NBC’s hit sitcom “The Workplace” goes in loads of instructions over the course of its nine-season run. Michael Scott leads to a koi pond. Dwight fires a gun within the workplace. Meredith could be very realistically attacked by a bat. Regardless of the litany of comedic gold, some hilarious scenes from the present by no means noticed the sunshine of day till they had been included in deleted scenes and superfan episodes. At different occasions, writing concepts had been revealed from the forged and crew. As an illustration, we realized the names of Michael Scott’s youngsters when an axed scene was revealed on the “Workplace Women” podcast.
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After which there’s the actually deep stuff — the stuff the writers’ room dreamed about and by no means had the heart (or approval) to placed on the display screen. Most of this was misplaced within the tv manufacturing ethers, that’s, till a number of of the writers supplied up some juicy “may have beens” within the guide “The Workplace: The Untold Story of the Biggest Sitcom of the 2000s.” In that sacred Scranton tome, we get a ton of what-if situations, a few of which boggle the thoughts. Of their midst is a wild story about a complete episode that was written and by no means shot as a “break glass in case of emergencies” backup plan.
What was The Workplace’s unfilmed episode about?
Here is what author Justin Spitzer needed to say (by way of EW) in regards to the standby installment that the writers had able to go in case of emergencies :
There was one complete episode in season one which Greg [Daniels] wrote that they by no means shot. We all the time would discuss it as our “break the glass episode” that we would do if we ever had been completely in hassle.
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Spitzer recalled some particulars in regards to the theme of the episode and why it by no means noticed the sunshine of day, too:
It was referred to as “Pet Day,” the place everybody took their pets to the workplace. I can not keep in mind a lot about it, nevertheless it was humorous. I feel Michael had a parrot named Jim Carrey. There was a second sooner or later within the run the place we realized, “Okay, the characters and their conditions have modified a lot now that we will by no means, ever do ‘Pet Day.’ The present has modified an excessive amount of now. It would not play.”
Regardless of the eventual incapacity to make use of the “Pet Day” script, the writers took solace for a very long time in the truth that that they had an emergency episode up their sleeves in the event that they wanted it. Spitzer stated as a lot, ending his abstract by saying:
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There have been just a few seasons the place we had been like, “There’s all the time ‘Pet Day’!” every time we would get into hassle.
There have been a ton of different concepts that by no means made the ultimate minimize, too
Whereas the “Pet Day” episode is a giant concept that by no means obtained off the bottom, there have been many smaller (and sometimes wilder) concepts that did not get traction both. Author Halsted Sullivan talked about making an attempt to combine a “insurgent” high-end stationery firm into the 5 Households of the Scranton Enterprise Park. Aaron Shure shared about repeatedly pitching a scene the place Michael will get caught in his opening storage door and finally ends up wanting crucified (full with a basketball hoop as a crown of thorns).
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Author and brother of Toby Flenderson actor Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, additionally shared about an undeveloped concept for an episode referred to as “Premonition” the place somebody has a dream that somebody within the workplace died on the best way dwelling — after which nobody needs to go away work that day. Different concepts span the gamut, from Phyllis going by menopause (and freezing the workplace within the course of) to Michael coming down with a nasty case of ennui and even a reveal that Andy was unwittingly a part of a homicide silence pact in relation to a deceased member of his a cappella troop “Right here Comes Treble.”
Whereas every concept has its deserves and would have been enjoyable to see, there isn’t any doubt that the editorial staff did their job nicely. The ultimate minimize of most episodes (even the least well-liked entries, like season 8’s “Get the Woman,”) clearly include the strongest ideas, edited all the way down to measurement and offered in a punchy, rapid-fire, talking-head mockumentary format that has stored this iconic present on repeat for a era of tv and counting.
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