I have a confession to make: I’m not the biggest fan of The Office. Don’t get me wrong, I like the popular NBC sitcom, have watched several of what people consider the show’s best episodes, and know enough to hold a conversation about it. Just don’t come at me with some of your favorite inside jokes and expect me to chime in. However, that hasn’t stopped me from watching and loving The Paper.
The new spinoff of The Office was one of my most anticipated shows on the 2025 TV schedule, and now that all 10 episodes are streaming with a Peacock subscription, I have to talk about it. If you’re in a similar boat and are afraid there’s going to be some ties to the original preventing you from enjoying the comedy about a dying Midwestern newspaper, check out what I have to say!
I Liked The Office, But I Was Never A Diehard Fan
The Office premiered less than a week after my 17th birthday, and over the years, I’ve watched a large number of episodes on-and-off. That said, I have never been an Office superfan. Do I think it’s one of the funniest sitcoms of all time? Yeah. But is it something I’m going to watch all the time? No, not really.
I totally understand everyone’s love for this show about Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office, but it’s never been something that grabbed me in the way that it grabbed many of my colleagues and friends outside of work.
However, I'm Kind Of Obsessed With The Paper
Though critics seem to be mixed on The Paper, I, for one, can’t get enough of this hilarious yet thoughtful exploration of modern journalism told through the lens of a struggling newspaper. As someone who went to college for print journalism, helped run the student newspaper, and worked at a daily for several years after graduating, it feels like this show was made for me, or at least folks like me.
I was able to check out all 10 episodes ahead of time, and one thing I really dug (besides the cast pulling off that classic Office “stare”) was the way co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman found a way to find comedy in some rather serious topics. When I spoke with the co-showrunners, Daniels compared the new series to something like M.A.S.H., at least when it came to a show not shying away from serious topics and not losing its comedic charm. But, more than anything, The Paper is straight-up funny, and I can’t get enough.
There Are Some Connections To The Original Series, But A Deep Knowledge Of The Office Isn't Mandatory
There are a number of connections to the original series throughout The Paper, including the return of Oscar Nunez’s fed-up character and a great cold open exploring the link between Dunder Mifflin and the Toledo Truth Teller. However, outside of a few references you might miss here and there, not having a deep knowledge of The Office won’t prevent you from having a great time with the spinoff.
Sure, there are some similarities (both shows have the same documentary crew, after all), but The Paper is different enough to stand on its own. In fact, I’d argue that the comedy is more in tune with something like Parks and Recreation, as opposed to The Office.
Hopefully, this helps you understand that while having a love for The Office can help you out here, it isn’t necessary to enjoy The Paper.
