The documentary crew that filmed Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is back, and they’ve found a new group of underdogs to follow. Peacock is looking to capitalize on the lasting popularity of NBC’s The Office with its streaming spin-off, The Paper (2025). Creator Greg Daniels (who spearheaded the American version of The Office) and Michael Koman (Nathan for You) have returned with yet another mockumentary series. Set roughly over a decade after the original show, the cameras now focus on the Toledo Truth-Teller, a historic Midwestern newspaper in Ohio that has been in steep decline for years. It’s a fact that the indifferent employees working there have accepted as just a sign of the times.
This changes when their new editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (former Star Wars actor Domhnall Gleeson), swoops in and shakes everything up, much to the dismay of interim managing editor, Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus). After his fellow co-workers agree to be volunteer reporters, Ned is determined against all odds to rally those around him to revitalize this once beloved local paper by cutting out the clickbait and going back to the basics. At last, it’s time to put the truth back into the Truth-Teller. However, not everyone is on board with this plan, making the fundamental differences between the fresh blood and the current regime at the publisher abundantly clear.
The Show’s Main Conflict Brings Out the Best in the Cast
The divide between Esmeralda’s intent to maintain the status quo and Ned’s goal of returning the Toledo Truth-Teller to its former glory is the driving conflict of The Paper season one. Much like the threat of downsizing and potential closure in the first season of The Office, having this clear goal with high stakes forces the main cast to evolve in interesting ways. Such strong conviction from both Ned and Esmeralda, along with Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore’s acting chops, makes them a blast to watch. Ned remains headsteady throughout the group’s growing pains, setting him up as a compelling series lead. Meanwhile, Esmeralda is the most memorable and charismatic of the bunch because of Impacciatore’s excellent comedic timing.
The Paper focuses on another dynamic duo throughout season one: Ned and Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei, Poker Face). When these two team up as partners, Gleeson and Frei’s chemistry is palpable. Mare is one of the few workers who not only has experience in journalism but also takes an interest in it, making her a side character worth rooting for. Yet, this can’t be said for the rest of her colleagues, who don’t get involved in the central plot of each episode. Though the various comical sidequests that the minor characters go on should enhance the overarching storyline and expand the show’s universe, it’s difficult to care as the majority fail to make a lasting impression.
Forgettable Characters Overshadowed By the Icons in The Office
The other office workers who volunteer to become reporters make Ned’s work cut out for him. His recruits are just starting to learn the basics of journalism while trying to chase stories around town to meet their deadlines. But it takes a couple of episodes for any of these supporting characters to make an impact at all. As a spin-off series, it’s impossible not to compare the strengths of these names to those from The Office. Unfortunately, most of the recurring characters from The Paper are unremarkable.
This isn’t necessarily due to the actors’ performances, but rather a weak script from one episode to the next. The cast does its best to give these flat roles a lived-in feel to make up for this, though it’s never quite enough. While plenty of people, even less-than-casual fans, can easily name characters from The Office off the top of their heads, by the end of The Paper, it’s difficult to recall many of the workers the season has been following.
An exception to this, and one that further highlights the discrepancy between the development in both shows, is Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez). A returning regular from The Office, Oscar seems to be included in this follow-up solely as a desperate attempt to establish a TV universe that can be mined for more lucrative spin-offs.
The Paper Season 1 Has a Few High Points
A sitcom, by name, relies on situational comedy, where people navigate social situations in humorous ways. This formula works best with strongly written characters, both central and recurring. Episode six, written by Eric Rahill, pairs Mare and Esmeralda to chase a lead, mixing up the dynamics established in prior episodes.
This is successful because they are two of the only fully fleshed-out characters in The Paper. Of course, the show’s protagonists will always be the most developed, but the supporting cast can still be memorable and distinct from one another. A switch-up like this simply wouldn’t be as entertaining with some of the other recurring characters of The Paper, as the audience never learns who they really are.
Episode eight, written by Ben Philippe, is the best-written episode by far. In this episode, the team stumbles upon a story that compromises their parent company, Softees, when one of their products is found to be deceiving people and causing a public crisis. This brings into question the responsibility of journalists to tell the truth, especially when they are so close to a controversy. Domhnall Gleeson truly shines here, officially stepping up as the leader of a team that is finally operating as a collective unit, where the minor players get to shine in their own spotlight. Unfortunately, these developments feel too little, too late in the season.
Shallow Social Commentary and Jokes That Don’t Stick the Landing
Despite employing the familiar dry humor that fans of The Office will recognize, it’s plainly not the same. Part of this is due to each episode’s usually floundering attempt to incorporate social commentary. These subjects range from the state of journalism to the use of AI to flashy advertisements clogging up articles hidden behind clickbait titles and paywalls. Buzzwords are also often brought up in an attempt to prove how shallow it is to bring up these topics without any sense of nuance. Ironically, The Paper‘s writing comes across as exactly the type of thing the show itself is making fun of.
It would be hard to center a sitcom around a modern-day newspaper without weighing in on these timely topics, and it could certainly be interesting if done in a clever way. However, The Paper banks on these references being funny in and of themselves. Episode five introduces a catfish who’s preying on women through an online dating app, and this, in particular, is a perfect example of how the comedy and even the characters suffer from the writers’ attempts to appeal to a younger audience without actually understanding them. All of this adds up to a stale comedy series that loses the longevity of The Office, already feeling dated as soon as it’s released.
This First Season of The Paper Proves Most Spin-offs Are Completely Unnecessary
During the last episode of season one, Oscar breaks out the popular quote from The Office: “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.” The last of many callbacks for the sake of fan service. The Paper is clearly meant for fans of the original series, but not even they asked for a spin-off on streaming. So, who is this for, really? The Paper undeniably has its moments, but the show is too afraid to stand on its own two feet. Its existence as an Office spin-off makes it a not-so-subtle cash grab, one of the bigger issues facing much of the content being produced nowadays.
All 10 episodes of The Paper premiere on Peacock on September 4!
Created by Greg Daniels & Michael Koman.
Showrunners: Greg Daniels & Michael Koman.
Season One Directors: Greg Daniels, Ken Kwapis, Yana Gorskaya, Paul Lieberstein, Tazbah Chavez, Jason Woliner, Jennifer Celotta, Matt Sohn, Dave Rogers & Jeffrey Blitz
Executive Producers: Greg Daniels, Michael Koman, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman & Banijay Americas (formerly Reveille).
Main Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key, & Oscar Nuñez.
Guest Stars: Allan Havey, Duane Shepard Sr., Eric Rahill, Mo Welch, Molly Ephraim, Nancy Leneham, Nate Jackson, & Tracy Letts.
Theme Composers: Nick Thorburn & Patrick Ford.
Production Companies: Universal Television, Deedle-Dee Productions, W.D.M. Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, & Banijay Americas.
Network: Peacock.
Episode Count: 10 (Season One).
