Brian Baumgartner Displays On ‘The Workplace’’s Christmas Episode

In keeping with Brian Baumgartner, the success of “The Workplace” may simply be its personal Christmas miracle.

The actor, finest recognized for his function as Kevin Malone, joined former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey on a particular vacation bonus episode of their “Workplace Girls” podcast to reminisce in regards to the beloved sitcom’s festive episodes and the affect that they had.

Baumgartner, who starred within the hit NBC collection from 2005 to 2013, mirrored on how his reminiscences of the present’s vacation episodes are deeply tied to what was occurring “outdoors” the fictional world of “The Workplace.”

The actor admitted that he believes that “The Workplace”’s first Christmas episode was a turning level that catapulted the present to mainstream success and solidified its place in tv historical past.

“It is about what was occurring outdoors. And as I am positive you guys have or will discuss, like, that very first Christmas episode,” he informed Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. “It did not launch the present. It wasn’t the primary episode of the present. However that episode actually launched the success of the present.”

“That episode turned our largest viewers for the reason that premiere,” he added of the season 2 episode, “Christmas Social gathering.” “And from there, , then Steve [Carell] wins the Golden Globe, like, three or 4 weeks later, the whole lot begins occurring.”

“We turned a nook,” Kinsey, who performed Angela, chimed in. “You understand, at that time, we did not also have a full order for the season. And so they began — after that, it turned clear we had been gonna be round for some time.”

Fischer, who performed Pam, remembered the vacation episodes as a number of the most “joyous” to make. “We actually could be in these, like, group get together conditions for a lot of the episode.”

“I am positive we had been very exhausting to wrangle,” she added. “We had been in all probability, like, attempting to make a TV present with a room filled with 6-year-olds or one thing, doing all our bits.”

The primary Christmas episode of “The Workplace,” titled “Christmas Social gathering,” aired on December 6, 2005, throughout the present’s second season. Broadly considered a fan favourite, it’s credited with serving to solidify the collection’ recognition.

The episode follows Michael Scott (Steve Carell) as he throws an workplace Christmas get together that shortly goes off the rails. Initially, the workforce is ready to change considerate items by means of a Secret Santa recreation, however Michael turns it right into a chaotic Yankee Swap (White Elephant) change.

This creates rigidity as some workers had put important effort into their items, like Jim (John Krasinski), who provides Pam (Jenna Fischer) a teapot full of mementos referencing their inside jokes. Others, like Michael, ignored the $20 reward restrict, with Michael gifting a $400 iPod to showcase his generosity and search approval from the workforce.

The episode highlights the quirky dynamics of the workplace, from Angela’s strict management over the Christmas tree to Kevin’s pleasure over a footbath reward. Because the get together progresses, Michael tries to salvage the temper by shopping for liquor for the workforce, resulting in hilariously awkward moments.

The episode strikes a stability between humor and coronary heart, additional creating Jim and Pam’s budding romance whereas showcasing Michael’s determined want for validation. It turned a cultural touchstone and stays a vacation traditional.

“Christmas Social gathering” additionally marked a turning level for the collection, demonstrating how “The Workplace” might flip relatable office situations into comedic gold. It earned the present its first Emmy nomination for Excellent Single-Digicam Image Enhancing for a Comedy Sequence and performed a big function in constructing momentum throughout its second season, serving to “The Workplace” transition right into a mainstream hit.

The trio reminisced a couple of chaotic second from the 2009 episode “Secret Santa,” the place Carell’s Michael Scott, dressed as Santa, had Kevin (performed by Baumgartner) sit on his lap. Fischer shared that the solid couldn’t make it by means of the scene with out breaking into laughter.

“Should you watch that episode, persons are breaking within the background,” Fischer mentioned. “We by no means, ever acquired a take the place folks held it collectively the entire time lengthy sufficient to truly put the present collectively. I believe they simply gave up. They had been like, ‘Overlook it. That is what it’s.’”