‘The Paper’ delivers as my favorite stream of the week
‘The Paper’ delivers as my favorite stream of the week
The new Peacock comedy series isn’t perfect, but it so far appears to have potential as successor to ‘The Office.’
I haven’t made any secret of my love for “The Office.” Just a couple of weeks ago, I used the show’s Superfan episodes as my choice for my favorite stream of that week. With a deep love of rewatching the show ingrained in my head and heart, I approached the release of the new Peacock comedy series “The Paper” with trepidation, to say the least.
“The Paper” is a mockumentary comedy series from executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, as well as Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, and Ben Silverman. It’s a long list of the architects of “The Office,” and it’s set in the same universe as its predecessor show.
The same documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin is now on the ground with a newspaper in Ohio, the Toledo Truth-Teller. In 2025, with newspapers around the country struggling to justify their very existence, the new editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (Domnhall Gleeson), wants to make the Truth-Teller a real, respectable publication again.
If Sampson is supposed to be the new Michael Scott, I was pleasantly disappointed to see that he is competent, without any of the childish schmuckiness that Scott so frequently delivered. I find the character easier to root for immediately, and though I assume his idealistic vision for the newspaper will take some hits over the course of the show, I find it refreshing nevertheless.
Paper compositor Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei) and managing editor Esmerelda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore) are also stand-out characters in the early episodes. They’re eager to embrace the new image, even if they’re a bit jaded — especially Mare, who has done real journalism in her life but is now trapped in monotony until Sampson shows up.
Grand’s passion for her work is evident in every scene, even if she’s a bit esoteric as a character. In one early scene, Grand scrolls through an article on the Truth-Teller’s website, moving past a seemingly never-ending stream of ads that was all too resonant to an online news writer.
Watch a trailer for ‘The Paper’:
Other cast members fade into the background a bit to start, such as Truth-Teller employee Adam Cooper. But I’m willing to give the show time to figure out what to do with its cast; “The Office” did not immediately know the strengths of each of its characters when it first aired, and I think the writers will find the path for them all eventually.
Connections to the original show are everywhere in “The Paper,” most notably in the form of the presence of Oscar Martinez, who has moved to Toledo after Dunder Mifflin’s demise. Martinez is none too happy to see the documentary crew again, and fortunately, “The Paper” doesn’t lean on him too much to continue reminding the audience to feel nostalgic.
None of this is to say that “The Paper” is the next great TV comedy. But it does have a good deal of potential in my eyes, both as a successor to “The Office” and as a show in its own right. It had plenty of laughs and more than enough earnestness to become my favorite stream of the week.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.