Webisodes: The Podcast & The Office Ladies Podcast Pilot

Summary

Office Ladies – Episode Summary: "Webisodes: The Podcast & The Office Ladies Podcast Pilot"

Release Date: April 16, 2025

Hosts: Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

Overview: In this engaging episode of Office Ladies, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey embark on an in-depth exploration of The Office webisodes, specifically focusing on "The Podcast" series. Additionally, they unveil the origins of their own podcast pilot, offering listeners a unique behind-the-scenes perspective that only the show's original cast can provide.

---

1. Introduction to "The Podcast" Webisodes

Discussion Points:

• Focus on Gabe Lewis: The hosts begin by dissecting the three-part webisode series titled "The Podcast," which revolves around Gabe Lewis's attempts to launch a podcast for the Sabre website.

  Angela Kinsey (02:17):
  "We're doing a podcast about an episode called the Podcast. So this was a three-part series and, you know, it's all about the character Gabe. It's really centered on him as he tries to start a podcast for the Sabre website."

• Role of Junior Writers: Jenna and Angela emphasize how these webisodes provided junior writers and assistants the opportunity to step beyond their usual roles, fostering creativity and directing skills.

  Jenna Fischer (04:20):
  "The webisodes were a really cool way for them to break out of those roles and get to create content."

2. Insights into NBC’s Digital Writers Program

Key Highlights:

• Email from Karen Angelo: Angela shares an insightful email from Karen Angelo, highlighting NBC's pioneering digital writers program initiated during The Office era. This program was designed to:

  1. Showcase the writing talents of junior writers.
  2. Compensate them for creating additional digital content.
  3. Collaborate on creative concepts beyond regular episodes.
  4. Provide opportunities for supporting cast and crew to write and direct.

  Angela Kinsey (05:53):
  "Carol said our digital writer program, with your writer's assistance, was the first of its kind and as far as I know, the only one of its kind."

• Impact on Future Shows: The success of The Office webisodes influenced the creation of online series for other NBC shows like Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Heroes, and Parenthood.

  Angela Kinsey (06:47):
  "They tried to pitch these webisodes and then original broadcast airing crossovers, but the only time it actually happened for them was with Parks and Recreation."

3. Unproduced Webisode: St. Patrick’s Day Special

Details:

• Concept: Angela reveals an unproduced St. Patrick’s Day webisode scripted by her and Brian Kinsey, where Kevin gets lost in a parade.

• Reason for Non-Production: Logistical challenges and budget constraints led to the project being shelved.

  Angela Kinsey (10:13):
  "We had to figure out how to film these and then stay on budget. That might be also why it got pushed to the bottom of the list because ours was a pretty big budget."

4. Listener Mailbag and Fan Interactions

Highlights:

• Lindsay M. from Philadelphia: Addresses the misuse of the phrase "sliding into DMs," clarifying its meaning in modern social media contexts.

  Lindsay M. (12:00):
  "According to Urban Dictionary, it means when you start a direct message chain on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, when you slide into someone's DMs, it's with the hopes of booty."

• Sam L. from Ithaca, NY: Introduces Pocket Bandits, a Danish American funk rock trio, who share their appreciation for The Office and contribute the song "Second Drink" in honor of the hosts launching the "Second Drink" segment of their podcast.

  Sam L. (16:58):
  "We want to share our new song Second Drink in case it might get a grin out of y'all."

5. Exploration of Podcasting History

Insights:

• Origins: Jenna delves into the history of podcasting, noting key milestones such as the creation of Radio Source in 2003 and the coining of the term "podcast" in 2004 by Ben Hammersley.

  Jenna Fischer (24:16):
  "The first podcast was Radio Source by Christopher Lyden. It was released in 2003 and it's still around. It's history's longest running podcast."

• Growth: The hosts discuss how podcasting remained niche until 2014, when podcasts like Serial propelled it into mainstream popularity.

  Jenna Fischer (25:39):
  "But it wasn't until 2014 that podcasts really started to become popular. And that is credited to the popularity of the True crime podcast Serial."

• Evolution Since "The Office": They acknowledge the exponential growth of podcasting over the six years they've been hosting Office Ladies, highlighting how many television shows now feature their own podcast recaps.

  Angela Kinsey (27:38):
  "I also have noticed that so many television shows now have their own podcast, you know, so sort of the way we did DVD commentaries."

6. Gabe Lewis’s Podcast Attempts in "The Office"

Analysis:

• Character Interactions: The hosts break down Gabe’s interactions with various characters like Kelly Kapoor, Creed Bratton, Meredith Palmer, and Kevin Malone as he attempts to secure guests for his podcast.

  Jenna Fischer (43:38):
  "Gabe is going to welcome his first guest, and it is Kelly Kapoor."

• Challenges Faced: They highlight Gabe’s struggle to gain support and participation from his colleagues, culminating in humorous and heartfelt moments that reflect the show's signature blend of comedy and emotion.

  Angela Kinsey (50:00):
  "This will be my first and last podcast, as Oscar has decided he desperately needs me to help him with his blog."

7. Sharing the "Office Ladies" Pilot Episode

Special Feature:

• Origin Story: Jenna and Angela share their very first, informal pilot recording of the Office Ladies podcast. They recount how their casual conversations about organizing office memorabilia organically evolved into the structured podcast beloved by fans today.

  Angela Kinsey (55:20):
  "We said, you know what, before we clean out all these bins, maybe we need to document some of this so we don't forget, even if it's something we could give our kids someday."

• Early Recording Anecdotes: The pilot episode captures their initial setup, discussing favorite memories like Halloween episodes and the camaraderie on set.

  Jenna Fischer (57:11):
  "This is what we gave them as an example of what our podcast might be. So we thought it might be fun for you to hear how it all started."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Sometimes it pays to be a detective, but it always pays to Discover."
  Jenna Fischer [01:12]

• "We were the pioneers."
  Karen Angelo (as quoted by Angela) [04:44]

• "It's an audio podcast."
  Gabe Lewis [38:24]

• "Look at me. I'm the most content person I know, and I live in a tent with a woman made of old soup cans."
  Creed Bratton [45:07]

---

Conclusion

In this episode, Office Ladies hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey offer a rich and detailed analysis of The Office webisodes, particularly "The Podcast" series, while also unveiling the heartfelt beginnings of their own podcast journey. Through engaging discussions, listener interactions, and personal anecdotes, they provide both deep insights and nostalgic moments that resonate with long-time fans and newcomers alike. This episode serves as a testament to their enduring friendship and shared passion for The Office, making it a must-listen for anyone eager to delve deeper into the beloved series.

Transcript

[Angela Kinsey]

When spring has sprung and IKEA is at your fingertips, reclaim your space fast and find out how convenient shopping IKEA can be.

[Jenna Fischer]

When ordering at Ikea, they have the best option for you. Want to turn your patio space into an outdoor oasis? They're on it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Choose from thousands of pickup locations and find a pickup point that is closest to you. No time to pick up before that family barbecue? No problem. Their affordable delivery options are so convenient. When you check out online, you'll actually enjoy the party.

[Jenna Fischer]

Prep shop now and enjoy convenience with a click. Order IKEA online and choose from thousands of pickup locations or affordable delivery with free shipping on small orders over $50 for IKEA family members.

[Angela Kinsey]

Whenever, wherever, however you shop. Ikea, they're here to help.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, office ladies listeners. We did a little detective work and do we have the scoop for you. So what is it, you ask? It's that Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.

[Angela Kinsey]

We put on our sleuthing hats and confirmed that's a whole lot of places and a whole lot of acceptance. So, yeah, sometimes it pays to be.

[Jenna Fischer]

A detective, but it always pays to Discover. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Angela Kinsey]

Learn more at discover.com credit card.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm Jenna Fisher.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were on the Office together and we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate Office Lovers podcast just for you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Each week we will dive deeper into the world of the Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're the Office Lady 6.0. Hello there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hi there.

[Jenna Fischer]

How's it going?

[Angela Kinsey]

It's good, you know, I'm cozy. We're at home today.

[Jenna Fischer]

We are recording from home like the.

[Angela Kinsey]

Olden days ye olden times I'm wrapped up in a blanket because my closet doesn't get any heat.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have on my cozy slippers that I love.

[Angela Kinsey]

We're cozy, guys. It's going to be a cozy kind of day.

[Jenna Fischer]

It really is. Today we're going to be breaking down another webisode. We're breaking down the webisode called the Podcast.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's this. This is layered. We're doing a podcast about an episode called the Podcast. So this was a three part series and, you know, it's all about the character Gabe. It's really centered on him as he tries to start a podcast for the Sabre website.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And we thought after we break down this webisode, it might be fun for us to talk a little bit about how we started Office Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So this is something we've never played for you guys before. And you all that have been listening from the very beginning. It's our. Well, it's our version of our pilot, right, Jenna? It's our Office Lady's pilot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Gabe is going to be making his podcast pilot in the webisode and we thought maybe we should share the Office Ladies pilot with you all. And we also pulled some podcast related fan questions from our digital mailbag and we're going to read those. So it's Podcast Palooza today on Office Ladies Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Podcast Palooza. I like it.

[Jenna Fischer]

You like that?

[Angela Kinsey]

I do.

[Jenna Fischer]

But to kick things off, here are some stats about the podcast webisode.

