‘The Office’: Brian Baumgartner Reveals How the New ‘Oral History’ Podcast Differs From the Rest
The Office has boomed in recent years as one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. The NBC series originally ran between 2005 and 2013. But fans are still interested in all-things The Office, from the cast to the behind-the-scenes secrets. Now, Brian Baumgartner is about to release An Oral History of The Office, in which the actor behind Kevin Malone will host a limited-series podcast about the hit comedy. Then recently, Baumgartner revealed what listeners can expect and how it differs from Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s Office Ladies podcast and more.
Brian Baumgartner will release ‘An Oral History of The Office’ on July 14
On July 6, Entertainment Weekly confirmed the Oral History of The Office podcast will be hosted by Baumgartner and debut exclusively on Spotify starting July 14. Three episodes will be released on the first day. Then a single new episode will drop every Tuesday. There will be 12 in total.
The publication also shared the new podcast will go back to the “beginning of the show’s inception,” in which The Office US co-creator Ben Silverman and The Office UK creator Ricky Gervais discussed the adaptation for the first time.
“In the series, we’ll go inside the making of The Office to find out how a group of unknowns overcame the odds and changed the face of television,” Baumgartner says in the podcast’s Spotify trailer. “
Meanwhile, The Office fans can expect familiar voices from the cast and crew. This includes — but is not limited to — Steve Carell, John Krasinski, and Rainn Wilson. Other guests such as singer Billie Eilish, who is a big fan of the series, will also stop by.
Brian Baumgartner shares how ‘An Oral History of The Office’ podcast will be different from ‘Office Ladies’
On July 7, Baumgartner answered questions from The Office fans during a Reddit AMA. The actor revealed some of his favorite episodes, such as “Diversity Day,” “Stress Relief,” and “Chrismas Party.” He also shared one of his favorite Kevin moments was the famous chili spill.
Meanwhile, Baumgartner explained how An Oral History of The Office will be “totally different” from Fischer and Kinsey’s Office Ladies podcast, noting both of his former co-stars will be joining him.
“Jenna and Angela participated in mine,” Baumgartner wrote. “Both sat down with me for extensive interviews. An Oral History of The Office – you will hear all voices in episodes. So the interviews have been edited and combined to tell one full story- from beginning through to today.”
The actor also noted there’s a reason why he hasn’t appeared on the podcast before. But he confirmed he’ll be on Office Ladies sometime in the near future.
“Jenna and Angela were interviewed for Oral History. I will be appearing on an Office Ladies soon,” Baumgartner wrote. “We waited for me to be on there until this was announced and premiered so we could talk about both together. I have been working on this podcast since last year. We had over 100 hours of interviews we had to cut down to craft the story.”
Brian Baumgartner reveals why ‘An Oral History of The Office’ was created
As you may know, Andy Greene wrote The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History. The book takes a glimpse inside of the NBC comedy with cast and crew interviews. Then during the Reddit AMA, Baumgartner revealed how his new podcast, An Oral History of The Office, will truly give listeners the inside scoop.
“I have not read the book. It was written- you understand- by someone who was NOT on the inside,” Baumgartner wrote. “And he did not interview the majority of people who were on or worked on the show. He found old interviews and simply interpreted quotes.”
Then the actor explained he was never interviewed for the book. Baumgartner wrote, “Every quote he attributed to me was something I said at some point- but not to him. And potentially taken out of context.”
But now, the people behind The Office finally get to share the story from their perspective.
“An Oral History of The Office was created in part in response to the book you refer to,” Baumgartner wrote. “We wanted to tell our own story.”
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