TVSquad

In an effort to promote his new movie The Rocker, Rainn Wilson has "kidnapped" his co-star of The Office Jenna Fischer. On a post on Jenna's MySpace page, Wilson promises that she will be released if his movie grosses 18.7 million dollars (presumably the cost of making it).

There's even a website up detailing the progress of the kidnapping: FreeJennaNow.com. The first question I have is: what happens to Jenna if the movie doesn't reach the $18.7 million goal? That answer is left intentionally vague. My guess is he'll let her go anyway.

I'm glad Jenna is being a good sport about all this (watch the videos to see how Jenna is playing along), otherwise I would find any sort of image involving tying up a woman and leaving her in a vehicle somewhat disturbing. I guess he needed to "kidnap" someone America cares about in order for this Dwight-like scheme to work (and a co-worker who would go along with this silly promotion in the first place). Of course, for better publicity,he could have kidnapped Michael Scott. I think more people would have noticed if Steve Carell was missing.

So much for being a role model for children. Craig Phillip Robinson, who plays warehouse foreman Daryl Philbin on The Office was busted for possession of drugs. Actually, he was arrested in June and the felony charges for possessing MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and methamphetamine were just filed.

Ah, drugs and Hollywood. The perfect pair. I don't know how this will affect his standing with NBC, but his character is low-key enough to easily be replaced on the show. On the other hand, celebrities (including minor ones) are caught so much with drugs nowadays it should practically be expected. Perhaps NBC should have had better drug testing.

If you look at his IMDB profile, you'll see that Robinson has been in quite a few movies (most recently Pineapple Express). Given that, I think the only thing this arrest is going to do to his career is strengthen it. He'll do the usual shtick of apologizing and getting community service and then take on larger roles.

(S03E05) Methuselah Honeysuckle and Old Scratch Johnson -- The names Henry Spencer gave Gus and himself while Shawn was introducing them at the DA's office.

Ready for this? We are nearly three-quarters of way through the first half of the third season of Psych. After this week's episode there are only two more left until the season takes a break. Other than the annual holiday special that will air in December the next time we will see Shawn and Gus after the first week of September will be the middle of January. So, enjoy while you can.

Well, I kept wishing for an episode where Henry and Shawn would truly work together on a case. And, I got my wish this week. Not only did they work on a case together, but it was Henry's biggest case while he was still on the police force. So, there was really pressure on both the younger and older Spencer men to solve the case. Of course, this led to some tension between the two.

You know, I've always wondered about Creed's background. We know he was with the 1960's band The Grass Roots, he runs a fake I.D. business with a laminating machine stolen from the police department, he faked his own death so he could get benefits, he keeps bean sprouts in his desk, and he's been homeless.

Now maybe we'll get to learn even more about his background. In a major time-slot coup, it looks like a one-hour episode of The Office will air directly following the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, 2009. Exec producer Paul Lieberstein said these longer eps offer a great opportunity to delve into the characters:

It's coming. The table is set, the players are on the field, the sails are raised, and the pretty maids are all in a row. Of course, I speak of the 2008-09 television schedule. In just a few short weeks viewers will be able to dine on a number of favorite and new dishes that are being served by the networks as well as the increasing number of cable channels who are delving into original programming.

While other fall seasons have come and gone with nary a whimper, this season may be different. Due to the prolonged Writers Strike many shows ended their seasons quite early. Programs like Life, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, and Heroes haven't aired original episodes since the end of 2007. Heck, there hasn't been a new episode of The Shield since June of last year! So, the beginning of the 2008-09 season will be a second chance for some of these shows, particularly the ones that premiered last season, to show their worth to fans and the networks.

One of the more interesting things to come out of the Silverman-Graboff executive session (which I promise will be up later today ... probably this evening) is that, though Amy Poehler has been signed to be in a show produced by The Office's Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, that show will not be an Office spin-off. It'll have the same comic sensibility and style as The Office, but the characters won't be part of the Office universe. However, a real Office spin-off is still in play, and there's potential for Rashida Jones to be a part of it.

Got that? Neither did the critics, who repeatedly asked mostly Silverman to clarify the situation during both the panel and the scrum that followed.

Yesterday we reported that Amy Poehler had been offered the lead on The Office spinoff (or not-spinoff, as the case may be). Today, Poehler herself is confirming the rumor. She tells the AP, "I can kind of confirm that I will be working in some capacity on that show," but goes on to say that "I don't really have any other details yet."

Poehler has been a castmember on Saturday Night Live since 2001and is currently the co-host of Weekend Update. She will remain on SNL through the fall, but with her baby due in October and now this new show, her role in the second half of the season is up in the air.

It's been a big week for Poehler, who in addition to the new job offer, also received an Emmy nomination this morning for outstanding actress in a comedy series for her work on SNL. Her husband, Will Arnett, also scored an Emmy nod, for his guest appearance on NBC's 30 Rock.

Need more Emmys scoop? Get reactions to the biggest Emmys snubs and surprises and see which celebrities sparkled on the Emmys red carpet last year.

According to popular rumor, SNL star Amy Poehler is in talks to star in the spin-off series from NBC's The Office. If this is true, she'll be joining fellow SNL alumnus (and former Weekend Update co-anchor and co-star of the movie Baby Mama) Tina Fey as part of NBC's comedy prime-time line-up. No word yet on how Poehler's real-life pregnancy would affect this situation.

