September 4, 2025 • 15 mins
Here's my SPOILER-FREE preview/review of #ThePaper Season 1on Peacock, a loose spinoff of #TheOffice. BIG NEWS: It was JUST renewed for a second season ahead of the S1 premiere! Here, I share my overall thoughts on the season and whether or not you should binge it or skip it. I do vaguely mention a few characters and plot points, but nothing that will give anything away.
Prefer YouTube? Watch + subscribe here.The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in the Emmy Award-winning series “The Office” find a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it.Creators / Executive Producers / Writers: Greg Daniels under his banner Deedle-Dee Productions, and Michael KomanExecutive Producers: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman and Banijay Americas (formerly Reveille)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to media, Melanie TV. Today I'm back to talk about the
paper. It is a loose spin off in the
same universe as The Office and it drops on Peacock on September
4th. A lot of the initial creative
team from The Office is involvedhere and what's interesting is
that Peacock actually changed course on its release cadence.
It was initially going to be a four episode drop and then
(00:24):
subsequently 2 episodes per weekleading up to the full 10 on
September 25th. However, they've now changed it
to a full binge drop and from what I've read it sounds like
early sentiments were positive and they thought by doing a
binge it would create more of a water cooler type of moment with
people talking about this with their friends, with their family
(00:46):
to get other people on board with the binge.
The premise the documentary crewwho filmed Dunder Mifflin for
all those years has found a new subject and it is a dying
Midwestern newspaper called the Toledo Truth Teller.
The parent company though, also sells toilet paper, toilet seat
covers and the like. Also a product called Man Mitts,
which ends up being a focus of one of the more hilarious
(01:08):
episodes. And because this does have a lot
of the initial creative team from The Office involved, I'm
going to say right off the top. This definitely captures the
same look and feel. It leans very hard into the
mockumentary concept, and I think overall that works.
In today's video, I'm gonna let you know whether or not I think
the show is worth your time and also what I think fans of The
(01:31):
Office will take away from this.Overall, I had a really fun time
with this show. I do think this one works better
as a binge drop because of course, with the first season of
most shows, it takes a little while to get its legs and
therefore you're not left sitting with one of these weaker
episodes from week to week. Instead, you can just power on
through and really get the wholegist of what they're trying to
(01:52):
do here. And because this isn't built on
massive cliffhangers, it really focuses more on these everyday
life kind of characters and all of the various disasters that
this newspaper encounters in each episode.
It really does allow you to stayimmersed, stay vested, and most
importantly, stay laughing and along with that, not
overthinking some of the bumps along the way.
(02:13):
What surprised me the most was after the pilot, I felt like
this was a world that I actuallybuy and want to see more of.
The pilot was one of the strongest episodes.
It did a great job people setting and what I liked most is
we actually get quite a bit of connective DNA between Dunder
Mifflin, The Office and the Toledo Truth Teller with some of
(02:34):
these characters being a little bit annoying, frustrating and
over the top at times. I did still feel vested and
seeing how this little Midwestern newspaper crew was
going to stumble through the next crisis.
Some of these crises, I've got to say, are a little bit insane
and absurd. I think the mark of a promising
comedy in general. But you don't just want to know
(02:55):
what happens, you actually want to spend more time getting to
know these people. And some of these characters
were complete standouts for me. And yes, the paper is definitely
leaning hard into the mockumentary format.
Got the talking heads, the awkward silences look, the feel
and the overall style of the show really does give Office
vibes. It's amazing how much cringy
humor you you can actually extract from normal everyday
(03:18):
people just doing their regular everyday job.
So the beginning of the pilot actually gives us quite the tie
in to The Office. We see exactly where the Office
of Dunder Mifflin is now. We get a character cameo who
gives us a little insight into what happened.
But maybe one of the best parts of all is that we are getting
(03:38):
some quality connective tissue between the Office and the paper
in the form of Oscar. That's right, our boy is back.
His presence alone just makes you feel like you are 100% still
in this office universe, just ina different place, a different
business and a different set of people.
They do a great job of capturingOscar's original essence, and
(04:00):
there are some moments in the pilot that had me just dying.
