The Commercial Break - TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

TCB Infomercial - Episode #726: Bryan & Krissy welcome The Office cast member Kate Flannery. Playing the frisky, ornery and possibly intoxicated Meredith Palmer, Kate joined the ensemble early in its run and quickly became a fan favorite. Kate shares her long road to the front doors of Dunder Mifflin. From a near casting on SNL to improv work with Second City, Kate proves that the overnight success' never happen overnight. KATE'S LINKS: Follow Kate on Instagram Watch EP #726 on YouTube! Text us or leave us a voicemail: [phone]TCB FOLLOW US: Instagram:  @thecommercialbreak Youtube: youtube.com/thecommercialbreak TikTok: @tcbpodcast Website: www.tcbpodcast.com CREDITS: Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley Executive Producer: Bryan Green Producer: Astrid B. Green Voice Over: Rachel McGrath TCBits Written & Produced by Bryan Green To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Fizz loyalty program, you get rewarded just for having a mobile plan. You know, for texting and stuff. And if you're not getting rewards like extra data and dollars off with your mobile plan, you're not with Fizz. Switch today. Conditions apply. Details at fizz.ca. Okay, Martin, let's try one. Remember, big. You got it. The Ford It's a Big Deal event is on. How's that? A little bigger. The Ford It's a Big Deal event. Nice. How's that? A little bigger. The Ford It's a Big Deal event. Nice. Now the offer?

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Scotch, absinthe, rum, gin, vermouth, triple sec, and two packs of Splenda. Call it a one of everything. and two packs of Splenda. Call it a one of everything. Oh. My. God! Ha ha ha ha! It's me again! Alright! One more time around the block. On this episode of The Commercial Break...

I was actually up for SNL and I always say I didn't get it One of my best friends at the time got it and I always say it only took 13 short years to get the office Did you audition for Lauren actually You know what I Lauren came to see a show I did I had lunch with Lauren I had an interview to Lauren I didn't get to do the final round, but I was in consideration. I was just at the Asenal 50th at the concert at Radio City. It was so great. Obviously, I've had a lot of therapy because I just had a great time.

The next episode of The Commercial Break starts now. Oh, yeah, cats and kittens, welcome back to the commercial break. I'm Brian Green, this is my dear friend and the co-host of this show, Kristen Joy Hoadley. Best to you, Kristen. Best to you, Brian. And best to you out there in the BodGas universe. How the hell are you? Thanks for joining us.

It's TCB Infomercial Tuesday with Kate Flannery from The Office is joining us. We have reached the pinnacle of success, Chrissy. There is no greater hill to climb than having one of the, I'd say one of the main characters from one of the best television shows that has ever been ever and ever will be. I think we can all agree that The Office is hilarious in so many ways. Brilliant for almost ten seasons. I think it was ten seasons. I think it was ten seasons. I think it's eight. How many seasons are in The Office? Nine and some bonus episodes. Okay so anyway so there you go Kate Flannery who plays Meredith on The Office, is

going to be with us in just a few minutes. And I'm really excited about this because this is one of my favorite television shows of all time. And I don't know too many people whose it isn't. So many people I know literally watch The Office on rerun all the time. You know how I have my favorite shows that I watch at night? The Office isn't in rotation, but I do watch office episodes pretty often. If I see them on live TV, I was watching one the other day, I think it was the parkour episode with one of my kids, and he's like, what's parkour? I was like, well, let me show you what parkour is. And then we went to a park this weekend and I showed him parkour. Because you know, parkour, I'm a parkour master, Christy.

I don't know if you know that. I did not know that. With my bad hip and my bad back and my bad heart, I just run around doing parkour all the time. So many quotable lines and Meredith owns a few of those throughout the season. So anyway, we'll talk to her all about that. Celebrating their 20th season, The Office is available on Peacock for re-watch. 20th year. Yeah, 20th season. The Office is available on Peacock for re-watch. Yeah, it's, yeah, 20th year.

Wow. And lest you think that Kate only did The Office, she has done many other things in her career. We'll talk to her about some of that, but one of the things I think you got excited about was the Jane Lynch Christmas variety show that they do. Yeah, they do with the band. They go out and sing and they do it with a big band

and coming to a town near you during Christmas season. So we're only nine short months away from that, but it'll be here soon enough. It'll be here soon enough. All right, so I have a little, let's do a little game before, not game, but let's talk about it a little bit before we have Kate in here.

What is your favorite line from the office? What is your most quotable line from the office? Oh, God. I don't know. There's so many. There's the one that my sister and I used to always laugh about when Michael talks in his Southern accent and they're going down to Savannah. My favorite office quote of all time has got to be, Jan all over, Tan all over.

Do you remember that when they went to Mexico and he had a picture, like nude photograph, like a topless photograph of her, and it was floating around the office? And he goes, Jan all over, Tan all over. What a great character. All right, I got a few more for you. I want you to tell me which character said this following line. Okay?

Okay. Sometimes the clothes at Gap Kids are just too flashy, so I'm forced to go to the American Girl Store and order clothes for large colonial dolls? Who is that? You want me to give you a choice? Is it Dwight? Is it Pam? Is it Angela? I'm going with Pam. I'm sorry, Angela. Angela. It is Angela. She used to dress up as those colonial or Dwight, I think, did something. No, it Angela, she was like the prude in the group, you know, she was always a very tight wand, so to speak. I consider myself a good person, but I'm going to try and make him cry.

Who said that? Was that Oscar, Michael, or Dwight? Dwight. No, that was Oscar said that. If I don't have cake soon, I might die. Is that Stanley, Dwight, or Jim? Uh, Stanley. Of course it's Stanley.

I'm faster than 80% of all snakes. Is that Dwight? Dwight. Okay. I don't even want to go any further on that. I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little stitious. Who said that? Dwight and Pam or Michael? Michael.

Of course he did. Let's see here. I talk a lot, so I've learned just to tune myself out. Is that Pam, Dwight or Kelly Kapoor? Kelly. Of course. Yes. All right. Let's go a little- Mindy Kaling. What'soor? Kelly. Of course. Yes. All right. Let's go a little-

Mindy Kaling. What's that? Mindy Kaling. That's right. Yep. Let's go a little deeper. I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.

Jim? Is that Jim? Is that Michael or is that Andy? Uh, Jim. Yeah, it's Andy. Andy. Andy was a great character on that show. And even though he was only in the later seasons of The Office, he was a great character in

that show. I did like Andy's character. One day, Michael came in and complained about a speed bump on the highway. I just wonder who he ran over. Jim. Jim. Okay. All right.

Sometimes I'll start a sentence and I don't even know where I'm going. I just hope I find it along the way. It's like an improv conversation. Michael, Jim, or Dwight? Michael. Michael, that's right. Identity theft is no joke, Jim.

