The Paper (2025)
TV show · 2025 · Comedy · English
Curator score: 4.0/10 (13.6K ratings)
Tagline: Finally some good news.
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher trying to revive it.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 4.0/10
- IMDb: 7.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Metacritic: 66
- TMDB: 7.1/10
Production: Universal Television, Banijay Americas, Deedle-Dee Productions
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key, Oscar Nuñez
Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Curator Review
Verdict: A promising workplace mockumentary with a strong inherited format and enough charm to make the first season worth sampling, but it does not yet have the effortless comic rhythm or ensemble depth of its predecessor. The newsroom setting gives it fresh energy and a slightly more topical edge, though the show is still finding its voice.
Best for: fans of The Office-style mockumentaries; viewers who like workplace ensemble comedies; people interested in media and local-news satire; binge-watchers looking for an easy, low-stakes comedy
Skip if: you want a fully formed classic from episode one; you are tired of mockumentary workplace comedies; you prefer broad joke density over character-based awkward comedy; you want a show with a more distinctive identity than its influences
Overview: The Paper arrives with a lot of goodwill because it understands exactly what kind of comedy it wants to be: a workplace mockumentary about a struggling institution, populated by people who are earnest, awkward, and only half-equipped for the job. That structure still works, and the newspaper setting gives the series a useful new target for satire. There is enough wit in the premise and enough chemistry in the ensemble to make it easy to keep watching.
Worth noting: What keeps it in mixed territory is comparison. The show is clearly built in the shadow of The Office, and while that gives it a reliable engine, it also makes the early episodes feel familiar rather than revelatory. The humor is more observational than explosive, and the characters need time to sharpen into something memorable. Some of the best moments come from the tension between old-media decline and the absurd optimism of people trying to save a dying paper.
Bottom line: If you like mockumentaries that settle in and reward patience, this is a reasonable watch. It is not yet essential television, but it has enough craft, cast appeal, and format confidence to justify a try, especially for viewers who enjoy workplace comedies with a slightly melancholy streak.
Recommended similar titles:
- The Office (2005 · Curator 8.4/10 (832.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
The clearest tonal and structural comparison: a mockumentary workplace comedy that turns mundane professional dysfunction into character-driven humor.
- Parks and Recreation (2009 · Curator 7.8/10 (315.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
Shares the same optimistic workplace-comedy DNA, with a similar balance of ensemble warmth, awkwardness, and slow-burn character payoff.
- Abbott Elementary (2021 · Curator 9.8/10 (52.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV, Max)
A modern workplace ensemble with strong heart, sharp joke writing, and a documentary-style sensibility that rewards weekly viewing or bingeing.
- 30 Rock (2006 · Curator 8.1/10 (138.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus)
Fast, absurd, and media-industry adjacent, it is a great fit for viewers who want a smarter, denser workplace satire.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013 · Curator 9.8/10 (418.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Peacock Premium, Netflix Standard with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus)
A breezy, character-forward workplace comedy with strong ensemble chemistry and a similarly easy binge rhythm.
- The Newsroom (2012 · Curator 8.6/10 (135.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For the journalism setting specifically, this offers a more serious, idealistic, and dialogue-driven look at the pressures of making news.
- Murphy Brown (1988 · Comedy · 24m · Curator 5.5/10 (11.6K ratings))
A classic newsroom comedy that pairs workplace politics with media satire and a strong sense of professional identity.
- Ted Lasso (2020 · Curator 9.9/10 (441.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus)
If the appeal is the ensemble dynamics and gradual emotional investment, this offers a similarly warm, accessible binge experience.
- Veep (2012 · Curator 9.5/10 (71.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For viewers who want sharper institutional satire and a faster, more caustic comic bite than a gentler mockumentary.
- The Thick of It (2005 · Curator 8.9/10 (29.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, BritBox, Peacock Premium Plus)
For viewers drawn to workplace incompetence and satirical pressure-cooker dynamics, this is a sharper, more cynical companion piece.
