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The Office was a standout among early 2000s staple sitcoms, a cringe comedy classic worthy of its pedestal.
Its mockumentary storytelling style left a lasting impact on future shows like Modern Family, Abbott Elementary, and one particular WandaVision episode that even parodied the theme song!
While the idea of expanding the world of Dundler Mifflin initially sparked backlash, the trailer for The Paper, its new spinoff, might just change fans' minds. Here are the top 5 signs that could convince The Office loyalists to give it (maybe even a rewatch) a chance.
A Mockumentary That Timely Mocks the Original
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The Office's fictional company is called Dunder Mifflin, which (boringly) makes actual paper; whereas its spinoff, The Paper, is a fictional newspaper company called The Toledo Truth Teller that appears to desperately need a new editor-in-chief. In comes Domhnall Gleeson's Ned to the rescue.
There's no telling if he's meant to be the reflection of Jim Halpert in the original, but in this case, he's the complete opposite.
He's motivated to pull The Toledo Truth Teller out of the swamp and swing it to victory. Not to mention, some familiar faces who resemble Ryan and Kelly Kapoor's problematic romance, Stanley Hudson not giving much of a care about the office as long as it pays good, and well, Michael Scott himself in the modern world.
Perfect for Generation Z Audiences in the Workplace
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From millennials to Generation Z peeps, the golden age of television continues to tread alongside them, and The Paper might just give them one more reason to give their subscription plans a chance.
Don't get me wrong, workplace comedies have been around for years: Scrubs, The IT Crowd, Superstore, and most recently, Abbott Elementary, but what's the harm in adding another to the roster?
We're not just talking about Gen Z and online lingo here — the common viewers' demographic, ranging from teens to early adults, is entering and has been dealing with the workplace, and it's not all fun. Think of The Paper as a fourth-wall breaker that practically knows how to debunk what a workplace holds.
As one scene said, when Domhnall Gleeson's Ned asked if anyone in the team knew how to write a paper, most of them turned out to be amateurs. And that barely scratches the surface.
A Quirky Combo of Gina Linetti and Sofia Vergara on Desk
Sabrina Impacciatore's character is essentially a combination of Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Sofia Vergara's Gloria from Modern Family. With Gina's whimsical timing and Sofia's accent, Sabrina brings forth a potentially lovable character that could turn the audience's heads back on TV again.
Key Character From The Office Makes the Cut
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And if that's not enough to convince you: Oscar Martinez is joining the new gang in the new office!
Oscar Nuñez, who played the secretly gay accountant in the original Office sitcom, recognizes the documentary team in the trailer and outrightly states he wants no part of their project, "Not again!" And even curses to avoid getting featured on their cameras. Who's to say that's the last we'll see of him in the spinoff?
Time for Cringe Comedy with a Conscience
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Nothing beats stoic cringe comedy from The Office, but The Paper could do them one better: cringe comedy with a conscience.
There had been some problematic instances in the original series that were never addressed or would now be considered too controversial and sensitive to take lightly for a joke. The Paper, being a newspaper company, changes things.
As a newspaper company, the words and topics they publish have power and control over the perspectives of their readers, meaning they would have to tread carefully when crossing thresholds that may or may not end up bankrupting their company from unintentional cybercrimes like hate speech, defamation, or misinformation.
This way, The Paper's modern take is not only a reflection of society, but spreads the lesson on how the internet and news industries work in today's era.
The Paper spinoff starts streaming on Peacock on September 4. Stay tuned!
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