Millions of families suffer every year. Dwight, Michael, or Pam. It's gotta be Dwight. It's Dwight. Okay, let's see here. Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.

Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute. Which one gave that? Michael. That's right. When you're a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are gonna be right about that. Oh, that's a sweet line from Pam. I'm just gonna say that.

You guys, like I'm really smart now. You don't even know. You could ask me, Kelly, what's the biggest company in the world? And I'd be like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, giving you the exact right answer every time. Kelly Kapabor. Let's see if I can find another deep cut here.

These are all great lines and I can almost remember the episodes. Oh yeah, it takes you back. I'm fast. To give you a reference point, I'm somewhere between a snake, a mongoose, and a panther. Somewhere between. Well, I mean, Dwight?

Of course. Yeah, yeah. The Dunder Mifflin stock symbol is DMI. Do you know what that stands for? Dummies, morons, and idiots. Because that's what you'd have to be to own it. And as one of those idiots, I believe the board owes me answers. Oscar.

That's great. Oscar. Oh, here's one from a lesser known character. Oh, I don't think it's blackmail. Angela just does what I ask her to do. So I won't tell everyone that she's cheating on Andy with Dwight. I think for me, for it to be blackmail, I would have to put it in a formal letter. That's Phyllis. Phyllis. Phyllis.

Phyllis. Yes. Okay, here's a little interesting tie in. I believe that Phyllis and, oh, now I can't remember his name, the bigger guy in the office, like kind of the bald headed one. Do you know who I'm talking about? What was his name in the office?

I can't remember. Now I can't, why can't I remember? Office characters. Let's see here. Well, it means Stanley. No, but it's not Stanley characters. I'm gonna find this out because I don't wanna get it wrong. Kevin.

Oh, Kevin. Yeah, Kevin. Okay, so Phyllis and Kevin went to a local high school here in Atlanta. That's right. And they went to school with a couple of people that I know and by all accounts were very lovely people. And so just thought I'd share that.

I forgot I knew that Kevin was from here. I did not know Phyllis. I believe that's, I believe it was Phyllis and Kevin that was here. I know Kevin for sure. And I believe Phyllis also, I think they went to the same high school. If I'm not mistaken, I might be, but that was the story that rolled

around the bars for a long time. And I knew a couple of people who knew a specific more specifically talked about Kevin being a real, I say Kevin, his name is Brian actually Kevin and Brian. That's what that's me and my brother's names. Yes. Uh, talked about him specifically being a very nice guy. So there you go. If you wanted to know in real life, let's find out if Kate is a really nice person too. Why don't we do this? I bet she is. I bet she is. I, we have, we've had a good streak.

I'd say of the 110 guests we've had, 108 of them have been pretty good. And one of them wasn't their fault. I would have been a dick to us too. All right, let's do this. Let's take a break. And when we get back through the magic of tele-podcasting, we'll have Kate Flannery, Meredith from The Office, celebrating 20 years of The Office. Yeah, let's do that.

What do you think? I think we should do it. Okay. We'll be back. Hey, it's Rachel, your new voice of God here on TCB. And just like you, I'm wondering just how much longer this podcast can continue. Let's all rejoice that another episode

has made it to your ears, and I'll rejoice that my check is in the mail. Speaking of mail, get your free TCB sticker in the mail by going to tcbpodcast.com and visiting the Contact Us page. You can also find the entire commercial break library, audio and video, just in case you wanna look at at Chrissy, at TCBpodcast.com. Want your voice to be on an episode of the show? Leave us a message at 212-433-3TCB. That's 212-433-3822.

Tell us how much you love us, and we'll be sure to let the world know on a future episode. Or you could make fun of us. That'd be fine, too. We might not air that, but maybe. Oh, and if you're shy, that's okay. Just send a text. We'll respond. Now I'm gonna go check the mailbox for payment while you check out our sponsors. And then we'll return to this episode of the commercial break. Okay, flights on air Canada. How about Prague? Ooh, Paris. Those gardens. Gardens. Um, Amsterdam. Tulip Festival. I see your festival and raise you a carnival in Venice.

Or Bermuda has carnaval. Ooh, colorful. You want colorful. Thailand, lantern festival, boom. Book it. How did we get to Thailand from Prague? Oh, right, Prague. Oh, boy.

Choose from a world of destinations, if you can. Air Canada. Nice travels. Hey all you cats and kittens out there in the podcast universe, I want to tell you about Rule Breakers with Serea. It's a new podcast from our partners at Odyssey that celebrates the rebels, the risk-takers, and the ones who make their own way. It's these people who often change the lives of the people around them and the world at

large. And while in the moment it may be hard to see the force through the trees, those rule breakers often define what it means to be a success. Each week, former wrestling superstar Serea sits down with the boldest voices in sports, entertainment, and beyond to talk about breaking barriers, defying expectations, and rewriting the rules. They're talking about it all, theying expectations, and rewriting the rules. They're talking about it all, the fights, the failures, and the moments that changed everything.

You can follow and listen to Rule Breakers with Serea on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And hear, hear to the Rule Breakers for keeping life interesting. Kate is here with us now. Kate, so grateful for your time today. Thank you for joining us. Welcome, Kate. What can we say that probably hasn't already been said a million billion times? I have like one question that is when we when I knew you were coming on, it just was burning through my mind.

just was burning through my mind. How do you feel about The Office, given some space between the last episode that you, you know, the closing of The Office version one, now? What is your relationship with The Office? The thing, the show, the entity, part of your life, how do you feel about it? It is as, my relationship with The Office is as strong as it was in 2004. It's crazy. I am so happy to hear that. It might be stronger.

Yeah. You've grown to love it. You've grown to find that this is just something you're really attached to. It's such an iconic role that you have playing Meredith. In my opinion, one of the best characters on The Office is Meredith, perfectly played by you. You're very kind. I'm actually most proud that I'm a female and I get to play a wacky character that has

nothing to do with being someone's girlfriend or mother. Oh, yeah? Even though she's a mother and she's a floozy, but still, she's not defined by that. That's a rare thing. It's a rare thing on television. It's a rare thing in movies. Women don't get to play exactly like the boys. And so it's really fun.

I'm just really proud that they let me go there. And they're the entire time. You were there for the entire stretch. How did you get involved in, by the way, it's 20th anniversary of The Office. And it's one of those shows too that I love because you can just watch over and over and over again and you can pick up from the very first episode or the middle or the end, whatever. I just, I love those shows.