It's not like Oscar is just strolling in for some kind of
cameo. He's literally built into the
fabric of this show. The nostalgia hook of including
Oscar is very solid and it givesthe show a little bit more
credibility. And given that Oscar is already
very familiar with his documentary crew, who has now
(04:20):
found the new subject at this Midwestern newspaper, there are
some highly comedic moments surrounding Oscar's involvement
in the documentary from Dunder Mifflin and also now his current
workplace. And I should just point out The
Office was actually not an instant success here for the US
version. In fact, when it premiered in
2005, ratings dropped significantly after the pilot,
(04:41):
and there were also a lot of mixed reviews.
I mean, at that time, it was definitely something new,
something that hadn't really been done before.
And now to do it all over again,I had mixed feelings about how
this was going to play out. And yes, there were some
episodes that didn't necessarilydo it for me.
But in general, because it is the binge watch, it does allow
(05:02):
you to move on to the next one and really get into the groove
with this new office crew. And of course, it's going to
take time for some of these characters to gel and meld
together. But overall, I do think they're
off to a good start. All right, before I get more
into the spoiler free preview, please be sure to hit that like
button and subscribe to my channel.
I'm working towards my next big milestone of 2500 followers.
(05:24):
I'm hoping to get to 3000 subscribers by the end of the
year. I appreciate everybody who stops
in for my content. Every time you like you
subscribe, you comment. It just really helps me get one
step closer to becoming a full time TV content creator.
So thank you for being here. And as far as other shows I'm
covering, I am still finishing up the summer.
I turned pretty season 3 and looking ahead to the fall, I've
(05:47):
got a few shows on my radar, including Only Murders in the
Building, the Telemaska, It, Welcome to Derry for all my
horror fans out there. And then also likely Fallout,
which is dropping in December. I may also give The Lowdown and
Wayward a look. And I would also like to know
what shows you're looking forward to and might want to see
me talk about. So also drop that down in the
comments. So essentially, if we judge it
(06:08):
the same way we do The Office and knowing that that wasn't an
instant success either. I think there's a lot of
potential for a season 2. And even though at the time I'm
recording this video, it hasn't already been renewed, I would
expect at some point over the next few weeks, once the numbers
are in, they'll probably give ita Season 2.
There's definitely room for thiswhole concept to grow.
(06:29):
So 1st, I'm going to go over some highs and what works for
me. As I mentioned, the pilot could
not have been a better start. There were some kind of moments
in there, but overall, we got toknow some of these characters
and who they are. But what I appreciated is this
Office actually has a decent amount of employees, but they're
not giving us everybody right off the bat.
(06:49):
And that's going to allow for some slower character
development. So we can really get to know the
core group before we are introducing some of the more
extraneous characters who I would venture to guess we'll
have more story and arc in Season 2.
I've got to say just the overallabsurdity of this newspaper.
Also selling the toilet paper isreally a selling point for me
because it creates a little bit of potty humor.
(07:11):
Not too much. There is an episode that is very
focused on one of the products, the man myths, but it's not done
in a way where you're kind of left like, uh, do they really
need to do that? I actually think it works within
the context of the show, the cast and performances.
This group works. Like I said, you really get to
1st meet the heart of the show here, the characters that we're
going to get to know the most. And a few of those are
(07:34):
definitely the resident chaos agents here.
But the dynamics of this particular cast also really
helps drive the humor very similar to how The Office did
it. And yeah, I'm not saying we've
got like the Jim and Pam or the Dwight.
And actually a lot of these actors I was not familiar with,
and I actually think that's better.
Like I said though, there is that one character who literally
drove me up a wall. But I also felt the same way
(07:55):
about Michael Scott during partsof The Office.
So I do think they're trying to lean into that sort of
archetype. And I'm not going to tell you
which character it is, I want you to watch for yourself and
then come back and tell me who you think it is.
And I will be doing a full season review as well, so stick
around for that. I will include spoilers in it
and reveal who exactly this character is.
But if I'm guessing, I think other people might be on the
(08:17):
same page with this assessment. And every episode has at least
one moment where you're either laughing or shaking your head at
the sheer absurdity of it all. And yeah, some work better than
others. That's fine.
But that's typical for any show.By the end of the season, you're
probably going to have a couple of clear favorites who you want
to get to know more of, who you really relate with, and whose
characters resonate with you. I've got at least three who I
(08:39):
was almost instantly into, and Ireally enjoyed their storylines
throughout this first season. It's actually amazing to me how
many ridiculous scenarios they came up with for this small town
newspaper. And it was very clearly working
up to where they got to by the end.