[Angela Kinsey]

My lady loves some stats.

[Jenna Fischer]

I do.

[Angela Kinsey]

Stats, stats, stats, stats, stats, stats. That's your song.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is that my. Is that my clubbing song? Would I dance to that in the club?

[Angela Kinsey]

Not two shots. Shots would be like, stat, stat, stat.

[Jenna Fischer]

Stat, stat, stat, stat. I can see it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I can see it.

[Jenna Fischer]

This webisode was released in January 2011 during the seventh season of the Office. It was directed by one of our writers, Charlie Grande. And like Angela said earlier, it was a three part series and they were written by Kelly Hannon, Jonathan Hughes, and Mary Wall. Kelly Hannon was our writer's pa, so she was their production assistant. Jonathan Hughes was one of our writer's assistants, and Mary Wall was a producer's assistant. And these webisodes were a really cool way for them to break out of those roles and get to create content.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. You know, Jenna, when we started breaking down the webisodes, I got this great email from Karen Angelo. She worked at NBC when we were launching all of these webisodes and we traded messages back and forth and I wanted to share this email she sent. It's about how we started a digital writers program. And really we were. Well, Carol said we were pioneers.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love it. Again, the webisodes were bringing new things to the industry.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, here's what Carol wrote in her email to me. She said, angela, I listened to subtle sexuality on my drive to work this morning. It brought back so many great memories, as did the accountants episode, lady. First of all, I just love that Carol is listening to our podcast on her drive to work. Love it, love it. Made me so happy. Carol was just so much fun to work with. And I love that our podcast brought us back together. She goes on to say, I was in so many meetings with Greg Daniels and other NBC executives and the sales team trying to sell the idea of these webisodes and get sponsors to sponsor them. She said, here's my favorite part, lady. She said, our digital writer program, with your writer's assistance, was the first of its kind and as far as I know, the only one of its kind. She said she used the success of the Office digital content to pitch and create online series for parks and rec, 30 Rock, Heroes, Parenthood, and she said, a ton of shows we've probably never even heard of.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow.

[Angela Kinsey]

She goes on to say, after the success of the Accountants and the subsequent writers strike, she literally wrote, okay, that was her. That was her. She said she worked with Greg and NBC to achieve a few goals. Number one, give the junior writers identified by the showrunners a chance to showcase their writing skills. Number two, compensate them for writing additional digital content throughout the year. Number three, collaborate directly with the show creators on creative concepts outside of the normal episodes. Number four, showcase supporting cast and give talent and or other show production staff a chance to write and direct if they were interested. Like Mindy and Charlie Gensalata, it was really a place where people could create in a way that they couldn't normally on the regular episodes.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is so cool. The webisodes really were like the first time that some people directed, like Kelly Cantley, like Randall Einhorn. That was their first time directing for the show. And now those people are directors. It was almost like an apprentice program for some of the aspiring writers and for people to work outside of their normal roles on the show.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly. Carol said that they enlisted the junior writers or writers assistants and they would come to their weekly NBC Digital meetings. They would collaborate with the NBC Digital team on future episodes and different things they could tie webisodes to. They also strategically tried to target times of the year when the webisodes would keep the audience going and engaged. For example, while we were on hiatus or if the show was interrupted by like the Winter Olympics, what could the audience still find that was new and original content?

[Jenna Fischer]

Smart.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Carol answers a fan question.

[Jenna Fischer]

Jenna, no kidding, what's that?

[Angela Kinsey]

She says, I think one of your listeners had a great question as to why, if Erin and Kelly had a girl group, why was it never referenced on the linear show? Carol said they were always trying to pitch these webisode and then original broadcast airing crossovers, but the only time it actually happened for them was with Parks and Recreation. So the show was going to be shooting at the Grand Canyon during season four and there was a B story where April and Andy are checking an item off Andy's bucket list and they extended that story through a digital Series about what happened to them on the way to the Grand Canyon. But they never got to do that for our show. But they did get to do it for Parks and Rec. But Carol said, you guys truly were the pioneers. And she said, I cherish my signed third floor poster, which currently hangs in my office. Still to this day. She doesn't work for NBC anymore. She now is the vice president of comedy and animation creative advertising at Fox. Way to go, Carol. But I love that a little piece of the office webisodes is in her office still today.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, that's very cool. We haven't broken down the third floor yet.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, we haven't. But anyway, wasn't that great information? Thank you, Carol.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you, Carol. Now, Angela, am I correct that you, Brian and Oscar wrote a webisode that unfortunately did not end up being produced?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we did. We actually were trading, like, notes with Paul Lieberstein at the time. And then they were trying to find a slot for us to have our webisode series. But there was this backlog of webisodes they had already promised to other, like, writer's assistants. So we were sort of, like, towards the bottom of the list. And by the time they got to us, they had stopped making the webisodes. So we kind of just missed out on it. But we had a lot of fun writing them, and Brian was gonna direct them.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you think, like, could you. Do you still have the script?

[Angela Kinsey]

I do. I do still have the script.

[Jenna Fischer]

Should we. Should we, like, read it sometime? Should we get Brian and Oscar to come in and read your webisode on Office Ladies?

[Angela Kinsey]

That would so much fun. Yeah, I would love to.

[Jenna Fischer]

I would love to hear it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, I'll ask them.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't remember what it's about. I know you gave it to me at the time to read it, and I remember it was really funny, but I don't remember the plot of it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So I will have to go back in my digital clutter. But I have all of it. And I remember I even have our brainstorming note sessions that we had with Paul. And I remember we landed on us writing a St. Patrick's Day webisode. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

It was a four part, I believe. I think it was four parts. And I think. I think Kevin gets lost in the St. Patrick's Day parade. So I remember logistically, we had to figure out how to film these and then stay on budget. That might be also why it got pushed to the bottom of the list because ours was a pretty big budget. But, yeah, I still have them.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think you need to dig these out. And I think we need to start a text chain with Oscar and Brian and see what everyone's avails are to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Read the St. Patrick's Day webisodes we wrote. That would be so fun.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Well, I love hearing about that writer's program. And I love that our show was part of something that was helping people break out like that. I think that's really cool.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. I. I love that, you know, our show was a pioneer in many ways in many platforms.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, now, Ange, to round out our top of show, I thought I could read two letters from our digital mailbag that are podcast related.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

The first one is from Lindsay M. In Philadelphia, who said, not a question, but more of an FYI.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, for your information, why am I so proud that I know what FYI is? Why am I so, like, why? That's nothing to brag about. Everybody knows what FYI is. But I clearly was so tickled that I was like, I had to say it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, you know what? It might be a good flex because she's going to tell us about something that we don't know the meaning of.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

That she thinks we should be aware of. Lindsay said, you need to stop saying slid into their DMs. It does not mean what you think it means.

[Angela Kinsey]

It doesn't mean like, you just found them. I found you online and I'm popping in here to talk to you now. Was it?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, apparently not, lady. Lindsay said, according to Dictionary.com it means sending someone a direct message on social media slickly and coolly, often for romantic purposes. When you slide into someone's dms, you are messaging them in hopes to receive either nudes, a hookup, or a relationship.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

And according to Urban Dictionary, it means when you start a direct message chain on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, when you slide into someone's DMs, it's with the hopes of booty. It's a booty call. Lindsay said, please stop saying you're sliding into people's DMs.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, we've said it a lot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Listen, I knew that it meant that, but I thought it also meant just, I'm reaching out to chat. I thought it, like, sometimes it means booty call, but I thought sometimes it meant just like, hey there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, Yeah. I didn't know it always meant like. Like, yeah, I want, you know, booty, booty, and nudie things. I thought it had more of a universal meaning.

[Jenna Fischer]

Here's what I'm gonna say. What I'm not going to stop saying it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really. But no, like.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, no, no.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're just. Because you're like.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm going to keep sliding into people's DMs. I am. I slid into Denny Gordon's DMs. And now we're going to have her on the pod. Denny Gordon, famous director. She's coming on the pod to talk to us about her time on the office.

[Angela Kinsey]

How else do you say it? I guess you could just say I DM'd her.

[Jenna Fischer]

I DM'd her.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. It doesn't sound as fun.

[Jenna Fischer]

It doesn't. I'd rather slide in.

[Angela Kinsey]

We could make up our own. Like, we could say I skidded into her DMs.

[Jenna Fischer]

I cartwheeled into her DMs.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. I did a. Yeah, a forward roll.

[Jenna Fischer]

A forward roll. I don't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know what? Because I could just. I know how slowly my forward roll would be and how unsexy it would look.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, by the time I got there, my neck would be all out of whack.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah, you throw your back.

[Jenna Fischer]

Don't throw your back out into someone's DMs. No, I need to slide in.

[Angela Kinsey]

You need to slide in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Actually, I really just need to stroll in.

[Angela Kinsey]

I like this.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's the safest way. I strolled into their DMs.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's what we're going to say.

[Jenna Fischer]

Done.

[Angela Kinsey]

I like it.

[Jenna Fischer]

We found it.

[Angela Kinsey]

It sounds better than skidded in, too. That sounds a bit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Skid it. I don't like.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sounds like you're going to scrape your knee or something.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

Strolling in. No one's getting hurt when you stroll in somewhere.

