New boss rocks 'The Office'
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, October 26, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- It was the promotion that shocked Dunder Mifflin -- temp Ryan Howard leapfrogged over Michael Scott and snagged the big corporate job.
Viewers of the Emmy-winning series "The Office" didn't see it coming. The show's producers, however, did. "At the beginning of the show we thought it would be great if Ryan eventually became Michael's boss," says B.J. Novak, one of the show's writer/producers and the actor who plays Howard. "When we came up with the corporate storyline, we found the place to use it.
"A lot of our ideas don't have an immediate home, but we keep them around."
A relationship between the geeky Dwight Schrute and repressed Angela Martin, surprised others, too. This year they've split and spent the first few weeks of the season dancing around each other. That means more screen time for actors Rainn Wilson and Angela Kinsey. That's perfect for both, says Kinsey, who used to spend whole episodes in the background. "It's very much an ensemble show," Kinsey says. "We set a precedent Day One. We're each other's background. It's not like a bunch of extras come in."
On those days when she's not prominent in a scene, Kinsey can be seen working at her desk. In truth, "I'm checking e-mails, going into MySpace, paying bills and playing Solitaire. It's a great gig," she says with a smile.
In his down time, Novak is in the writer's room, working on future episodes.
As the boss' boss, he'll be in nearly every episode this season. "Ryan's going to be very hands-on," Novak says. "Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) is a vortex of problem-causing. He has to be dealt with."
Then, too, Ryan is pegged as a comer -- someone who can move the doddering paper company into the 21st century. He creates a Web site that's supposed to speed the sales process and eliminate waste (and jobs).
"Ryan has been a little blank over the years so we're able to take him places you might not expect," Novak says. "He jumped over Michael without much experience or compassion."
The nebulous relationship between the two, Kinsey says, makes interesting television. "What will it do to Michael's ego to have Ryan as his boss? I think it's going to be awesome. Michael's oddly attracted to him and oddly intimidated by him."
And the others? "There's a trickle-down effect," Kinsey says. "It's just like real corporate America."
When she auditioned for the role, Executive Producer Greg Daniels told Kinsey Angela was the type of woman who would say, "I don't like to say anything bad about anyone...but" and, then, Kinsey says, "Kaboom!
"I see her has the kind of person who's uncomfortable with the shades of gray in life. She'd rather be black or white. And she has to have rules. She's very strict about those rules and if they're ever bent she doesn't know what to do with herself." Fans of the show are often afraid to approach Kinsey. "They say, 'You're nothing like your character.'"
Now, she and the others have become mini-stars.
"My friends tell me the show has gone from cult hit to actual hit," says Novak. "So we're dropping the cult part. It used to seem so inside. Now, we realize it's like somebody's been eavesdropping on us and we're actually proud of it."
"The Office" airs at 8 p.m. Thursdays on NBC.
Viewers of the Emmy-winning series "The Office" didn't see it coming. The show's producers, however, did. "At the beginning of the show we thought it would be great if Ryan eventually became Michael's boss," says B.J. Novak, one of the show's writer/producers and the actor who plays Howard. "When we came up with the corporate storyline, we found the place to use it.
"A lot of our ideas don't have an immediate home, but we keep them around."
A relationship between the geeky Dwight Schrute and repressed Angela Martin, surprised others, too. This year they've split and spent the first few weeks of the season dancing around each other. That means more screen time for actors Rainn Wilson and Angela Kinsey. That's perfect for both, says Kinsey, who used to spend whole episodes in the background. "It's very much an ensemble show," Kinsey says. "We set a precedent Day One. We're each other's background. It's not like a bunch of extras come in."
On those days when she's not prominent in a scene, Kinsey can be seen working at her desk. In truth, "I'm checking e-mails, going into MySpace, paying bills and playing Solitaire. It's a great gig," she says with a smile.
In his down time, Novak is in the writer's room, working on future episodes.
As the boss' boss, he'll be in nearly every episode this season. "Ryan's going to be very hands-on," Novak says. "Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) is a vortex of problem-causing. He has to be dealt with."
Then, too, Ryan is pegged as a comer -- someone who can move the doddering paper company into the 21st century. He creates a Web site that's supposed to speed the sales process and eliminate waste (and jobs).
"Ryan has been a little blank over the years so we're able to take him places you might not expect," Novak says. "He jumped over Michael without much experience or compassion."
The nebulous relationship between the two, Kinsey says, makes interesting television. "What will it do to Michael's ego to have Ryan as his boss? I think it's going to be awesome. Michael's oddly attracted to him and oddly intimidated by him."
And the others? "There's a trickle-down effect," Kinsey says. "It's just like real corporate America."
When she auditioned for the role, Executive Producer Greg Daniels told Kinsey Angela was the type of woman who would say, "I don't like to say anything bad about anyone...but" and, then, Kinsey says, "Kaboom!
"I see her has the kind of person who's uncomfortable with the shades of gray in life. She'd rather be black or white. And she has to have rules. She's very strict about those rules and if they're ever bent she doesn't know what to do with herself." Fans of the show are often afraid to approach Kinsey. "They say, 'You're nothing like your character.'"
Now, she and the others have become mini-stars.
"My friends tell me the show has gone from cult hit to actual hit," says Novak. "So we're dropping the cult part. It used to seem so inside. Now, we realize it's like somebody's been eavesdropping on us and we're actually proud of it."
"The Office" airs at 8 p.m. Thursdays on NBC.
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