THE OFFICE Time Capsule – GMMR Interviews Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski

In honor of tonight’s series finale of THE OFFICE, we at GMMR have decided to open the time capsule and bring back a few of our all time favorite OFFICE posts.

Talk about ‘Throw Back Thursday’ – what you are about to read is not only GMMR’s first celeb interview but also the very first joint Jim and Pam interview.  Neither of them knew at the time that their on-screen ‘will they, won’t they’ would land them forever in the hearts and minds of TV fans as one of television’s most beloved couples. So let’s rewind the clocks to January 2006 (yup) and check in with John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer.

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Today is a big day for Give Me My Remote. Today marks what we hope to be the first of many exclusive interviews with the stars of your favorite TV shows. What makes this event extra special for me personally is that these actors happen to be from one of my favorite TV shows, The Office.

First off, if you aren’t watching The Office, then you are missing out of one of the smartest and funniest shows on TV today. This ensemble cast, lead by Golden Globe Winner Steve Carrell (‘The 40 year old Virgin’), brings us a unique and hilarious glimpse into the world of the often mundane corporate America.

Two of the standout characters on The Office are Pam Beesely, the warm hearted office receptionist, and Jim Halpert, the young sales rep with an unrequited crush on his co-worker Pam. Fans of The Office have really responded to the office flirtation and obvious unspoken connection between Pam and Jim; a relationship which brings depth and warmth to this hysterical sitcom.

Jenna Fischer, who portrays Pam, and John Krasinski, who plays Jim, were kind enough to grant Give Me My Remote an exclusive interview. Jenna and John give us a behind the scenes look at one of today’s hit shows, as well a little insight into their characters. And we also get to know a little more about Jenna and John, off-camera.

On a personal note, I wanted to take a moment to thank Jenna and John for taking the time to answer our questions. It’s not often you find actors so accessible to their fans. And as a true fan of the show, it’s been a special experience connecting directly with the actors I watch on TV every week. Enjoy!

Give Me My Remote (GMMR): We all know that Pam and Jim are based on the characters Dawn and Tim from the BBC version of The Office. What characteristics of Dawn and Tim, if any, did you consciously bring to your characters?

JENNA: I love the British version of the show and I think that Lucy Davis is just brilliant as Dawn. I love how honest she is in her performance. That was an inspiration. I’ve tried very hard to make Pam her own woman. There are similarities, sure, because the premise of our show is based on the British version. I’m excited because I feel like the writers have done a great job of writing these characters for the American actors and giving us unique qualities that are different from the British version.

JOHN: Well, after taking a very deep breath to calm my nerves, I tried to understand Jim’s situation first and foremost. Martin Freeman did a perfect job, there’s no other way to say it. So I tried to focus less on the things he did that made me laugh and pay more attention to what would someone do if faced with the situation that Jim is in. Unrequited love can be incredibly painful and the office jokester is lots of fun. So I had plenty to start with.

GMMR: Not sure if you’ve heard, but Pam and Jim fans have created a new moniker for the couple, a la Bennifer and Brangelina. Your characters are affectionately known as “Jam”. So tell us, are the writers responding to the buzz that Jam is getting? Are the storylines shifting to focus more on this relationship?

JOHN: I think the relationship in the office has been an interesting story to follow from the beginning. I can’t give the writers enough credit for how incredibly realistic they have been with this storyline. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to balance and they have dealt with it with such care and subtlety it’s been amazing. And I think the reason for seeing more and more of the relationship on screen is that the documentary film crew in the show are now aware of the love interest and therefore paying more attention with the cameras.

JENNA: We try to keep it interesting. Not too much Jam, not too little. I’m rooting for them to get together just like everyone else. But I try to be patient. I want it to be realistic which means I think it will take awhile.

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THE OFFICE Time Capsule – GMMR’s Very First ‘OFFICE’ Post

In honor of tonight’s series finale of THE OFFICE, we at GMMR have decided to open the time capsule and bring back a few of our all time favorite OFFICE posts. Come back throughout the day and relive some of our favorite OFFICE memories.

Might as well start where it all started.  Back in 2005.  Below is the very first post Give Me My Remote ever posted about THE OFFICE. The blog was only about a month old and I don’t think even my closest friends knew it existed. But I had an outlet to share my early love of THE OFFICE and so I did. Who knew that 7 years later GMMR would still be talking about this show.

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I’ve been sitting at my computer for the last 20 minutes trying to think of what I could write to capture how I feel about NBC’s THE OFFICE.

I happen to think it is the best comedy on TV right now. We all know that I watch a lot of TV, but THE OFFICE is the only show that makes me laugh out loud. I mean…really laugh. I came into work and tried to tell a co-worker how freakin funny last night’s episode was, but the problem is, The Office isn’t a show that’s easy to recap. There aren’t blatant jokes and punchlines. Try telling someone who doesn’t watch the show how freakin’ hysterical it was when Pam and Jim were doing the “Jets” dance behind Michael last night…the hilarity of Dwight realizing his desk had been moved into the bathroom…or the uncomfortable, but hysterical way Michael kept calling the Interns cellphone pretending to be Michael Jackson calling from Wonderland, er, Neverland. The small but hilarious moments of THE OFFICE often doesn’t translate well, but here I am with a huge grin on my face just thinking about it. I love this show. But why aren’t more people watching it?

