the work and do it with love, and 481 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: do it with everything that we have, and do it 482 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: for ourselves, you know. And we all showed up on 483 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: that lot every single day and made I'm getting emotional 484 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: about this, and made an incredibly beautiful show. And it 485 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 1: was for all of us. Whether you were in the cast, 486 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: whether you were in the crew, whether you were in accounting, 487 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: that you were in props, catering, whatever, everybody came and 488 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: just it was like we were on our own island. 489 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: I think that we all loved it so much, and 490 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: everybody came and did their job and did it really 491 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: well and for each other. I could tell you a 492 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: million other things, but I think I'm most proud of 493 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: that being given that opportunity and making our family. Thenk 494 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: you cry. I hope I bought it here. I was 495 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: trying to not say anything. I wanted to get your 496 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 1: audio there. No, it was. Yeah, everybody that came in, 497 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: I played them a clip and we don't have that 498 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: ability here, goddamn it. No, but you'll know it's the 499 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: last line of the show. It's Jenna, It's sorry, it's Pam, 500 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 1: and there's beauty and ordinary things. Isn't that kind of 501 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: the point. I feel like Greg wrote that episode, He 502 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: wrote that last line. That's what he thought it was about. 503 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: What did you think it was about? I thought it 504 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: was I thought it was too I thought it was 505 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: taking something that could have been the most simple and 506 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: uninteresting idea about a group of people, you know, going 507 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: to work in a dying business, and turning it into 508 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: something that was so much bigger than that. It was 509 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 1: bigger than them, it was bigger than us, all of us. Yeah, 510 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: it was finding joy and using opportunities to just make 511 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: people laugh, you know, and be able to escape the 512 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: you know, maybe the dull drums of their own life 513 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: and go be with their friends. All of those little 514 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: beautiful gems that all of you guys were able to 515 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: create every episode. I mean, we can still probably go 516 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: back through and I'll see things I never saw before. 517 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: And I've seen those things a million times, and that 518 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: was the whole idea. You know, everything was calculated to 519 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: where Homer Simpson was sitting in the you know, bullpen. 520 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 1: You know, all those everything was perfectly calculated, just two 521 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: for fun of people being able to find the little 522 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,239 Speaker 1: Easter eggs. That's another thing about Greg. He's like a 523 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: grown child. It was juicy, and when he spoke, he 524 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: did these things with his hands because it was so fun. 525 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 1: You know. He always just wanted people to have fun 526 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: and joy, even if you're an adult, that you could 527 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: still just be a kid. Yeah. Is that answer your 528 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: question totally? Terry, thank you so much for talking to me. 529 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: I really so good to see you. You're so smart. 530 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: I hope you stay healthy, and I just appreciate your 531 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: time and talking to me about this. First of all, 532 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: I'll talk to you about anything, because I love you, 533 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: and it's such a joy to be able to kind 534 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: of walk back down certain parts of our super long 535 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: you know, memory lane. I'm really excited to hear what 536 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: everybody else has to say to I know, I know 537 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 1: it's gonna be really cool because I think I get 538 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,359 Speaker 1: these questions asked all the time, and so it's nice 539 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: that we'd be able. We're able to you know, share it. 540 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 1: So I love that you're doing this and I'm absolutely 541 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:54,720 Speaker 1: thrilled to be a part of it. It's my pleasure. Well, 542 00:34:55,280 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: there you have it, Terry Weinberg. Folks, I truly love 543 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: talking about the business side of things, but I have 544 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: to say it is always so special to talk to 545 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: a producer who feels so passionately about the creative side 546 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: of the show as well as Terry clearly does. So 547 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,399 Speaker 1: thank you so much for stopping by. Terry, I love you, 548 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: um and thanks to all of you for stopping by 549 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: as well. I look forward to seeing you next week 550 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: for more of our series on the Women of the Office. 551 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: We've got some terrific stuff coming your way, So until then, 552 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: I hope you have a great week. The Office Deep 553 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner 554 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 1: alongside our executive producer Langley. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer. 555 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 1: Our producers are Emily Carr and Diego Tapio, and our 556 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: intern is Hannah Harris. My main man in the booth 557 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: is Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed 558 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was 559 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: mixed by Seth Olandsky