The Office running thread

Jim Carrey will join Ricky Gervais, Will Arnett and other high-profile names set to appear in the hour-long finale of the NBC sitcom The Office.

A source close to the production confirmed that the comedy star will join Gervais, the creator of the original BBC version of The Office, former Arrested Development co-star Arnett, actor James Spader, former Everybody Loves Raymond star Ray Romano and British TV star Catherine Tate as guest stars interviewing for Michael Scott's (Steve Carell) position as manager of the fictional paper company at the heart of NBC's top rated comedy. There has been speculation that the role could possibly go to Will Ferrell's Deangelo Vickers. Ferrell began his guest stint on the series last week.

The Office's Season 7 finale airs on May 19 on NBC. Carell announced last year that he was leaving the show to pursue his big-screen career. http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Carrey+appear+Office+season+finale/4663270/story.html

 

Wasn't the Vickers character named manager?

 

Usually stunt casting sucks, but this has possibilites with Gervais on board

 

Agreed. Surprised at the people here who liked that cheesy schlock. The Office began as a clever and semi-edgy satire on office culture. But I'm not sure what the hell it's become with all this silly theatrical nonsense with the songs, plays, acting out the dumb movie scripts, etc. week after week. Really loved the show once, but it makes me cringe more than laugh nowadays.

 

Some poster after a review I saw this week said it best: When did "The Office" switch from a show that made fun of people like Kelly Kapur and become a show that considered people like her its target audience?

 

Great observation. Kelly would adore the 2011 version of The Office, she wouldn't have gotten the 05 version at all. Not the same show at all.

 

Which Kelly? The current Kelly that we've all seen for the past five years? Or the original, buttoned-up Kelly that dressed like a librarian?

 

Current Kelly. As I understand it, the Season 1 Kelly is considered non-canonical.

 

The song didn't bother me as much as some of you. It's the kind of thing I could almost see them doing for Michael because they would know how much he would appreciate it -- though I agree that Stanley would not have agreed to participate.

 

If nothing else, it seems unrealistic that they would be this good at it every time. I mean, this is the third sing-along/dance-along number they've done in like the last two and a half seasons. THIRD! People think "Friends" is the cheesiest sitcom of all time (and they are wrong). How many sing-alongs did "Friends" do? One that I can think of. While a cat was attacking Ross's head.

 

And it's not just the sing alongs, it's also the "act alongs" with these silly skit type bits, like that recent entire episode spent performing the "movie" Michael wrote. That cartoonish cheese is just SO far removed from what the show was in the beginning, and I really liked those early seasons.

I think an unfortunate turning point may've been when they copied that youtube dance for the Pam/Jim wedding episode. It got a huge response, so the writers figured hey that was easy, just copied someone else's creation (note their song in this week's episode was also simply plugging in a new number and altered words to the Rent broadway tune) and it got huge ratings, let's start doing more of that stuff. Show's been getting far more cartoonish and schlocky sentimental, and far less satirical, ever since.

 

The worst thing that ever happened for the show was the Jim/Pam romance becoming the engine that drove some early-season ratings. It helped the show draw a sizable share of the housewife demographic, and now they have to keep feeding that beast.