[Jenna Fischer]

It took us a while, but we found it. We're strolling into people's DMs.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you, Lindsay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you, Lindsay. And now, finally, Sam L. In Ithaca, New York, said congratulations on completing the series on your wonderful podcast and so glad you'll be keeping the fun going. We are Pocket Bandits. We're a Danish American instrumental funk rock trio based in central New York State. Three friends and longtime musical collaborators who play a lot of local gigs, but have separately played shows with bands like Evanescence, Celtic Thunder, Hanson, and a whole host of others over the years.

[Angela Kinsey]

Those are some big names.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know. I love Hanson.

[Angela Kinsey]

I like Evanescence.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sam L. Goes on to say, we love the Office. We actually played our first show under the name Save Bandit.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw.

[Jenna Fischer]

Before we realized there were a bunch of bands on the Internet that have already used the name. So we became Pocket Bandits, and we stuck to referencing the show in some of our song titles. And here's the part that's so sweet in honor of you starting the Second Drink portion of your podcast. Because everyone that's. You know, every Monday, we rerun the rewatch in order, right? And we call it Second Drink. And we put little tidbits at the top. Little extra tidbits.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, every Monday.

[Jenna Fischer]

Every Monday, Sam said we want to share our new song Second Drink.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw.

[Jenna Fischer]

In case it might get a grin out of y'all. And maybe the podcast listeners, too. Hope it brings you a little joy today. So I grabbed an audio clip. This is Pocket Bandits playing their song Second Drink. Very nice, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's some funk rock. Yeah, I hear it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I do, too.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I'm big on guitar riffs right now. I'm enjoying that guitar. And that's Simon on drums, Samuel on organ and bass keys, and Joe on guitar.

[Angela Kinsey]

Great job. Yes. I loved it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, listen, why don't we take a break and then when we come back, we will break down the podcast webisodes. Angela, do you have a favorite sandwich? I'm not going to let you answer. I'm going to answer my own question.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love Boar's Head Honey Turkey. This is my go to sandwich. It is my only sandwich. My son takes this sandwich to school. My husband eats this sandwich every day for lunch. We love Boar's Head Honey Turkey. It is on our shopping list every single week. £1 boar's head honey Turkey.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know, me and ham. I mean, my nickname was Ham Bone in high school, so I love some boar's head smoke master uncured ham. Put it on a sandwich, eat it off a plate without any bread. Roll it up with some cheese. I'm gonna eat it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, they wanted us to talk about Boar's Head, and we sure are doing it. For over a century, Boar's Head has been dedicated to craftsmanship. Hand trimmed meats, carefully selected spices, and authentic cooking techniques like slow roasting and fire grilling. And that is what makes every bite unforgettable.

[Angela Kinsey]

Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite at your local Boar's Head deli counter.

[Jenna Fischer]

Boar's had committed to craft since 1905.

[C]

Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. How much do you make? Who paid for that fancy dinner? What did your house actually cost? On every episode of what We Spend, a different guest opens up their wallets, opens up their lives, really. And tells us all about their finances. For one week, they tell us everything. They spend their money on my son.

[D]

Slammed like $6 with the blueberries in five minutes.

[C]

This is a podcast about all the ways money comes into our lives and then leaves again. Which of course we all have a lot of feelings about.

[Angela Kinsey]

I really want these things.

[Jenna Fischer]

I want to own a house, I want to have a child. But this morning I really wanted a coffee.

[C]

Because whatever you are buying or not buying or saving or spending at the end of the day, money is always about more than your balance. I'm Courtney Harrell and this is what we spend, listen to and follow what we spend and Odyssey original podcast available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Angela Kinsey]

So I love a tote bag. I love a purse. It's my little splurge for myself. And some of the brands out there can get really pricey. So I love Rebag because it is a luxury resale platform that buys and sells designer handbags, watches, fine jewelry and more, providing an accessible and sustainable alternative to buying new. It's so great that these are being repurposed.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, you can shop weekly. New arrivals from top brands including Louis Vuitton and Cartier. So yeah, if you want to buy or sell an investment worthy bag, watch or find jewelry, check out Rebag.com. the website is awesome. They have like really detailed descriptions so you know exactly what to expect out of your purchase. They take a lot of care in their packaging so you know, even just unboxing your purchase feels luxurious.

[Angela Kinsey]

Shop now on Rebag.com and get 10% off your first purchase with code officeladies. Well, we are back. And the webisodes, the podcast, the first one is called Gabe's Podcast. You know they all have a title. So this is Gabe's Podcast written by Kelly Hannon and directed by Charlie Grande. Here's how it starts. Gabe is going to approach Aaron at front reception and he just says, hey, can you send a fax to Joe? And Erin says, do you want the general fax line or her personal fax line? Jo has a personal fax line. She has two. She has two fax machines.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hey, we were supposed to get a fax with Clark Duke.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, that's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

We have not gotten on that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, and we were gonna fax each.

[Jenna Fischer]

Other, so I'm reminding us.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we're gonna fax like bits.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aaron goes on to ask Gabe if he's read Oscar's blog this morning. And you can really tell Gabe is super annoyed about Oscar having this blog.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oscar announces he actually has just published another blog. It's not even 11am he's already put out another blog.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love the name of his blog.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's really great.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oscar's blog is called there's no Accounting for Taste. And Oscar explains it's anecdotes from his life as an accountant mixed with decorating tips.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's kind of the Finer things club meets the accounting department.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And Joe loves it. Apparently, Joe Bennett is a huge fan. So much so that Oscar's blog is on the Sabre website. Gabe can't believe it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Gabe cannot believe it. I mean, this is a big deal. He has a talking head where he says, to make a name for yourself, you need to get something published on the Sabre website. The Sabre website is the mandatory homepage of every computer in the company. So every single computer in the company is seeing Oscar's blog.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. But here's the thing. I think Gabe is mostly jealous that Oscar has Joe's gaze.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

That Joe loves this.

[E]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

That Jo has favoritism with him, that she wants to engage with him. Like, we learn, as the webisode goes, that Joe is constantly reaching out to Oscar and giving him notes on his blog. I'm like, joe, what are you doing? You're running a whole company. What are you doing? You're not Oscar's editor.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hey, she loves. There's no accounting for tapes.

[Angela Kinsey]

She does.

[Jenna Fischer]

She loves it.

[Angela Kinsey]

She loves it. And, well, Gabe is bummed. He wants to catch Joe's eye. So he's decided he's going to start a podcast. And he asks Kelly if she'll be on it, and she's like, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know what? This got me curious. Like, nowadays in 2025, I'm watching this webisode, and the idea of a podcast just is so part of our culture. But this was 2011, and I was like, were podcasts big in 2011? Like, blogs were big. That was a big deal. Everybody there were mommy bloggers, and that whole thing was taking off and just we had, like, our MySpace page, blogs. I did a blog for TVGuide.com like, blogging was it. But what about podcasting? So guess what I did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Did you find out what podcasts were happening in 2011?

[Jenna Fischer]

I did a little deep dive on the history of podcasting.

[Angela Kinsey]

The history, not just what was happening when this episode came on, but the history of podcasting. I can't wait.

[Jenna Fischer]

I had to go to the beginning, and here's what I found out.

[Angela Kinsey]

You always do. You need the beginning. You need the origin story, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the podcast feed was created by Dave Weiner, and the first podcast was Radio Source. By Christopher Lyden. It was released in 2003 and it's still around. It's history's longest running podcast. Oh, but the term podcast was not coined until 2004. This writer, Ben Hammersley, wrote an article in the Guardian, and he used the word podcast, but he only used it one time. In the article. I found the article, and here is what Ben said. Quote, MP3 players, like Apple's ipod in many pockets, audio production software, cheap or free, and web blogging, an established part of the Internet. All the ingredients are there for a new boom in amateur radio. But what to call it? Audio blogging, podcasting, guerilla media. That's it. He was, like, wondering, what should we call this boom in, like, people having their own little radio stations?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, he was spitballing. He was like, here's a few ideas I have.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the word podcasting took off. In fact, in 2005, podcast was the word of the year by New Oxford American Dictionary. Also in 2005, Apple introduced podcasting to iTunes. But it wasn't until 2014 that podcasts really started to become popular. And that is credited to the popularity of the True crime podcast serial, which, by the way, is the first podcast I ever listened to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, me too.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sam, you have been working in podcasting for a very long time. When did you start working at Earwolf? Probably 13 years ago.

[D]

12 years ago, maybe.

[Jenna Fischer]

So what year was that?2010 or 2011, maybe. So right around the time that Gabe was starting his podcast, you were working in podcasting? Exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, in 2011, when this webisode was released, Adam Carolla set the Guinness world record for the most downloaded podcast of 2011. He was the podcast king of 2011. Guinness Book of World Records.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. But in general, podcasting did not really explode into, like, pop culture until 2014. Apparently podcast listenership tripled between 2014 and 2019. Crazy.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is crazy. And we didn't even come on the scene until 2019.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly. Well, a lot has changed in podcasting, even just in the six years that we've been doing it. Ang like, it's grown even so much since we started.

[Angela Kinsey]

Absolutely. I also have noticed that so many television shows now have their own podcast, you know, so sort of the way we did DVD commentaries, and that was just part of our job, once we got the job on the show as an actor, that it was just part of the package you signed up to do. And it seems like there's a lot of shows now that have these sort of after the episode Podcast recaps.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Yes, it's true. Well, back to this webisode. Kelly, like we said, is not going to do Gabe's podcast. And she has a talking head where she explains that she can't be the subject of Gabe's podcast because she's a rising pop star and she's really concerned about overexposure.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, she doesn't want to just, you know, wear people out with all of her fame. She's getting really famous.

