In the spring of 2013, the beloved sitcom “The Office” said its last goodbyes to fans across the globe. Over the course of the last six years, further content has been far and few between, but on Oct. 15, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey turned a new leaf.
Users of popular podcast networks were surprised to be welcomed by a new podcast that morning. Yes, “Office Ladies.” The title is exactly what the podcast is based around. Two ladies. One office. “The Office.” Through the voices of Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, the two women who play the roles of Pam and Angela respectively, listeners are taken on an audible journey past the front desk of Dunder Mifflin and given an all-access pass to the “authorized personnel only” sections of the fictional paper company.
The brilliant idea for the podcast was not one that was planned. While doing some basic household organizing, the pair came across some plastic bins full of memorabilia from their time on the show. Looking over all of the items that consumed almost eight years of their lives, Fischer and Kinsey thought there was no better way to celebrate so many years of friendship, laughter and success than to preserve and share these memories. Thus, “Office Ladies” was born.
“So many memories are flooding in as we go back and watch the episodes — many of which I haven’t seen since they aired. As we close in on the 15th anniversary of the show, it seemed like a great time to share our stories and behind-the-scenes trivia with fans,” Fischer said. Since the release of the podcast, Fischer and Kinsey have successfully recorded four episodes with the promise of more to come soon. So, what’s the big deal about “Office Ladies”?
Well, let’s take a deeper look into one of the episodes. The podcast begins with “The Pilot.” The preview for this audio chapter reads: “This week, Jenna and Angela start at the beginning and break down The Pilot episode of The Office. The ladies hit you with some Fast Facts, insights from Ricky Gervais, and the origin of Angela’s ‘cat party’. And if you’re wondering about secret messages hidden in The Pilot episode, Jenna and Angela break those down as well.”
Fischer and Kinsey hit listeners with fast facts about behind-the-scenes moments and in-depth knowledge on the audition process. They brought up the creation of Phyllis, a character who did not originally exist, as they wanted their casting associate, Phyllis Smith, to have a special part in the series. Meredith was replaced after a younger actress left after the first episode, and both Fischer and Kinsey suggest that the actress, Henriette Mantel, must have not been available when the show was picked up.
Some might not have even known that the pilot episode was, in fact, shot six months before the rest of Season 1. In addition to interesting facts such as these, Fischer and Kinsey also take this time to reflect on some of the funnier moments that occurred during the filming of the pilot episode.
Kinsey relays a favorite moment of hers from the episode, stating “Earlier in the [conference room] scene, Ken asked me to pass out papers in the background. I only had three lines in the episode. Otherwise I was just background, basically, for that pilot, so he asked me If I would pass out papers. I just doodled a little drawing of a cat and I said, ‘You’re invited to Sprinkles’ birthday party.’ I had just sort of made up that my character had found a cat in the parking lot.”
After the initial release of the “Office Ladies,” Fischer and Kinsey shared a desire to invite each of their former co-stars onto the show, as well as directors, writers and others who work behind the scenes.
As we reach Episode 3 of the podcast, it seems that dream is beginning to come to fruition. Fischer and Kinsey bring in Rainn Wilson, known for his role as Dwight Schrute, through the form of an audio call to discuss the episode “Health Care.” Some highlights of Episode 3 include Wilson reminiscing about listing all of the fake diseases that were brought up in the dialogue between the characters. Does anyone remember Count Choculitis? Wilson also rewards listeners with an inside look at his life as a new dad.
While listeners might not know how long the series will last, there is a promise from Fischer and Kinsey that the first two seasons of “The Office” will be covered. Each episode will range just a little under an hour and will be released weekly. The podcast is available for listeners to enjoy through Stitcher, Apple Podcasts and Spotify as well as any services where podcasts are able to be downloaded.
So, go grab your favorite snack, pop in your headphones and sit back while Fischer and Kinsey take you on a journey through Dunder Mifflin that not even Dwight Schrute would be lucky enough to have the opportunity to embark on.
