The creator of “The Office” is back to take on another struggling industry.
Peacock has released the first trailer for “The Paper,” the new spinoff of “The Office” that centers on a local newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.
In the show, the same documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in “The Office” pursues a new subject: a publisher’s attempt to revive the Toledo Truth Teller newspaper. While “The Paper” mostly features new characters, one “Office” alum returns: Oscar Nuñez as Oscar Martinez, who worked as an accountant at Dunder Mifflin Scranton.
Oscar immediately recognizes the documentary team in the trailer, and he wants no part in their project.
“Not again! I’m not agreeing to any of this,” he tells the camera before cursing so they can’t use his footage.
Domhnall Gleeson stars in “The Paper” as the newspaper’s new editor-in-chief, who makes it his mission to improve the publication. While the central comedy in “The Office” typically derived from Michael Scott (Steve Carell) being an incompetent manager, Gleeson’s Ned Sampson appears to be a more capable and well-intentioned boss. The humor in the trailer stems from the uphill battle of the task before him.
‘The Office’ producer explains why ‘The Paper’ isn’t exactly a spinoff
‘The Paper’ cast
Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key also star in “The Paper,” which comes from “The Office” creator Greg Daniels. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original British version of “The Office,” serve as executive producers.
Here’s when ‘The Office’ spinoff ‘The Paper’ will premiere: What to know
Daniels previously told USA TODAY that “The Paper” is “technically” a spinoff of “The Office” because Oscar is in both shows. “But you know, it isn’t like the story of Oscar in a new land,” he said. Daniels described “The Paper” as a show “about journalism in the modern age,” adding, “They’re following a very idealistic person who is really trying to swim against the tide.”
During a May presentation to advertisers in New York, Gleeson also noted that the series focuses on “underdog characters that are banding together to keep journalism alive.”
“The Paper” will be the first follow-up to “The Office” since the acclaimed sitcom ended its run in 2013, though it’s not the first attempt at continuing the show. A Season 9 episode of “The Office,” “The Farm,” was originally intended to launch a spinoff about Dwight Schrute’s (Rainn Wilson) farm, which never ultimately came to pass.
When does ‘The Paper’ debut?
“The Paper” will debut its first four episodes on Peacock on Sept. 4. After that, two new episodes will be released each Thursday through Sept. 25.
Contributing: Kelly Lawler and Gary Levin, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘The Paper,’ spinoff of ‘The Office,’ debuts first trailer