And I've got to say, I did love the pilot, the finale.
I do think one of the problems with the bench model for this is
(09:02):
with the relationships in the show. 1 of them worked.
The other one was kind of a willthey won't they type of
situation and how it ended up byepisode 10.
I thought because I did binge it, that it did feel maybe a
little bit fast and not as authentic and building as I
would have hoped. The production value is solid.
Like I said, the cinematography really matches that same vibe of
(09:25):
The Office. The editing, the way the
documentary crew is positioned, the way some of these
characters. Just so Florida State captured
the essence of the original Office characters, the way they
look into the camera, the way they deliver the dialogue.
I also liked the lighting and the way you see the sunlight
coming through the blinds. It makes it feel like you are
just in an average everyday office.
(09:45):
And you can definitely tell Peacock put some real resources
into this. It's not just a contrived cheap
knockoff, although I do think fans of The Office are obviously
going to be the toughest critic.So I am wanting to know after
all of you Office fans out there, watch this.
Definitely come back and let me know what you think.
Watch my review, chime in in thecomments.
I'm curious to know what other people think because I watched
(10:06):
this before it's even coming out.
So I'm just going on my own vibeand reactions without knowing
what the population at large thinks.
All right, so a few reasons why this might not work.
I've been referencing The Officeand I think that is the heart of
where the criticism might come in because of these comparisons.
I mean, as one Office fan and friend I was just talking with
and Facebook Messenger said The Office was truly a lightning in
(10:29):
a bottle situation and it is hard to recapture that magic.
But it also took quite a bit of time of world building to make
us love those characters as muchas we did.
And I think if anybody is expecting the paper to just
instantly hit like The Office did, and like I said, that
wasn't necessarily the strongeststart for a sitcom either, then
(10:50):
yeah, you may be disappointed. But if you approach it as a new
show with familiar DNA and you're appreciative of the
formula of the mockumentary in general, I actually think that a
lot of people are going to enjoyit.
All right, let's talk first season growing pains.
Like a lot of comedy, some characters are definitely over
the top and play a little bit onthe annoying side of things.
(11:11):
Some jokes don't quite land. Not every single subplot
necessarily clicks. But if you look at it as more of
a first season wrinkle versus a complete deal breaker, I do
think you can extract some comedic enjoyment from the show.
Now, if you did not like The Office, then the tone and the
vibe of this mockumentary may not be for you.
(11:31):
I mean, it definitely comes across as cringy at times, but
that's done purposefully. But if you did appreciate that
from The Office, Parks and Rec, and shows that are similar, I
think you're in for a treat. And I think the show can also be
enjoyed a somewhat of backgroundTV.
Like I said, not all of the episodes are necessarily as
strong as others as with any show, but you're definitely
laughing at some of these outrageous moments and before
(11:52):
you know it you're already 4 episodes in.
And I do think for a first season, the overall binge
ability factor does matter more than having a perfect first
season which doesn't necessarilyexist.
Yes, there are shows out there that do it well and there are
spin offs that do it well. I mean look at Better Call Saul
and Breaking Bad or even more recently Dexter Resurrection
(12:12):
which is one of the strongest spin offs in that entire
universe where some of the others definitely had some
stumbles and Original Sin got cancelled even after it was
renewed. And just a quick reminder, this
is my spoiler free review. I don't want to give away too
much before everybody watches, which is why I'm going to be
dropping a full season 1 and review, so don't miss that.
(12:33):
And I've also got a couple of other topical videos and I do
hope you subscribe and stick with me for all of them.
I'm excited to really break downthe characters, some of the most
notable moments, and I also planto do an episode ranking video
sharing exactly how I felt abouteach one and where they fell in
my interest level. I'm also curious to know what
everybody else's episode rankings will be once you have a
(12:54):
chance to watch. I do think most of the
commentaries surrounding the paper is going to be the compare
and contrast to The Office, and I do think Office fans are going
to be the hardest on this, more so than any other type of
viewer. So overall, should you watch the
paper? For me, 100% yes.
I enjoyed the binge. I thought it was entertaining.