Topics: mockumentary, workplace comedy, media satire, ensemble cast, office politics, journalism, deadpan humor, character-driven, streaming comedy
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/the-paper/253941
Overview The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher trying to revive it.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.0/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 7.1/10
Production Universal Television, Banijay Americas, Deedle-Dee Productions
Cast Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key, Oscar Nuñez
Where to watch Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A promising workplace mockumentary with a strong inherited format and enough charm to make the first season worth sampling, but it does not yet have the effortless comic rhythm or ensemble depth of its predecessor. The newsroom setting gives it fresh energy and a slightly more topical edge, though the show is still finding its voice.
Best for
fans of The Office-style mockumentaries
viewers who like workplace ensemble comedies
people interested in media and local-news satire
binge-watchers looking for an easy, low-stakes comedy
Skip if
you want a fully formed classic from episode one
you are tired of mockumentary workplace comedies
you prefer broad joke density over character-based awkward comedy
you want a show with a more distinctive identity than its influences
Overview
The Paper arrives with a lot of goodwill because it understands exactly what kind of comedy it wants to be: a workplace mockumentary about a struggling institution, populated by people who are earnest, awkward, and only half-equipped for the job. That structure still works, and the newspaper setting gives the series a useful new target for satire. There is enough wit in the premise and enough chemistry in the ensemble to make it easy to keep watching.
Worth noting
What keeps it in mixed territory is comparison. The show is clearly built in the shadow of The Office, and while that gives it a reliable engine, it also makes the early episodes feel familiar rather than revelatory. The humor is more observational than explosive, and the characters need time to sharpen into something memorable. Some of the best moments come from the tension between old-media decline and the absurd optimism of people trying to save a dying paper.
Bottom line
If you like mockumentaries that settle in and reward patience, this is a reasonable watch. It is not yet essential television, but it has enough craft, cast appeal, and format confidence to justify a try, especially for viewers who enjoy workplace comedies with a slightly melancholy streak.
Recommended similar titles
2005 · Curator 8.4/10 (832.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
The clearest tonal and structural comparison: a mockumentary workplace comedy that turns mundane professional dysfunction into character-driven humor.
2009 · Curator 7.8/10 (315.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Shares the same optimistic workplace-comedy DNA, with a similar balance of ensemble warmth, awkwardness, and slow-burn character payoff.
2021 · Curator 9.8/10 (52.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV, Max
A modern workplace ensemble with strong heart, sharp joke writing, and a documentary-style sensibility that rewards weekly viewing or bingeing.
2006 · Curator 8.1/10 (138.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
Fast, absurd, and media-industry adjacent, it is a great fit for viewers who want a smarter, denser workplace satire.
2013 · Curator 9.8/10 (418.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Peacock Premium, Netflix Standard with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A breezy, character-forward workplace comedy with strong ensemble chemistry and a similarly easy binge rhythm.
2012 · Curator 8.6/10 (135.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For the journalism setting specifically, this offers a more serious, idealistic, and dialogue-driven look at the pressures of making news.
1988 · Comedy · 24m · Curator 5.5/10 (11.6K ratings)
A classic newsroom comedy that pairs workplace politics with media satire and a strong sense of professional identity.
2020 · Curator 9.9/10 (441.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
If the appeal is the ensemble dynamics and gradual emotional investment, this offers a similarly warm, accessible binge experience.
2012 · Curator 9.5/10 (71.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For viewers who want sharper institutional satire and a faster, more caustic comic bite than a gentler mockumentary.
2005 · Curator 8.9/10 (29.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, BritBox, Peacock Premium Plus
For viewers drawn to workplace incompetence and satirical pressure-cooker dynamics, this is a sharper, more cynical companion piece.
Topics
mockumentary, workplace comedy, media satire, ensemble cast, office politics, journalism, deadpan humor, character-driven, streaming comedy
Open The Paper (2025) on Curator TV