There's very few of those. Yeah, I think we, there are, and what I love about our show too and why I think kids really like it is that, you know, we never tell you when to laugh. There's no like wait, you know, there's no laugh track, obviously. But I also feel like you can be laughing over something and then watch the episode

again and find something funny about it that you didn't notice the first time. Absolutely. So it's kind of fun, you know, that's, and that's a rare, you know, it's a rare thing we're all, you know, we're just so lucky because, you know, normally British shows don't translate on American television. So our, our show runner, Greg Daniels took such good care of this and was so lucky because normally British shows don't translate on American television. Our showrunner, Greg Daniels, took such good care of this and was so careful and so wonderful. He's a former Saturday Night Live writer, a former Simpsons writer, and he's also the

co-creator of King of the Hill, Greg Daniels. He's amazing. He's amazing. We were in good hands from the start. I knew Steve Carell when I was at Second City. We weren't in the same cast, but we were there at the same time. And it's just so nice to be a part,

I mean, so incredible to be a part of his stardom, his breakout. Oh yeah. Now the whole world knows what a great actor, smart, funny, genius Steve Carell is. He really is. Well, how did you get approached about doing the project? I'm sure you had some auditions with Greg or how did that come about?

I did. I actually initially auditioned for the part of Jan. Oh, wow. That didn't go my way. Okay. Oh my God, that would have been a whole different show. Yeah. It would have.

And because you're director, Alison Jones said- Jan all over, Jan all over. I'm sorry, I just had to say it. I just had to say it. Right now, no, no, it's crazy, right? over. I'm sorry, I just had to say it. I just had to say it. Right now, no, no, it's crazy, right? Yeah. Serenity cannules?

I don't know. Hunter? I don't know. But I think, I think, you know, the casting director, Alison Jones said, I don't know if this is the part for you, but I feel like this show is right for you. So I actually did not do the pilot. I actually replaced somebody from the pilot that was cut out. So that's always strange when you come into a project. So I did not do the first episode, but I did every other one. Yeah, no fair enough. Yeah, it's just odd because they actually asked

us to bring paperwork and to look busy at our desk season one. And I thought that was such a cool idea. So that when the camera catches you, you're not like suddenly working, you know, you're actually still in progress, in process. And so it did have that documentary feel from the start. So, you know, as an ensemble person being from Second City, and, you know, I did Del Close's Improv Olympic for years, I worked at the Annoying Theatre, I've worked at a lot of funky theatres and did a lot of stuff where being an ensemble was really the most important part is to make sure you're there for everybody else.

You're a team player. Giving everybody else. Yeah. Team player, yeah. Whether you talk or not, you are in there. You're in it. Yeah. So I love being a fully actualized character even if you don't speak, which I think is

one of the most brilliant things about The Office because we all work with people and we all went to school with people and you did not get to know everyone equally well right away. Sure. Things were revealed slowly and sometimes there's people you go like, I didn't know that about. Or you find out later, you're like, oh my God, I had no idea. That guy's nuts. That guy's great.

Whatever. It's just funny. Creed's insane. Totally. But our show had a slow, slow reveal and such a great, everything was just well timed. And even if I didn't speak for episodes, I felt like when I did, it was totally worth the wait.

I felt like something wonderful and interesting was revealed and messed up sometimes. I read a book one time and it was mentioning Aaron Sorkin in The West Wing, the of course, the breakout drama about the West Wing, the White House. And one of the interesting choices that they made from the beginning, and I'm sure this is a choice that was made by Greg or whoever at the time also, was that even if you're not in the scene, I want you on the set. So you'll look at where the, you know, Leo McGarry and the president are talking and in the background is, you know, Bradley Whitford or whoever,

and they're shuffling paper or they're reading or they're having a conversation with someone else. It adds depth and layer and color and clarity to the whole situation. It's not, doesn't feel like everybody just runs out of the room. It feels like an actual working office when you watch the office.

It's a sense of reality. It's a sense of reality. It's a sense of reality. Yeah, it's awesome. And I just feel like the level of thought and intelligence that was put into every script, and just having a great cast of great directors, great producers, great editors, you just feel like you're in good hands all the time. You're in good hands, so you can't, you know, you're in good hands all the time. You're in good hands so you can trust the process. Do you, I mean, I'm interested to know how much of this is actually

improved and where do you have bullet points, you're heading in a direction, you know, I can improv inside of these parameters or how much of that was improved and how much of that ended up being scripted? Percentage wise, if, or what was the- Most of it is scripted. Most of it is scripted. I'd say maybe, oh yeah, I'd say maybe 4%, maybe 5% is improv. Interesting. Steve, yeah, Steve and Rain probably improvised a little more than most of us,

but they also had more to say. Sure. So we would kind of like hit the actual script and then you, I learned quickly that if I improvised within my lines or had like one little addition while I was speaking, because you know, you're having to deal with camera guys who are like documentarians who are moving to, you know, they know who they're going to look at, you know, and focus on. So if you're, you can't just like suddenly have an idea and railroad the

whole process. You have to be like in focus and you know, so I always say to actors, yeah, but if you're, if you're, so I always say, um, if you're improvising, even within a sitcom, you have to know the parameters so that you're actually, you're bringing a gift, not presenting a problem. Wow. Even if it's a funny idea, it has to go somehow within the lines of forwarding the action or just creating. Yeah, you've got to hit a note. You've got to hit the notes so that you don't mess up the rest of the band. Yeah, exactly.

So that was the big learning curve for me for sure. And also, because I had done so much stage, I was, I constantly reminded like, bring it down, bring it down. And I actually learned a great relationship with the camera, which I had never learned before. And I'm so grateful that they had the patience to go, okay, can you just do it one time? Just do it a little less, a little less. Because sometimes shows, you know, that's, oh, she didn't get it.

You're done. Bye bye. You're gone. Bye. Bye bye. Bye bye. So I'm grateful. Yeah, because what is the trajectory? You're at Second City, obviously one of the most famous, if not the most famous, improv comedy theater in the world, right, with so many.

And I know there's a couple of them, but for me as a Chicago boy, Second City is like, you know, the gold standard. And that's where a lot of the SNL characters came from. So you're in Second City, so obviously you're good at this. Like, you have, the gold standard. And that's where a lot of the SNL characters came from. So you're in Second City. So obviously, you're good at this. Like, you have a talent for this. If you're sitting with other people at Second City,

then you're doing OK. It's a validation for sure. Absolutely. And I actually was up for SNL. And I always say, I didn't get it. One of my best friends at the time got it. And I always say, it only took 13 short years to get the office. It it only took 13 short years to get the office

Did you audition for Lauren actually You know what I Lauren came to see a show I did I had lunch with Lauren I had interviews with Lauren I didn't get to do the final round but I was in I was in consideration and I was just at the Asenal 50th at the concert at Radio City and It was so great. Obviously I've had a lot of therapy because I just had a great time. I didn't have any but like, ugh. I was like, I should have, no, no. I just was like, oh my God, everything worked out the way I was supposed to.

