Analysis of The Paper: The Heir to The Office, Humor, and Nostalgia

Premiering on Peacock in the United States on September 4, 2025, and arriving on HBO Max in Brazil and Latin America on September 18, 2025, The Paper is a comedy series created by Greg Daniels (creator of The Office) and Michael Koman (Nathan for You, Saturday Night Live).

The story follows the chaotic daily life of the Toledo Truth Teller, an old local newspaper in Ohio struggling to stay afloat amid budget cuts, fake news, and the digital transition.

The cast features Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Star Wars) as Ollie, the new editor determined to “modernize” the newsroom with questionable ideas, and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) as Valerie, a veteran reporter who still believes in journalistic ethics.

A major highlight is Oscar Núñez, reprising his role as Oscar Martinez from The Office, now working as the paper’s financial consultant; a direct connection to the original universe.

With ten episodes of about 30 minutes each, The Paper sticks to the mockumentary format, with cameras capturing behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward silences, knowing glances, and tragicomic moments.

The Paper Official Trailer

Highlights

– The Paper became Peacock’s most-watched comedy title in September 2025, debuting in the global top five comedy series according to IMDb Pro.

– International critics praised its sharp, observational writing, which blends cringe humor with social commentary on the collapse of traditional media.

– Domhnall Gleeson was praised for his performance as a well-meaning yet clumsy boss, a modern echo of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, though portrayed with more realism and restraint.

– The documentary-style approach still works: the pauses, glances, and microexpressions from the cast deliver genuine laughs that keep the The Office spirit alive.

Weak Points

– Some viewers found the start of the season slow and overly self-aware, as if the show were trying to move away from The Office while still depending on its formula.

– The satire of digital journalism, though relevant, sometimes feels too on the nose, with dialogue explaining concepts most viewers already understand.

– The lack of a single charismatic lead like Michael Scott or Jim Halpert is noticeable. The Paper leans more on its ensemble, which weakens its initial emotional impact.

– Certain inside jokes about “the decline of print media” may go over the heads of those unfamiliar with the journalism world.

If The Office revealed the absurdity and emptiness of office life, The Paper expands that world into a modern context: the collapse of institutions that once defined everyday stability.

In The Office, humor came from meaningless repetition: pointless meetings, self-absorbed bosses, and small dramas exaggerated into tragedies. In The Paper, the laughter comes from a collective failure to adapt to modern life, from the desperate attempt to stay relevant in a world ruled by algorithms.

What used to be the boredom of selling paper has become the frustration of selling information. Both products have lost value in the digital age. The humor remains uncomfortable and awkward, but its core is more unsettling: the struggle for truth in an age of clickbait.

Greg Daniels maintains his signature touch: finding comedy and philosophy in ordinary moments. Michael Koman, on the other hand, adds a sharper edge, creating characters who fluctuate between brilliance and delusion.

I’ll admit I started The Paper with both excitement and apprehension. Excitement at seeing something new from Greg Daniels, the mind behind The Office, and apprehension that it might just try to copy a formula that defined a generation.

By the end of the first episode, I realized The Paper isn’t The Office. And maybe that’s both its greatest strength and its biggest flaw.

There’s something deeply melancholic about the show. It is funny, but its humor stings a little. The pauses last longer, the glances to the camera seem more weary, and the laughter carries a sense of disillusionment. It’s no longer the laughter of a goofy, lovable boss, but of one lost in a world changing too fast.

While The Office made us laugh at the absurdity of everyday work, The Paper makes us laugh at a world that feels like it’s crumbling. Its humor is about endurance, about holding onto dignity when everything, from jobs to values to truth itself, seems outdated.

I felt a twinge of nostalgia in every subtle nod to Dunder Mifflin, but I also realized that, like the characters, I was clinging to the past. The Paper forces us to accept that the kind of lighthearted, almost innocent comedy we once loved doesn’t quite belong in today’s world.

Another element that stood out to me was the romance between the main characters. Their relationship is awkward, hesitant, and full of misunderstandings; a quiet homage to The Office’s Pam and Jim. But here, love feels messier, more grounded, and less idealized. Gone is Pam’s hopeful innocence, replaced by the insecurity of two people unsure if affection is still enough to hold them together.

You can sense that the series is still finding its voice. At times it plays like a situational comedy; at others, an existential drama disguised as humor. It can feel uncertain, but that uncertainty also makes it feel human.

I finished the season feeling divided. Part of me missed the effortless laughter The Office used to deliver. But another part, maybe the part that has grown older with time, was moved by this new kind of humor: sadder, quieter, more mature.

The Paper isn’t meant to be the return of The Office. And that’s okay. It’s something different... a show that captures the feeling that everything is changing all at once.

