 The idea for Jan and Michael to have a romantic relationship was conceived by Steve Carell as far back as the filming of the pilot episode . The kiss between the two was rehearsed and filmed " many , many , many times " , according to B.J. Novak . While filming , Steve Carell and Tim Meadows improvised a good majority of their dinner scene , but most of it never made the final cut . During the production of the episode , the cast and crew were informed by NBC that the show would be picked up for a whole 22 episodes , a move that " surprised " them . The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics and earned a Nielsen rating of 3 @.@ 8 in the 18 – 49 demographic , being viewed by 7 @.@ 5 million viewers . 
