The creative team behind the U.S. adaptation of The Office has returned to the mockumentary format with The Paper, a workplace comedy that follows the same documentary crew that once filmed Dunder Mifflin as they turn their cameras on a struggling Midwestern newspaper.
Domhnall Gleeson stars as Ned Sampson, the hapless editor at the Toledo Truth-Teller, and told reporters he researched what makes a bad newspaper editor to inform the role. Oscar Nuñez is among the cast, reprising his role as accountant Oscar Martinez. The series is being carried by Peacock and aims to echo the tone of The Office while telling its own story about local journalism under pressure.
The Paper relocates the mockumentary’s focus from an office supplies company to a small-city newsroom, placing character-driven comedy against the backdrop of a real-world decline in local news outlets. The Toledo Truth-Teller is presented as a beleaguered institution whose staff must navigate tight budgets, changing audience habits and the remnants of a once-dominant local press.
Creators and producers have signalled an intent to preserve the tonal signature that made The Office a cultural touchstone: deadpan delivery, documentary-style intimacy and a focus on workplace dynamics. The U.S. version of The Office ran from 2005 to 2013 and grew into a global phenomenon, frequently quoted and widely rewatched. The new series seeks to capture elements of that appeal while building its own ensemble and narrative.
Gleeson, an Irish actor whose credits include film and television roles that have ranged from drama to comedy, said his preparation included examining real newsroom behavior to create a believable, if inept, editor. The production team has emphasised that The Paper will be a distinct series, neither a direct sequel nor a straight spin-off of the Scranton saga, but one that acknowledges the original show’s legacy through the documentary crew conceit.
The inclusion of a familiar character in Nuñez’s Oscar Martinez offers a tangible link for long-standing fans, while the new setting and central cast are intended to broaden the mockumentary’s reach. The creators have framed the newsroom as fertile ground for workplace comedy: it combines entrenched office rituals with external pressures that can heighten both conflict and absurdity.
Industry observers note that workplace comedies have repeatedly returned to familiar formats because the structures of offices, shops and similar environments provide steady sources of interpersonal tension and humour. For The Paper, the newsroom setting also introduces topical themes about media sustainability and public trust in journalism, though producers have framed the series primarily as a character-led comedy rather than a polemic.
The announcement follows continued interest in expanding or revisiting established television universes, and comes more than a decade after The Office concluded in 2013. Peacock has not yet released a full broadcast schedule for The Paper beyond initial casting and production details published by outlets reporting on the program. The show’s success will likely be measured both by its reception among legacy fans and by its ability to attract viewers unfamiliar with The Office who are drawn to workplace comedy or stories about local journalism.
The Paper’s launch will test whether the mockumentary format can again translate to a different workplace with fresh characters while retaining the observational humour and awkward human moments that defined the original series.