[Jenna Fischer]

She really is. She's already done three blogs. She says she's done Oscar's blog, the Subtle sexuality blog, and Aaron's Subtle sexuality fan blog. I mean, just so many blogs.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many blogs. Well, Gabe is now going to hit up Creed, and Creed seems really surprised that Sabre has a website. I do love what Creed says to Gabe. I love your podcast. And he's like, there isn't one yet. I haven't done it yet. It just kind of cracks me up. And then Gabe tells. Then Gabe tells Creed about Oscar's blog, and he's super curious. He wants to check it out. He goes onto his computer, and on Creed's screen is his own website. This tickled me so much. So, you know, we've already known that Creed had a blog called Creed Thoughts. Right. And that's been around since about 2007 at this time. Ryan mentioned it in the Job. But now we learn that Creed has a website. It's called Creed's WNBA Appreciation Website. It has stats, teams, players, news, archives, and the opening page is an article titled WNBA Draft Advice.

[Jenna Fischer]

Cassie, would you be following Creed's WNBA appreciation Site? Absolutely.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, Cassie, that is so awesome.

[Jenna Fischer]

Actually, it is.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Cassie, he has archives. This means he's been doing this a while.

[Jenna Fischer]

I hope he's still doing it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know Creed has a talking head now where he says, look, I love basketball and women. How does no one else get this? This is like a no brainer to Creed.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's ahead of the trend.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Well, Gabe is still searching for someone to be on his podcast. So he approaches Meredith.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm. Meredith is showing Creed that she can write with her feet. Gabe is gonna skip Meredith. He's like, okay, she's doing her writing with her feet. I'm gonna move on to Kevin. And Kevin is so excited, he spits out his bagel. He cannot wait to be on Gabe's podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, he has a talking head where he says, you know, it's such a good match for him. He's Irish, so he is a natural sayer of stories. And Yarn. Yeah. And that ends this first webisode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, we're moving on to the next part of the podcast webisode. It's called the First Entry. It was written by Mary Wall and directed by Charlie Grande.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Gabe is sitting next to Kevin. He's got a little recorder. Kevin is just stapling some papers. And Gabe is kind of narrating. He's wondering, like, what happens when we stop for a moment and ask, why do we do activities like this? Why do we staple?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Kevin answers and says, these things need to be stuck to those things. At which Angela interjects and says, who is going to listen to this nonsense? Gabe turns to her. He says, angela, a rare instance of brains and beauty. A fairy tale princess stuck in a tower of paperwork, stoically spinning receipts into gold for the Rumpelstiltskin we call the man.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela's charmed.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's so delighted, she smiles.

[Jenna Fischer]

So this scene is the first time we get to hear Gabe's podcasting voice. Did you notice he's kind of whisper talking?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. He's like stapling, Stapling, stapling.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And he's. He's getting the sound of the stapler. It's very asmr.

[Angela Kinsey]

It really is. And it is. And lady, I told you. I found the most amazing podcast. It's called the Office asmr.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes. Yes, you did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Here's how it's described. The Office is a great show to fall asleep to. This is a podcast narrating each episode in a calm, relaxed way to help people fall asleep without screens.

[Jenna Fischer]

Amazing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

So, like this guy, he describes the episodes in a soothing voice, and you can just lay there and kind of imagine them.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

As you fall asleep is what it is.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly. It gets 4.6 out of 5 stars. And I thought we could hear a little bit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Let's hear it.

[E]

Kevin's very excited that pregnant Pam and Kevin are eating a lot together. Second breakfast, lunch. Second lunch, first dinner. As they eat some kind of Mac and cheese in the kitchen. One last ultra feast, says Kevin.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I have to say, his voice is very soothing. He's doing a very good sleepy time voice.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And you know, if you're a huge fan of the show, your mind is filling in the picture.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

So you can just listen and fall asleep. Well, this podcast goes up until season six, episode 21, happy hour, and then there aren't any more. I don't know if he stopped doing them or if he's coming back to finish, but there are six seasons of the office ASMR podcast for you if you need a soothing the office description to fall asleep to.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, now Kelly and Erin are going to march into the bullpen. They're going to go over to accounting. Kelly is furious because Oscar posted a picture of her eating a chili dog in his blog.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, here's the thing that cracked me up. She's not mad that she's eating a chili dog. That's not her issue. It's the fact that he did not crop out the other people in the picture. She wanted it just to be her.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, she gave him permission to use the photo, but she. On the condition that he crop everyone else out. And he says, I'm sorry. I didn't have time.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's like, forget it. We're never gonna be in your blog again. Gabe will do your podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela pipes in and says she would also be interested in doing the podcast. His flattery worked.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, he's called her a fairy tale princess. Come on. Yeah, she's in now we're in the conference room. It's Kelly, Erin, Kevin, Creed, Angela, and Meredith. And the whiteboard behind them says, quote, having it all.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. This is the subject of Gabe's podcast. This is what he wants everybody to kind of think about. What does having it all mean to them?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And, you know, I guess they're staying after hours to have this conference room meeting. And lady Creed has my favorite talking head of the entire the podcast webisode series right here.

[Jenna Fischer]

About the Tupperware.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I think we should hear it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[E]

Tell the truth. I'm not too excited about staying tonight, but my sister is having a Tupperware party. If I was there, I would just buy everything up.

[Angela Kinsey]

He'd buy it all up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Buy all the Tupperware.

[Angela Kinsey]

Also, Creed has a sister.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Who sells Tupperware. That would be me. I would buy it all up. I could not go to a Tupperware party and not leave without a whole set.

[Jenna Fischer]

My Tupperware cabinet is a hot mess again.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. Ours is, too.

[Jenna Fischer]

So is my sock drawer. Again, both of those areas. I clean them constantly. I'm always like, where do the socks go?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Why are these two areas of the home? Why do they undo themselves so consistently?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know why I have a basket of socks without their partner that I just. I won't give up, because every once in a while, I find the other one.

[Jenna Fischer]

So what is that?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know. I don't know where they go. And also, I don't know how to store Tupperware. Do you stack it without the lids, one inside the other, and then put the lids on the other side? Or do you have the lids on top of the container and you don't separate the lids and the containers? Like, how do people do it? Because mine's always a mess and I'm looking for the right lid and I can't find it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I prefer to pair them. I like to put the lid on the container and then store it together like they are best friends and they want to be stored together. They don't want to be separated.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I'm the only person in my family who does it. So if anyone else unloads the dishwasher, they just willy nilly throw it in the cabinet. I can't get everyone on board with my system. And I mean, I think I just answered my question why my Tupperware cabinet is always in disarray. It's because I'm the only person attending to it.

[Angela Kinsey]

You have multiple socks.

[Jenna Fischer]

But what's with the socks? The socks? No one's like, I mean, I don't know. I'm just saying, like, also the junk drawer. Why, why does. Why do I organize these spaces? And then they disorganize themselves. When I organized my makeup drawer like three years ago, and it's still great. It's terrific.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, it's because you're the only one using it.

[Jenna Fischer]

You're right.

[Angela Kinsey]

Every place in our house, that's what I call sort of like a community space is always the most cluttered space.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Because there's multiple systems at play, not one person's system.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, where were we?

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, Gabe is now going to ask everyone, what does it mean having it all? What does that mean to you? And Kelly says, well, it's a job in a family. Aaron says the same thing. They kind of like give each other a little squeeze, like, oh, we said the same thing. And then Angela says the same thing. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then Meredith says, I have a job and a family and it ain't.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then she goes, wait, wait, shouldn't I be saying this to your cameras? Where are your cameras? And Gabe, lady, he says something that speaks deep to you and I's heart and soul. He taps his little recorder and he goes, it's an audio podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, we laugh about this all the time. We actually got a fan question lady from Maddie F. In Daytona beach who said, For Office Lady 6.0, can we incorporate video? What do you think? I would love to see a video version of the podcast while I'm at lunch and pretend I'm at lunch with you both. I bet we can convince Sam to hook this up.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh, Sam, this is your job now.

[Jenna Fischer]

Maddie went on to say, I'm glad the podcast is continuing since I've been re listening from the beginning again. Anyway, cheers. Well, Maddie, we have discussed many times the idea of adding a video element of the podcast, and it boils down to this. I don't want to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I mean, it's a podcast. Aren't podcasts just by definition something you listen to? Why do we have to watch everything? Why does everything have a video? Like, I like the idea of something that I just listened to, and I think once a camera's there, it changes how you share. It's not as intimate. I feel like I would be aware of the camera in some way. The camera would be like this extra person in the room that I would clock in to the camera. I just like that there's not this third thing in the room. It's just me and you having a conversation.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, listen, we tried it very early on back in the Earwolf studios. Josh and Lee came in with two cameras, and they set up lights for us, and we tried to record the podcast while we were being videotaped, and it was horrible. We didn't even put that podcast out. We stopped in the middle and we were like, shut off the cameras. I was so self conscious. I was so, like, I. I don't know. I didn't like it. Also, sometimes I don't want to brush my hair before we record, and I want to wear my sweatpants, and I want to be in my cozies, and I just don't want to feel like I'm on display.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, I know. Because then there's always snarky people that are like, ew, is that what her chin looks like now? Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I don't need the. I don't need the sn Snark comments, and I just. I don't know. Maddie, you're so sweet. Maddie just wants to have lunch with us.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. Maddie, I just loved what you said, and thank you so much for re listening from the beginning, and I just so appreciate you. But, yeah, I mean, our husbands really did try. They came in and, Jenna, it's so funny to me when you just said we were like, shut the cameras off, because there were two different reactions in the room. One you got kind of in your head, like, with the cameras there, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it kind of shut you down.

