Hot off the presses.
The headline news about “The Office” spinoff “The Paper” is that it’s not bad. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it’s surprisingly entertaining and amusing.
Premiering on Peacock on Sept. 4, “The Paper” is a mockumentary in the same style as “The Office,” set in the same world. The former show (which ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013) followed employees of Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, PA. It’s become a modern classic; a decade after it ended, it was still the most-streamed show of 2020, with 57 billion minutes viewed.
“The Paper” follows a new cast of characters, working in the office of the “Toledo Truth Teller” newspaper in Ohio.
As the show begins, Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) is the idealistic new editor-in-chief, stepping in to try to whip the pathetic team and underfunded endeavor into shape.
Among others, his colleagues include the diva Esmerelda (Sabrina Impacciatore, “The White Lotus“), former army vet Mare (Chelse Frei), cynical exec Ken (Tim Key), the optimistic Detrick (Melvin Gregg), frazzled Nicole (Ramona Young), clueless Adam (Alex Edelman) and skeptical Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo).
Oscar (Oscar Nuñez) is the only crossover character — although he’s not a big presence, initially. In a confessional to the camera, he says that he wants no involvement in this new documentary, this time around – but, he gets more screen time as the season goes on.
Generally, it’s a lousy idea to do a spinoff of a beloved show. Remember flubs like the “Friends” spinoff “Joey” or the “Cheers” follow-up “The Tortellis?” The Marvel and “Star Wars” properties have also diminished their charm, with everything now being an exhausting sequel of a sequel.
The other recent big spinoff, the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon,” has done gangbusters in viewership numbers, but its quality is below the standards of the original show.
“The Paper” is saved by a key ingredient: it’s helmed by two seasoned comedy minds, Greg Daniels, who also did “The Office,” and Michael Koman (“Nathan For You”).
Daniels has a history of beating the odds, since “The Office” was itself a reboot (of the Ricky Gervais BBC show), and before it became a hit, everyone thought making an American version was a bad idea.
The creative team skillfully threads the needle of capturing “The Office’s” tone, while also making “The Paper” a different animal.
They let these characters and this setting be their own entity. (If you’re the one person on Earth who lives in a cave and somehow hasn’t seen “The Office,” you could watch “The Paper” without feeling lost).
“The Paper” echoes its predecessor enough to feel like a fitting companion piece. This is especially reflected in the theme song, which strikes the right chord of, “similar, but different.” The melody is new, but the sound evokes the iconic “The Office” opening tune.
There are some mildly amusing moments in the first episode, but “The Paper” picks up steam mid-season, with the types of absurd scenarios familiar to viewers of “The Office,” such as a plot line about someone getting catfished (that uses a celebrity cameo in a hilarious way), or a subplot where somebody’s face turns blue.
That’s nothing groundbreaking, since “Arrested Development” famously did the “I just blue myself” moment, but “The Paper” finds a way to milk that plot for its own fresh humor.
Unlike “The Office,” where their jobs hardly mattered, “The Paper” does include more on that front. The satire of what it’s like to work at a newspaper is spot-on.
Although it’s a new cast, there are shades of “The Office” characters.
For instance, Ned is younger than Steve Carell’s notorious bad boss Michael Scott, his mannerisms are different, his personal history is his own. But, he misses social cues in some similar ways, and he gets into a few situations where it’s easy to visualize Michael in (such as a feud with a random teenager).
Esmerelda is unique, and she has a different energy than Rainn Wilson’s scene-stealing “The Office” weirdo, Dwight. Nevertheless, she feels like the Dwight of the show (if he was an Italian single mom) in the sense that she’s a chaotic presence in the office, and she’s full of self-delusion and unearned confidence.
Viewers looking for “will they, won’t they,” plot lines like “The Office’s” Jim Halpert (John Kraskinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) have a few possibilities to monitor. That’s the weakest part of the show, as the budding romances feel forced.
The million dollar question is, does “The Paper” measure up to the original show?
With just 10 episodes in its first season, it’s too soon to tell – especially since “The Office” also took some time to find its groove.
But even though it’s not quite that level, it’s a worthy successor.
“The Paper” has already been renewed for Season 2.
