The internet is buzzing about the trailer for The Paper—Peacock’s mockumentary spinoff of The Office—which dropped on August 7 and offers a first look at its Toledo newsroom setting.
In The Paper, the documentary crew that once filmed Dunder Mifflin has left Scranton behind to chronicle a small Midwestern paper trying to stage a revival with the help of volunteer reporters.
Since its debut, the trailer has sparked plenty of reactions from fans.
Some commenters were hopeful, with one user on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "If this gives even one moment as iconic as 'Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica,' I am in." Another X user chimed in with, "I'm giving it a chance. Domhnall Gleeson is one of my favorite artists," referencing one of the actors set to star in the new series.
Other fans weren't so thrilled about what The Paper has in store.
"Oh, this is going to be a turd," someone said on Reddit. Someone else commented, "Seems worse than a porn parody."
"I won't judge a show by its trailer. I won't judge a show by its trailer," another fan chanted in the comments. "I really really can't wait to miss this," someone joked on YouTube. "You loved The Office, now love THESE RANDOM PEOPLE. As if it's that easy," another fan added. The top comment on YouTube video of the trailer simply read, "Why can't they just leave good things alone?"
The American version of The Office originally premiered in 2005 on NBC, leading to a cultural phenomenon among viewers and fans. The mockumentary series ran for 9 seasons until 2013.
In January 2024, creator Greg Daniels revealed he was "open to exploring new development ideas" in The Office universe. A few months later, The Paper was announced as the series follow-up. The new series will begin streaming on Peacock in early September, with Variety reporting on Thursday, August 21, that the show has made the switch to a binge model: preparing to release all 10 episodes at once.
