The Office fans rejoice: the beloved mockumentary universe is back…but with a twist! Titled The Paper, the upcoming workplace comedy will swap Scranton’s Dunder Mifflin for the chaotic newsroom of a dying Midwestern newspaper.
But don’t call The Paper a sequel. Even with the return of Oscar Nuñez’s fan-favorite accountant, The Paper sets out to create something new, not simply revisit what came before.
According to the logline, The Paper follows the same documentary crew from The Office as they hunt for their next subject. They land at The Toledo Truth-Teller, a struggling publication where optimism meets underfunding, and drama is never in short supply.
Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) plays Ned, the newspaper’s idealistic new hire trying to spark change, while Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) plays managing editor Esmeralda.
And yes, Oscar is back, and he’s unimpressed by the camera crew’s reappearance. “Greg heard me and moved Oscar to Toledo, Ohio, which has three times the population of Scranton, so it’s nice to be heard,” Nuñez joked at the NBC Universal Upfronts presentation.
Why This Isn’t Just ‘The Office 2.0’
The Paper is setting out to be something other than a reboot or sequel. Call it perhaps a spin-off. “I mean Oscar is in both of them. So technically it’s a spinoff,” Greg Daniels told USA Today. “But you know, it isn’t like the story of Oscar in a new land.”
As co-creator Greg Daniels (who also helmed The Office) teams up with Nathan for You’s Michael Koman, the series deliberately shifts its tone.
This isn’t another workplace filled with oddball employees under the shadow of a clueless boss. Instead, Domhnall Gleeson’s Ned brings heart and hope to a newsroom on life support. He sounds very much like a very earnest lead compared to the lovable dysfunction of Michael Scott. And that goes better with the times we’re living in.
At the NBC Universal Upfront presentation, Gleeson described the show’s ensemble as “underdog characters banding together to keep journalism alive.” That includes volunteer reporters, untrained staffers, and, of course, one exasperated Oscar.
If that sounds like chaos, it will probably be. But it’s the kind of chaos that might make this show another cult favorite. And The Paper’s authenticity? Spot on. Cast members shadowed real-life small-town journalists at the Palisades Post to understand the pulse of local news. That kind of behind-the-scenes dedication hints at a show with both humor and heart.
The Paper Has an Ensemble Cast
In addition to Nuñez, Gleeson, and Impacciatore, The Paper boasts a fresh medley of comedic talent: Chelsea Frei (The Moodys), Melvin Gregg (American Vandal), Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), Gbemisola Ikumelo (A League of Their Own), Alex Edelman, and Tim Key round out the newsroom.
While their exact roles in The Paper remain mostly under wraps, first-look images show a chaotic energy: Gleeson standing on a desk à la Dead Poets Society, rallying a ragtag team that’s visibly skeptical. If Daniels and Koman are betting big on optimism in a world of layoffs and misinformation, they’ve chosen the right battlefield: local news.
So no, The Paper isn’t The Office, but it’s made with the same DNA. With Greg Daniels at the helm and Oscar back in the fold, we’re all in for what feels like a spiritual cousin rather than a direct descendant!
The Paper Trailer
Yes, there is a new trailer, which gives us an idea of the dynamics to expect in the new show. You can watch here:
And there’s a teaser, too!
You can watch the teaser here:
When is The Paper premiering?
The Paper is set to premiere on Peacock with all episodes on September 4. Yes, that’s right, all episodes, so get ready to binge!
