Domhnall Gleeson stars as an idealistic newspaper editor in &34;The Paper,&34; cocreated by &34;The Office&34; showrunner Greg Daniels. The Paper review: Peacoc

Domhnall Gleeson stars as an idealistic newspaper editor in "The Paper," co-created by "The Office" showrunner Greg Daniels.

The Paper review: Peacock's Office spinoff needs to iron out a few wrinkles

Domhnall Gleeson stars as an idealistic newspaper editor in "The Paper," co-created by "The Office" showrunner Greg Daniels.

By Kristen Baldwin

Kristen Baldwin

Kristen Baldwin is the TV critic for EW

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September 3, 2025 11:30 a.m. ET

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Sabrina Impacciatore and Domhnall Gleeson in 'The Paper'. Credit:

John P. Fleenor/PEACOCK

First, a confession: The premise of *The Paper* makes me sad.

The new Peacock series, a spinoff of *The Office* set at a struggling newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, mines a lot of its laughs from the sorry state of the industry I've worked in for 30 years. But great comedy can come from difficult subjects — death, racism, war — so why not the agonizing demise of print media (and more broadly, of accurate and unfettered journalism) in these United States? *The Paper*, created by Greg Daniels (*The Office*) and Michael Koman (*Saturday Night Live*), is not a great comedy. Still, it has potential. Viewers hoping for *Office*-level laughs from the outset will be disappointed, but they shouldn't discard *The Paper *too early.

Seeking a new subject after trailing the employees of Dunder Mifflin for nine years, *The Office*'s documentary crew makes its way to Truth Teller Tower in Ohio, home of *The Toledo Truth Teller*. The once-great print newspaper used to occupy the entire office building, employing hundreds of journalists dedicated to reporting the news and holding power to account. In 2025, however, *TTT* is a bare-bones operation owned by Enervate, a corporation that sells a variety of paper products. The newspaper's handful of staffers now fit on one floor, which they share with the employees of Softees toilet tissue.

Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Eric Rahill, and Oscar Nunez on 'The Paper'.

John P. Fleenor/PEACOCK

The documentary crew arrives just in time to meet *TTT*'s new editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), on his first day of work. Ned's a former top salesman at Softees who landed the *Truth Teller *EIC job thanks to his wealthy family's connections, but he's also a true believer in the power of the press. Armed with a degree in journalism and an almost heartbreaking level of optimism, Ned tells the *Truth Teller*'s tiny staff that it's time to restore the paper to its former glory. Alas, his ambitions far outpace *TTT*'s hiring budget, so Ned convinces his bosses — including Enervate CEO Marv Putnam (Allan Havey) and his officious underling Ken (Tim Key) — to let him recruit several Softees employees as volunteer journalists.**

Oscar Martinez returns with a new set of co-workers in 'The Paper' trailer

'The Office' stars John Krasinski, Steve Carell encouraged Domhnall Gleeson to star in spinoff

With that large-grain-of-salt set-up in place, *The Paper* sets out to introduce its eclectic workplace family. The *Truth Teller* only has two employees with any newspaper experience — Mare (Chelsea Frei), an Army vet who wrote for *Stars and Stripes*, and Barry (Duane R. Shepard Sr.), *TTT*'s zoned-out sportswriter — leaving Ned with a group of eager but greener-than-Kermit volunteers. "I'm an accountant. I don't know if my computer even has any word-processing software," admits Adeola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), who signs on alongside fellow accountant Adam (Alex Edelman), circulation director Nicole (*Never Have I Ever*'s Ramona Young), and ad salesman Detrick (*Snowfall*'s Melvin Gregg). Adding to Ned's challenges is his resentful predecessor — interim managing editor and former *Married at First Sight* contestant Esmerelda Grand (*The White Lotus* standout Sabrina Impacciatore) — who finds comically outlandish ways to undermine her new boss' progress.

(center) Domhnall Gleeson and Tim Key on 'The Paper'.

Aaron Epstein/PEACOCK

Though billed as an *Office* spinoff, Daniels and Koman wisely choose to make the connective tissue between the shows gossamer thin. The strongest ties, of course, are the mockumentary style and the reveal that former Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) now crunches numbers at *TTT* (for reasons that are minorly spoilerish). Nunez is likable as ever, but so far, Oscar's presence feels more like a network note — *we need a crossover character! *— than an organic story device. As with most workplace comedies, there is at least one budding intra-office romance: Detrick, who can sell ads but isn't great at reading the room, can't hide his crush on Nicole, whose personality falls somewhere between reserved and inscrutable. There's also a clear vibe between Ned and Mare, but the writers seem to be setting that up as a much slower burn.

It's better, of course, that *The Paper* isn't trying to replicate *The Office*. The show needs to stand on its own to succeed, and it very well could if Daniels and Koman can iron out a few wrinkles.*The Paper *spends a little too much time pitting Esmerelda against Ned, when it feels inevitable that the two will settle into an uneasy alliance — and be far funnier for it. (See: Jack and Liz on *30 Rock*; Jake and Holt on *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*, etc.)

Ramona Young, Chelsea Frei, and Melvin Gregg on 'The Paper'.

Aaron Epstein/PEACOCK

The bigger problem is that the writers can't seem to decide if Ned is, to put it in *Office* terms, a Michael Scott or a Jim Halpert. Sometimes, Ned is the level-headed voice of reason, serving as the competent foil to his ridiculously inept staff. Just as often, though, he's a gaffe-prone bumbler whose impulsive, foolish actions create more problems than they solve. The way he handles competition from a popular teen blogger (Aidan Laprete, executing a perfect Gen Z stare) feels particularly unbelievable.

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Even with its issues, *The Paper* starts to find its footing around midseason. Not only does the relationship between Ned and Esmerelda become less adversarial, the supporting cast — which, like *The Office*, includes several writer/performers — starts to break through as their characters get more comfortable with one another. Edelman brings goofy charm to Adam, a gullible and guileless father of four, while Key is consistently funny as the simpering Ken. Frei's Mare, an intelligent woman trapped at an uninspiring job, delivers the deadpan, glance-to-the-camera laughs that mockumentaries like this thrive on. Meanwhile, Havey and Nancy Lenehan — who plays Marv's devoted assistant, Ann — casually steal every scene they're in.

Workplace sitcoms are a TV staple because most of us have been there, required to spend eight hours a day with people whose personal eccentricities often inform and infect their professional conduct. When they're done well, office-based comedies can be cathartic, at-least-my-boss-isn't-*that*-bad comforting, and endlessly rewatachable. For those of us in media,*The Paper* may feel a little *too* real at times — but when your industry is collapsing, sometimes all you can do is laugh. **Grade: B-****

*The Paper *premieres Thursday, Sept. 4 on Peacock.

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