[Jenna Fischer]

It did.

[Angela Kinsey]

I began to perform to the cameras like an idiot. I'd be like, well, then that's what she said. But I did. I was like, oh, God, it was a hot mess. But, Maddie, thank you. We would have lunch with you, Maddie. So we would.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'd love to have lunch with you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, in the end of this webisode, Gabe is going to cave. He is going to do a video podcast a la Meet the Press, which is really, spoiler alert. Gonna be kind of just a talk show.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. I mean, but look, Meredith has all the equipment, you guys. She has video equipment, lights, release forms.

[Jenna Fischer]

In her van.

[Angela Kinsey]

In her van. And Gabe sees his moment to, you know, have his sort of irreverent 80s punk scene. What. What is this 80s punk scene that he thinks he is?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's gonna. It's gonna be classy, refined, and edgy. So buckle in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, this brings us to the final installment of the podcast webisodes titled the Debut. It was written by Jonathan Hughes and directed by Charlie Grandy. And sure enough, everyone's in the conference room, and they've set it up kind of like a talk show space with a couch. And.

[Angela Kinsey]

Absolutely.

[Jenna Fischer]

Gabe has the camera.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. There's, like, a little sofa and a table with a plant and two coffee mugs. And then Gabe's in the chair, like the host off to the side. Creed's gonna be playing music. He's the band.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Kevin is there. He's worn his toupee.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was wondering, is anyone tracking the toupee? How many times is the toupee in the series? I know. It's in Training Day. He wants to impress D'Angelo.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I think he wore it to Pam's wedding.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. Did he wear it to Shrute Farms Halloween?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't think he wore it to Schrute Farms. I don't think he wore it to Angela's wedding. No.

[Angela Kinsey]

No. But, yeah, these are good questions. I'd be curious for someone who's tracking how many times we see this wig.

[Jenna Fischer]

Kevin's gonna offer to be Gabe's sidekick. Gabe was not planning to have a sidekick, but so be it. Kevin is now the sidekick, even though he keeps messing up all of the introductions. He's not a great sidekick so far.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, no, he's not a very good sidekick.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Gabe is going to welcome his first guest, and it is Kelly Kapoor.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. So here's the deal, you guys. Ryan is going to give Kelly the tips that you need to be a Great talk show host. Ready? Here they are. Wave as you enter. Flirt with the host. Tell a mildly amusing story. Act surprised when you're asked to share about your project. You're there to promote and push up bra question mark. So let's see how the Dunder Mifflin employees do as a talk show guest, per Ryan's tips. Are you ready? Okay, here is Kelly's interview.

[D]

I was going out to dinner the other night. Went to this Mongolian barbecue place. Basically, they just give you a bunch of raw food, you put it in a bowl, and then they cook it up for you. But I didn't know this. My boyfriend didn't tell me. So I'm just sitting there eating a raw bean sprout, being like, they should call this place Mongolian salad bar. Craziest stuff happens to me.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love that. She's like, the craziest stuff happens to me. All right, she waved. She was a little flirty. She told a mildly amusing story. What do we think? Did she check off all the things?

[Jenna Fischer]

I think she did pretty well. We didn't get to her talking about her project that she's there to promote, but so far, yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm. Next up is Meredith, and she just plays the cowbell with her feet. Creed is really into it. He's tapping his foot along with her.

[Jenna Fischer]

Mm.

[Angela Kinsey]

And now we have Creed's interview. Let's hear it.

[E]

The problem, Gabe, with the question of having it all is that it deals with externals. What have I done? What do I own? None of this matters. What matters is what's happening internally. If you're happy from within.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is an amazing answer.

[E]

Look at me. I'm the most content person I know, and I live in a tent with a woman made of old soup cans.

[Angela Kinsey]

How do you do?

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so I'm supposed to rate that. Well, I think he didn't tick any of the boxes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I do think he had an interesting share, but then it went south.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. But so far on Ryan's list, Creed's interview did not go great. No, I mean, Meredith's didn't either.

[Jenna Fischer]

True.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so here's the thing. I was thinking about this, and, Jenna, you and I have done a ton of talk shows together. I mean, we've done them separately on our own, but then we also did a whole bunch together, and I wondered how many things we checked off of Ryan's list.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

I looked at a bunch of our interviews, and I picked one from when we did Seth Meyers. Cause that's one of my favorites.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, same.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I wore a push up bra. So I can tell you I've already hit one of the things on the list.

[Angela Kinsey]

There you go. You wore that great suit. I loved it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. I borrowed that suit from Lindsay Price. She's my de facto stylist. When I have to do things.

[Angela Kinsey]

Go to her, she goes into her.

[Jenna Fischer]

Own closet and brings me things. It's amazing. I love her.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love that. Well, okay, so check. Push up bra. Check. In this interview, when we walk out, we wave, lady. So check.

[Jenna Fischer]

We did it.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we tell a bunch of different stories. And here's one we told to promote our book. So I think that checks another box.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And let's see if we tell a mildly amusing story. Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. Let's see.

[D]

So you're going back.

[Jenna Fischer]

This podcast is you guys recollecting your.

[D]

Time together on the show.

[Jenna Fischer]

Obviously, you were both there the whole time. How often do your memories differ?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. Well, when we started writing this book, there was one that came up right away, which was that when you guys, she got us backstage at the Emmys on the actual stage.

[Jenna Fischer]

Here's what happened.

[E]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now listen, here's the thing. She was hungry.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't like to be hungry. Yeah. Okay. I'm not one of those actresses that doesn't eat food. I like to eat the food. And I eat a lot of food. And I was very hungry.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

And we couldn't find food anywhere. So I said, angela, come on, we gotta get something to eat. So I found this nice lady, and she had a headset and a.

[Angela Kinsey]

She went very fast, and she kept going, shh, shh, shh.

[Jenna Fischer]

And she took us to this little, like, tent, like a dimly lit tent.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was not a tent. It was a giant curtain on the Emmy stage, like, Emmy presenters. And people were right there, and she was like, shh.

[D]

But there was a whole, like, charcuterie.

[Jenna Fischer]

Station, and there were these cookies. Yeah. And so. But we didn't realize we were. I forgot this. When we were writing the book, Angela said, we have to tell about that time that Laurence Fishburne was given a stink eye. Cause you were eating the salami next to him.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, I vaguely heard him say something like, who the f are these folks? And then I said, jenna, wrap it up. Shove that salami. Oh, wait, that's not bad. But you know what I mean? Thank you. Yeah, that's what she says.

[D]

There we go.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, wow, that's so funny. I forgot we told that story when we were writing the book. I forgot the story. And then I forgot we told that on television.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you know what? We also talk about the dance that we made up, where we file papers and we did the dance lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. But Seth was great. I think we checked off some of the boxes.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think we did an excellent job. I'll have you know I have run into Laurence Fishburne since, and he is an absolutely delightful gentleman.

[Angela Kinsey]

When you're not eating cheese right over his shoulder before he's going out on stage, he's probably a really nice guy.

[Jenna Fischer]

I didn't bring it up. I didn't bring it up.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, don't, don't.

[Jenna Fischer]

But he is a gem of a human, so, yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's a full circle moment.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was a full circle. I mean, when I ended up in a conversation with him, I immediately thought, oh, my gosh, yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Does he know? Does he remember?

[Jenna Fischer]

He doesn't remember. I'm sure that I crashed the food table at the Emmys.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's one of my favorite stories.

[Jenna Fischer]

Listen, I'll get you into some adventures when I'm hungry. No doubt about it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, after Creed's ending to his interview, talking about the lady made out of soup cans, Gabe is done. He's like, just forget it. Forget it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

All he wanted was a simple discussion about business, and he got this freak show. That's what he says. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Everybody storms out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. They're ticked off.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. This is not going to happen. Gabe is not going to have a podcast. He's thinking. But then Oscar comes in.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And Gabe's like, you'll do my podcast. He's clearly so happy that someone is going to do his podcast. And as he starts to interview Oscar, Meredith is like, nuh, not with my cameras, you don't. She grabs both of them, and as she leaves, the tripod catches the blinds, and she drags half the blinds out. That was not planned. That just happened. And I thought that was really funny.

[Jenna Fischer]

That was fun.

[Angela Kinsey]

So that's it for the podcast. It's not going to happen.

[Jenna Fischer]

No.

