The Paper - sitcom on Peacock

The wife and I watched the first 3 episodes yesterday (they all dropped at once, which is something I didn’t realize until we started watching). Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, it is a follow up and spinoff of The Office and moved to a small paper in Toledo. I thought it was fairly funny in places but there is room for more.

The very beginning of the first episode was very funny in talking about paper, paper products, showing Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, and then moving the narrative to Toledo. I thought it was clever and a good way to introduce that this was another film crew following up on what they did a decade ago.

Domhnall Gleeson and Chelsea Frei work pretty well together and their dynamic looks to be the “Jim and Pam” office romance, they have chemistry and I like their characters so the pairing is working for me so far. Hopefully, there won’t be a boyfriend who works on the docks introduced, but I imagine there will be complications in their pairing.

Sabrina Impacciatore plays Esmeralda, the managing editor. She’s brash and annoying. OK. She also works to actively sabotage her new boss at every turn. They’re going to have to find a way to soften her a bit. I am not familiar with the actress but she plays a fun character. I think they have to soften the edges a bit, maybe they do it along the way.

Oscar Nunez is in it as Oscar. He’s got his character down and he’s funny as a guy who lived through this invasive documentary filming before and doesn’t want to be a part of it again.

Tim Key’s character seems to be a David Brent-type. He says the most inappropriate thing possible in a British accent.

Sounds promising! I’m a huge fan of Domhnall Gleeson anyway, so I’m really looking forward to this. Is there a Michael Scott analog in this show?

I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but it took time for The Office to hit its stride, and I’m more than willing to let this new show find its feet, too.

Gleeson is the managing editor of the paper, so he is the guy in charge. He’s not a Michael Scott though - he comes from a paper sales background but wants to run a newspaper, he’s a little nerdy and in over his head but he’s a good guy.

The “Michael Scott” character is probably Esmerelda, but she’s not in charge of the whole office.

Sounds like a competing company with Dunder-Mifflin.

That was the issue with Michael Scott in the original US series, and when they did that it changed the tone of the show and made his character more enjoyable. It’s not an uncommon problem and it’s a fixable one on a series.

I haven’t watched this show (but as a fan of The Office I will). I’m curious how well Bill Weasley can run a newspaper.

Considering the size of his acting family, he practically is!

I’m liking the show quite a bit.

They started humanizing Esmeralda after the 4th episode, and she’s no longer a female Italian Snidely Whiplash.

Wife and I have seen 4 of them and a few laughs here and there, but not enough.

Equally rough start at the US Office, but there is potential to improve.

Yeah, I just watched the fourth and fifth episodes, and this aspect of the show has gotten much better. I didn’t like the over-the-top portrayal of her character in the first three episodes. I just generally feel the actors are starting to settle in. It’s good enough that I’ve watched four episodes of it, which is more than any other sitcom I’ve watched in years.

I’ve been watching it this weekend (though part of the fourth episode) and it’s interesting how much the show is about newspapers as a dying industry. I read someplace that was something this show has in common with The Office, though I think it was only emphasized later in that show’s run (when Dunder-Mifflin was taken over by Sabre).

I think you mean Doofus.

It was a major theme in the Season 3 episode, “Business School”, where Michael Scott is confronted by students at Ryan’s college who ask him how his company can survive in an industry that’s in such a decline given the increase in paperless work.

I forgot that. But this show is addressing the issue right off the bat.

Absolutely, it’s a core part of the show rather than an issue that makes its way into the show later on. So you’re right that it’s a big difference.

I thought they did a good job of this indirectly in episode 3. Early on you think she is sabotaging Ned/Mare by lying to Ned that Mare is thinking of leaving the paper and then later leaving an incomprehensible note for Ned about the budget meeting…. by the end of the episode its revealed that Esmeralda WASN’T lying about Mare possibly leaving and Ned immediately understood what the note meant.

But I just finished episode 7…. and she was actively scheming to get rid of Ned or Marv with the ‘not-David Brent’ character. Makes me think that episode got plotted out before she was softened. Also Marv was really softened to kindly old boss in that episode.

So far I like the main cast although all the dudes are kind of idiots which is a bit of trope now.

I think Kimberly(?) from the “Softeez” side of the office and definitely the janitor are going to end up being the “Daryls”–we’ll see them occasionally but eventually they’ll basically be regulars if the show goes long enough.

Yeah, the “Softeez” employees are this show’s version of the warehouse from The Office, if you had the warehouse potentially visible in the background of regular bullpen scenes.

It’s interesting how you can find parallels with the old show yet still things are do different.

We watched ep1 yesterday. Neither of us were impressed (especially with the Peacock ads.) Not sure if your reviews are enough for us to give it more of a try.

Wow, this show improved a lot over the course of its season. I hope they continue to improve in their second season.

I’ve only made it through a couple of episodes, it’s a bit of a slog for me but The Office was a bit of a slog in the beginning as well. I’m going to take a break give it another chance at a later date.

Speaking of The Office, Paul Lieberstein (Toby) has a part as a therapist in “Platonic” – it’s pretty hilarious seeing him in an assertive role…especially when he’s fully decked out in his lyra cycling outfit.

We finished the season two nights ago and I enjoyed it. I do think it has room to grow and Ned and Mare getting together at the end was sweet but predictable. The bit with Nicole and Melvin was a bit surprising though. I would watch a second season.