It’s been over a decade since Michael Scott and his team of hilarious wholesale employees departed from small screens, but the love is still there. From producing loose leaf to actually using it, here comes The Paper!
Many still regard The Office as the epitome of American comedy. While that is quite the mantle to place the series on, the mockumentary left a lasting impression on the long-standing history of television.
So, it comes as no surprise that the same team behind one of Steve Carell’s career-defining shows would be ready to clock in for another round of deadpan reactions and comedy so dry that it’ll make your measly piece of toast look like a soggy pancake.
Spinoffs can hit or miss, but considering the hands behind it, TV Fanatic has a good feeling about this show. Without further ado, here’s everything we know so far about The Paper!
When Was The Paper Season 1 Greenlit?
In May 2024, it was announced that Peacock had ordered the then-untitled comedy mockumentary. Things progressed rather quickly from there.
Greg Daniels, who developed The Office for American audiences, will be the hand that rocks The Paper’s cradle. However, he’s not the only cog in the machine returning.
The Office’s executive producers, Ricky Gervais (After Life), Stephen Merchant (The Good Place), Howard Klein (Upload), and Ben Silverman (Ugly Betty), are all returning to ensure that this series is in ship shape for its maiden voyage.
With so many hands from the original, there’s a good chance The Paper may be able to recapture the magic of The Office.
What Is The Paper About?
The Paper is set in a new office with new characters but based in the same fictional universe as the original series.
The plot will focus on a declining historical Midwestern newspaper that relies on volunteer reporters.
I didn’t even know “volunteer reporters” was a thing, so I was immediately intrigued. As far as meshing with The Office, I have no doubt that the series will feature lots of Easter eggs related to its parent show.
Many fans of the original show may feel reluctant or even territorial about a spinoff.
I want to remind everyone that NBC‘s The Office was also a remake of a British series of the same name. I’m just saying.
How Many Episodes Will The Paper Season 1 Have?
Even though The Office averaged twenty-plus shows a season, The Paper likely won’t.
It’s possible The Paper will have a similar number of episodes to The Office Season 1, which had only six. Until production wraps, we can only speculate.
Who Is In The Paper Season 1?
With production only recently starting, we don’t yet have names for the cast members. However, we will continue to update you as news comes down the pike.
Domhnall Gleeson (Alice & Jack)
Gbemisola Ikumelo (Sex Education)
Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus)
Melvin Gregg (Nine Perfect Strangers)
Chelsea Frei (The Cleaning Lady)
Ramona Young (Santa Clarita Diet)
Alex Edelman (Teenage Bounty Hunters)
Tim Key (Trust)
Eric Rahill (The Bear)
Only a handful of actors are officially cast in The Paper, but, boy, did casting pick some good ones!
If you don’t recognize the names, you likely recognize the shows they’ve been in that have a good mix of dry and dark comedy.
Is There a Trailer for The Paper Season 1?
There is no trailer for the plot or details for The Paper Season 1, as production began in July 2024.
However, you won’t have to go far because as soon as we at TV Fanatic get our hands on a teaser, we’ll gather everyone together for a meeting that could’ve been an email!
Where Can I Watch The Paper Season 1?
As The Paper is a Peacock original, audiences can watch the series with a subscription to the app.
Audiences of The Office can watch the entire series before the spinoff arrives!
When Is The Premiere Date For The Paper Season 1?
At the moment, there is no set release date for The Paper Season 1.
Once production has finished, we’ll be able to, at least, guess when the series will premiere.
What Other Shows Are Premiering?
We may not know when The Paper will be available for fans of The Office to scrutinize, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to keep viewers entertained.
Peacock is slowly becoming a comedy destination with some fantastic new and returning shows!
The laughs keep coming with Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face, a Peacock original about a woman with an uncanny ability to sniff out a lie. The series returns for its second season in early 2025.
Based on a True Story stars Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina as a couple who discover their handyman is a serial killer in this dark comedy series, which will return on November 21, 2024.
Set between the opening sequence and the main plot of the 2012 movie of the same name; Ted focuses on the early years of John and his sentient bear.
The series was renewed for another season set to return at an unknown date.
We weren’t joking about Peacock being the new Comedy Central because here is another insanely funny show, and this one may even scratch a nostalgia itch.
When Anthony Mackie isn’t the new Captain America, he headlines another incredible series called Twisted Metal.
Based on the PlayStation game of the same name, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, John Doe, a talkative milkman with amnesia, is tasked to traverse the desolate United States to deliver a mysterious package with unknown contents.
Mackie brings his own style of manic comedy to the role, and viewers will be treated to Neve Campbell’s fantastic character, Raven. If you know, you know.
Hopes and expectations for The Paper to live up to its parent series will be high. Let’s hope it does better than the Orphan Black spinoff, Orphan Black: Echoes. That one still hurts.
Are you excited for The Office spinoff?
Who do you hope will make a cameo in The Paper?
Please comment below to let me know, and join us again when we bring you everything we know so far about your favorite new and returning shows!
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