NBC

"The Office" spinoff has a premiere month

By Chris Morgan | Last updated May 12, 2025 4:15 PM ET

We've been on the NBC cancellation beat, including wondering if the fact none of the cancellations were simply moved over to Peacock, Comcast's streaming service, said something ominous about Peacock's future. In the process, we name dropped "The Office," speculating, with a degree of puckishness, that it's probably watched as much as anything on the service. Well, maybe that's true, and maybe that has played a role in what is coming to Peacock. Namely, a spinoff called "The Paper," which now has something adjacent to a release date.

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In "The Paper," the documentary crew that worked on the documentary about Dunder-Mifflin in "The Office" (and weirdly started to become characters as that show spun its wheels) find a new subject in a Toledo newspaper. Domhnall Gleeson, who is a very good actor, leads the cast. Somehow, Oscar from "The Office" is in this show as well. He's the Lou Grant of "The Paper."

The show debuts on Peacock in September. This says to us that NBC is so dedicated to clearing out space for the NBA that not even an "Office" spinoff can get a spot on the network schedule. Sorry, "The Paper." You needed to either be about Chicago-based emergency services or New York-based sex crimes to make the cut. Beyond that, this is just a variation on a theme. "The Office" reshaped/ruined the sitcom by popularizing the mockumentary format, and "The Paper" is more of the same. It's more I.P. mining.

Still...maybe it'll be good! Greg Daniels is talented. So is Michael Koman, who co-created the show with him. At least we know that Peacock isn't going all in with the whole unscripted television thing on Peacock. "Poker Face" season two is here and crushing it, and in September we can watch "The Paper" and see if it's worthwhile.

(h/t Deadline)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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