[Angela Kinsey]

We see a title card at the end that reads this Gabe Lewis Productions, number one. Sadly, this will be my first and last podcast, as Oscar has decided he desperately needs me to help him with his blog. It was a tough call, but in the end, the blog offered the kind of proofreading experience one cannot pass up. Also, I'd like to think of myself as the type of guy who does the unexpected. I guess that's the punk in me. Signed, Gabe.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, that's where the 80s punk comes in, lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. I do love that it was the opportunity of proofreading that one could not pass up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because everyone loves to proofread.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, there you have it, everybody. That is the webisode, the podcast. You can see it over on Peacock, and you can also see it on NBC's YouTube.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, we're gonna take a break, and when we come back, we are going to share with you guys our very first time trying to do a podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, you've been using Simplisafe for a long time and you just told me you're making some adjustments. You're adding cameras.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I am, because, listen, we have this one sort of, like, side of the house area that you can't see anything around that way. And a lot of our shrubbery has grown in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Which is nice. But I was like, josh, I'd like to, you know, also know what's happening around there.

[Jenna Fischer]

You want eyes on that? Well, with Simplisafe, millions of Americans enjoy the new standard in home security and greater peace of mind every time they arm their system.

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

There's also a 60 day satisfaction guarantee or your money back.

[Angela Kinsey]

Visit simplisafe.com officeladies to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's simplisafe.com officeladies. There's no safe like Simplisafe. All right, lady. You know that Lee was just shooting his movie in Oklahoma City, and the movie gave him a place to stay because he was there for months.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

But for two of those weeks, me and the kids came out to join him. And the place he was staying in that the movie provided, it was just too small.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're a whole family.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're a whole family. He went on Airbnb, got us the most beautiful, spacious place to stay with the nicest host.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you know, if you're planning a trip or you're working somewhere and you want to stay at an Airbnb, I think you guys gotta check out their guest favorite because those are the most loved homes on Airbnb.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were a guest favorite. We were in a guest favorite.

[Angela Kinsey]

You scared me.

[Jenna Fischer]

So sorry. It's true.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're so excited.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was?

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, yeah. I mean, you're actually getting a home. Other people have stayed in and, you know, it's been well reviewed. Well, listen, we are Huge fans of Airbnb for so many reasons. So for your next adventure, consider Airbnb.

[Jenna Fischer]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. I don't know if you are starting a new business. Maybe you're baking up a storm and you want to start selling your baked goods or you've got some pottery you're working on. But if you want to get your store front started, Squarespace is a great place to start.

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

Hello, we are back. And in honor of Gabe starting his podcast in this webisode, we thought this would be a fun time to share our pilot episode of Office Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. So, you guys, I was going through my digital clutter recently, and I found was buried way back there. So here's the thing. At the time that we recorded this, we didn't even realize we were doing a pilot of anything. We didn't think we were podcasting or anything like that. We had been cleaning out our garages and kind of organizing all of our office memorabilia. And Jenna, we were trading messages about it, and we said, you know what, before we clean out all these bins, maybe we need to document some of this so we don't forget, even if it's something we could give our kids someday.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, we. We kept calling each other and being like, oh, my gosh, look at what I found. And then that made me think of this. But we were also like, you know, who knows, Maybe one day we'll write a book. We need to get these stories down. So I went over to Angela's house, and we just recorded ourselves on her iPhone. I had just found a bunch of photos from our office Halloween episodes. So I said, ang, I'm gonna come talk about all my memories from doing Halloween episodes. And, you know, we did it. And when it was over, I don't think we really thought much of it, because at the time, we were really more in, like, archive mode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I didn't think anything of it, but I remember Josh was like, what did you guys do out there? And I said, well, we kind of recorded our memories of Halloween episodes. And I was like, here, do you want to hear it? And he listened to it, and he was like, ang, you know, I think this is a podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Which was so wild, because at the time, I was working on splitting up together, and Oliver Hudson had literally, like the week before, said to me, jenna, you should start a podcast. I think you would like podcasting. Because he knew that I liked being at home in sweatpants. So that was like, now Josh was saying, this could be a podcast. And Oliver Hudson was like, jenna, you should do a podcast.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So you and I were like, wait, is this something? And so Josh was like, guys, I'm going to edit it. I'm going to clean it up a little. I'm going to add some music to kind of move things along. And he did. And he said, what do you think? And we were like, oh, my gosh, maybe this is something.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I mean, this is what we sent out to different companies when we started taking meetings for doing a podcast. This is what we gave them as an example of what our podcast might be. So we thought it might be fun for you to hear how it all started.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Here it is, everyone. The Office Lady's pilot.

[F]

Okay, this is March 7th. It is Jenna's birthday. She is 45 today.

[D]

I am.

[F]

We just went on a hike for her birthday, and now we are sitting in what was once my rundown garage that we are made into my office.

[D]

Office, slash guest room.

[F]

Game room. And Jenna and I are really excited. This is the first time we are going to read some of our pages out loud together while Jenna reads. She's going first. I am eating a turkey wrap and chips and salsa, so I hope that's not annoying.

[D]

Well, I'm just really excited to listen to this later and transcribe it and hear your chips. I think that is going to be really fun for me.

[F]

Keeps on giving Jenna.

[D]

All right, so it was my job to dive deep into the Halloween episodes. Not just the Halloween episodes, but just Halloween in general on the Office. Because it was a very special time.

[F]

It was. We had a lot of fun.

[D]

And I was thinking about why. Why was it such a very special, highly anticipated holiday on the set of the Office? Well, first of all, Pam always had candy on her desk. And one of my favorite candies, personally, is candy corn.

[F]

You love candy corn. And I'm eating.

[D]

And they would put candy Corn in my candy dish. The week that we shot the Halloween episodes, and the first year they did it, I ate so much of it. And I think the props people were so annoyed with me because they had to keep refilling that dish for continuity. And then I actually got sick. I actually got a stomach ache from eating too much candy. I was like a child.

[F]

That's, like, what our parents told us.

[D]

Yeah, it'll make you sick. It did, but it was just right there. So I was thinking about, besides the candy corn, why did we love it so much? And I thought about it. Our regular wardrobe was so routine. Every character basically had a uniform. Like, Dwight had mustard shirts. Pam was pastel cardigans and pencil skirts. Angela, you were just high necks and gray.

[F]

Gray. Charcoal. I literally have a line where I say, I improvised that. I was so proud of that they were like, Amy Adams was like, what's your favorite color? And I said, gray. Charcoal. Shades of gray.

[D]

Shades of gray. Phyllis basically just dressed in purple. Right.

[F]

Our tiger print. Oh, no, Leopard print.

[D]

Leopard print. Animal print or purple.

[F]

Animal prints or purple.

[D]

At least Andy got the preppy plaids and interesting belts. He always had some.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many belts.

[D]

Interesting belts. And if you think about it, our hairstyles never really changed either. So I feel like we just really craved any chance to break out. And Halloween was the chance.

[F]

It was a big chance. It was a huge. It wasn't just a slight breakout. It was a huge breakout.

[D]

It was a huge breakout. It was, like, the most exciting thing to happen to the wardrobe department, to the hair and makeup department. Everyone was very excited.

[F]

And, you know, it was equal among genders. I remember Rain getting so excited about his costumes.

[D]

So sometimes people ask me if we ever had any say in what our characters dressed as for Halloween. And the very simple answer to that is, no.

[F]

Absolutely not.

[D]

Absolutely not. So many of our costumes were plot related. There was, like, the joke that you could wear the same white cat costume year after year, even when you were pregnant, which is a very funny, snarky scene that we have. Or the time that Creed, Dwight, and Kevin all dressed as the Joker. Or the time when Pam dressed as Charlie Chaplin just to find out she was the only person to dress up in a costume at her new job. That was when she was off at art school. And then she couldn't take off her hat because then she looked like Hitler.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

So the costume choices were mostly dictated by the story that the writer wanted to tell that happened to be on Halloween. But I feel like there was one exception. Do you know who I'm thinking of?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God.

[F]

Can I guess?

[D]

Yes.

[F]

Mindy Kaling.

[D]

Yes, Mindy Kaling. Since Mindy was also on the writing staff, she got to be part of picking her own costume. And she always. Well, Mindy loves to dress up. Like, she loves to go big, right?

[F]

Yes, she does.

[D]

And she had the best costume. She was Carrie Bradshaw. She was Snooki, Katy Perry, and then Leeloo from the Fifth Element. And I have this picture of you and Mindy. You were like a black widow.

[F]

I took my camera that day. That's a cold open we shot that didn't get used.

[D]

Yes.

[F]

And she was lilu. And, like, she had a multipass.

[Angela Kinsey]

Lilu.

[F]

Matupia. Multipas. Lilu. Multipas.

[D]

You haven't seen the Fifth Element?

[F]

Jenna, this is a great movie, and I think it still holds up. I'm just gonna say that. Lilu Matipas.

[D]

What does that mean? Are you saying her last name? Are you saying Leeloo has a multi pass? Like, she's going to.

[F]

She's going to outer space, and you have to have this multi pass to get on this ship.

[D]

Like a Metro car, kind of.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, you have to see this.

[F]

Bruce Willis is in it.

[D]

I do love Bruce Willis.

[F]

Chris Tucker's in it.

[D]

But this Leeloo costume was basically white gauze. So much skin.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you have to see it because.

[F]

She'S in, like, this. Oh, God. I don't even know how to explain it, but she is the Fifth Element.

[D]

Okay.

[F]

Lilou.

[D]

All right.

[F]

Okay.

[D]

So I guess Mindy Kaling.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I was right.

