Creating a sitcom about a daily newspaper is redundant.
So much happens in a day, it’s impossible to do it justice. So, the folks behind “The Office” borrow a page from that show’s playbook and tell “another” story with “The Paper.”
The comedy still boasts the quirky characters we recognize, but it’s not the tell-all journalists might have wanted.
"The Paper" staff, from left, Chelsea Frei as Mare, Ramona Young as Nicole, Melvin Gregg as Detrick, Gbemisola Ikumelo as Adelola, Alex Edelman as Adam, Eric Rahill as Travis, Oscar Nunez as Oscar.
Here, a former toilet paper sales exec gets the opportunity to lead the Toledo Truth Teller, a woefully understaffed paper that’s simply part of a paper-related conglomerate. To fill it, the paper has plenty of wire copy and one reporter who doesn’t exactly burn the soles of his shoes trying to get a story.
To rectify this, Ned Sampson, the new editor (Domhnall Gleeson), asks for volunteers. Remarkably, he gets folks from accounting, sales and other parts of the toilet paper business to pitch in.
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The reporters don’t know the first thing about interviewing or writing, but they’re eager to try. Meanwhile, the managing editor (Sabrina Impacciatore) has kept her superiors at bay by telling them what they want to hear. Trim the budget? She does it by cutting that all-important wire service. And, so, Ned must scramble which, often, is what he does best.
Domhnall Gleeson as Ned in "The Paper."
“The Paper,” as a result, looks like the launch of a newspaper, not the headaches of one trying to stay afloat.
To come up with stories, Ned puts the staff on the hunt for material in Toledo (never mind the burning building nearby).
“The Paper” gets its best laughs when a group of high school journalists come to learn from their professional counterparts. It also scores when Ned has to revert to his past just to make his wishes happen.
Like “The Office,” “The Paper” doesn’t teach us anything we don’t already know— or uncover something readers didn’t suspect. Too many reporters work on one story but it’s intriguing to see the ambition that that inspires.
Gleeson, meanwhile, would work well in any iteration of a newspaper story. He exudes sincerity and isn’t afraid to pitch in and report. He’s a keeper. Some of the others just need a little more time.
Alex Edelman, who plays one of the “new” reporters, wrote one of the episodes that’s a real gem. If creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman involve him more, they’re destined to have another Mindy Kaling or B.J. Novak on their hands. The game plan works. As a character, Edelman does, too.
Binge the first 10 and you’ll find it’s not another “Office.” It’s a new “Paper.”
“The Paper” airs on Peacock beginning Sept. 4.
