Webisodes and The Office Games with Brian Baumgartner and Mindy Kaling
By Troy Rogers

Aside from the show's popularity, The Office has also given fans a previous series of webisodes. Now the gang is about to do it all over again on NBC.com, plus give fans "The Office Games," which takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania on July 19 - the home of Dunder Mifflin. On hand to officiate th games will be Mindy Kaling, writer, co-executive producer and the actress known as the chatty Kelly Kapoor on The Office. "The Office Games" are slated for a full day of Dunder Mifflin style fun – starting with a 2K Fun Run and ending with a Beet Eating Contest that would make Dwight proud. The day's events will take place in and around The Mall at Steamtown in Scranton.

Leading up the webisodes premiere on July 10 and "The Office Games", we caught up with Mindy Kaling and actor Brian Baumgartner, who finds a unique way to pay back his gambling debts in the first web broadcast.

If you happen to be in the Scranton area on July 19, click here to sign up for "The Office Games".

THE DEADBOLT: The webisodes for Kevin's loan reveal that he finds a unique solution to pay back his gambling debts. What's he gambling on?

BRIAN BAUMGARTNER: You know, what isn't he gambling on? Well, I think that he loves sports gambling. I mean, I think that that's been in a couple of episodes. It was actually also sort of a call back to the original webisode series of a couple of years ago where he was betting on sports. But, as in the episode, that - I can't remember the title that was directed by Harold Ramis that was written by B.J. Novak...

MINDY KALING: Safety Training... Safety Training.

BAUMGARTNER: Safety Training. You know, he made a bet that - he basically said that anytime you can get odds you should take it even if it's a horrible bet. So I guess I'm rolling with the fact that he would pretty much bet on anything.

THE DEADBOLT: Mindy, at the end of The Office Games there's the beet eating contest. How would you do at that?

KALING: Look, I know a lot of people think of me and they're like, "Oh, that girl is really sexy. That girl is really put together. She would never do something as unladylike as a beet eating competition." Well, let me just say that that is not true. I will be eating beets as fast as humanly possible, and I hope to win. Yes, I'm seeing a lot of the events. Yes, I am a cast member on the show. But does that mean I'm not going to force myself to eat thousands upon thousands of beets? No, not at all.

BAUMGARTNER: Thousands?

KALING: Really sexy. Yes, thousands. You know, I don't get the rep of somebody who can eat a lot of food but I'm going to, and that's what I can bring to this.

THE DEADBOLT: Steve [Carell] signed on for three more years. Has the rest of the cast signed on as well?

BAUMGARTNER: You know, I think that the show will be around for a long time.

KALING: I'm on a week-to-week contract. They can fire me any week. I'm serious.

BAUMGARTNER: You know, it's so funny. I read that thing, too, that he signed on for three more years. But I honestly, I really thought he "was" signed on for three more years.

Other Conference Call Highlights:

Brian Baumgartner on the Scranton event and the support of the fans:

"I was surprised when we went to that convention back in - let's pretend it was the end of October. I think that's about right. I mean that so many people came. We had people there from Ireland and Toronto. These guys from Toronto came down, they drove down, we met them at this place, Poor Richard's, and I was like, ‘Okay are you guys going to be there tomorrow for the events?’ And they were like, "No, we have to work so we're probably turning right back around and going home." So they literally drove from Toronto down to Scranton, Pennsylvania for like one night in the hopes that they could hang out with us for a little bit. And then they had to just turn right back around and go home. And with all of the people, you know, people from the area of course, and also the people not from the area, well, that was an experience that I will not forget."

Baumgartner on being on the webisodes and Family Feud as Kevin:

"Well, you know Steve Carell may be the star of The Office but I am huge on the Internet. I am like a complete and total star of two minutes clips online. So it was fun. You know, we got to work with people doing different things. Brent Forrester was directing, and he's one of the writers on the show, and kind of got together guerilla style with a crew. And I think they turned out really great. I just saw them last night actually and, yeah, I'm proud of them. And I think it's something cool that The Office does too that we're able to sort of get original clips going over the summer when everybody else is dark. And hopefully the fans enjoy them."

Mindy Kaling on B.J. Novak writing and acting on the show:

"Well, initially it wasn't our decision. It was Greg Daniels, the show owner. B.J. had been cast from the very beginning before the pilot as an actor and a writer. But I and Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby, we came aboard later during the pilot when Greg said our look was -- and I guess this is slightly insulting, but I think he meant it in a good way -- sort of like average and ordinary enough that we would fit into the world of the office. So that's sort of how that happened. And then as obviously Toby is now a really popular character. So that sort of took off."

Kaling on whether Paul Lieberstein and B.J. Novak will be behind the scenes more this season:

"I think that we - without giving away anything from this next season - I think that we will be satisfied with how much we see Toby and Ryan. Because both of them have, Toby disappeared in the finale of last season and Ryan seemingly is arrested. So solving [and] tying up those stories will be interesting and we haven't seen the last of Toby, what I can tell of him. Those are the worst. So personally I don't mind seeing less of him. I'm just kidding, everybody."

-- Troy Rogers
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