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The Paper is a spiritual sequel to The Office that excels when it’s not connected to its predecessor. Set in the world of local journalism, the comedy shares a workplace setting and very little else with the iconic Steve Carell sitcom. Following a similar mockumentary style to The Office, the first season of The Paper is a forgettable and gentle exploration into the tribulations of trying to run a print newspaper in the 2020s.
Co-created by The Office’s Greg Daniels alongside Michael Korman (Nathan For You), the show follows the staff of The Truth Teller, a Toledo print newspaper struggling to keep up in the world of bloggers and expensive overheads. It has become an unreadable mess of clickbait and ads by the current editor, Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore), and is on the verge of closing down. In walks new editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), who has all the ideas but not the team, budget, or experience to transform the paper.
Ned soon learns that the print edition of The Truth Teller is being kept alive by eager-to-be-taken-seriously Mare (Chelsea Frei) and grumpy old reporter Barry (Duane R. Shepard Sr.). They are joined by Nicole (Ramona Young) in circulation, Detrick (Melvin Gregg) in marketing, and accountants Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), Adam (Alex Edelman), and Oscar (Oscar Nunez). Despite their lack of experience, the non-writing members of the staff are frequently encouraged to take part in their reporting and writing missions.
The show mainly focuses on Mare and Ned, while the other characters blend into the background with little to no development or screentime. Considering we meet these characters after they have worked together for years, many of them feel like they had no prior relationship before Ned arrived on the scene. Ten episodes are just not enough to meet all these characters, get to know them, and root for them. The limited times mean many of their responses and behavior is limited to cliches and tropes.
Over these ten episodes, Ned sends out the outlet’s staff and anyone at the toilet paper holding company on missions to try to fill the pages of The Truth Teller with content. The slightly repetitive format sees Ned come up with a story idea and follows the staff as they try (and fail) to follow the lede. Every episode is predictable and safe, but in a way that becomes comforting over the ten-episode run. In a scary and uncertain world, this type of comedy has its place.
The Paper’s biggest issue is with its characters. In this first season, the staff on the floor doesn’t yet feel fully formed. Ned quickly cements his place as being an earnest nice guy with not much more depth, whilst Esmeralda feels like a parody of the feisty Italian beauty. While Impacciatore is flawless in her performance as the narcissistic, Machiavellian web editor, she feels like a caricature in a grounded universe. Tim Key’s uptight middle management has many of the funniest lines, delivered with his usual awkward British energy.
The opening episode works hard to loosely connect The Office to The Paper. Really, these two shows didn’t need to be connected, and the constant comparisons to the long-running sitcom do more harm than good. Minus the documentary format and Oscar Nunez returning as his uptight accountant, the two shows don’t share much DNA. Because of this unfunny opening act, the show takes a few episodes to come into its own and shake the ghost of its predecessor. Oscar is at his least funny when directly referencing iconic moments from his time at Dunder Mifflin, reminding audiences of a much funnier show they likely enjoyed more.
The Paper is a much gentler, wholesome experience than The Office, which was often noisy, chaotic, and irreverent. Instead of the never-ending narcissism and cringe of Michael Scott, Ned is peppy and trying too hard to be liked; it’s almost endearing. Seeing him try to turn the Truth Teller around is like watching a Labrador try to get their favorite toy up the stairs. In fact, every character is trying too hard to be liked. It’s a relief when Esmeralda and Ken turn up to cause some chaos and rile up their colleagues.
For a comedy, don’t expect many belly laughs from The Paper. The humor is gentler, with whole episodes set up purely to land one joke. It doesn’t want to go anywhere too dark or edgy, nor does it want to make any points about the depressing world of modern journalism. It’s pure escapism and it’s pure feelgood, which stands out from some of the harsher, meaner comedy of recent years. If you tune in expecting to see Jim, Dwight, and Pam’s brand of chaos, you may find yourself disappointed in the heartwarming nature of The Paper. But once you realise what level this show is working on, it becomes a much more enjoyable experience.
It’s perhaps a relief this comedy hasn’t tried to directly recreate the magic of The Office. No one is mimicking the staff of Dunder Mifflin, nor is The Paper repeating plot lines. It’s not even in the same industry as Michael’s team of misfits, which gives it more space to outgrow its predecessor. But, directly placing it in the same world means the comparisons are unfortunately inevitable. Going forward, this spin-off needs to find its voice and embrace its unique potential instead of cramming in more easter eggs and existing characters.
Despite its issues, The Paper is not a total write-off. The first season of The Office struggled to find its footing and its own way aside from its British counterpart. Now a second season has been confirmed, The Paper needs to work on fleshing out its ensemble, creating more relationships between the group, and most importantly, land a great joke.
Grade: B-
In the US stream, The Paper on Peacock on September 4. All episodes of The Paper will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW on 5th September.
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The Paper
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher trying to revive it.
Release Date: September 4, 2025
Director: Greg Daniels Michael Koman
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson , Sabrina Impacciatore , Chelsea Frei