And of course, yes, it did have some highs and lows, but there
(13:16):
were also some things that I truly appreciated, notably the
presence of Oscar. And it also opens up to
potential cameos from the original Office cast as well
down the line if we do get multiple seasons.
And because they do have all of this connective tissue and they
sort of explain exactly how the documentary crew got here, I buy
that this is in the same universe and I feel all of that
(13:39):
same office vibe. It is a quirky comedy.
I love that it's about the struggling Midwestern newspaper
because one of the overarching themes is, of course, reviving
this newspaper. Are they going to successfully
keep it in business while also paired with the fact that they
share an office with the toilet paper company who are all under
the same parent umbrella? Like I said, The Office was not
(14:01):
in instant success, and I think if you can just lean into how
well they've actually used the same formula to create another
story in another world, I encourage you, if you do watch,
to really let the first few episodes breathe.
I think there's a little bit of a lull between episodes 3:00 and
4:00 somewhere in there, but it does pick back up.
I don't think the finale is necessarily the strongest
(14:22):
either, but I think if you give this time to get to know the
characters more than you'll sortof see the charm underneath the
surface. And I'm also dying to share
exactly who this character is that I can't stand.
And they've been in another showthat I watched, so I was a
little bit disappointed at that.But at the same time, the way
they are playing this role to beso absurd and over the top.
(14:43):
I mean, they do a good job of playing it, and I think they're
actually there to annoy us. So yeah, I think it is worth the
watch. I hope you watch and come back
and let me know what you think. Like I said, I'm going to have a
review episode rankings and probably one other video as
well. If there are any other major
office aficionados out there, I'm considering doing a video
comparing and contrasting. Now, there are some Office
(15:05):
Easter eggs here. We actually saw them in the
first promo picture that was released and I'm not going to
say what they are. I mean, they're out there on the
Internet of Things, so you can probably look it up, but I also
encourage you to keep an eye open.
Now, I liked The Office. I was a fan, but not a super fan
to the point where I was necessarily seeing Easter eggs
here and there. I'm also curious for all of the
(15:25):
Office super fans if there are some Easter eggs and things that
I didn't and pick up on because I think that's really smart and
a more under the radar kind of way to really connect these two
shows. So be sure to like this video
and hit that subscribe button. Like I said, I'm working towards
my next big milestone of 2500 subscribers and I would love to
get there pretty soon. So thank you for tuning in and
(15:47):
stay tuned for the rest of my coverage of the paper.
I'll be back again soon with more TV Talk media Melanie
clicking off.
Welcome to media, Melanie TV. Today I'm back to talk about the
paper. It is a loose spin off in the
same universe as The Office and it drops on Peacock on September
4th. A lot of the initial creative
team from The Office is involvedhere and what's interesting is
that Peacock actually changed course on its release cadence.
It was initially going to be a four episode drop and then
(00:24):
subsequently 2 episodes per weekleading up to the full 10 on
September 25th. However, they've now changed it
to a full binge drop and from what I've read it sounds like
early sentiments were positive and they thought by doing a
binge it would create more of a water cooler type of moment with
people talking about this with their friends, with their family
(00:46):
to get other people on board with the binge.
The premise the documentary crewwho filmed Dunder Mifflin for
all those years has found a new subject and it is a dying
Midwestern newspaper called the Toledo Truth Teller.
The parent company though, also sells toilet paper, toilet seat
covers and the like. Also a product called Man Mitts,
which ends up being a focus of one of the more hilarious
(01:08):
episodes. And because this does have a lot
of the initial creative team from The Office involved, I'm
going to say right off the top. This definitely captures the
same look and feel. It leans very hard into the
mockumentary concept, and I think overall that works.
In today's video, I'm gonna let you know whether or not I think
the show is worth your time and also what I think fans of The
(01:31):
Office will take away from this.Overall, I had a really fun time
with this show. I do think this one works better
as a binge drop because of course, with the first season of
most shows, it takes a little while to get its legs and
therefore you're not left sitting with one of these weaker
episodes from week to week. Instead, you can just power on
through and really get the wholegist of what they're trying to
(01:52):
do here. And because this isn't built on
massive cliffhangers, it really focuses more on these everyday
life kind of characters and all of the various disasters that
this newspaper encounters in each episode.
