'The Office' Spinoff 'The Paper' Premieres on Peacock, Exploring Ohio Ghost Newspaper

The new mockumentary series "The Paper," premiering on Peacock, is a spinoff from the beloved "The Office" that follows the original documentary crew as they move from Scranton to Toledo to film a struggling newspaper called the Toledo Truth Teller. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, the show explores the challenges of maintaining local journalism in a ghost newspaper with minimal original content, highlighting themes of media decline and corporate indifference. While only Oscar Nuñez reprises his role from "The Office," "The Paper" introduces new characters like Mare Pritti, a military vet turned reporter, and navigates the tension between honoring the legacy of "The Office" and establishing its own identity. Cast members acknowledge the pressure of following such an iconic series but emphasize the show's unique voice and setting in the same universe. Critical responses note the show's comforting familiarity but also question its freshness, likening it to a clone rather than a true spin-off, and reflecting on the broader question of whether it is truly a new entity or a rehash of the original. Overall, "The Paper" aims to balance comedy with a love for journalism, portraying the struggles of a once-vibrant newspaper adapting to modern realities.