Episode 8: The Merger

Hello, fans of The Office. Meredith here.

"The Merger" is coming up this Thursday at 8: 40 pm/ET on NBC. Last week was nail-biting. Thank god the Scranton branch didn't close. It's pretty wild. Now the Stamford, Connecticut, branch is about to merge. Michael has some very intense techniques for initiating the new people. This was a really fun episode to shoot. The new actors on our show are really fun. We all had a blast. Rashida Jones, Ursula Burton, Wayne Wilderson, Ed Helms, and Mike Bruner as Tony - all hilarious. They double the size and they double the comedy. I sound like a commercial for gum! It was like a party all week shooting this episode. I'll drink to that!

I hope you all had a chance to watch the NBC.com producer's cut of "Branch Closing." I had a few really fun scenes in the producer's cut - which is the one for sale on iTunes, FYI! I loved doing the possible love scene with Steve where Meredith asks Michael if he's the guy she made a deal to have sex with on the last day of work. He is such a great actor. He makes it easy to really go for it. Too bad that scene got cut. Sometimes our stuff gets cut. We shoot about 15 minutes more each week than we can keep. Sometimes we are only on the deleted-scenes DVD. Thanks to all of you for hanging in there with Meredith. I am most grateful. The Office is such a great gig. I only hope you all get to see everything we shoot. It is all gold. Creed's other story line was hysterical.

I just got back from San Francisco. No more nicknames for that town. I did a talk show called View from the Bay, and I got in some hot water! They are very formal folks. And they love The Office. Seriously. They love The Office so much, they should marry it. I stopped by the NBC affiliate, and the staff went crazy over The Office. Someone there had me sign something for her daughter - I guess she could have the same exact name? No need to be a closet Office fan. Not after the whole "faggy means lame" speech from the "Gay Witch Hunt."

What a day! It was a weird day. I met none other than American Idol star, runner-up and most successful alum Clay Aiken. It turns out that Mr. Aiken is a huge fan of The Office. Who would have guessed? We met at NBC. He treated me like a rock star. We took pictures, exchanged publicist numbers. He even tried to give me fake booze (for a photo op). Clay is doing a guest spot on longtime soap Days of our Lives. Somebody pinch... somebody! I have to say, it wasn't long ago that I was waiting on Randy Jackson at Kate Mantilini Restaurant in Beverly Hills. I've come along way, baby. It's pretty surreal.

Sorry this is a short blog, but I have to pack for Vegas, baby. Meredith is going to get down! OK, not exactly. My comedy act is going to be in the Comedy Festival at Caesars. The Lampshades will be hosted by Sierra Mist in the Festival Village. We'll be there from Nov. 15 to 18 - go to thelampshades.com for more info.

Remember, I did the show, the Real Live Brady Bunch. (Steve was Greg right before I joined the cast.) The director of the national tour of the Brady Bunch was Warren Coleman. He's Australian, and he is in town because of this new animated feature he cowrote and codirected called Happy Feet with Robin Williams. Go see it.

Did I mention that Jim and Pam will see each other for the first time this season???? It's true. That is worth all the agony you've all been through over their possible relationship. Don't you dare miss it this week. Please watch, tape, download or TiVo The Office this Thursday. You will be glad you did!

This week's super-sized Office begins at 8:40 pm/ET. See TVGuide.com's Trivial Matt'rs blog for more previews of "The Merger."