‘The Paper’ Is ‘The Office’ Lite. Very, Very Lite

They had it coming.

The minds behind “The Paper” knew that cloning “The Office” would be darn-near impossible. Even more obvious? Audiences would constantly compare any new version to the NBC classic.

Inevitable.

Doing so without a generational talent like Steve Carell at the helm?

Inconceivable!

Yet “The Paper,” debuting Sept. 4 on Peacock, occasionally feels even flatter than our modest expectations. The 10-episode series lacks a breakout cast member or a reason for existing beyond the IP extension.

To be fair, even “The Office” wasn’t fully “The Office” from the jump, but Carell’s brilliance and early episodes like “Diversity Day” made us stick around.

I am #NowWatching THE OFFICE, episode 2, DIVERSITY DAY!!! It’s SO CRINGE, & SO HILARIOUS, AND it’s a “Superfan” episode with NEW CONTENT!!! Have a great evening,https://tvline.com/news/the-paper-season-2-renewed-peacock-1235501644/ darlings!!!! pic.twitter.com/IFpOVe1pTM

— Johnny️‍ (@nervepills1) May 19, 2025

Peacock swiftly greenlit a second season of “The Paper,” but the streamer’s confidence appears unwarranted.

For now.

The first episode attempts to explain that weak Dunder Mifflin connection. It’s a sad prologue that should have been dumped entirely. Just say it’s another documentary-style sitcom and go from there.

We’ll do the math.

“The Paper” follows a sprawling ensemble of workers trying to keep a small Toledo-based newspaper afloat. New editor Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) wants to turn this barely alive newspaper into a consequential platform, but he lacks the resources to do anything of the kind.

So he deputizes co-workers who have no journalism experience to fill in the gaps. There’s comedic potential there, as well as the possibility that they’ll be better at the gig than today’s journalists.

Paging Jim Acosta!

The biggest character, to date, is the loud and proud Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore). The actress strains to bring life to the showcase, but it’ll take more than her nonsensical braying to make a mark.

The most hopeful “journalist” is Mare (Chelsea Frei), an Army veteran who will likely be Ned’s love interest at some point. They have a curious chemistry, but the show’s writers are still teasing out who Ned actually is.

Initially, he’s an aw, shucks type worth our admiration. He really thinks he can defy the odds facing newspapers in the 21st century. Adorable!

Mid-season, Ned gets a bit arrogant. Just who is he, anyway?

Again, Carell’s Michael Scott needed time before he became one of TV’s best sitcom characters ever. Ned deserves room to grow, but he isn’t supported by A-plus supporting players at the moment.

Even Oscar Nunez, the lone “Office” holdover, looks uncomfortable without the old gang. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“The Paper” allows characters to flash their mean streaks, something “The Office” did to potent effect. Yet the new show has a woke stench that’s hard to shake. That means we’re force-fed suddenly stale jokes about Pride Month and body shaming.

Another allegedly hilarious moment? Oscar gets schooled by co-worker Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo) on painful menstrual cramps.

Take that, stapler floating in Jello! 

What’s better than a stapler in jello for your desk? A talking one, of course. Available for pre-order now: https://t.co/1dg9KYHdRE pic.twitter.com/mCE1Kaon4U

— The Office on Peacock (@theofficetv) March 27, 2021

It’s refreshing for a show to mock modern journalism, from clickbait stories to the industry’s weak morality. That’s fresh, but we’re still searching for laughs that rarely emerge.

The versatile Gleeson isn’t known for his comedy chops, but he acquits himself nicely here. He’s still nowhere near the scene stealer that Carell or Rainn Wilson proved in their “Office” incarnations.

Again, the comparisons are impossible to avoid. As Alyssa Milano might say, “sorry, not sorry.”

The first two episodes lack laugh-out-loud moments and struggle with tone and purpose. The show improves slightly after that, but even subsequent stories aren’t on par with semi-vintage “Office” installments. (Full disclosure: This critic watched four of the initial 10 installments)

So where does that leave “The Paper?” The show’s potential hasn’t been squandered, at least not yet. The documentary format allows for some seriously funny moments, assuming the cast warms up to the task at hand.

We could always use a protracted Jim and Pam romance to warm our hearts in the winter months.

But in the hyper-competitive world of 2025 television, “The Paper” better find its voice, and fast.

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