Woo, woo. Yes. Kate, you don't know me, but let me tell you, if I was, if Lauren Michaels had even said my name out loud, I would consider that the end of the road for me. I'd be like, that's good. I'm dying. I can die happy. Like just being in consideration for such an iconic show. Right. And that was the therapy move is like not feeling like, oh, you were up for the dream and it's gone. It's like, no, no, no, you're in, you've been recognized, you've

been validated. And if you can just move forward, because there's a lot of people that have been up for SNL that didn't get it that we all know. Sure. Stephen Colbert. I mean, there's a ton of people. It's one of those things, but you just, hopefully you take rejection is protection. If you look at it that way and just realize, oh, I'm just being redirected. There's something else waiting for me.

Yeah. Just keep it up. I remember I started to do a comedy act in 2001 with a friend of mine from Second City Days. We did a two-person dying lounge act. We did it for 20 years. We still did it when the office ran. We did a lot of comedy festivals and comedy clubs. We did it every Saturday for five years initially. Even when the office was running, I did it for another year every week. I just really enjoyed it because I also realized my friends were getting famous and they weren't necessarily calling me and I was like, oh, I think I have to figure out how to show up on another map.

How do you keep yourself in the game? Doing comedy live at clubs was a great way to do it. We kind of found a funky way to get in. We were sort of in the cover band comedy world. So we were opening for people like Richard Cheese for the Dan band, for Kettle's Pity Party, Garfunkel notes. Like there's a bunch of like, there was a world of music and comedy that we were a part of. And that was, that was, it was great for me. So Saturday Night Live, let's call it consideration for your consideration. We just had a whole

episode about this for your consideration. Great just had a whole episode about this, for your consideration. Ah! Yes. Great movie. Great movie. Right, the best, the best. So for your consideration, and then a short, oh my God, like all of them, it's,

great ensembles, you talk about great ensembles, all the Christopher Guest movies, The Office is another one you think of, when you, 13 short years later, as you put it, what does your agent just call you? And she says, I think that, I think we got this role. I think it's good for you. Um, I want you to go and audition or does Greg dance?

Does how did you, how did they pick you? It was an audition. It was an audition. Um, it was an audition and, uh, you know, it's, it's also like, I didn't have an, uh, an agent for a while. I was told we're passing on you because of your age and your looks. I think I was like 38 when that happened. I'm like, what the hell?

But I was, I was doing comedy because I had done off Broadway. I had like a big hit with a show off Broadway in, that we did in LA first. It was a stage production of the movie Valley of the Dolls. I had a little buzz. I had some yeses. I had some attention. I felt like I was getting recognized in New York. Even if it was below 14th Street. Our show had sort of a Rocky Horror Picture Show cult following for a while. It was good. I also sang in a band in New York with one of the guys from They Might Be Giants. Oh, really?

They were big in the 80s and 90s. Yeah, they had another band called Mono Puff and I was in Mono Puff and we would open for the Giants. I had like a world, I was in the world. I did like a sketch on Conan. I was kind of part of that. I think I did some sketches on Jimmy Kimmel. I showed up in weird places and then I was on Bernie Mac's show and a show called,

it was actually, The Boomtown. I played Neil McDonough's secretary. And I was so excited because they were like, oh, they want you to recur now. They love doing your first episode. So I got the second script and two days later, I got the call that the show was canceled. So that was right before the office. So it's okay, you know, that's all right.

And then again, like if I had been on that show, I couldn't have done the office. So I think it worked out. Yes, it did. You were on the Bernie Mac show. Did you have a chance to meet and sit with Bernie Mac to talk to him? Yes, I got to hang out.

Bernie, he was the best. Man, everybody says this. He was the greatest. He would have a separate lunch for all the kids and their parents in his huge dressing area. It was like a house just for him. He was the greatest. He saw everyone so kind, so funny, so smart.

I felt very lucky to guest star. I was still waiting tables, by the way, at a restaurant in Beverly Hills when all this was going on, by the way. And I got my restaurant job up and through the first season of The Office. Yeah. I did. So it's just like, I was waiting on a lot of famous people.

You know, I have an interesting story. So the other day I was watching Reels and a reel came up about Bernie Mac cutting a promo for the Bernie Mac show, which by the way, I think is one of the more underrated comedies of our generation. I agree, it's so good. It more underrated comedies of our generation. I agree, it's so good.

It's so good. It's so funny. And it's poignant. It's poignant. He's a good dad, and he teaches. Anyway, so one of the directors of this promo is trying to get this little girl, or excuse me, this little guy to sit on his lap,

or this little girl to sit on his lap. And Bernie keeps telling the director, not going to that, not gonna, it's not appropriate, I'm not gonna do that. And the director keeps pushing him until finally Bernie says, not doing the promo, I'm not having this person sit on my lap. But it was just like, Bernie had like a moral compass and it didn't matter about Hollywood.

It just goes to, like I'm not making a larger point about kids and who's sitting on laps and all that. What I'm making the point is, is that Bernie was a, like he had a umami about him, like this life force about him that really comes through on screen. Did you get the sense? He did. And he would fly back to Chicago every weekend because he had friends and family in Chicago that he didn't want to abandon. Like he really, he was, he was on the move. Yeah.

He was always moving. Yeah. Great loss. Unbelievable. A great loss. Yeah, I know. I know, what a loss. Devastating. Did you get this sense after the first season of The Office?

It wasn't, I might be mistaken about this, but I think I remember, and you know, cause I'm like everybody else in the world, I've watched Office a million times and behind the scenes and all that other stuff. Am I right that it wasn't a breakout hit after the first season? It wasn't, there were, you guys were almost,

you were on the chopping block. They didn't know if there was gonna be a second season and NBC granted you that second season and that's really when you started to hit your stride. But did you guys get the sense in the room that something magical was happening? I knew it was a great show, but I didn't think it was an NBC show.

One of the few times I improvised in season one was during healthcare. And there was a whole conversation where I said, I say to Dwight, cause he's trying to cut the healthcare. Oh yeah, that's right. And I say like, uterus is different from a vagina.

I still have a vagina. We have this argument about hysterectomies. It's a bit, but that was one of the few times I got to improvise and I was like, oh, uterus is different from a vagina. I still have a vagina. We have this argument about hysterectomy. That was one of the few times I got to improvise and I was like, oh my God. And then I remember seeing Greg Daniels in the restaurant where I was working. He's, he just happened to come in completely ignored that I was in the weeds and wearing a uniform. And he's like, oh my gosh, that, that line that you improvised about the vagina, we're fighting with the

network. We're hoping it stays. And luckily it did stay in, but it's just like that never would have happened if it was HBO. But I also feel like part of why TV changed was because Friends was over, Frasier had ended, Joey was on the air and not doing well. So that's when our first season we were on during the time when Joey was on. And I think the NBC was just looking for something. And also 40 year old Virgin, Steve made 40-old Virgin between the pilot and the second episode of The Office.

