Disclaimer: I would like to preface this review by saying I have only watched the pilot of the series.
New sitcom “The Paper,” a spinoff from the famous American series, “The Office,” premiered the entirety of its first season on Thursday, Sept. 4.
“The Paper” follows a group of coworkers at a newspaper company called The Toledo Truth Teller in Toledo, Ohio. It is filmed in mockumentary style, being ‘filmed’ by the same fictional crew that once captured the company Dunder Mifflin from “The Office.” The newspaper is also currently owned by the same parent company that once purchased Dunder Mifflin.
Unfortunately, the best thing going for “The Paper” is that it is reminiscent of “The Office.” The pilot is not quite good, but not quite bad.
Early in the episode, we are introduced to The Toledo Truth Teller, a failing newspaper that is surviving off clickbait and advertisements. The audience gets a feel for the very modern office and its very real employees. Most of the characters are likeable, but we do not get enough time spent with them to get a proper gist for who these characters are.
Actor Oscar Nunez has returned to play his character from “The Office”, Oscar Martinez, who is now employed by The Toledo Truth Teller. Martinez is humorously irritated by the return of the film crew, bringing some familiarity and comedic relief to the show.
The pilot is slow and somewhat boring, lacking the same dry and often out-of-pocket humor that is apparent throughout the entirety of “The Office.” Though, without comparison to its predecessor, “The Paper” is an averagely good show.
The employees in “The Paper” seem well acquainted but my first impression is that they currently lack the sense of family that “The Office” characters possessed from the get-go. Potentially these bonds will form throughout the season as the newspaper undergoes many important changes.
One of the main characters of the show, Ned Sampson, played by actor Domhnall Gleeson, is the recently appointed editor in chief of the company, with the pilot documenting his first day at work. He is a rather likeable character, though he’s no Michael Scott. His character seems to mirror a more Jim Halpert-type, a sort of dreamer. Sampson, however, is extremely motivated and passionate about journalism, which is refreshing to see on television during the digital age.
As Sampson introduces some of the changes he has in mind for the reporting of the company, some employees of the other side of the office who sell toilet paper (I am not sure what this is about yet, it does not quite get clarified in episode one), offer to become reporters. This was definitely one of the funnier moments of the episode, reminding me of when the custodial staff at Dundler Mifflin would often get involved with office interactions and business.
Towards the end of the episode, audiences also get a closer view of character Mare Pritti, played by Chelsea Frei. Pritti seems to be an intelligent woman with an interest in journalism, who has lost motivations in pursuing the field seriously and views it more as a mean to get by. After a rather long conversation scene with her boss, Sampson, viewers are led to suspect a future romance between the two. Can their romance top Jim and Pam’s (from “The Office”)? Short answer: I do not think so. The longer answer, however, is that this romance might be what prompts me to keep watching the show.
In essence, the series, “The Paper” falls short of its older sibling, “The Office,” but as a standalone, is not a bad watch.
Rating: 3/5