It really does allow you to stayimmersed, stay vested, and most
importantly, stay laughing and along with that, not
overthinking some of the bumps along the way.
(02:13):
What surprised me the most was after the pilot, I felt like
this was a world that I actuallybuy and want to see more of.
The pilot was one of the strongest episodes.
It did a great job people setting and what I liked most is
we actually get quite a bit of connective DNA between Dunder
Mifflin, The Office and the Toledo Truth Teller with some of
(02:34):
these characters being a little bit annoying, frustrating and
over the top at times. I did still feel vested and
seeing how this little Midwestern newspaper crew was
going to stumble through the next crisis.
Some of these crises, I've got to say, are a little bit insane
and absurd. I think the mark of a promising
comedy in general. But you don't just want to know
(02:55):
what happens, you actually want to spend more time getting to
know these people. And some of these characters
were complete standouts for me. And yes, the paper is definitely
leaning hard into the mockumentary format.
Got the talking heads, the awkward silences look, the feel
and the overall style of the show really does give Office
vibes. It's amazing how much cringy
humor you you can actually extract from normal everyday
(03:18):
people just doing their regular everyday job.
So the beginning of the pilot actually gives us quite the tie
in to The Office. We see exactly where the Office
of Dunder Mifflin is now. We get a character cameo who
gives us a little insight into what happened.
But maybe one of the best parts of all is that we are getting
(03:38):
some quality connective tissue between the Office and the paper
in the form of Oscar. That's right, our boy is back.
His presence alone just makes you feel like you are 100% still
in this office universe, just ina different place, a different
business and a different set of people.
They do a great job of capturingOscar's original essence, and
(04:00):
there are some moments in the pilot that had me just dying.
It's not like Oscar is just strolling in for some kind of
cameo. He's literally built into the
fabric of this show. The nostalgia hook of including
Oscar is very solid and it givesthe show a little bit more
credibility. And given that Oscar is already
very familiar with his documentary crew, who has now
(04:20):
found the new subject at this Midwestern newspaper, there are
some highly comedic moments surrounding Oscar's involvement
in the documentary from Dunder Mifflin and also now his current
workplace. And I should just point out The
Office was actually not an instant success here for the US
version. In fact, when it premiered in
2005, ratings dropped significantly after the pilot,
(04:41):
and there were also a lot of mixed reviews.
I mean, at that time, it was definitely something new,
something that hadn't really been done before.
And now to do it all over again,I had mixed feelings about how
this was going to play out. And yes, there were some
episodes that didn't necessarilydo it for me.
But in general, because it is the binge watch, it does allow
(05:02):
you to move on to the next one and really get into the groove
with this new office crew. And of course, it's going to
take time for some of these characters to gel and meld
together. But overall, I do think they're
off to a good start. All right, before I get more
into the spoiler free preview, please be sure to hit that like
button and subscribe to my channel.
I'm working towards my next big milestone of 2500 followers.
(05:24):
I'm hoping to get to 3000 subscribers by the end of the
year. I appreciate everybody who stops
in for my content. Every time you like you
subscribe, you comment. It just really helps me get one
step closer to becoming a full time TV content creator.
So thank you for being here. And as far as other shows I'm
covering, I am still finishing up the summer.
I turned pretty season 3 and looking ahead to the fall, I've
(05:47):
got a few shows on my radar, including Only Murders in the
Building, the Telemaska, It, Welcome to Derry for all my
horror fans out there. And then also likely Fallout,
which is dropping in December. I may also give The Lowdown and
Wayward a look. And I would also like to know
what shows you're looking forward to and might want to see
me talk about. So also drop that down in the
comments. So essentially, if we judge it
(06:08):
the same way we do The Office and knowing that that wasn't an
instant success either. I think there's a lot of
potential for a season 2. And even though at the time I'm
recording this video, it hasn't already been renewed, I would
expect at some point over the next few weeks, once the numbers
are in, they'll probably give ita Season 2.
There's definitely room for thiswhole concept to grow.
(06:29):
So 1st, I'm going to go over some highs and what works for
me. As I mentioned, the pilot could
not have been a better start. There were some kind of moments
in there, but overall, we got toknow some of these characters
and who they are. But what I appreciated is this
Office actually has a decent amount of employees, but they're
not giving us everybody right off the bat.