And when it was about to come out, which was the beginning of when we were filming season two, the buzz was like, oh my God, oh my God, because the posters were everywhere. I remember that. And I remember we got to go to the premiere. We all came from the studio, our set. And I remember Ben Siller was there and Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey. And I was like, they were like, check out the new set. And I remember Ben Siller was there and Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey. And I was like, they were checking out the new guy. They were nervous about the new guy. The movie was such a big hit. And they're like, oh my God, we have that guy. So I feel

like it was really Steve Carell, I think, his magic that allowed us to afford. And also his part. Yeah. And also he understood how to make a guy who's just so awkward and says the wrong thing all the time, but has a heart. Because I feel like the British version was so mean and so dark and really funny, but like, whoa, really tough. I agree with you on this, and I have had arguments about this with friends of mine and other people I

Am NOT the biggest fan of the office BBC of the office UK I'm I'm not and I think it's a it's funny in its own way and I love British comedies I mean you can ask Chrissy. I know them all and I watch them all and I'm tuned into that universe But some something about that office UK Because I watched the Office US first, there is something tender and gentle and empathetic about most of the characters in the office that is lacking in some of the characters that just gives it this depth. It's like, I don't know.

It's like soup after- Well, I think that's why you- Yeah. It's like soup after you've been sitting for a couple of days. It's better. It has more flavors. It's like the flavors come out or something. I don't know how It's like soup after. Well, I think that's why you. Yeah, it's like soup after you've been sitting for a couple days. It's better. It has more flavors. It's like the flavors come out or something.

I don't know how to explain it, but. Totally. No, no, no, I think that's well stated. And I also think that, you know, I don't think, I mean, there's a reason why The British Office has so few episodes. I feel like it's really hard to watch this character because he's not really growing as a human.

It's hard to get behind him for years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years. I agree. And it's really easy to get behind, you know, Michael Skarn as he's been. Michael Scott, yes, yes, totally. What is, and I know that, so now you're, when are you world famous? When do you get out of your house and realize, holy shit, I can, I am, I did it, I made it, here I am. People are recognizing you, they're repeating the lines, they're probably saying, you know, I don't know. They're, I can only imagine all those lines.

I feel like for me it was, no totally, I feel like for me personally, it felt more like season four for me, because that was, we started the season with Fun Run where Michael Scott hits Meredith with his car. So that was sort of like a what? And then I remember I got a call, Joaquin Phoenix had canceled on The Tonight Show and they asked me to be on instead.

And I was like, oh my God. So that was sort of like the first big, oh my gosh. And I remember being at my parents' summer place in New Jersey and I was on the boardwalk and I just felt like all these kids were running toward me and I started running. I'm like, wait a minute, what am I running? I'm not even running.

I can't even talk. But there was definitely like, oh my gosh, you better don't curse and you better watch what you say in front of other people. Sure. You better be grateful. How fun. Well, it's got to be such a huge change.

You're waiting tables through season one, right? Probably the character is growing, but still limited in season two and three. And then you, then all of a sudden this ensemble, like this kind of core group of characters starts to come into play. And now people are becoming familiar with them. So now everyone knows you as Meredith and they're familiar with you. And we were talking about this with someone else

just last week is like you grow in affinity and a relationship with these characters on the screen. And it's interesting how in our minds, it's like we do have a friendship with these people that we're watching. Did you ever feel uncomfortable with the amount of attention that the office was being paid or everybody kind of knowing who you were? I mean, it's a champagne problem. You got to make peace with it. If you don't make peace with it, you're screwed.

I just feel like it's literally like deciding to be happy or not. Sometimes people come up to you and they think I'm their third grade teacher and they're like, no, no, no. I think I was in your... I was like, oh no. I'm like, oh my God, I messed up. So funny. I'm so grateful's just really funny. So funny. But I, you know, I'm so grateful. Also, it's really nice to be,

I was 40 when I got the office. It's much better, you know, you're much wiser when you're a little older and you have much more perspective and gratitude when you're older, I think, than when you're in your 20s. You think, this is never going to end, I'm going to go from show to show to show. And you don't realize that these things

are very, very, very rare. Yeah, and to be in such an iconic show that will probably live for a very long time somewhere. I mean it bounces from, you know, streamer to streamer and every time it's got, there's a huge PR push and everyone, you know, falls in love again with The Office and it gets introduced to... And new generations. I have a six-year-old child and I was watching the office about two weeks ago. I was watching the parkour episode.

Casual day? Casual day. I hope not. I hope not. Oh, God. I was watching the, I think it was the parkour episode and then I was in my son, I saw my son like engage with this episode and he was like, what's parkour? Why are they yelling parkour? Why did that guy fall in the trash can? But he was starting to laugh

at it too. And I thought to myself, there's the next generation of office fans coming up right here. And that's gotta be like, when you go to bed at night, sometimes I bet, I bet there is a sense of like gratitude and holy cow, I did it. I was a part of one of the best, right? I was there. Yeah, and I totally, and as a child of like 70s TV, I remember watching shows like MASH and like Mary Child and More where they had these wonderful long runs and they had these wonderful finales. So I feel like we got that too. We got a wonderful finale. So yeah, trust me, I am beyond grateful. I feel like, you know, I said- Go, no, please go ahead.

I want to hear what you have to say. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I just, the other thing I was going to say is that I feel like sometimes when I put, when I say to actors like, don't count your lines, stop counting your lines if you get a part, because sometimes people want to talk more when they want to talk more.

And I feel like I learned to stop doing that because I realized like, you know, sometimes I had a lot to say and most of the time I didn't and sometimes I still got a laugh even I just got a look and I would get a laugh. So I trusted like, okay, that's just part of this process and you can still be very present in a scene and not speak and still like people know who you know. It's a contribution and it's a platform. So I felt super lucky with that. So I also think like, you know, some people want to be the star. Some people want to be the sidekick. I feel like, you know, in many ways I described Meredith's like I was the onions.

It's like it's good to be the onions. Yes. You know? I wasn't the main course, I wasn't the side dish. I was like, kind of always there with some flavor, baby. Salted mushrooms. Salt shaker on the table. You come in and you sprinkle some flavor on a lot of these episodes.

A little bit, yeah. I would, you know, in my mind at least, Meredith is a major character in The Office, right? And so... Well, it's great to be there every day and just, like I said, be part of this energy. Like we were just, I mean, we were there all, you know, all day every day and it was fantastic. So even if I didn't speak, I was like really enjoying every, every day, every moment of the process and watching, you know, just the funniest scenes take place.

Could the office get, could the office as it stands today, could it get made again? First of all, I know the answer to this is no, because Netflix, I mean, and God bless Netflix, and I know that, you know, they probably pay some bills or something, but the Netflix and the streamers now have this kind of habit of three and done, right? Three and out. So, it's three seasons and out. Do. Do you think the office could- If you're lucky. Could the office survive today? Could you do another run similar? I don't, I mean, I think everybody's so scared of comedy too. We're getting better, but it's still

like, I feel like people making fun of other people is, when I grew up, I felt like it was always a source of affection. It wasn't bullying. And I feel like it was always a source of affection. Yes. It wasn't bullying. Agreed. And I feel like it's been misunderstood. And I think we've had some comedy police that need to tone down. Tone down.

