The Paper: Season One review by Bobby Blakey
After the success of the American remake of The Office creator Greg Daniels teamed up with Michael Koman to create the spin-off The Paper with Oscar Nunez reprising his role as Oscar. The Paper stars Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key. Could this new series capture the same fun and laughs of The Office or will it be a branch that should have been shut down?
The Paper follows the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch in the Office who now focuses their cameras on a declining Midwestern newspaper whose newly arrived editor-in-chief Ned Sampson sets out to restore the once heralded Toledo Truth Teller back to its former glory.
I love these kinds of shows and with the connection to the Office was excited to see where it was going to take us. The show takes a bit to get going but does find its pacing and laughs as it moves forward. Like any show it takes time to set things up and introduce us to all the characters, so the laughs fall flat at times and is all over the place before it gets into the swing of it all. I enjoyed this cast once we got to know them and was glad that they brought some new unique personalities to the mix as opposed to just trying to capture the same elements of The Office.
The addition of Oscar kept things familiar without feeling like it was forcing the other show on you. If you have never seen The Office, it’s not necessary for this show but does enhance the viewing experience involving Oscar himself and some of his running gags. As the show moves along it leans into the ensemble to make things work better and ends up being a fun show that has some potential for the upcoming second season.
Make no mistake it’s not The Office nor is it trying to be, but it is crafted in a way that works and feels fresh despite familiar territory. The characters are all fun with my favorite, but also the most annoying and frustrating being Esmerelda played by Sabrina Impacciatore. She brings the over-the-top laughs and complete ridiculousness to the show along with being the catalyst at times for it to get grounded in the storytelling.
While it might never live up to the legacy of The Office, The Paper types up its own story and could be one worth reading as it moves forward. This collection includes all 10 episodes of the first season and the perfect way to check out the series before the second season hits Peacock in September.
Decide for yourself and check out The Paper: Season One is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.