As a spin-off of The Office, The Paper has the not-so-easy task of living up to the very high standards set by its beloved predecessor. Thankfully, The Paper succeeds by immediately finding its own voice. It’s still a workplace comedy bolstered by small-town shenanigans and heartwarming relationships, but The Paper is less cynical and more hopeful and sweet. If anything, it’s closer to Parks and Recreation than the other shows creator Greg Daniels has worked on. Watching The Paper, you’ll be hard-pressed not to root for The Truth-Teller’s ambitious editor-in-chief, glamorous managing editor, and equally kooky staff. Just as endearing (and hilarious) is the paper’s attempt to gain back relevancy in an age that’s all but forgotten the importance of journalism, especially grassroots and community journalism.
"The series is as interested in the particulars of fact-checking and deadlines as it is the concessions we make to capitalism’s indifference to humanity."
— Matt Zoller Seitz
"The bingeable first season will leave everyone from “Office” diehards to new viewers wanting more."
— Proma Khosla
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher trying to revive it.
In this mockumentary, the same people who followed Dunder-Mifflin are now interviewing its parent company, Enervate—specifically the staff of the local newspaper it owns, The Toledo Truth Teller. Amid budget cuts, technological advances, and slow news days, the paper’s staff members work to restore their publication to its former renown.
The will-they-or-wont-they relationships. It’s tricky to stuff plenty of them all at once in a show, but so far it works.
It’s not as funny as The Office, but its original voice, endearing characters, and hilarious pulse on the zeitgeist give it its own edge.