I agree. Yeah. I think it is getting better. I think there's some level heads coming into the conversation. And listen, I also think that there might be situations where it gets taken too far, but that's in the comedy club to work it out and you find that funny, then there's somebody you'll find funny. And if you don't find that funny, you don't have to go, right? It's not your thing. You don't have to go. But the office to me is just good, wholesome fun. And I agree with you. When I was a kid,

growing up in the eighties, you know, and the nins. This was a way to endear yourself to your group of friends. It was like you poked, you poked at people and you know, you, you, and that, it toughened you up a little bit. It toughened you up, but then it also was good fun. It was like, oh, you know, it was good fun to jab at your friends. Yeah, if they don't, if they don't give you a hard time, they don't love you. That's it. That's what I always grew up with. Like that's how they show love. Are you Irish Catholic? Can you tell? hard time, they don't love you. That's what I always grew up with. That's how they show love.

Are you Irish Catholic? Can you tell? Me too. My dad owned a bar, Flannery Saber, maybe. I know. I'm an alcoholic NAPO baby, right? Is there a Meredith in Kate and Kate in Meredith? I mean, I imagine there is somewhere, right? A little bit of that wild child, you know, kind of irreverent.

St. Patrick's Day was last week. Yeah, I'm still recovering. That's why we had to reschedule the week later. She's like, no, no, St. Patrick's Day. I got it. No, I can't possibly, yes. I can't possibly. Yeah, I got it. After you have a few drinks, does Meredith ever come out? Do you have like idiot friends who say, you know, repeat a line from The Office? Not really. Good, God bless your friends.

No, yeah. I mean, I have a lot of actor friends, so yeah. Then I'd have to be like, okay, you repeat your line from your show. Yeah, exactly. Were you guys all friendly? I mean, I'm sure there were, it's like a family and you were together for so many years. There were moments when this person or that person. Oh yeah, absolutely. I knew Angela before because we were in an all women improv group called

Bitch Planet. I love that. We did for a couple of years. Yeah. It was like in the early, like 2000, 2001. Yeah. We had a great time. And I knew Steve from Second City and Oscar and I should have met a million times. I knew Dave Kackner who played Packer. Yeah, I knew a few people and some of the directors I knew. But yeah, it was definitely just the greatest group of people. I mean, they are family. We are a family. And to see some of them like Mindy Kaling and John Krasinski and all these people really just amazing. Yes, she's such talented, such hardworking, super talented individuals. And the Office Ladies has been a breakout podcast.

And I know you've been on that show on Office Ladies. Yes. So do you all still stay in touch? Is there some camaraderie that happens still to this day? We have text threads that we do and then some of us do some fan events together still. I was just a Texas A&M with Leslie David Baker who plays Stanley. We sometimes do, we speak at colleges and then I'm doing some fan event with Rain and Oscar and I think Brian. Yeah, so we get around.

You know, biggest surprise personality outside of the office, like the person who was on the screen who I found to be like different in the most engaging and wonderful way, besides Kate, of course, our new friend, is Rain. Rain is a really interesting human being out, you know. He is. It's so- But he does know a lot about Battlestar Galactica. Well, fair enough. Okay.

He's Dwight adjacent. Yeah. He's a lovely person. I actually just saw he was doing a Broadway show, You're in Town, and I got to see the last performance when I was in New York a few weeks ago. He was great. Yes. He was great. He was singing and He was great. He was great. He was singing and he was great.

He was great. I think Dwight is one of the most iconic television characters ever. And I don't think you can't have a little bit of Dwight in you to play that role so well. I think you have to have Dwight in there. All right, you're stuck on an island. Fact.

Yeah. You're stuck on an island and you got to bring two office characters with you. Who you bringing? Uh, I think Michael Scott and Dwight. Yes. Yes, that's a good answer. I think, I mean, I just, you know,

I mean, I love Jim and Pam. I love everybody. But I feel like, I don't know, for me, I don't know. I just, um. They can get some stuff done. They did, I always loved the Jim Dwight. Yes. You know, the games that they would play,

the dueling. Yes, the death. The dueling. All the pranks that they would play. So great, and I love the Jim and Pam love story. Yes, of course. I love, love, love, love, love, love. Were you guys rooting for that love story? In some, like, I was too. I was, always. Yeah, yeah, me too. I love, love, love, love, love, love. I mean, it's always like, I was always rooting for love. Were you guys rooting for that love story?

I was, always. I was too. Yeah, yeah. I was always. Yeah. But the back and forth, like, it's so relatable. So relatable. It really is. It's like, it's so touching and the little looks that they would give each other and the way that they would just be so like, you know, caring for each other. You were just rooting from the beginning for Jim and Pam and when it worked.

And it worked and it, and it worked out in such a wonderful way and a non-cheesy way where you're like, oh my God, okay, get it. You know, you wanted every, every moment that they showed of that relationship was a poignant moment and one that then furthered the story. So it didn't get overly like, it didn't become about Jim and Pam. It wasn't the Jim and Pam show, which is what I feared at the time. Like, oh, now it's going to be the Jim and Pam relationship show, but it didn't become about Jim and Pam. It wasn't the Jim and Pam show, which is what I feared at the time. Like, oh, now it's going to be the Jim and Pam relationship show, but it wasn't.

It was still very much the office. What is your favorite episode of The Office? It's so hard to choose. That's hard to choose. I know. It's really hard. I know. I feel like, I know.

Sudden death. But, yeah, sudden death. I love the, I love what? I love the injury. I love when Michael Scott burns his foot on his George Foreman girl. George Foreman. Yes, all right. George Foreman. But that phone call, when he's calling to tell everybody that he's on speaker that

he burned his foot. And then the talking head afterwards, when he explains his office like why he has a George Foreman girl by his bed because he likes to wake up to the smell of bacon. And he doesn't have a butler. I'm sorry. And that was like the episode where Scott, I'm sorry, where Dwight has a concussion and they're driving in Merritt's minivan. Oh yes, he's throwing up in the back.

I had a minivan. Oh my God. That was with a squirt bottle for the cat. I can't even, Jim's trying to keep him awake. Oh my gosh. I love it. So great. Did you break character?

