Sky One's comedy series, "The Paper," is back for its second season, offering a humorously cynical look at the newspaper industry. The show, which is a spin-off of the American adaptation of "The Office," focuses on the Toledo Truth Teller and its editor, Ned Sampson, portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson.
"The Paper" draws parallels to the spirit of "Ted Lasso," another U.S. show that found success with its optimistic portrayal of a coach leading a struggling team. Critics suggest that if viewers enjoyed "Ted Lasso," they might find "The Paper" similarly engaging due to its fast-paced, joke-a-minute style. The series is available in its entirety on the Now streaming service.
US television productions have a history of adapting British sitcoms, often with significant alterations to the original material. The noted differences between the original British "The Office" and its American counterpart illustrate this tendency. While the original featured the subtly unpleasant David Brent, the U.S. version introduced Michael Scott, a character perceived as more endearingly awkward. "The Office US" achieved a nine-season run, outlasting its British predecessor.
British comedian Tim Key is featured in "The Paper," playing a character who, despite being a fish out of water, adapts well to the rapid-fire American sitcom dialogue. His character's musings, such as reflecting on the shortness of life while also noting how long the time between breakfast and lunch can feel, encapsulate the show's blend of observational humor and philosophical undertones.
One scene highlights the comedic potential of the newsroom environment, where a junior reporter struggles to grasp the concept of pre-writing an election story before the results are finalized, questioning, "So, whatever we write here, just happens tomorrow?" The show also delves into darker humor, as seen when a colleague's sudden death, attributed to a clandestine methamphetamine-cooking hobby, prompts a coworker to quip about the juxtaposition of life's brevity and the perceived length of a workday.