The Office is a different kind of show. I think that TV audiences are used to laugh tracks and in your face comedy. For years we have been hit over the head with shows like ‘Friends’, ‘Will & Grace’ & ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’. I’m not here trying to take anything away from those shows – some of the greatest comedies of our time, but they all followed a certain formula. They were sitcoms – situational comedies. For those of you who watch The Office – don’t you find it hard to characterize The Office as a sitcom? It just doesn’t seem to fit. I think this is the same problem that ‘Arrested Development ‘has been facing since its inception. These are shows that are hard to label and therefore hard to market. I think the networks don’t know what to do with these type of shows so they just hope and pray that an audience will find them. But why hasn’t a larger audience found The Office? It’s got a great lead-in with ‘My Name is Earl’. And we ALL know how much promotion and support NBC has given that show. Why are people tuning into Earl and leaving The Office?

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AMERICAN IDOL: Candice Glover and Kree Harrison on the Performance Finale

It was the first all-female AMERICAN IDOL finale since season 3, and I don’t know about you, but I feel like it lived up to the hype. (And, as a bonus, both potential singles were actually decent songs!)

Backstage after the show, finalists Candice Glover and Kree Harrison spoke with reporters about the performance finale, their potential new singles, and more…

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THE ORIGINALS on The CW – First Look

It’s a little odd to have an official preview post for THE ORIGINALS since the show’s “pilot” episode already aired as a backdoor pilot during THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. But since we have a new cast shot and an official series description, why not?

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THE 100 on The CW – First Look

Intrigued by the new CW midseason series, THE 100? Take a look at pilot photos, a video preview, and the network’s official description…

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STAR-CROSSED on The CW – First Look

STAR-CROSSED — the new Romeo-and-Juliet-esque show starring 90210’s Matt Lanter and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ Aimee Teegarden — may not be premiering until midseason on The CW, but the network has already released a few photos from the pilot, a clip, and an official description about the show.

Take a look…

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REIGN on The CW – First Look

The CW is going back to the history books for their newest drama: REIGN is based on Mary, Queen of Scots.

Take a look at some photos from the pilot, check out The CW’s official description, and then come back later for a video preview!

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THE TOMORROW PEOPLE on The CW – First Look

ARROW has a new companion on Wednesday nights, and it comes in the form of the brand new series, THE TOMORROW PEOPLE.

Take a look at some photos from the pilot, the trailer, a clip, plus The CW’s official description of the series…

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The CW Announces 2013-2014 Schedule

The CW has announced its 2013-2014 lineup and pretty much everything except for ARROW and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES will be on the move. Plus, NIKITA’s final (six-episode) season isn’t scheduled yet.

Take a look at what to expect next year!

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The Office | 9pm on NBC

Series Finale: Past and present Dunder Mifflin employees gather for a wedding and a final round of interviews. (8pm) Actors, writers and producers of the series share their experiences; inside the writers’ room; audition tapes; favorite moments; a sneak peek of the series finale.

THE VOICE: Shakira Talks Losing Her Latest Contestant, Plus, Makes Good on Her Promise to Sing a Song for Sasha Allen

For THE VOICE’s Shakira, fan-voting on Tuesday night marked the first time in the competition she lost a contestant outside of her control.

After the results show, she talked with reporters about losing Garrett Gardner, plus, she started to compose the song she promised Sasha Allen she’d write for her…

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Watch THE GOODWIN GAMES Pilot Now!

This time last year, Fox picked up THE GOODWIN GAMES, a comedy by several of the writers of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.  But following the recasting one of the main roles and reducing the episode order, the series will finally debut next Monday, with the show simply burning off its episodes at this point.

However, if you don’t want to wait until Monday to check out what the series (starring Becki Newton, Scott Foley, and TJ Miller) is about, you can watch the pilot right now…

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ARROW Season 1 Finale: Marc Guggenheim on the (Accidentally) Provocative Finale Title, Epic Confrontations, and More

ARROW has rarely pulled any punches in its first season, but even with that knowledge, seeing that the first season finale was titled “Sacrifice” was more than a bit chilling — a reaction that wasn’t exactly intended.

“I didn’t realize — and I don’t think [fellow ARROW executive producers] Andrew [Kreisberg] or Greg [Berlanti] did either — what a provocative name for an episode that would be,” ARROW executive producer Marc Guggenheim admitted. “The truth is we wanted to pick a name for the title that reflected the theme of the episode. And the theme of the episode is sacrifice. In fact, we were joking in the editing room the other day that if you take a shot every time the word sacrifice or its derivative is spoken in the finale, you will be drunk by the time Act One ends; [episode] 23 comes with its own brand new ARROW drinking game!”

In all seriousness, some crazy things are about to go down.

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THE VOICE: The Eliminated Contestants Speak Out

[This post contains results for this week’s THE VOICE eliminations.]

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WE ARE MEN on CBS – First Look

Four single men. One apartment building. Welcome to WE ARE MEN on CBS.

Take a look at some photos from the pilot, the official network description, and a video preview…

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