PaleyFest Fall Preview: Report from NBC's Outsourced Party
Outsource
TV Guide Magazine partnered with the Paley Center for Media for its sixth annual PaleyFest Fall Preview Party series, kicking off Sept. 9 with the gang from NBC's new workplace comedy Outsourced (premiering Sept. 23). The cast, headed by newcomer Ben Rappaport as Todd, a Kansas City man whose company transfers him to India, came from taping their Halloween episode. "Todd throws a party and I come as Hugh Hefner, with the velvet jacket, slippers and pipe," reported Rappaport, while Drew Carey Show vet Diedrich Bader, who plays another American import, told us that, earlier in the day, he "leapt out of a closet dressed as Frankenstein and got the [expletive] kicked out of me." With the characters working at a call center selling novelty items, some will utilize props to transform themselves into such clever disguises as a 'chick magnet' and a 'spice rack.'
The naive American characters will also get schooled on Indian culture with episodes focusing on the Hindu festival of lights (Diwali), Indian's vegetarian diet and what is considered inappropriate touching. Executive producer Victor Nelli says, "We also have an episode with Todd thinking he's in a gay bar because in India it's common for all men to dance together. It's very funny to place Todd in these strange situations." Fun, but what are the chances of going on location to the real India? Nelli says, "Hopefully we're a big hit and NBC will foot the bill!"
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