NBC and Peacock’s The Paper is a spinoff of The Office, but its debut season has an even better score on Rotten Tomatoes than the legendary sitcom. Early reviews for The Paper, which releases on Thursday, have earned the spinoff show a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85% among over 45 critics. In contrast, The Office season 1 earned just 71% approval among the 41 critics that reviewed it back in 2005.
The Paper is clearly a hit among viewers, and since The Paper season 2 has already been renewed before it even premiered, NBC is placing a lot of trust in it. Still, it’s surprising that a spinoff show can actually surpass its original, especially with a show as legendary as The Office. Here are a few reasons why The Paper scored better on Rotten Tomatoes.
6 The First Season Of The Office Wasn’t Very Good
Probably the most important reason The Paper season 1 has surpassed The Office season 1 is because the latter wasn’t very good. The Office season 1 is the show’s worst, simply put. Viewers almost universally agree that season 2 was a huge step-up for the series. The Paper surpassed it simply because The Office season 1 didn’t set a very high bar.
In season 1, The Office was still trying to replicate the characters and humor of its British counterpart. There were two problems with that approach, however: American audiences didn’t like the sarcastic and often mean humor of the U.K. version, and the American version didn’t do it as well. Multiple reviews for The Office season 1 call it a pale imitation of Ricky Gervais’ original series.
Paul Brownfield of the Los Angeles Times said The Office season 1 “can only simulate the heart and wit of the original.” Conversely, The Paper’s reviews actually praised the spinoff for its similarities to The Office. Kelly Lawler of USA Today said that The Paper will “feel and smell like an episode of ‘The Office,’ only with a little less originality and earned affection behind it.”
5 The Paper’s Creators Have A Lot More Experience Now Than In The Office Season 1
The Office season 1 wasn’t great, but The Paper has also learned from its mistakes. The Paper was co-created by Greg Daniels, who created and wrote both The Office and Parks and Recreation. Daniels has been writing comedies and mockumentaries for decades now, and his wealth of experience helped The Paper get off to a better start than The Office had.
For example, James Poniewozik of the New York Times said that The Paper “starts fast, funny and competent, with an easy command of its mockumentary template.” Daniels knows how to use this format and medium better than he did in 2005, and The Paper benefited because of it. He also knows how to avoid the same mistakes The Office season 1 made.
It’s also fairly clear to see how The Paper is using its mockumentary style better than The Office’s debut season did. The trailer for The Paper already showed Oscar interacting with the documentary crew again. Conversely, The Office season 1 was unsure of itself and still trying to find its footing. The Paper is led by a team of writers who already know what they’re doing.
4 The Paper Benefits From The Office’s Legacy But Isn’t Stifled By It
Another reason The Paper has such great reviews is because it is, to a degree, riding the coattails of The Office and Parks and Recreation’s success. When The Office debuted in 2005, even though it was a remake of the British version, no one was waiting for it. It took a few years for The Office to even find its stride, and it basically had to create a niche for itself.
The Paper, on the other hand, inherited its niche. Workplace mockumentaries are extremely popular now, from Abbott Elementary to St. Denis Medical. Viewers want to watch a show that feels like The Office, and The Paper satisfies that desire perfectly. It’s a familiar show with a familiar feel, tone, format, and sense of humor, even though it’s new.
Ross Bonaime of Collider noted that The Paper is “a clever, sweet, and charming comedy with an excellent cast that will fill that hole that’s been missing since The Office and Parks and Rec ended.” The Office basically paved the way for audiences to crave a show like The Paper. That’s at least partly why it has better reviews: people already wanted a show like The Paper.
The Paper is benefitting from The Office coming before it, but it’s also not being hindered by it. Many of the reviews of The Office season 1 criticized the show for not living up to the U.K. version’s standard. In contrast, The Paper’s reviews either praise it for being a fitting follow-up to The Office or give it grace to get better in future seasons.
For example, Steve Carell was constantly compared to Ricky Gervais in The Office season 1. No one thought he could live up to the British original. Domhnall Gleeson, however, has been praised for Ned Sampson, and he’s not stuck in Michael Scott’s shadow. Julian Roman of MovieWeb said that “Gleeson exhibits surprising comedy chops and shows his range as an actor.”
3 The Paper Is About Journalism, While The Office Was About A Corporate Office
The Paper’s subject matter likely also played into its higher review scores. The Office was, by design, about a very boring workplace. The entire show is about a boring company selling a boring product in a boring part of America, and the characters made it funny. It was great for satirizing office work, but it ended up making the debut season feel bland.
