What we know about The Paper, the upcoming spin-off of American sitcom The Office
What we know about The Paper, the upcoming spin-off of American sitcom The Office
NEW YORK – It has been 20 years since the American version of The Office (2005 to 2013) debuted on NBC, where it ran for nine acclaimed seasons and endured as a pop culture juggernaut well after its finale. It lives on in countless memes and catchphrases, and the network says it remains one of its most-streamed shows.
So, it should surprise no one that the sitcom, as delightfully cringey as it is lovable, is finally getting a spin-off – The Paper (2025).
NBCUniversal revealed at its upfront presentation in May that The Paper would debut on its streaming platform Peacock in September.
The sitcom is being created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Daniels was behind the American adaptation of The Office, while Koman created Comedy Central's Nathan For You (2013), alongside its star Nathan Fielder, a king of deadpan comedy.
Daniels and Koman are executive producers of The Paper, as are Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the duo behind the original British version of The Office (2001 to 2003).
Fans first caught wind of the potential spin-off in May 2024, when it was announced that Peacock had an untitled comedy-mockumentary series in the works. Production of The Paper began last summer.
Like The Office, The Paper is a mockumentary sitcom about an industry in trouble – this time, the newspaper business, as opposed to the paper business of the original.
It is also set in the same universe as the original. The same fictional documentary crew that followed the employees of Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is now following those who work at The Truth Teller, a fictional newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, whose publisher is trying to revive it with the help of volunteer reporters.
Oscar Nunez is returning as Oscar Martinez, who will now work in accounting at The Truth Teller.
'I told Mr Greg Daniels that if Oscar came back, he would probably be living in a more bustling, cosmopolitan city,' Nunez said at the May presentation. 'Greg heard me, and he moved Oscar to Toledo, Ohio, which has three times the population of Scranton. So, it was nice to be heard.'
So far, Nunez is the only Office alum who is confirmed for the new series, but John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert, told Entertainment Tonight that he would make a cameo if Daniels asked him. 'I will do anything for that guy,' Krasinski said. 'He calls, I'll show up.'
The new series will be led by actors Domhnall Gleeson, most famous for his role in Alex Garland's sci-fi film Ex Machina (2014) , and Sabrina Impacciatore, most famous for her role as the no-nonsense hotel manager during Season 2 of HBO's The White Lotus (2022).
Impacciatore will play the managing editor of The Truth Teller, and Gleeson will play a new employee.
The Paper will also star Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young and Tim Key. NYTIMES
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