Jables crashes Dunder Mifflin

Perhaps to make up for last week's truly crap-tastic "Moroccan Christmas" episode -- feel free to disagree with me, folks, but that one was about as funny and clever as a real intervention -- "The Office" is soliciting help from Jack Black for its post-Super Bowl episode.

Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly is exclusively reporting that the Tenacious D frontman will appear in the hour-long episode -- the lone detail being that he won't play himself. EW also reported last week that the Feb. 1 episode, which airs immediately following NBC's Super Bowl telecast, will revolve around the Dunder Mifflin staff roasting Michael Scott.

Also, you might recall that the "Untitled Office Spin-Off" was supposed to air after the Super Bowl, but those plans have since been scrapped (production on the show starts in mid-February.) The non-spinoff is supposed to have the look and feel of "The Office" since producers/writers Greg Daniels and Mike Schur are still in charge, but apparently there will not be a direct connection to the world of Dunder Mifflin.

In case you haven't been keeping tabs here, Amy Poehler of "Saturday Night Live," Aziz Ansari of "Human Giant" and former Jim Halpert love interest, Rashida Jones (not as Karen Fillipelli, however), have signed on. Ansari -- the racist fruit vendor on "Flight of the Conchords" -- recently told Decider: Chicago that the hush-hush nature of the show is deliberate, and leaking any information could get him in trouble.

"Right now, it’s me and Amy Poehler in it. They’re still casting and writing stuff. But yeah, I’ve met with them and I know a little bit about my character — I can’t really say that much about it. I’m really excited about it. I think it’s going to do great. I think it’s going to do much better than the 'That’s So Raven' spin-off 'Cory In The House,' which was cancelled after like one episode. So, as long as it beats 'Cory In The House,' I think we’ll be very proud.

"I don’t want to do anything ... that’ll make them boot me off the show or anything. We can talk about other spin-offs, like 'Family Matters' was a 'Perfect Strangers' spin-off. I guess the more appropriate model would be when [the] 'Saved By The Bell' producers made that show 'California Dreams.' It’s a similar show from the tone you know and love, but with a different world and a different group of people. I’m sure that’s exactly how the NBC people want it marketed. Yeah, it’s more like the 'Saved By The Bell'-'California Dreams' relationship rather than the 'Family Matters'-'Perfect Strangers' relationship."

Wow. It's not everyday someone so brilliantly references the enduring legacy of Sly Winkle and Tony Wicks.

Oh, c'mon, I wasn't the only one who watched that show!

UPDATE! UPDATE!: Entertainment Weekly is also reporting that Jessica Alba will be appearing on "The Office" post-Super Bowl spectacular.

-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com