[Televisionary]

I'm of two minds about last night's crossover cold open on NBC's The Office ("The Seminar"), which, if you missed it, can be viewed in full below. Let's be upfront about this: I'm an obsessive fan of the original UK Office , so the chance to see Ricky Gervais don David Brent's goatee was absolutely priceless, but I've also given up watching the US version for a while now as, in the last few seasons, it's descended into a bit of a tired and humorless mess. Having said that, I thought that the chance encounter between Steve Carell's Michael Scott and Gervais' David Brent was a bit of a hoot at first, and easily the funniest cold open The Office has pulled off in quite some time (from what I remember of the last few seasons I watched). Seeing the simpatico spirit that exists between the two men, each versions of each other, was unexpectedly touching, even as the two joked around and David asked if there were any jobs going around at Dund...

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Not unsurprisingly, NBC's Chuck has topped USA Today 's Save Our Show poll, scoring 54 percent of the 43,000 viewers who cast their votes in the ten-day online poll. The Warner Bros Television-produced series scored the top spot overall as well and was the most favored choice among men, teens and twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, forty-somethings, whites, Asians, Hispanics, Westerners, Southerners, Northeasterners, and Midwesterners and the fourth favored choice among women as well. (If that's not cross-cultural appeal, I don't know what is.) ( USA Today ) Adult Swim has acquired rights to the original UK series The Office , starring Ricky Gervais, from BBC Worldwide and will air both seasons as well as the Christmas special (which marked the series finale) this summer. Move marks the second deal between Adult Swim and BBC Worldwide, which previously sold rights to comedy The Mighty Boosh to the cabler, which ...

It had to happen sooner or later. Despite the fact that I've enjoyed every single second of Extras , Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's follow up to The Office , I've always known that like its predecessor, this would not be a long running show. The Office lasted 12 episodes and was wrapped up with a two-part special that tied up all of its loose ends, particularly the romance between Tim and Dawn. So I was curious to see what would happen if Gervais and Merchant actually created a third season of a show. But at the same time I knew the likelihood of Extras coming back for a third season (and outliving, as it were, The Office ) was slim to none. Sadly, we'll never know what a long-running Gervais and Merchant comedy would look like. The writing/producing/starring twosome have opted not to continue Extras , after all. Like The Office , the series will end with a special. That special, unfortunately, doesn't have a date or casting in place. A spokesperson for the...

Some Wernham-Hogg employees might just be temping for Dunder-Mifflin next season. The New York Post is reporting today that cast members from the UK version of The Office may be crossing the pond to appear in the homegrown US version, which stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer. Or at least that's what the series' executive producer Ben Silverman is telling the NY Post : "Ben Silverman, the executive producer of the hit NBC comedy, says that there will be something of a cross-over episode of The Office , with some of the cast from the U.K. edition making an appearance at the dreary factory in Scranton, Pa., where the U.S. version takes place. 'There's a lot of love between [the casts and crews] of the two versions of the show,' Silverman told The Post, declining to reveal plot details of the upcoming episode so as not to spoil it for fans. 'Expect some cameos from the U.K. paper company,' says Silverman." However, S...

British television icons David Brent and Vicky Pollard might be heading to the big screen, courtesy of the BBC. T he Hollywood Reporter has filed a report from London indicating that the BBC is considering several of its hit comedies for feature film adaptations, including the original UK version of The Office , Little Britain , and Extras . "Many of the comedy talents we work with ultimately want to paint on a bigger canvas," said Kenton Allen, BBC's head of comedy talent, "and this relationship with BBC Films means that we can now offer them that opportunity." The films would be produced through a unique collaboration between in-house feature film division BBC Films and the comedy department of the BBC. The idea comes at a time when BBC Films is looking to increase its slate of comedy projects. Additionally, the team will work with writers and performers to develop new feature film concepts. BBC Films previously released comedy features Tristram Shandy: A Coc...

While I'm off enjoying a glorious (if infernally hot) Fourth of July weekend, some of you unlucky office worker types might be stuck inside. To that end, here's a little something to perk up your Monday morning: namely a video montage of The Office 's David Brent (Ricky Gervais), set to Beck's classic tune, "Loser." I think it speaks for itself. What's On Tonight 8 pm: The King of Queens / How I Met Your Mother (CBS); Treasure Hunters (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Wife Swap (ABC); Mr. Deeds (FOX; 8-10 pm); Major League Baseball (UPN) 9 pm: Two and a Half Men / The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Treasure Hunters (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Supernanny (ABC) 10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Medium (NBC); How to Get the Guy (ABC) What I'll Be Watching 8 pm: Spaced on BBC America. If you missed Friday's Stateside airing of the hilarious and surreal 1999 sitcom Spaced (starring Shaun of the Dead 's Simon Pegg), here's your chance to catch the th...

It's pretty rare that I am actually speechless. I don't know what to say after watching this clip of The Office 's Ricky Gervais' appearance on UK talk show Room 101. Let me put it this way: our very own David Brent (that would be Gervais, natch) was in a band called Seona Dancing and filmed this 1984 music video for their song "Bitter Heart." Watch it and you'll catch a seriously baby-faced Gervais and a rare glimpse of genius. Or at least of 1980s- inspired madness. It's no "Free Love on the Freelove Highway" but just... wow. Seriously, wow. (Special thanks to Televisionary reader Whitney for bringing this rare gem to my attention.)

According to reports in the British tabloid The Daily Star , Ricky Gervais is considering making new episodes of the original UK version of The Office , despite his statement that the beloved series had run its course. According to the paper's source, said to be close to Gervais and co-writer Stephen Merchant, the cause of the renewed interest is NBC's veddy American version of The Office : "Stephen and Ricky have been getting sent the scripts of the US version of the show – which is now in its third series – and falling about laughing. They’re encouraged to edit the scripts but can’t find fault with them. " If the above is believed to be true (and given the source, it's rather likely to not be true), then Gervais and Merchant are considering writing new material for a possible return to The Office . No comment from Gervais or Merchant yet, but it's only a matter of time before the rumor is confirmed... or denied. (Where's Gareth when you need him?) Two b...

The Office . I was one of those people who saw NBC's attempt to create an American version of The Office as sacrilige. I had watched (and worshipped) the original British version for years. I owned the DVDs, the scripts, and downloaded Ricky Gervais' hilarious podcast weekly. Hell, I had tearsheets of David Brent postering my workspace (along with Arrested Development, but that's a story for another time). And when I heard last year that NBC was going to remake the show for an American audience, I bitched and moaned to anyone that would listen. After the train wreck that was Coupling , I doubted that they could pull it out of the bag. When I got an advance copy of the show's pilot, which stuck to the same exact script as the British version's pilot (with diastrous results), my fears were realized. Nearly every line of dialogue and every pained reaction shot was copied from the original so that the end result felt rather akin to seeing a beloved play performed by a...