How often did you break character or did you guys just get really good? I wasn't a big breaker. I mean, there are some people that were like super laughers. I mean, sometimes we would laugh, but I usually was not the first person. But I felt like I was, I'm in a drama, I'm in a drama. I would tell myself right away. Right, right, right. Yeah, that's total professionalism because I don't know how I would not be a breaker

on that set. But then again, you know, I'm watching the final finished product and we were talking to someone else who was on a great comedy show and he was explaining that Tim Balz and so Tim Balz was saying, listen, you sometimes you have 14 hour days and you know that if you break, we're adding an extra hour and 15 minutes on to the day. And so I just, that gives me all the motivation I need to stay in character. Totally. And I also like would watch Steve Carell just do most of the talking. And I feel like if somebody else laughs, you're like, dude, you're going to make him start this whole scene all over again. Like, you gotta just like, don't mess it up for him.

Hold it together. Okay. But there's life after the office. I know. And thank you for indulging me, indulging us on all these office questions. But there's life after the office and you're not all about the office. Tell us what else, you also have- Jane Lynch. A wonderful show with Jane Lynch. What else is going on for Kate? Well, I do a bunch of, I work her on a cartoon or two.

I'm on Universal Basic Guys, which is a Philadelphia comedy. I think it's on right after The Simpsons. It's on Sunday nights on Fox. So fun. I got to do the pilot and I just got to do a guest star again. It's so well written. I'm so happy for those guys because it's their first and the fact that they got on Sunday

nights on Fox is huge. It's hilarious. I watched three episodes and I really liked it. I thought, oh, this is a good, this could be another. I mean, King of the Hill is one of my favorite, also another Greg Daniels show. Oh my God, the best, yes, the best. It's coming back and so we'll see what happens with that.

But Universal's Basic Guys is not the King of the Hill, but it's just something about the writing on that show. It's so good. It's really well written. It's really, yeah, it's definitely, it's something worth your time. And you know, I feel like I'm, I'm doing, I don't know, I feel like I'm kind of all over the place right now, but, but things are good. I get to sing with Jane, um, uh, pretty frequently. I mean, we're always on tour every Christmas because we did a Christmas album together that did very well. We were literally on the Billboard top 10 for a couple of weeks. That's insane.

I love it. I know, right? Yeah. So it's called Swaying Little Christmas. You can find it on iTunes and Spotify and all that stuff. Or you can buy the CD on Amazon. You might need to get a new car. If you have a player.

Yeah. Right? But yeah, so it's a joy and we get to play really great places, big halls and like, you know, sometimes we play for 2,000 seats or 3,000 seats or 500 seats. We're kind of all over the place. But it's really been a joy and we've been doing that for 10 years. So that's really fun. And we have a non-Christmas show as well.

How did you and Jane? Go to Jane Lynch Official you say. Okay, Jane Lynch Official. The first time I ever went to Second City, Jane Lynch was understudying. She was on stage understudying for Bonnie Hunt. And then a year and a half later, I became Jane's understudy. It's crazy. And then we started singing together for benefits and there were a couple live shows that we

would do, just like little bits in some sketch shows we did together. Then we did a sketch show in LA where we got to sing in that with a bunch of other people like Ana Gastar and, oh my God, it's like so many great people that were coming, and Joey Saloie. And then we got to do, then we became award show buddies because Glee and The Office were at the same time. And then our shows got canceled around the same time.

So Jane asked me to kind of join her in this cabaret endeavor in New York. We just never looked back, we had a same time. So Jane asked me to kind of join her in this cabaret endeavor in New York. I can't wait to see it. We just never look back. We had a great time. It's really fun. We sing with the Tony Guerrero quintet. They're great.

I think it's great. I love Jane. Jane is also iconic, right? She's the greatest. Yeah, she really is. Her role in Only Murders in the Building and Cracks the Eps, that's so great. I know.

I love it. I knew she'd be Steve Martens. Double.. Double. Exactly. It's just so funny. So awesome. And we were just watching Mrs. Maisel again. She's so great on the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel too. Oh yeah, that's right. That's right. That part is nuts.

So great. I love that show. Okay, so one more question. How do you, how are you feeling? There's been a lot of talk about Office Reboot. I think it's happening. I think there's been, you know, I've read in the trade rags that it's happening. Has there been any, you know, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any,

any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, any, Okay, so one more question. How are you feeling? There's been a lot of talk about office reboot. I think it's happening. I think there's been, you know, I've read in the trade rags that it's happening.

Has there been any conversation about old character? Not that I know of. Not that you know of character? There's a spin-off. There's a spin-off right now. Oh, it's a spin-off. I'm sorry. It's a spin-off.

Yeah, yeah, it's not a reboot. So it's a spin-off of the office. Do you think there'll be any inner twinglings between the two offices, like, for any reason? I'm not sure. I know, I just saw, I just ran into our editor the other day, who's, I mean, a lot of the same crew is on the show. So it's like, I miss you guys.

Uh, so I don't know. I don't know, that'll tell me squat. Plus I'm a big mouth, so I have to watch. Yeah, I know. Um, but you'll, you'll know when I know. OK. Right, right. But, but I, you know, I don'll know when I know. Okay. Right, right.

But I, you know, I don't know. I mean, it was nice to get to do an AT&T commercial with five other people from the office. Oh, that's great. Yeah, that's right. That's been really, really fun. That was really fun. I felt like we just all fell right back into the groove. It was great.

It was a muscle memory. It seemed like you guys were having fun. Am I not mistaken that it was on the Super Bowl? Yes. That commercial, one of those commercials played on the Super Bowl? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, we're always on, yeah, we're played on the Super Bowl? Yeah, I think so. We're always on, yeah, we're always on like, we tend to be on sports events, like during

the Masters and like now on the, during the, like, March tournaments, all the time. Yeah. I would. There's a couple different shorter versions and stuff too. Yeah. I would happily pay the $19.99 a month double if they would make new offices of the actual office with all of the characters back. I mean, I know everyone.

I will let them know, Brian. I will report back. Kate, you're the best. I will have the powers to be. Text me. I'll have my people call your people, and we'll talk to Greg and see if we can't get another 10 episode run on Netflix or something like that.

You are. Sounds good. Yeah, go ahead. You guys are awesome. I meant to mention I'm on a new episode of Night Court with the great John Larriket and Melissa Rush. Those guys are so awesome. I love that they're doing it.

It was so fun to be a part of that. What a great icon. Like this is the cast now too. And I feel like I've gotten to do some really, really super fun shows. So I feel super, super spooky. That is a reboot that I thought, oh my God, how are they going to reboot Night Court? Because, you know, how do you do that? But honestly, it's a good show. It's a good show. They made it work. Yeah, they made it work. And I think it's well acted and it's really funny. And

John, of course, is a legend. So he is a legend. And all um... He is a legend. And I, and I, all, all they're missing is Harry and God bless Harry, I wish, you know, but they're doing a great job with the new characters over there. Kate Flannery is, of course, Meredith in a little show called The Office, which, you know, every couple of years she gets another $200 million check for it to move from streamer to streamer. How much do they give you? Oh, if only, Brian. I know.