All I can say is: wow, what a fantastic choice. I've always been impressed with Poehler's work since she co-founded the Upright Citizen's Brigade (which is still going strong on both coasts). I've had the pleasure of seeing her perform comedy improv a few times and noticed how she is leaps and bounds more talented than most of the other people on the stage.

If anybody can lead a sitcom, it's Amy Poehler. If this news is true, I very much look forward to this spin-off and think it may be one of those rare cases in which the spin-off equals or is even greater than the original.

Saturday -- a time of rest and relaxation. A time to put your feet up, grab a lemonade, open a book, and let the cool, summer breezes gently rock your hammock as a lazy July day passes. Of course, that's if you aren't attending the San Diego Comic-Con. Then, it's out of your bed, quick shower (if any), breakfast-on-the-go, and right back into the queues to see your particular favorites talking about their television shows.

Like Friday, Saturday at Comic-Con will be packed with television goodness. This is the day that many of the big guns come to play. Shows like The Office, Lost, Battlestar Galactica will be making appearances. They will be joined by newcomers Chuck, Dollhouse, and Pushing Daisies. There will even be an appearance by the recently single Sarah Silverman. There's also a good bit of television animation being featured, particularly by Nicktoons and B.E.T. Animation.

In order to make sure you get the most out of the money you paid to get into the convention, we here at TV Squad are providing you with a complete list of television-related panels for that day. If you are interested in seeing what else is going on July 25th you can review the official full schedule at the Comic-Con website. Remember, times and appearances are subject to change and seating in all event rooms is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Ah, summertime. The heat, the haze, the traffic, the lack of The Office; what's not to hate? Luckily, the brilliant folks behind The Office have been busy figuring out ways to tide us over until the fall. Starting Thursday, July 10, NBC.com will be airing Office webisodes. For those of you who like your Dunder Mifflin-ites live, Mindy Kaling (Kelly) will be hosting the Office Games in Scranton on Saturday, July 19.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with Mindy Kaling and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin) as they discussed the webisodes, Office Games, friendly competition and the status of a few MIA Dunder Mifflin employees.

Here come two more lists of the ten actors and actresses that are finalists for Emmy nominations in the supporting comedy categories. As with the other awards, there are some surprises on the list, and some notable omissions. For the ladies, the headline is that last year's winner, Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), didn't make the cut. Surprise finalists include Conchata Ferrell (Two And A Half Men) and Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live). I don't mind seeing Conchata on the list because she is consistently funny on the show, but I don't know that there is enough to her role for her to actually garner a nomination when you consider the competition.

On the other side of the coin, the defending champ, Jeremy Piven (Entourage), is back. None of the boys over at SNL managed to make the leap from Variety to Comedy that Poehler did.

To some, the only games that matter this summer will be the Olympics in Beijing. To others, Scranton, Pennsylvania will be the place to be for the real games.

On Saturday, July 19, The Office's number one on-screen enthusiast, spunky Kelly Kapoor -- played by actress/writer/co-executive producer Mindy Kaling -- will host a series of games to promote the release of two new The Office products. NBC and Pressman Toy have created The Office DVD Board Game and The Office Trivia Game.

In last season's finale of The Office, sparks flew between Michael Scott and Toby's HR replacement Holly. Amy Ryan, seen for four seasons on The Wire, brought a new dynamic to the show as Holly with her interactions with Steve Carell's Michael. "Amy gave the character of Holly an openness and matured innocence that exposed a new side of Michael," said Paul Lieberstein, who played Toby and was recently promoted to executive producer on the show. "She placed her character right on his level."

All I can say is bring on more Holly and congratulations to Toby! I guess since Lieberstein will still be so involved with the show, there's always a chance of more Toby in the future, but the beautiful Ryan will add a new dynamic to the series. While Amy Ryan's currently only set for five or so episodes, I hope they can expand that if it works. Now that Pam is back off the market and Karen's gone, Holly represents a new amorous target for the boys of the office. And having her be the HR rep at the same time makes it all the more taboo to pursue. Which means Michael will be all over it like Dwight on Second Life.

July is right around the corner, which means just one thing ... new webisodes of The Office. Starting July 10th, you'll be able to tune into the NBC website to view the latest adventures of the characters that normally don't have top billing during the normal seasons. And yet, they are just as funny (sometimes funnier) than the big stars that grace the show week after week.

As we reported back in May, this set of webisodes will feature Darryl, Oscar and, most prominently, Kevin. The plot of these webisodes are a bit fuzzy from the previews, but it seems that Kevin is in a bit of financial trouble and needs to take a loan out in order to cover some losses. During this time he is taken under the wing of Darryl, who helps Kevin reach his goals. All that, and we get to see Darryl wear a suit.

There are two videos after the jump. The first features scenes from the upcoming webisodes. The second is a behind the scenes look at the episodes by stars Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Craig Robinson (Darryl) and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin). It's here that we learn that Brian has filmed the webisodes sans pants. Something that us fans probably didn't want to know about.

The title says it all. According to the blog of The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais, Steve Carell has signed on to play Michael Scott for three more seasons.

Gervais follows up the announcement by saying "He is the hardest working man in Hollywood and the harder he works the better it is for me. I mean... well done Steve you are wonderful."

Gervais also mentions "We are also working on a spinoff series of The American Office but I can't tell you anything about that yet."