(06:49):
And that's going to allow for some slower character
development. So we can really get to know the
core group before we are introducing some of the more
extraneous characters who I would venture to guess we'll
have more story and arc in Season 2.
I've got to say just the overallabsurdity of this newspaper.
Also selling the toilet paper isreally a selling point for me
because it creates a little bit of potty humor.
(07:11):
Not too much. There is an episode that is very
focused on one of the products, the man myths, but it's not done
in a way where you're kind of left like, uh, do they really
need to do that? I actually think it works within
the context of the show, the cast and performances.
This group works. Like I said, you really get to
1st meet the heart of the show here, the characters that we're
going to get to know the most. And a few of those are
(07:34):
definitely the resident chaos agents here.
But the dynamics of this particular cast also really
helps drive the humor very similar to how The Office did
it. And yeah, I'm not saying we've
got like the Jim and Pam or the Dwight.
And actually a lot of these actors I was not familiar with,
and I actually think that's better.
Like I said though, there is that one character who literally
drove me up a wall. But I also felt the same way
(07:55):
about Michael Scott during partsof The Office.
So I do think they're trying to lean into that sort of
archetype. And I'm not going to tell you
which character it is, I want you to watch for yourself and
then come back and tell me who you think it is.
And I will be doing a full season review as well, so stick
around for that. I will include spoilers in it
and reveal who exactly this character is.
But if I'm guessing, I think other people might be on the
(08:17):
same page with this assessment. And every episode has at least
one moment where you're either laughing or shaking your head at
the sheer absurdity of it all. And yeah, some work better than
others. That's fine.
But that's typical for any show.By the end of the season, you're
probably going to have a couple of clear favorites who you want
to get to know more of, who you really relate with, and whose
characters resonate with you. I've got at least three who I
(08:39):
was almost instantly into, and Ireally enjoyed their storylines
throughout this first season. It's actually amazing to me how
many ridiculous scenarios they came up with for this small town
newspaper. And it was very clearly working
up to where they got to by the end.
And I've got to say, I did love the pilot, the finale.
I do think one of the problems with the bench model for this is
(09:02):
with the relationships in the show. 1 of them worked.
The other one was kind of a willthey won't they type of
situation and how it ended up byepisode 10.
I thought because I did binge it, that it did feel maybe a
little bit fast and not as authentic and building as I
would have hoped. The production value is solid.
Like I said, the cinematography really matches that same vibe of
(09:25):
The Office. The editing, the way the
documentary crew is positioned, the way some of these
characters. Just so Florida State captured
the essence of the original Office characters, the way they
look into the camera, the way they deliver the dialogue.
I also liked the lighting and the way you see the sunlight
coming through the blinds. It makes it feel like you are
just in an average everyday office.
(09:45):
And you can definitely tell Peacock put some real resources
into this. It's not just a contrived cheap
knockoff, although I do think fans of The Office are obviously
going to be the toughest critic.So I am wanting to know after
all of you Office fans out there, watch this.
Definitely come back and let me know what you think.
Watch my review, chime in in thecomments.
I'm curious to know what other people think because I watched
(10:06):
this before it's even coming out.
So I'm just going on my own vibeand reactions without knowing
what the population at large thinks.
All right, so a few reasons why this might not work.
I've been referencing The Officeand I think that is the heart of
where the criticism might come in because of these comparisons.
I mean, as one Office fan and friend I was just talking with
and Facebook Messenger said The Office was truly a lightning in
(10:29):
a bottle situation and it is hard to recapture that magic.
But it also took quite a bit of time of world building to make
us love those characters as muchas we did.
And I think if anybody is expecting the paper to just
instantly hit like The Office did, and like I said, that
wasn't necessarily the strongeststart for a sitcom either, then
(10:50):
yeah, you may be disappointed. But if you approach it as a new
show with familiar DNA and you're appreciative of the
formula of the mockumentary in general, I actually think that a
lot of people are going to enjoyit.
All right, let's talk first season growing pains.
Like a lot of comedy, some characters are definitely over
the top and play a little bit onthe annoying side of things.
(11:11):
Some jokes don't quite land. Not every single subplot
necessarily clicks. But if you look at it as more of
a first season wrinkle versus a complete deal breaker, I do
think you can extract some comedic enjoyment from the show.
