Following the massive success of the hit workplace mockumentary “The Office” in the early 2010s, the show received a second life when it moved to Peacock, bringing the show to an entirely new generation of fans. Now, this generation has their very own version of the comedy.
“The Paper” is a brand-new sitcom from “The Office” creator Greg Daniels that falls in line with many of the acclaimed writer’s other workplace comedies, such as “Space Force” and “Parks and Recreation”. The show follows a struggling newspaper based in Toledo, Ohio, reduced to selling ad space rather than writing stories. The audience follows this staff as they are joined by a new, bright-eyed editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), who wants to turn this bare-bones operation into the next New York Times.
The show follows his adventure as he attempts to get his coworkers, many of whom have never actually written for a paper before, interested in the news and in spreading the good word. He trades blows with his strict managerial team and a conniving managing editor, Esmerelda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore).
The only actual throughlines from “The Office” to this show are the return of the fan-favorite accountant Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), who now regularly fights with the camera crew, the other returning element from the original show. Their frequent squabbles help returning fans feel connected to this new cast by still regularly calling back to the show that they loved.
Compared to its predecessors, the show is more similar to “Parks and Recreation” in tone. The new sitcom feels more kind and naive, rather than jaded and annoyed like “The Office”. Each episode follows this ragtag group of wannabe journalists trying to do the news with no actual experience or resources, pushing forward with only hope and an optimistic view of the world.
“The Paper” does a good job of remaining grounded by capturing the true feelings of working in journalism in today’s world. Similar to many real-world, small-town newspapers, the Toledo Truth Teller staff is forced to work with very limited resources and very little experience while still trying to deliver a positive and realistic look at the world. The show’s humor focuses heavily on the newsroom’s antics while trying to work together and interact with the greater Toledo area.
Understandably, the first season of this new show is rather rough around the edges. The filmmakers appeared to have the idea to bring as many characters into the show as possible, just to see what actually works. Every episode is chock full of random subplots with extra characters, constantly jumping between various stories. This is less a criticism of “The Paper” and more a criticism of the genre of workplace comedy, many of which tend to start rocky and improve season by season.
An immediate standout from the show is Gleeson’s performance as Ned Sampson, who brings a good-natured feel to his role as he tries his best to work with this group of strangers. From the first episode, he feels like a genuine character who is often in over his head, with his funniest moments happening through his accidental interactions and slip-ups.
Another hilarious addition is Eric Rahill’s role as Travis, a thoughtless toilet-paper salesman who joins the writing team simply out of boredom. He brings a goofy and mindless charm to the team, balancing well against the others with more serious, bored personalities. He acts as an accelerant in every one of his scenes, breathing life into the comedy.
Since airing last week, the show was renewed for a second season, meaning the creators will have more time to refocus their efforts, seeing what worked in Season One and what did not. While the show had its problems, it remained grounded with solid humor and a genuine cast. There should be more than enough heart to keep the story moving forward, but only time, and more episodes, will tell.
