Office fans should give The Paper a chance

? A promising spin-off to The Office. The heir to the iconic sitcom, The Paper takes viewers to a familiar world of satirical comedy, brought to life by director, writer, and producer Greg Daniels. The Paper is set inside a local newspaper, and its main characters are brought together by their absurdity, weirdness, and ludicrous comedy.

What’s happening at this paper? The documentary crew that once followed Michael Scott and his colleagues returns in search of a new project. The opening episode kicks off with their meeting with Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration (Robert Ray Shafer), from whom we learn that paper company Enervate acquired Dunder Mifflin several years back, merging it into its headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. The company now owns more than one paper product brand, including office supplies, toilet paper, and an obscure local newspaper titled the Toledo Truth Teller.

Big ambitions: The Toledo Truth Teller was once a prominent publication, but has since fallen on hard times, relying on reprints and trivialities. And so, the company hires Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), an ambitious man with dreams of journalistic greatness, as editor-in-chief. Ned meets managing editor Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore) — a woman of modest intelligence (and a caricatured Italian accent) who up until this point has been in charge — who immediately resents Ned for dethroning her and plans on enacting revenge. But also on the team is Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei), the only employee with actual journalistic experience. A casting surprise is former Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), who is now head of the paper’s accounting department.

They’ll do what they can with what they’ve got. Ned’s plans to hire journalists fall short on account of the company’s almost non-existent budget, so he decides to rely on the existing staff to get the job done. Needless to say, comedy ensues as everyone stumbles to find noteworthy news and quickly develop journalistic skills (and ethics).

The Paper had a tough act to follow, and lived up to its predecessor to the surprise of many. Naturally, fans of The Office were concerned with the idea for a potential spin-off ever since the show wrapped. But The Paper — already renewed for a second season a day prior to its premier — shattered expectations. The spin-off delivers joke after joke with no shortage of strange (and embarrassing) situations that the characters find themselves in, with great performances all around.

One of the strengths of the show is that their characters take on a life of their own separate from the original cast of The Office. None of the newly introduced personalities is a rip-off of any fan favorites, which avoids unflattering comparisons and the watering down of iconic characters.

It’s a nostalgic show. Scenes and lines that reference the old Dunder Mifflin era were a welcome blast from the past, and gave the new show a familiar feel in a new environment. Even if you haven’t watched The Office, The Paper is still a fun watch. The 10-episode series has already established itself as a highly promising successor, and we can’t wait for the next season.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can stream The Paper on OSN+. Catch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:06).