From the moment the familiar documentary crew picks up its cameras, viewers of Peacock’s The Paper will feel an immediate connection to a beloved TV universe. But instead of an office run by a well-meaning but chaotic regional manager, they find themselves in a Toledo newsroom, chronicling a different kind of dwindling industry: local journalism. At the center of it all is Ned Sampson, a boss who is almost an anti-Michael Scott, but who, like his predecessor, leads with his heart. The Paper is a show that finds both belly laughs and beauty in the earnest, often-clumsy efforts of a newspaper staff to do right by their community, proving that even in the face of immense change, there is still hope for a good story.
A New Office, a New Kind of Boss
Peacock’s new series, The Paper, introduces audiences to Ned Sampson, the newly-appointed editor-in-chief of the Toledo Truth Teller. The fictional documentary crew, which once chronicled the lives of the Dunder Mifflin staff in Scranton, has turned its cameras on another industry fighting for its survival—local news. And they have found a protagonist who is an intriguing mix of familiar and completely new. Unlike Michael Scott, who was a master of chaos and a constant source of cringe-inducing moments, Ned Sampson is a man who leads with his heart and is almost hyper-vigilant about not offending others. He even holds meetings where his staff actually discusses work.
Ned’s journey to the world of journalism is a peculiar one, as he comes to the job with little actual experience, having previously worked in toilet paper sales. Star Domhnall Gleeson, who plays the character with a winning blend of earnestness and awkwardness, admitted that Ned’s career change is “an immensely stupid move” for the character. But what drives him is a genuine belief that a local newspaper is an essential service to its community. While researching the role, Gleeson visited newsrooms in Ohio, where he told CNN he found “Ned’s optimism.” He was inspired by the real people doing “real journalism” despite so much working against them, a feeling that is central to his character’s mission.
The Inspiration Behind the Story
The concept for The Paper originated with creator Greg Daniels, who found his first nugget of inspiration in a radio program about so-called “ghost newspapers.” These are local publications that still retain their familiar name but no longer have the staff or standards needed for adequate coverage. Daniels saw this as a perfect subject for the documentary crew’s cameras, a subject that “wouldn’t overlap too much with stories that we had done on The Office, because journalism is its own thing and it’s not exactly the same as general office work.” The show, therefore, has a clear purpose from the get-go, focusing on the unique challenges and triumphs of a specific, purpose-driven field.
Fellow executive producer and creator Michael Koman, a native New Yorker, said he had been feeling the contraction of the local press “in the air” for some time. Even in a city with flourishing newspapers, “so many had gone away.” This personal connection to the subject matter adds a layer of poignancy to the show’s premise. Koman and Daniels understood that reviving a newspaper of this size would be an immense challenge, a reality that is at the heart of the series. The show’s narrative is built on this struggle, highlighting the difficult work that lies ahead for Ned and his team as they try to revive a dying institution.
Finding Heart in a Dying Industry
The staff at the Toledo Truth Teller is a motley crew, largely made up of volunteers from other parts of the paper’s parent company. The core team includes an alum of military publication “Stars and Stripes” named Mare (Chelsea Frei), a managing editor named Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore), and a few others. Office alum Oscar Nuñez even reprises his role from the original series, adding a nostalgic layer to the proceedings. The stories they pursue are not exactly hard-hitting—think scammy business practices and unjustly closed public bathrooms—but the charm and comedy come from watching them navigate the correct and incorrect ways to pursue journalistic leads.
The show finds its heart in the characters’ dedication, their willingness to do the work “despite the pessimism around them.” As Daniels put it, “I think maybe that’s really cool – when you see somebody who’s like, ‘Yeah, I know it’s a terrible time to be in the news business, but I’m still doing it ‘cause I care.’” For actor Chelsea Frei, her connection to the show’s themes is deeply personal. Her grandmother was a local journalist, and her parents recently relied on the efforts of local reporters during the Los Angeles wildfires, reinforcing the real-world importance of the very work the show is satirizing. The show pays tribute to the “romantic feelings” people have for journalism, capturing a poignant tribute to the industry’s past in a beautifully filmed flashback scene in the pilot, which shows the newsroom brimming with the energy of a bygone era.
A New Show with an Old Soul
The big question for any spin-off is whether it can stand on its own while honoring its predecessor. The Paper has to contend with the legacy of one of the most beloved comedies of all time, but the show and its creators seem keenly aware of this challenge. As Domhnall Gleeson said, “if you’re looking for the exact same show, you’re not gonna get that.” He rightly points out that The Office is still available for those who want that specific brand of comedy. The Paper, he says, is “slightly different. We’re a different kind of show.” The show’s confidence seems to be shared by the network, which ordered a second season even before the first one debuted.
The show’s connection to its parent series is more than just a shared premise; it’s a shared community. Greg Daniels noted that several members of the original Office cast, including Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Angela Kinsey, visited the set during production. Daniels hilariously added that Gleeson has “kept Steve in a basement (in The Patient) and he shot Krasinski in the ‘Fountain of Youth,’” but more seriously noted that “there is a lot of mutual respect between the casts.” The on-set visits hint at a sense of camaraderie and support that transcends the screen, suggesting that the spirit of the original show—where the office is a great place to make friends—lives on in its new iteration.