Although it’s a new series, The Paper is packed with nods to The Office, both on-screen and behind the scenes. Greg Daniels and Michael Koman created the show as a “distant cousin” of the original, filling it with hidden details that sharp-eyed fans will enjoy discovering.

Oscar Martinez

Actor Oscar Núñez reprises his role as Oscar Martinez, now working as the financial consultant for the Toledo Truth Teller. According to Greg Daniels, the goal was to show what happened to Oscar after the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch shut down.

In episode 2, he mentions “an old boss who used to hold PowerPoint meetings without PowerPoint,” a clear nod to Michael Scott.

The Name “The Paper” Is an Inside Joke

Behind the scenes, Daniels explained that the title has a double meaning:

– It’s a direct reference to Dunder Mifflin (The Office revolved around selling paper);

– And it reflects the “role” of modern journalism, a profession struggling to stay relevant when fewer people actually read. In other words, The Paper is about the end of paper itself, and the end of the role of selling it.

Cameos from Former The Office Cast Members

Beyond Oscar Núñez, several other actors make subtle appearances:

– David Wallace (Andy Buckley) appears in a flashback as a frustrated investor in the newspaper.

– Ellie Kemper (Erin) shows up in a VHS-style HR training video used by the newsroom.

– Brian Baumgartner (Kevin) can be seen on a donut ad poster, a quick but hilarious easter egg.

The Mockumentary Is “Filmed” by the Same Fictional Crew from The Office

In the credits, there’s a reference to the “Documentary Unit, Scranton Division,” suggesting that the same fictional crew who filmed The Office is now producing this new documentary about the Toledo newsroom.

Greg Daniels confirmed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the idea was intentional: the show is meant to be “a new project from the same team of documentarians who, twenty years later, decided to capture another American workplace in decline.”

Hidden Visual References

– In the pilot episode, one of the newsroom walls displays a framed photo of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton building.

– A background character drinks from a mug labeled “World’s Okayest Boss,” a direct parody of Michael Scott’s iconic “World’s Best Boss” mug.

– At one point, the office phone rings with the same ringtone used at Dunder Mifflin’s reception desk.

Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Wanted “An Office About the Collapse of Truth”

According to Daniels, the project began with a single question:

“If The Office was about how work gave us purpose, what happens when work no longer has purpose?”

Koman added:

“Comedy comes from despair. The characters in The Paper want to do the right thing, but the entire system is broken.”

This concept led to setting the show in a struggling local newspaper, mirroring the decline of print journalism and the obsolescence of The Office’s world as a reflection of a past era.

A Nostalgic Soundtrack

The opening theme of The Paper, composed by The 88, features a musical motif similar to The Office theme song. The first few notes follow the same rhythm but in a minor key.

It’s a subtle homage to the original, evoking the same sense of humor but with a more melancholic tone.

The Episode “The Rebrand” Has the Most Self-Referential Joke in the Series

In “The Rebrand,” the newsroom team brainstorms new names for the newspaper. One intern suggests “The Office Paper,” and the group replies that “it sounds like a show that already exists.”

It’s the most meta joke in the season and the moment the show directly acknowledges its origins.

Filming Took Place in Real Defunct Newsrooms

Most of the first season was shot inside decommissioned newspaper buildings in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The newsroom of the Toledo Truth Teller combines three real newsrooms that shut down between 2019 and 2023, recreated with outdated technology and period details.

Steve Carell Visited the Set but Declined to Appear

Greg Daniels revealed that Steve Carell visited the set during the filming of the second episode. He was invited for a cameo but turned it down, saying:

“Michael Scott should stay frozen in time. He wouldn’t even know what TikTok is.”

Still, there’s a subtle tribute to him: the secretary’s computer wallpaper shows a GIF of a man dancing with the caption “Michael Forever.”

The series was renewed for a second season even before the first one premiered, confirming Peacock’s (and HBO Max’s) confidence in the project.

Greg Daniels said that the next season will expand the universe and include more characters connected to Dunder Mifflin, exploring the concept of “a multiverse of documented workplaces.”

In other words, The Office’s legacy is just entering a new phase, and The Paper marks the first chapter of that revival.

Absolutely. The Paper is The Office’s successor; different, yet equally sharp. It’s more grounded, more critical, less overtly funny, but just as smart.

If you expect constant punchlines or Michael Scott’s chaotic charm, you might be disappointed. But if you appreciate observational humor, realistic awkwardness, and social nuance, The Paper offers a meaningful and timely experience.

In the end, the laughter The Paper inspires is the same kind The Office always brought: the laughter of recognizing ourselves in absurd situations. The difference is that now, the jokes are about a world falling apart, not just the workday.

See you in the next article!