RIOTUS

The team that brought you into the hallowed halls of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is back with The Paper. This time, the faux documentary focuses on a small Toledo newspaper, which is owned by and operated within the same building as the paper company Softee—toilet paper, that is. 

When Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) steps away from Softee’s sales division and takes up the editor-in-chief role at The Toledo Truth Teller, he knows its transformation is going to be a huge undertaking. But he hasn’t yet grasped that it’s the people who can really make or break a newspaper (and we’re not just talking about news stories). 

The people on his team include: Esmerelda (Sabrina Impacciatore), the fiery managing editor with an axe to grind; Mare (Chelsea Frei), the compositor and rising star journalist who is perhaps the lone sane person here; Barry (Duane Shepard Sr.), who reports on local sports in between naps; and Nicole (Ramona Young), who works in circulation and would rather be anywhere else but here. 

Working closely with the newspaper team is Detrick (Melvin Gregg), who sells ads for the paper and has a big heart (and an even bigger crush). Along with accountants Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), Adam (Alex Edelman), and Oscar (Oscar Nuñez, who reprises his role from The Office). And overseeing the office (well, kinda) are Ken (Tim Key) and Marv (Allen Havey).

The Paper’s cast is wonderfully funny and has solid chemistry; their characters have distinct idiosyncrasies and personalities that flourish over the course of the season. Gleeson is an energetic and winning lead who brings his natural comedic charm to the role of Ned. Impacciatore is hilarious as Esmerelda, stirring up tension with dramatic pizzazz. While Young brings such deadpan humor to Nicole you can’t help but root for her. Shoutout to personal fave Ikumelo as Adelola, whose energy is everything. 

The team’s varied levels of enthusiasm about keeping the paper running (and therefore, keeping their jobs) give the series an underdog theme on top of its workplace comedy setup, which will get you cheering for them.

The faux documentary-style editing and characters’ asides are some of the show’s best work. Meanwhile, the comedy is mostly gentle and excels in its awkwardness. It doesn’t quite have the same irreverent charm of The Office, but The Paper has its own endearing way about it that keeps you coming back for more. In fact, the more you settle into it, the more you’ll see yourself watching for years to come (network willing).

The Paper is an easy watch with some cool Easter eggs for The Office fans to enjoy, and plenty of charm for newcomers to the workplace comedy setup, too.