Now, if you did not like The Office, then the tone and the
vibe of this mockumentary may not be for you.
(11:31):
I mean, it definitely comes across as cringy at times, but
that's done purposefully. But if you did appreciate that
from The Office, Parks and Rec, and shows that are similar, I
think you're in for a treat. And I think the show can also be
enjoyed a somewhat of backgroundTV.
Like I said, not all of the episodes are necessarily as
strong as others as with any show, but you're definitely
laughing at some of these outrageous moments and before
(11:52):
you know it you're already 4 episodes in.
And I do think for a first season, the overall binge
ability factor does matter more than having a perfect first
season which doesn't necessarilyexist.
Yes, there are shows out there that do it well and there are
spin offs that do it well. I mean look at Better Call Saul
and Breaking Bad or even more recently Dexter Resurrection
(12:12):
which is one of the strongest spin offs in that entire
universe where some of the others definitely had some
stumbles and Original Sin got cancelled even after it was
renewed. And just a quick reminder, this
is my spoiler free review. I don't want to give away too
much before everybody watches, which is why I'm going to be
dropping a full season 1 and review, so don't miss that.
(12:33):
And I've also got a couple of other topical videos and I do
hope you subscribe and stick with me for all of them.
I'm excited to really break downthe characters, some of the most
notable moments, and I also planto do an episode ranking video
sharing exactly how I felt abouteach one and where they fell in
my interest level. I'm also curious to know what
everybody else's episode rankings will be once you have a
(12:54):
chance to watch. I do think most of the
commentaries surrounding the paper is going to be the compare
and contrast to The Office, and I do think Office fans are going
to be the hardest on this, more so than any other type of
viewer. So overall, should you watch the
paper? For me, 100% yes.
I enjoyed the binge. I thought it was entertaining.
And of course, yes, it did have some highs and lows, but there
(13:16):
were also some things that I truly appreciated, notably the
presence of Oscar. And it also opens up to
potential cameos from the original Office cast as well
down the line if we do get multiple seasons.
And because they do have all of this connective tissue and they
sort of explain exactly how the documentary crew got here, I buy
that this is in the same universe and I feel all of that
(13:39):
same office vibe. It is a quirky comedy.
I love that it's about the struggling Midwestern newspaper
because one of the overarching themes is, of course, reviving
this newspaper. Are they going to successfully
keep it in business while also paired with the fact that they
share an office with the toilet paper company who are all under
the same parent umbrella? Like I said, The Office was not
(14:01):
in instant success, and I think if you can just lean into how
well they've actually used the same formula to create another
story in another world, I encourage you, if you do watch,
to really let the first few episodes breathe.
I think there's a little bit of a lull between episodes 3:00 and
4:00 somewhere in there, but it does pick back up.
I don't think the finale is necessarily the strongest
(14:22):
either, but I think if you give this time to get to know the
characters more than you'll sortof see the charm underneath the
surface. And I'm also dying to share
exactly who this character is that I can't stand.
And they've been in another showthat I watched, so I was a
little bit disappointed at that.But at the same time, the way
they are playing this role to beso absurd and over the top.
(14:43):
I mean, they do a good job of playing it, and I think they're
actually there to annoy us. So yeah, I think it is worth the
watch. I hope you watch and come back
and let me know what you think. Like I said, I'm going to have a
review episode rankings and probably one other video as
well. If there are any other major
office aficionados out there, I'm considering doing a video
comparing and contrasting. Now, there are some Office
(15:05):
Easter eggs here. We actually saw them in the
first promo picture that was released and I'm not going to
say what they are. I mean, they're out there on the
Internet of Things, so you can probably look it up, but I also
encourage you to keep an eye open.
Now, I liked The Office. I was a fan, but not a super fan
to the point where I was necessarily seeing Easter eggs
here and there. I'm also curious for all of the
(15:25):
Office super fans if there are some Easter eggs and things that
I didn't and pick up on because I think that's really smart and
a more under the radar kind of way to really connect these two
shows. So be sure to like this video
and hit that subscribe button. Like I said, I'm working towards
my next big milestone of 2500 subscribers and I would love to
get there pretty soon. So thank you for tuning in and
(15:47):
stay tuned for the rest of my coverage of the paper.
I'll be back again soon with more TV Talk media Melanie
clicking off.
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