Two decades after its premiere, The Office is still endlessly rewatchable comfort viewing for many viewers. But if you ever find yourself wondering what those workplace antics and fourth wall-breaking stares might look like in the 2020s, well, you’re in luck. An Office spin-off is on the way.
Meet The Paper
First announced last year, The Paper is shaping up in time for a fall release date on Peacock. Per the streamer, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it.”
The series is co-created by Greg Daniels (who first developed The Office for American viewers) and Michael Koman, co-creator of Nathan for You — a show that promises some deliciously awkward bona fides.
As Daniels previously told The Hollywood Reporter, the publisher of the Toledo, Ohio-based paper has a limited budget to work with, and his staff of reporters works on a volunteer basis.
“They’re completely untrained and don’t know what they’re doing,” Daniels continued. “It’s a fruitful premise. There’s a tremendous history for local papers. The villain here is the internet and the ability to look at everybody’s news for free, and all the ad revenue going to Google.”
So… Is The Original Cast Coming Back?
In addition to its co-creator, Oscar Nuñez, who played Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar, reprises his role on the new show.
“I told Mr. Greg Daniels that if Oscar came back, he would probably be living in a more bustling, cosmopolitan city. Greg heard me and moved Oscar to Toledo, Ohio, which has three times the population of Scranton. So, it was nice to be heard,” Nuñez joked at the NBCUniversal upfronts presentation on May 12, per The A.V. Club.
So far, no other Office alums have been announced to return. Steve Carell has told THR that he’ll tune in as a viewer but won’t be making an appearance. “It’s just a new thing and there’s really no reason for my character [Michael Scott] to show up in something like that,” he said. “But I’m excited about it, it sounds like a great conceit.”
As for new faces? Domhnall Gleeson plays the paper’s publisher, and The White Lotus alum Sabrina Impacciatore also stars.
The Paper Premiere Date Is Very Soon
Can’t wait for The Office spin-off? You won’t have to for much longer. During upfronts, Peacock announced that The Paper will premiere in September.
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