The Paper, on Peacock

If you think Frederick Wiseman’s documentaries are long, start watching all the footage shot by the filmmakers supposedly documenting Dunder Mifflin through all 201 episodes of The Office. They are back in the field shooting a new project, but it probably will not last as long. Arguably, creators Greg Daniels and Michal Koman were victims of their own success, because the popularity of The Office spawned a parade of mockumentary imitators. Their latest feels like more of the same, but there are enough connecting elements to call Daniels & Koman’s The Paper a spin-off when it launches today on Peacock.

Alas, Dunder Mifflin went out of business, but a giant paper conglomerate acquired the remnants, including accountant Oscar Martinez, whom they moved to their Toledo office (seriously, what a downer of a spinoff premise). There he shares open bullpen space with the company’s least important asset: the Toledo Truth-Teller. It was once a respected regional newspaper that was even the subject of a 1960s D.A. Pennebaker-esque documentary. Sadly, it has declined into a printed throwaway largely consisting of wire service reports and an online clickbait operation, which is exactly how acting managing editor Esmeralda Grand likes it.

However, Ned Sampson intends to shake things up, which he should be able to do, since he is ostensibly her new boss. He was a crackerjack paper salesman, so he parlayed his success into the journalism career he always wanted. Unfortunately, he only has one employee with legitimate journalism experience, Mare Pritti, an Army veteran and former Stars and Stripes reporter.

The self-importance of journalists ought to be a big fat target for Daniels, Koman, and their co-writers (the Truth-Teller name alone should inspire groans of mockery), but they largely ignore it, in favor of conventional office place humor. That might make sense, since it was their specialty, but the gleefully mischievous edge that made The Office consistently the funniest show of its time is conspicuously missing from the first four episodes. (All ten installments of season one premiered today, but other critics stopped at four, so it seems fair to match their endurance.)

Indeed, series lead Domhnall Gleason delivers plenty of Office-worthy cringe as Sampson, but there isn’t the same level of caustic wit to counter-balance it. Instead, Sabrina Impacciatore serves up constant over-the-top shtick as his main nemesis, Grand, who would defy viewers’ patience and credibility in an Absolutely Fabulous rip-off.

It is nice that Chelsea Frei portrays Pritti as a sympathetic veteran, who thus far seems to be the most functional staff member at the Truth-Teller. However, her persona has yet to develop beyond a skeptical potential love interest. Frankly, the rest of the staff is even blander, except Martinez, still played by Oscar Nunez, who came prefabricated and ready-for-use from the mother series.

Perhaps the writers and castwill develop their sea-legs over the next six episodes, but the first four definitely constitute a slow start. The pilot really feels like a pilot, while the following “The Five W’s” continues setting up the premise, as Sampson encourages his untrained staff to become volunteer journalists. However, Pritti starts to rake some muck in “Buddy and the Dude” and “TTT vs the Blogger,” in which she exposes deceptive trade practices at mattress stores and a pompous high school teacher’s fraudulent resume. However, Sampson’s feud with a local news blogger perfectly represents the series lack of satirical bite.

The truth is the general concept of The Office still works. NBC’s St. Denis Medical essentially boils down to The Office in a hospital. It is often very funny. Not infrequently, it can also be rude. These two point are directly related. Frankly, the staff of St. Denis found the comedy mojo that Dunder Mifflin lost in bankruptcy. Not recommended, The Paper now streams on Peacock.