[D]

Mindy Kaling. I want to talk about one of my personal favorite episodes of the Office, which also happens to be our very first Halloween episode. Okay. It aired during season two and was called, appropriately, Halloween. I cry at the end every time I watch it. So the plot is very simple, if you don't remember. Michael is told that he must fire someone during the month of October due to cutbacks at Dunder Mifflin. But in true Michael fashion, he waits until the very last day of October, which also happens to be Halloween. Greg Daniels wrote this episode, and I remember him telling me that the inspiration for the episode was that he had always wanted to do a story about someone being fired, but from the point of view of the boss rather than the employee. He said, we always see stories of the people being fired, but rarely stories about the person having to do the firing. And I always thought that Greg's decision to set the story on Halloween, when everyone is dressed up and excited for an office Halloween party made the whole thing even more delightfully uncomfortable to watch.

[Angela Kinsey]

So tragic.

[F]

Like, no one wants to get fired when they're dressed up like a clown or something.

[D]

But the one problem that this plot presented for Greg was that he would actually have to fire someone on the show. And he didn't want to fire any of the core cast members. Even though many of the supporting characters at this time were still under weekly contracts. You guys were not considered series regulars yet?

[F]

Oh, no, not at all. You know how you say you have a photo of the exact moment you knew we'd be best friends? Yes, I have a photo of the exact moment I was made series regular. And you and I are jumping up and down, giddy, holding hands, jumping up and down. Because I got the news while we were on Booze Cruise. That's when we became serious regulars.

[D]

But this was before Booze Cruise.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

So he could have any of us fired, any of you guys, but he didn't want to. But he also didn't want to hire a new person just for one episode, establish them, and fire them because it felt dishonest. Like, it felt. He said it felt like cheating. So he had to fire someone we'd already seen on the show. So we had two stand ins at the time. And maybe we should tell people what a stand in is. A stand in is a person who fills in for the actor after the rehearsal of a scene. While the crew adjusts the lights. They walk where the actor would walk or sit or stand where the actor would sit or stand during the scene. And the crew figures out where to put the cameras and the lights. And then when it's time for the camera to roll, the actors are called back to the set and begin shooting the scene. So we had two stand ins. They were Creed and Devin. And both Creed and Devin had also appeared on camera in the background of some conference room scenes or in the annex by the break room. Maybe they would, like, cross in the deep background of a scene like they were delivering mail. I remember we had that mail cart that really made no sense because we didn't have a mail room, but whatever. But they'd never spoken. They'd been established. So that was enough for Greg. But then Greg, who is the gentlest man, had the dilemma of picking who to fire, Creed or Devin.

[F]

I can't imagine how that weighed on Greg because he really is just a kind, kind hearted person, and it just must have wrecked him.

[D]

So Greg spoke with both of them, and he found out that Devin had Just been cast in an off Broadway play in New York. So this was all Greg needed to hear. He decided Devin would be fired since he had this job. And Creed went from being a non speaking stand in in our show to getting a five page scene with Steve Carell. No audition. Greg had never seen him act. Handed him a five page scene with the scene was so popular with fans and Greg was so delighted that he started writing more stuff for Creed. And then Creed eventually also became a series regular.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

And it was all because Greg needed someone to fire. So in addition to this being the episode that launched Creed into the office family, it is responsible for a number of firsts. This is the episode that features Jim and Pam's first air high five.

[F]

Aw. Jam Jam air high five.

[D]

Jam air high five. It is also the first time Pam is seen wearing her hair down rather than half up. Half down, which I call the Pam Mullet. And it was a huge debate about whether or not this hair change could be allowed. It went several rounds with the producers and writers before being approved. Would Pam look too cute if she wore her hair down? They decided to go for it. And then the next time you see a hair change from Pam is Casino Night.

[F]

I mean, if we know a lot of details about hair and stuff like that is because these were huge discussions. We just always wanted to stay true to the integrity of who these people were and not, as the success of the show grew, like zhuzh them up too much. They were still in Scranton in a paper company, even though the show was gaining more popularity and we were sort of becoming a little bit like, I don't know, like fancier.

[D]

Well, this was true of wardrobe as well. They only shopped at places that our characters could realistically afford to shop at. So if Pam had to wear a pair of jeans, I wore a pair of jeans from the Gap. I did not wear a pair of $200 designer jeans. Right.

[F]

And also our wardrobe department was amazing. You know, they made sure, like your pants weren't too long or things like that, but they did not fit you, like alter things the way most TV shows do. And after the Office, I worked on a show called you'd Family or Mine. And the women that did the wardrobe also did the wardrobe for Friends. And those women looked amazing on Friends. And I have never looked so kabam, like ever in my life. They altered it every.

[D]

Everything.

[F]

They altered like where your shoulder hem is and where like the insect, like everything fit me like a glove. Yes.

[D]

Most shows tailor clothes to your body.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

And that's why everybody looks so fabulous on tv.

[F]

They said to me, do you know what's the difference between just a normal person walking down the street and someone walking down the street on a TV show? And I said, what? And they said, alterations.

[D]

It's 100% true.

[F]

Because most people, like, figure out how to blow out their hair and put a little bit of makeup on, but having clothes fit you like that. And they were blown away because I was like, oh, my gosh, look how this fits me. Oh, you're gonna take that in. You're gonna sew this. And they're like, angela, have you never had your clothes altered on the Office?

[D]

I was like, no, no.

[F]

Because we had to look realistic for that world.

[D]

Another thing about Halloween is people dress up as our office characters for Halloween.

[F]

On Halloween, which I love so much.

[D]

Which is crazy, right?

[F]

When I get tagged as white and.

[D]

Angela, I love it for a Halloween costume. I also want to say that of all the photos that I get, I think that the most most popular, the one I see the most is the Pam Cat Three Hole Punch Gym. Yeah, those are the one. That's the one I get the most.

[F]

I get just myself in an argyle sweater with usually the girls have their hair in a headband or slicked back pony and they're all holding a cat stuffed animal.

[D]

I get a lot where girls are wearing the white cats. Another first. This Halloween episode was the first time since our pilot that the creators of the original British series of the Office, Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, visited our set.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

They stayed almost an entire day. One day when we were filming, we were all geeking out. Before they left, I asked for a photo with them and some of the American producers of the show. But I am the only person in the photo who is obviously dressed in a Halloween costume.

[F]

Do you have it?

[D]

Yes. You can kind of see, like, Jim has like one circle of his three hole punch.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

When I look at the photo, I like to imagine that I was doing a school play about a cat and all these people came to see me and I posed for a picture backstage.

[F]

Yeah, that's backstage at your cat play. At my cat play, yeah. Here's my one story about Ricky Gervais. So they were on set, we were all kind of nervous about it, and I hadn't really been in scenes yet. But after lunch, I had a talking hedge and I come through the lunch area and I see Ricky Gervais. And I'm introduced to him. And they're like, ricky's actually Going back to Video Village now because he's going to watch everything from lunch on to the end of day.

[D]

And you were the first thing you started watching.

[F]

And I was like, great. And they were like, angela, you're first up. And I said, oh, fantastic. And I looked to Ricky Gervais and he goes, don't worry. I don't tisk too loudly. And that's what he said to me.

[D]

That's amazing.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[D]

For all of these reasons, I love this first Halloween episode, but I especially love the end. And I don't know if you remember the end, but at the end, Michael hands out candy to little kids. And I cry every time. I'm getting choked up thinking about it. I remember there was a big debate over how that final moment should be played out. There was a discussion as to whether or not the kids should be nice to Michael, if they should be annoyed by him because he was going to be cracking jokes while he handed out candy. And the writers and producers also discussed if Steve should be happy or sad while handing out the candy. It was decided that they would start on a spy shot of Michael looking sad and lonely inside of his house alone on Halloween night. He's just fired someone. Then you hear the doorbell, and when he gets to the door and sees the kids, he lights up. He makes this silly joke, and the kids just laugh and laugh and are delighted by him. And he makes this connection. I'm crying.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[D]

And it's just beautiful and kind and heartbreaking. And it's moments like this that make the Office so special. We can spend an entire episode laughing at Michael Scott or finding him annoying, but in the end, he will break your heart with his kindness and vulnerability and his desire to have what we all want, which is just to love and be loved.

[F]

To be learned. Yes. That is heartbreaking and so sweet and so real, isn't it? It's just like such an honest moment, I think. That's what I think Greg Daniels was so great at in our show is finding these just real life moments that were so honest. And you've got to know, firing someone was so hard for Michael because all he wanted to do was be liked. And this dysfunctional office family was truly his family.

[D]

It was such a great choice to have him go home. And you see why he's so needy at work.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[F]

You know, he's so lonely.

[D]

He's just so lonely.

[F]

And I loved that the kids delighted in him. And there's this thing that Steve did with his face. He just looked, like, lit up. Inside, you know, when they laughed. You saw that joy come over Michael. Oh, it was so sweet.

[D]

If we ever get to do a reunion episode, I just need to see Michael Scott with his kid.

[F]

Yes. And he's the best dad.

[D]

Best dad.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

This kid just thinks he is everything.

[F]

Yeah, exactly. And him and Holly are just happy.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

It would make me so happy. And maybe he still annoys people at work, but he's like, the best dad.

[D]

The best dad. And I think it hit me even harder now that I have kids.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Because I just know what kids bring to your life. The episode was written by resident genius, Greg Daniels. It was directed by. Do you know Paul Feig?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, Paul Feig.

