The Office’s Reunion in New Mockumentary: “The Paper”

Two decades after the camera revolved around the employees of Scranton’s Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in the renowned sitcom “The Office,” the same crew has reconvened for another Greg Daniels' mockumentary titled, “The Paper”. The show airs on Peacock and is a marked deviation from the erstwhile representation of a paper company. The series revolves around the waning Toledo Truth Teller based out of Ohio. The mockumentary style of comedy shown previously in “The Office”, an adaptation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s BBC series, peers once again with familiar faces from the previous sitcom.

As the series unfolds, it is revealed that Dunder Mifflin had been acquired by Enervate, a company located in Toledo, before the pandemic set in. The crew thus heads to the Truth Teller Tower in Ohio. With a scarce workforce in play, the newspaper, owned by Enervate, maintains profitability primarily from the sale of toilet paper. The series portrays Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), the newly appointed editor-in-chief of Toledo Truth Teller and former topmost salesman of Eneverate’s Softie toilet tissue brand, embarking on a mission to rejuvenate the newspaper’s dwindling fortunes.

The series initially lags in pace but picks up towards the finale emulating the wit and appeal of its predecessor “The Office”. The newsroom of Ned comprises Enervate employees willing to contribute towards the newspaper in an attempt to get their bylines featured and involves an intriguing mix of characters. Despite the initial hiccups, the series is deemed to leave an enduring impact through its funny and incisive narrative. It sheds light on an industry past its prime but worth striving for with its originality and imagination. The show is slated to premiere on Sept. 4 on Peacock with all of its 10 episodes.