More than ten years since Michael Scott last graced our screens as Dunder Mifflin’s well-meaning but chaotic manager, Steve Carell’s character finds a way to appear in Peacock’s fresh series *The Paper*. The show brings back that documentary-style format we all know and love, but shifts focus to a cash-strapped newsroom in Toledo, Ohio, where Domhnall Gleeson’s Ned Sampson tries to keep things running.
Old Friends in New Places
Right from the pilot’s opening moments, *The Paper* tips its hat to *The Office* legacy. Bob Vance (Robert Ray Shafer) catches up the documentary team on who’s taken over those famous Scranton offices. While the original Dunder Mifflin branch is long gone, the show smartly weaves in Oscar (Oscar Nuñez) as a former paper company employee who’s now reporting for the Toledo Truth Teller. It’s a neat trick that anchors this new workplace comedy in familiar territory without feeling forced.
A Concrete Legacy Lives On
True *Office* devotees will remember that classic moment from Season 4’s “Did I Stutter?” when Michael Scott decided to press his face into wet cement outside the office building. Classic Michael move—turning a random Tuesday into his shot at immortality, complete with Jim’s encouragement and Dwight slathering his boss’s face with petroleum jelly to prevent concrete burn.
Fast-forward to *The Paper’s* pilot episode, and eagle-eyed viewers can actually spot that cement impression still there on the sidewalk. Even though Dunder Mifflin shuttered its doors and Enervate swooped in back in 2019 to relocate operations to Toledo, Michael’s facial imprint endures. It’s the kind of detail that makes you smile—a perfectly understated callback that connects these two worlds without beating you over the head with nostalgia.
From Paper Sales to Breaking News
*The Paper* follows the Toledo Truth Teller crew as they wrestle with the realities of modern journalism—tight budgets, shrinking readership, and the constant pressure to stay relevant. Mixing newcomers with Oscar’s familiar presence creates an interesting dynamic, offering sharp commentary on workplace culture while staying true to its documentary roots. Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, who helped shape *The Office*, keep that signature mockumentary feel alive, giving longtime fans something to latch onto while building something entirely fresh.
This thoughtful connection doesn’t just link *The Paper* to *The Office*—it carves out distinct territory, exploring how small-town journalism survives in an increasingly digital world through the lens of a scrappy Midwest newsroom fighting to stay afloat.
The Paper launched on Peacock September 4, 2025, featuring Domhnall Gleeson as Ned Sampson alongside a skilled ensemble cast, weaving fresh storylines with clever nods that longtime fans will appreciate.
