'The Paper' Review: Greg Daniels Brings A Worthy Successor To 'The Office' With This Mockumentary

It has been twenty years since Dunder Mifflin became a household name with the American sitcom, The Office. More than a decade after the beloved show signed off, creator Greg Daniels returns with a highly anticipated spinoff, The Paper, a mockumentary sitcom set inside the struggling newsroom of the fictional office, Toledo Truth Teller. Fans will get to see much of the same documentary crew from the original series, only this time, capturing the chaos of a failing local newspaper now owned by Enervate, a company that manufactures toilet paper. 

The premise of The Paper cleverly allows Daniels and co-creator Michael Koman, and several Office alumni, to revisit the genre that they helped popularise. Only this time, it explores a new workplace that struggles to stay relevant in the digital age. The series has already aired, and if you are still contemplating watching it, we are here to clear your doubts.

The Plot: A mismatched newsroom with burned-out staff

The Paper begins with ‘Ned Sampson’ (Domhnall Gleeson), a former top salesman for Enervate’s Softie brand, who steps into his dream role as editor-in-chief of The Toledo Truth Teller. While he is excited for the job, it quickly crumbles as 'Sampson' realises the company is in worse shape than expected.

The newsroom is a mismatched mix of burnt-out employees and volunteers who have no clue what they are doing. ‘Mare Pritti’ (Chelsea Frei) turns out to be the only real journalist who spends her days copy-pasting wire stories. Her colleague ‘Nicole’, played by Ramona Young, helps boost the company's revenue by stealing subscriber data. On the other hand, ‘Esmeralda Grand’ (Sabrina Impacciatore) is an endearing editor with a flashy personality who refuses to let ‘Ned’ take her spotlight. 

In an attempt to fill the gaps, ‘Ned’ ropes in accountants and salespeople from Enervate, bringing in a group of clueless additions who take on journalism duties despite zero experience. Through all 10 episodes, The Paper follows their chaotic attempts to cover stories as the company struggles with modern reporting.

The Paper makes a slow but steady start

As expected from a mockumentary-style show, The Paper also takes a few episodes to find its rhythm. Some of the early humour feels rather forced as the cast settles into their respective roles and sets the stage for the story. However, things take a turn by Episode 5, titled Scam Alert, when the Toledo Truth Teller investigates a catfishing scandal.

This is where the series truly finds its stride, as the mismatched team bands together to uncover which insider is tied to the scam. The mockumentary format shines here, blending story-driven tension with well-timed humour. From this point on, the laughs come more naturally, the characters feel sharper, and the satire of modern journalism lands with greater impact.

The cast and performances are laudable

True to its predecessor, the ensemble cast is the core strength of The Paper. Harry Potter star Domhnall Gleeson as ‘Ned Sampson’ is quite likeable and a refreshing departure from the chaotic energy of Dunder Mifflin’s ‘Michael Scott’ (Steve Carell). Chelsea Frei as ‘Mare Pritti’ is sharp and funny, and her presence is a great addition to the show. Sabrina Impacciatore as the flamboyant, dramatic, and often hilarious ‘Esmeralda Grand’ really works, though her character seems overdone at times. 

The highlight of the series is Oscar Nuñez, who reprises his Office role as ‘Oscar Martinez’, bringing the two shows together with his dry wit that somehow grounds the otherwise chaotic situation. The makers have perfectly pitched Tim Key as ‘Ken Davis’, the cringey strategist who gives off a similar energy to ‘David Brent’ (Ricky Gervais), with his eye rolls and awkward laughs.

The supporting cast, including Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Ramona Young, Alex Edelman, and Eric Rahill, brings a quirky energy to the otherwise mundane office scenario, especially when their characters begin dabbling in ‘reporting’. 

Moments from The Paper that hit close to home

Unlike The Office, which skewered the monotony of the workplace through Dunder Mifflin, a declining paper and office supplies wholesaler, The Paper is rooted in a satire of the decline of local journalism in a digital age. The survival struggles of The Toledo Truth Teller immediately hit home with the mirroring of real-world challenges in media today, from dwindling budgets to clickbait obsession, and not to mention, corporate meddling. 

The show beautifully handles these issues through the lens of warmth and wit, with just enough message that doesn’t turn preachy. It’s definitely a worthy watch that reminds viewers why journalism matters. 

Final verdict

What’s truly a smart move here is that The Paper doesn’t try to be The Office 2.0. Instead, it trades awkward comedy for sincerity and focuses on balancing character-driven humour with occasional commentary about the modern news industry. While it may never reach the iconic heights of its predecessor, it definitely has all the ingredients to become another comfort-watch classic. 

The Paper is currently streaming on JioHotstar in India and Peacock TV in the US and the UK. Have you watched the series yet?

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