They just give me a Dundee. Just my Dundee. They give me back my Dundee. That is a freaking Dundee she is holding up. YouTube.com slash the commercial. It's my Dundee, yes. It's my second Dundee. That first one is Grace Under Fire.

This is, it's not best redhead though, so. Screw it. That is crazy. I love it. Oh my God. And I always have our Funko, I'm not full of props. Meredith Funko pop. Oh, my first. Oh my God. I'm not full of props. Meredith Funko Pop. My first casual day.

What else do you have? There's the Funko Pop from Fun Run. So it's my cast, my pelvis cast. Oh my God. And it's signed by John Lovett. You know there is some. Here's my, oh wait, sorry. Go ahead. No, I was going to say, you know there's some guy or girl out there that would pay

$1,700,000 for that Dundee. I know it. Well, yeah, so actually, we're going to be- a bunch of us from the office are going to be at the Meadowlands. I think it's the first weekend in August. There's a office reunion con. So I think-'s the first weekend in August, there's a reunion, Office Reunion Con. So I think, yeah, Angela's going to be there, Oscar, Creed, Lacey David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, and a bunch of people that have done, like, guest stars, Andy Buckley, who played David

Wallace. It's going to be great. Yeah, Wayne Wilderson who played Martin. There's some really fun, fun, fun people that'll be on it. You got Bob Vance. It'll be fun. So if you're in the Meadowlands, first week in August, come in,

and then you can get your Funko Pop song. I love that so much. I love that Funko Pop. I want one of those. I'm very proud. I will put the links to all of this information and make sure that our listeners hear it, and if they wanna go to the Melands and they want to see your shows, Jane Lynch, The

Office, all of that stuff. I feel very grateful just like a note of seriousness, I feel very grateful to have spoken with you because you were part of an ensemble that played... Part of a period in our lives. Yeah, a period in our lives. You know? Growing up. And you were our friends on the other side of the screen, and I know you got me through a few hard days, and still to this day, you're good for a laugh. And you know, parkour. That's all I gotta say. Parkour, Kate. I'll drink to that.

I will drink to that. You guys were awesome. Best to you. Thank you so much. You're welcome back anytime. Thank you, Kate. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks for having me. We appreciate you guys. Take care. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Let me do something Brian has never done. Be brief. Follow us on Instagram at The Commercial Break. Text or call us, 212-433-3TCB. That's 212-433-3822. Visit our website, tcbpodcast.com for all the audio, video, and your free sticker.

Then watch all the videos at youtube.com slash the commercial break. And finally, share the show. It's the best gift you could give a few aging podcasters. See, Brian? That really wasn't that difficult, now, was it? You're welcome. I was so happy to talk to Kate.

It's like- What a pleasure. I know. You know, when I was thinking happy to talk to Kate. It's like... What a pleasure. I know. You know, when I was thinking about this, this morning in my shower, my 15 hour shower, when I was thinking about having Kate here, I thought, could I have imagined 15 or 20 years ago when I first started watching The Office? And I watched it from the beginning. Oh, yeah.

And that doesn't make me special or anything. I'm not like that guy who says, you know, oh, I saw it before they were cool. I just watched it from the beginning, and it was my kind of comedy, and I really enjoyed what they were doing. Didn't understand the, like, the first episode, a little confused as to how it was all going down,

but I loved what they were attempting. I loved where they were going with it. And I mean, I could never have imagined sitting here talking to Meredith from the office when I was watching The Office. So this is one of those childhood dreams come true, Chrissy, they really do. And I mean, I could never have imagined sitting here talking to Meredith from the office when I was watching the office. So this is one of those childhood dreams come true, Chrissy. They really do all you have to do.

I know. I was wondering too, a thought that crossed my mind too was thinking about how, you know, the office culture has changed so much now after the pandemic. Would people still be able to like, I mean, the comedy itself is so funny. But you know, I think working in that environment, which everybody did. Yes. Well, a lot of people had those kinds of jobs,

like cubicle type jobs, where you would sit in an office with other people and actually communicate. Five days a week, 40 hours a week, you know, or more. Clock in, clock out. Office romances and the people that you hated and the people that you liked and all of that. Now an AI chat bot is doing all the sales for you. There would be no Pam or Jim.

They would just be AI assistants at this point. So yeah, a lot of things have changed and they will continue to change, but I believe that The Office will far outlive any kind of office culture. Absolutely, you can always watch that. Yes. All right, well can always watch that. Yes.

All right, well thanks to Kate. The Office, available on Peacock, all episodes. Go rewatch it. I know you've watched it, so rewatch it. I've rewatched it. Rewatch it, put a little jingle jangle in Kate's pocket. She's gotta get like some kind of like residuals or something from that.

I have to imagine. I wasn't so rude as to ask her, but in my mind, she's getting residual payments. Every time I press play, she's getting a penny in her pocket. So I'll keep pressing play because I like those people. They're my flavor of hot sauce, Chrissy, as I would say. So many breakout stars. All of them. All of them. All of them. Breakout stars.

And what a great idea at the New Jersey Metal Lands, that's a big venue, to do an office reunion. I don't imagine that Steve Carell will show up, but maybe, you never know, maybe Will Ferrell stops by. Who knows? But Kate's going to be there, along with some of the other characters and people that she mentioned. So if you're in the New Jersey area, or you're that kind of office fan, you can fly up and check it out August 1st

I'll put links in the show notes All the details are available down below as always with our guests and we'll keep reminding you this week to go check it out And the Jane Lynch Christmas variety show interview. Yeah, the dates. But they will come out, they do it every year. We will make a note that we will certainly forget to remind you during Christmas season to go check out Kate and Jane Lynch. Or who knows, maybe she'll come back.

Because I just scratched the surface. I could ask a million more questions. I could go really deep on The Office. But also I don't want to irritate the shit out of her. You know what I'm saying? Like, there might be a point where an actor or an actress who's done a character like that goes, okay, I really don't want to rehash every single thing that ever happened. But then you got The Office ladies who rehash every single thing that ever happened.

So I don't know. Maybe we'll start an Office podcast with Kate. Hey, maybe that one will make money. You never know. Maybe we'll start an office podcast with Kate. Hey, maybe that one will make money. You never know. Uh, TCB podcast.com. That's where you go. You find out more information about Chrissy and I, all the audio, all the video, all the show notes, links to every single guests, every single thing. It's all there. You can go on the website and see it there at the commercial break on Instagram, TCB podcast on TikTok, and YouTube.com slash the commercial break for all the episodes on video the day they air here on the audio.

Two one two four three three three TCB questions, comments, concerns, content, ideas. Okay, Chrissy, that's all I can do for now. I think so. I'll tell you that I love you. I love you. Best to you. Best to you. Best to you out there in the podcast universe.

Until next time, Chrissy and I will say we do say and we must say goodbye. Thanks for watching!