The Paper, on the other hand, is about journalism, which is an inherently more story-friendly industry than paper distribution and sales. The cast of The Paper goes out into the real world, covers a variety of news stories, interviews interesting people, and uncovers intriguing cover-ups and stories. The Paper’s very premise is simply more exciting than The Office’s was.
Obviously, The Office went on to become anything but boring, and the whacky employees of Dunder Mifflin more than made up for the bland work they performed. That’s why the later seasons of The Office are so beloved, though, and the first season didn’t have that advantage. The Paper has it right off the bat.
Kylie Northover of the Sydney Morning Herald noted that “The digs at declining print journalism are pointed and sharp, but tonally there’s a little more joy in this workplace. The Paper is a paean to local news journalism, and a classic underdog tale.” By virtue of covering an interesting and exciting industry (at least in relation to paper distribution), The Paper is interesting and exciting itself.
2 The Paper Season 1 Establishes & Uses Its Characters Better Than The Office Season 1 Did
As previously mentioned, the all-star cast of The Office was one of its highlights, especially in later seasons. The original season of The Office, however, didn’t really use its cast well. Many of the characters were as boring as Dunder Mifflin (like Kevin and Phyllis). Michael, Jim, Pam, and Dwight were obviously hits from the start, but it took a while for the rest of the cast to develop.
The Paper’s cast, on the other hand, hits the ground running. Every employee of the Truth Teller feels unique, likable, and funny in their own way. Daniel Fienberg of the Hollywood Reporter noted that the cast of The Paper is “both holding the show together and offering hope that The Paper might eventually go from good to great.”
Richard Valero of Fandom Wire said that “The Paper delivers with a hilarious cast and great character development while filling us with nostalgia for the great sitcoms of yesteryear.” Unlike The Office season 1, The Paper season 1 has already put in the work to develop its supporting cast and lay the foundation for them to become favorites of future seasons.
1 The Paper Has A Much Lighter Tone Than The Office Season 1
The last big difference between The Paper season 1 and The Office season 1 is their tones. The Office season 1 was frankly somewhat depressing. Everyone hated Michael, hated their jobs, and hated their coworkers. It was also trying to replicate the British show’s sarcastic and mean-spirited humor, which didn’t help make it any more fun.
The Paper, on the other hand, is a workplace comedy about a group of people who love what they’re doing. Ned and Mare have a real passion for journalism, and it rubs off on the rest of the Truth Teller’s staff. It’s lighter, more endearing, and more earnest than The Office season 1 was. That has the added benefit of making it easy to root for Ned and the Truth Teller.
The Paper Season 1 Episodes
Pilot
The Five W’s
Buddy and the Dude
TTT vs. the Blogger
Scam Alert!
Churnalism
I Love You
Church and State
Matching Ponchos
The Ohio Journalism Awards
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal noted that Ned Sampson is “idealistic, awkward and at times extremely inspiring as a journalist who still romanticizes journalism as a noble and necessary pursuit.” That’s a stark contrast to the racist, misogynistic, and stupid Michael Scott that The Office season 1 relied on.
Katie Doll of CBR noted that “The Paper begins to feel self-reliant because its characters have a drive to succeed, a different scenario than the spiritless autopilot The Office characters were living on at Dunder Mifflin.” The passion these characters have for journalism is infectious, and it makes The Paper’s debut season more enjoyable than The Office season 1 (even if it is still a long way away from The Office’s best seasons).
Like Follow Followed The Paper Comedy Release Date September 4, 2025 Writers Greg Daniels, Michael Koman Cast See All Domhnall Gleeson Sabrina Impacciatore Melvin Gregg Chelsea Frei
A documentary crew shifts focus from Scranton to Toledo, chronicling the revival of a struggling newspaper, The Truth Teller, under a passionate publisher’s guidance. With a blend of faces both fresh and familiar, the series offers a satirical look at modern journalism’s challenges.
Main Genre Comedy Creator(s) Greg Daniels, Michael Koman Seasons 1 Powered by Expand Collapse Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review Like Follow Followed The Office TV-14 Comedy 8/10 160 8.7/10 Release Date 2005 – 2013-00-00 Network NBC Showrunner Greg Daniels Directors Greg Daniels, Paul Lieberstein, Paul Feig, Randall Einhorn, Ken Kwapis Writers Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, Ricky Gervais, Greg Daniels, B.J. Novak Cast See All Steve Carell Michael Scott Rainn Wilson Dwight Schrute
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
Main Genre Comedy Creator(s) Greg Daniels Seasons 9 Powered by Expand Collapse
