In 2005, “The Office, a mockumentary focusing on the daily lives of employees at a Pennsylvania paper company, debuted on NBC. The show’s eight-year run would earn it 42 Academy Award nominations and five Emmys.
"The Office" revitalized the sitcom genre with its unique cinematography and character-driven narratives. Dozens of shows such as “Parks and Recreation” and “Abbott Elementary” have tried to use the formula “The Office” created to make their own waves in the comedy scene. Now, 20 years later, the crew behind “The Office” takes another crack at the genre with their spin-off, “The Paper."
“The Paper” tells the story of a struggling Ohio newspaper, The Toledo Truth Teller, as budget cuts and lack of support turn the once-credible newspaper into a mix of ads, rerun stories and poor writing. The Truth Teller hires a new editor-in-chief, who is determined to turn the paper into a respectable publication once again; with the help of a staff of volunteer reporters, we watch as the newspaper begins to recover and thrive.
The main cast consists of three characters: editor-in-chief (and OU alumnus) Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), the managing editor Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore) and journalist Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei). They are joined by reporters Detrick (Melvin Gregg), Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), Adam (Alex Edelman), Nicole (Ramona Young), Travis (Eric Rahill) and returning “Office” character Oscar (Oscar Nuñez).
The show has two overarching subplots: Esmeralda’s sabotage attempts to get Ned fired after he supplanted her as editor-in-chief, and the actual journalism and reporting being done by the characters.
Esmeralda’s schemes take up the first three episodes of the 10-episode show. Much of the conflict in the show feels forced and unnecessary, making the show frustrating to watch. Esmeralda’s antics serve only to annoy the audience, and the other characters’ ineptitude is exaggerated so her schemes can fill up entire episodes. As a result, the show's start is arguably the worst part.
The “legitimate journalism," however, is much more enjoyable. These episodes are fun, creating easy laughs for the audience. None of the conflicts feel contrived, and the characters started to feel like legitimate people instead of cardboard cutouts of people. These episodes are reminders of the best parts of “The Office.” The character stories took center stage, and the laughs never seemed to end.
Like “The Office,” the characters and their dynamics are where “The Paper” shines brightest. Ned and Mare, as the show’s leads, play off each other amazingly, with Ned playing the role of the naive but caring optimist and Mare as the grounded yet hopeful pragmatist. Their relationship, along with the dynamics of the rest of the cast, is a sturdy foundation to build the rest of the show on.
“The Paper” also does not shirk away from giving even minor characters their time in the sun. Even minor characters, like Detrick and Nicole, get to have their stories explored, while comedy-driven characters like Travis get their moments of relevance. Though not as fleshed out as the cast of “The Office,” each character is interesting to watch and has plenty of room for development in later seasons.
“The Paper” knows that its roots lie with “The Office” and isn’t afraid to show it. From the first scene set in Scranton to the opening theme echoing “The Office” and the return of Oscar alongside dozens of callbacks, the series continually references its predecessor in an effort to connect returning audiences to the new project. But with those callbacks comes the unfortunate comparisons, and “The Paper” falls just short of “The Office.”
All in all, “The Paper” is a show defined by the word “almost.” Almost every episode is good, but the first three drag it down. Almost every joke lands, but the first ones that miss fail hard. The show is almost as good as “The Office,” but it hasn’t yet reached that level.
“The Paper” has been renewed for another season, and the entire first season is now available on Peacock. With more time and sharper writing, the show could leave “The Office” shadow. There is plenty of room for growth. “The Paper” has the potential to move beyond being an “almost” good show and stand out as a great one.
Review: 7/10
