Notes and spoilers if you haven't watched yet, in series alphaetical order, after the jump …

"How many Emmys do you get for treating a deer?"

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I have been badgering the "Office" fans in my office into watching this three-minute bit. Very funny, and a great way to get revved up for the new season. (Another great way is the upcoming DVD of the third season, where the deleted scenes are copious and as funny as stuff they left in.)

Looks like oodles of extras on the set, arriving Sept. 4. Announcement after the jump …

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My buddy Sepinwall called this morning and it was a conversation filled with laughter, since we were talking about "The Office." (Spoilers, and some questions, after the jump)

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After I finish up some projects, I want to talk more about how good "The Office" was (the look on Pam's face at the end, Jan in Michael's car, Ryan to Kelly … ) and what a drag "Grey's Anatomy" was (except any time James Pickens Jr. and Loretta Devine were working). But until I have time to elaborate, you can check out my review of "Shrek the Third" and a tale of the tape for the "American Idol" final two, where you can find a link to my latest podcast with Malcolm X Abram. (And hear what I sound like with a cold.) Also some reminders of the people "Idol" left behind – until, that is, the tour starts.

All after the jump …

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Apparently NBC neglected to let DVR services know the exact running time of "The Office" last night. Sat down this morning with my DVR and it cut out as Pam was heading toward the water. Caught an extra line in the two-minute replay on NBC.com (where there are tons of comments from other distraught show-recorders), but it still feels as if something was missing. Anyone want to fill in the gap?

Thoughts after the jump, in case you haven't watched yet. …

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Winners include "Friday Night Lights," "Scrubs," "Brotherhood," "Baghdad ER," "Boondocks," "Ugly Betty," more …

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A great episode for a reason that surprised me, after the jump

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Night of the nonstop nicknames and other stuff, after the jump …

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Things I loved about tonight's episode, after the jump …

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Another good episode of "The Office" last night, especially in the detail it has given its characters and their relationships.

I love the direction taken with Dwight and Angela — before, during and after Dwight's unsuccessful coup attempt. Michael, Dwight and the M&M's offered a remarkable moment — have we ever seen Michael look so knowingly mean? — topped when Michael revealed his knowledge of Dwight's betrayal.

I've been thinking, too, about what Jan's shopping habits mean; is her misery — whether fundamental or from real feeling about losing Michael — so deep that she's desperately seeking new earrings? (And what is the deal with Dwight and breakfast food?)

Then there's Stanley's acidic reaction to Dwight's seeming promotion, and Pam's wardrobe dilemma, and Jim's struggle to fit into an office as odd as his old one. Once again, it shows that while Michael's domain is full of specific weirdness, it's working in any office that can be toxic and dispiriting, not just working for Michael. And Creed!

After the disappointments of "Survivor" and "Grey's," "The Office" sent me to bed on a happy TV note.

One of my little pleasures during the week is watching "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office," together the best hour of comedy in prime time.

"Earl" had an especially good episode recently, when it flashed back to Y2K events to show how Earl and the people around him marked the occasion; it was insanely hilarious. This week, it was "The Office" that showed its daring and skill.

The thread for the episode was Michael's birthday, and how he expected the office to celebrate it. That was funny enough, but "The Office" went a step further, having Kevin waiting to find out if he had skin cancer — an event that spread through the Dunder Mifflin staff while Michael was obliviously anticipating birthday merriment. Then, as if that wasn't enough, there was a lovely little bit with Jim and Pam shopping. A lot of different things to juggle, and "The Office" pulled it off, making viewers squirm and giggle practically in the same moment.

I did like the twist in the middle of "Veronica" — when we found out she wasn't as innocent as we have come to expect from watching shows that aren't as well made as "Veronica." And it was a nifty way to tie up some storylines, while starting a new one for Wallace. But I set a high bar for "Veronica" and it didn't always reach it. The end suggested the FBI is all done with Veronica, when there seemed to be enough evidence to keep interrogating her as a witness if not as a suspect. And I hope that the settling of this story means that at some point we'll get back to the bus mystery.

"Earl" and "The Office" had good things. But I've also felt as if I'm trying to shake a bug today, and it seemed especially pronounced when I was watching TV. Have you noticed that, when you're even a little bit sick, TV feels slower? It's as if your brain has reduced the pace at which you receive images because you can't process them very quickly.

I checked on last week's "CSI" for a couple of reasons. One was that I wanted to see how scary-looking Faye Dunaway had gotten; she had looked bad when she did that WB reality series and I was hoping it was an aberration. No such luck. Age and what appears to be some cosmetic surgery have not been kind to her. In a strange way, though, the look fit her character; I think there's a real-life Vegas star who had a romantic connection to a mobster, and who in more recent years looked as overdone as Dunaway did on "CSI."

The other reason I watched was that this spring the bride and I are going to Las Vegas; she has been there before, while it's something I have just dreamed about for years. (The dream was very specific, too: Renting a convertible in L.A. and driving across the desert, hitting Las Vegas at night, with its lights a beacon out of the darkness.) So I have not only been reading up on modern-day Las Vegas — and watching cable specials about it — but thinking about the mythology I have accumulated from books and movies and shows like "CSI." Thursday's episode was awash in the mythology, from the lavish modern settings to the echoes of the city in the '60s. I'm really curious about how the real thing will measure up. For instance, will it look as startlingly colorful as "CSI" in HD?