When we hear of spin-offs, reboots, or sometimes even sequels, excitement doesn’t always follow. Why touch a good thing and potentially ruin it? But occasionally, they end up not only being good but genuinely delightful, and such is the case with The Paper Season 1. Brought to us by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, the spin-off, following a similar mockumentary format to The Office, doesn’t try to be its predecessor, but instead, it delivers something clever, awkwardly funny, and particularly relevant to the time we’re living in.
In many ways, a large part of the reason why The Paper is evocative is because journalism as we know it is threatened and changing day by day. Where we have series like The Newsroom and The Morning Show tackling breaking news to large masses, here we’re in Toledo, Ohio, trying to save a very small local paper from running its last print.
I can’t write a review about a show like The Paper without making it personal, but that’s also another big reason why it feels significant. Unless you’re in this business and running a small site like the one we are, then chances are you don’t quite realize what’s at stake with the threats of AI, ever-changing algorithms, and the state of the world flipping everyone off their axis. There have been a number of days when I’ve thought, “This is it—this is the end of Lady Geeks. I don’t know how we keep going with all these changes.”
But those of us who chose this job also know that we didn’t sign up for constant success. It’s not only impossible, but it’d be a pipe dream. We have to choose it over and over again. We’re here because we love it with our whole hearts. We’re still here today because every single one of us at Lady Geeks loves the content we cover. But it’s not always glamorous, and more often than not, it’s a lot of staring at our computers, trying to decide what our readers will want from us and how we can keep going during the months where things are especially slow. This industry is crumbling, and there’s no need to sugarcoat it. But we’re going to have to keep trying, and thankfully, right at this very second, The Paper Season 1 is making us feel like it’ll be worth it. (Though really, I wish this show aired weekly so I could write about every episode.)
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Though the Toledo Truth Teller is nothing like the state of entertainment journalism, there are exemplary details in the series that explore the need to cover something with authenticity and heart. Through complex, exceptionally well-written characters who each handle things differently, the show tells us a story that’s worth paying attention to. In many ways, like in The Office, these characters aren’t all meant to be likable. They’re brash, conniving, and self-centered at times. They’re going to frustrate us. They’re going to make mistakes. But growth makes a good series even more exhilarating, and the show’s debut season hints at how that’ll undoubtedly be the case here. From the first episode to the tenth, it’s thoroughly gripping to get a sense of what’s going on inside their heads, and it’s compelling to see their interactions in a space that almost demands truth. It’s veiled, sure, but that’s part of the charm, too.
Domhnall Gleeson is a standout performer as editor-in-chief Ned Sampson, bringing to our screens a soft, dorky leading man who’s easy to adore right from the start. Chelsea Frei as Mare Pritti is the kind of excellent journalist so many women will relate to. She’s already so well-rounded, and the burgeoning romantic relationship with Ned is an exciting treat that romance fans will especially adore. Sabrina Impacciatore, Tim Key, Ramona Young, Melvin Gregg, Alex Edelman, Gbemisola Ikumelo, and Oscar Nuñez each bring something special to the series, making it worthy of staying on our screens for a while.
As it finds its footing and carves a space in the world of comedy, The Paper is bound to be a show that’ll become someone’s go-to comfort. It’s clever, nerdy, and brilliantly relevant as it explores the significance of journalism through a heartfelt, surprisingly vulnerable lens. What we’re seeing in the debut season is an honest homage to hard work, the fears, the frustration, and everything in between in a manner that works while still keeping characters in the driver’s seat. Or, in this case, in front of the keyboard.
The Paper Season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.
First Featured Image Credit: ©(Photo by: Aaron Epstein/PEACOCK)