[F]

Well, you know, I was gonna guess Kim Kwapus or Paul Feig because they're in the early years. That's a good guess.

[D]

Yeah. And they also. We gave them a lot of the big, like, milestone episodes during his time on the show. I'm gonna give you fast facts about Paul Feig. He directed 14 episodes of the Office, but he also spent an entire season where he was a consulting producer.

[F]

That's right.

[D]

And he was there every day on set.

[F]

When he left, I was like, no, Paul, don't. I felt so safe with him there.

[D]

It was a dream. He also, I think, hosted the most cast viewing parties of anyone in his home with his incredible wife, Lori.

[F]

Yes. And their home was beautiful. Beautiful and just so warm and inviting. I love it.

[D]

They put out a little, like, snackity, snack, snack in the kitchen. And then we would all get our stuff and we would go watch the show together. We did. We did that so much, so much. And Paul, so many viewing parties.

[F]

Paul and Lori are just such great party hosts. Paul is the one of the best dressed people you will ever meet in your life.

[D]

Full suit with tie.

[F]

I have never not seen him in a suit. And his Instagram is all of him in suits with cocktails. You have to see it because it's very enjoyable.

[D]

It's very impressive.

[F]

Paul, we're about to deep dive on your feed on Instagram. Don't get freaked out. Also, did you talk about what the crew would do on Friday when it was Paul Feig's episode? They would all wear a tie.

[D]

Oh, yes.

[F]

Yeah. It would be Paul Feig day suit day every Friday, when Paul Feig directed and all the crew members, the camera guys, they would all wear ties.

[D]

Halloween did not end with our Halloween episodes. In order to edit the episodes in time to air during the actual week of Halloween, we filmed our Halloween episodes like Usually in August, like, months before. So every year we got two Halloween celebrations. First was the week that we shot the Halloween episode, but then there was actual Halloween. And during actual Halloween week, our crew would all dress up and we would have a costume parade at lunch. And the crew went all out.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

We would shoot a whole day with them all in costumes and us dressed up our characters. One year, I don't know if you remember this, the wardrobe department dressed as the characters from our show. And I have pictures dressed as.

[F]

That is hilarious.

[D]

Although this guy was a props guy. He wasn't wardrobe, but wardrobe dressed as us.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh.

[F]

That's amazing.

[D]

I know. It's pretty great because I think something that people say a lot, but was very true for us, and maybe it's true for them, too. We were like one big family. We were not just the cast, it was the crew. Yes, we looked out for one another. We enjoyed being together. This is a story that's near and dear to my heart. When my son, Weston was one years old, I wanted to dress him as a Wimbledon tennis player because I had a little shirt from Wimbledon, like a little polo shirt from Wimbledon that had a little logo on it. And it just seemed like an easy outfit. You know, the players just wear all white. So I had the shirt. I put white shorts, little white sneakers, a little white hat. And when Phil Shea, the head of our props department, heard what I was putting together, he arranged for someone to make him an actual, tiny, perfectly proportioned tennis racket and bag.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[D]

A real tennis racket.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[D]

Like, not a fake.

[Jenna Fischer]

Not plastic.

[D]

It was, like, out of metal. It was literally the cutest thing on the planet. It made the whole outfit. And then I sewed a little yellow squishy ball into his pocket so it looked like he had a little ball.

[F]

Coming out of his pocket.

[D]

Out of his pocket. And it was so sweet. I brought Weston in to work at lunchtime so that he could be part of the parade. And I have a picture of it.

[F]

I have a picture of Weston and Isabel and Lee and Weston's in this little outfit. And I was coming across photos, and I came across it, and I didn't have it in my Halloween photos. And I was like, why is Weston dressed as a tiny Wimbledon tennis player? And then I remember that we're following Halloween.

[D]

Our work days were long, but they were not as long as a typical television show. We averaged about 12 hours a day, and it usually was something like 6am to 6pm it was rare to go as late as 7:30. But it did happen occasionally, but it never happened on Halloween. We were always wrapped early, always. And I think it's because so many of our crew members had families with. With young kids. And the producers wanted to make sure that everyone was home in time to celebrate with their families.

[F]

That's right. And you know, Greg himself is a very big family man. I think that those things are important. They were important to him. And I think when you're on a show where your showrunner creator has a family, they just go into it thinking about people's families. I always felt that way. I felt like they knew when I went to them, when I had Isabel and I was going to be bringing her to set, I felt like I could go and have a conversation and they would help make it work.

[D]

I know that it was very important to Steve that he home for dinner with his family every night.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[D]

He would come in first thing in the morning, 5:36am so that he could be finished by 5:30 at night. And then some of the people who didn't have kids would stay later and then work to that 6, 6:30 time frame. Happily, you know, for him. In fact, there were a lot of younger people who preferred coming in at 8am and working.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right, right.

[D]

Did not want to come in at 5.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[D]

But once you have kids, you're awake anyway, you know, so you don't want.

[F]

To miss bedtime, you don't want to.

[D]

Miss that dinner at bedtime. And it can be made to work if the people who are in charge make it work. And it happened on Halloween also every year. Matt Stone, who was one of our camera operators and then later he became our director of photography and even directed some episodes. He would throw a party at his house after work for everyone in their families. And he lived in this great neighborhood for trick or treating. And we'd show up and he would have these little tables that had crafts for the kids.

[F]

Oh, he had. It was so cute. They're like, front room of their house had little low tables with little chairs.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[F]

It was like kid paradise over there.

[D]

Little stickers, projects. You could make a little pumpkin and then food. They'd order pizza. And then we'd just go out and canvas the neighborhood. And even cast members without kids would come. I know BJ Novak used to go over and hand out candy because someone had to man the door. Right. Like if everybody leaves, someone has to be there to hand out the candy. And BJ was like, I'll do it.

[F]

I'll never forget one of the years we went, Isabel was Tinkerbell, and she was so excited when she rang the door that people gave her candy. She couldn't believe it. She was like, what is happening? But it was really sweet that we all did that.

[D]

Even though we spent all day working together, we still shared these occasions with one another. It was really sweet.

[F]

I had this professor in college. I'm gonna get really nerdy for a second. And he was my creative writing professor, and he used to say, you know, what's a pleasure to do is a pleasure to experience. So if you're writing and you. And you love what you're writing, I'm gonna love reading it. And I felt that way about the office. We so loved what we were doing, that I think it comes through. I think we cared a lot for each other. We were very invested in each other's lives. And I think now the show still resonates, because when you watch that, you feel it.

[D]

We were genuinely connected.

[F]

Yeah. And we still are.

[D]

We still are. Yeah. That was our Halloween.

[F]

AMF Air high five.

[D]

Air high five. Boom.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, that was so crazy for me to listen to after all these years.

[Angela Kinsey]

Isn't that wild? I mean, it was your 45th birthday.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

We had just such a weird thing. We had just gone for a hike, and then we were having lunch. I'm so sorry, you guys. I was eating a turkey wrap. I'm. I apologize. Cause I know you have written in you don't like us to eat on the podcast, but I didn't know I was podcasting at the time. I just was. No, I was having an afternoon with my best.

[Jenna Fischer]

I feel like I talked really fast.

[Angela Kinsey]

You think so?

[Jenna Fischer]

A little bit, yeah. But I. I also, by the way, think it's very funny that I brought a document.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. You were so organized already from the.

[Jenna Fischer]

Beginning, and you were so relaxed. It's like we're all there. Even from the very beginning, we're all there.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is funny to me, though, that even though we were there to talk about Halloween, we did have the sidebar banter. Like me asking you about the Fifth Element and you hadn't seen it. Have you seen it?

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I think I've seen parts of it, but I would do it as a rewatch.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really?

[Jenna Fischer]

I would break it down. I would. If you're interested. Yeah, I would take it on.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. Sam. Cassie, have you seen the Fifth Element?

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah, many times.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, that's a good one, don't you think, Sam?

[D]

Yeah, I think that'd be a good watch for Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, I'll do it. It's sci fi y, right? But doesn't it also have a little. It's funny too.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's in space.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think that qualifies anything that's in space. Yes. Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't mind space.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

I watched Fifth Element when I was a kid, so I don't really remember anything, but I want to point out that it is a film from 1997, like the Edge. So I think Office ladies has a 1997 theme going on.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right. Yeah, maybe we need to watch it. Well, listen, we hope you enjoyed that. Thank you so much for writing in, sending in your questions and comments. Carol Angelo, thank you so much for sharing about the behind the scenes of the webisodes at NBC. And yeah, I can't wait to see what you guys thought of our pilot episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

We'll see you next week.

[Angela Kinsey]

Have a good one.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins, our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Ainslie Bubaco.

[Angela Kinsey]

Odyssey's executive producers are Jenna Weiss Berman and Leah Reese. Dennis.

[Jenna Fischer]

Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basel Artist.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton. I've been counted out, dismissed, passed over, told I'd never be a golfer with just one arm. But the only thing that feels better than proving people wrong is out driving them. I'm 14 year old golfer Tommy Morrissey and I want to be remembered for.

[E]

My ability as a champion partner of the Masters. Bank of America supports everyone determined to find out what's possible in golf and in life. What would you like the power to do? Bank of America bank of America NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation all rights reserved.