Will Mockumentary Magic Strike Again?
Back in 2005, a little sitcom about a drab paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania changed how we saw office life. Fast-forward two decades, and, surprise! Greg Daniels—the brain behind “The Office”—has a brand-new, freshly-minted mockumentary up his sleeve. This time, though, we’re ditching paper sales for printing presses and competing clickbait. Welcome to “The Paper,” Peacock’s white-hot comedy landing this fall, poised to answer one burning question: Can the world of journalism deliver as many awkward silences as a Michael Scott staff meeting?
Meet the New Boss: Domhnall Gleeson Swaps Wands for Newsprint
Let’s get right into it. Leading the charge in “The Paper” is Domhnall Gleeson. If your pop culture memory needs jogging, he’s Bill Weasley from “Harry Potter” and General Hux from the Star Wars sequels. But hold the wizard jokes, because this time, Gleeson isn’t waving a wand—he’s wrangling deadlines and balancing budgets as the publisher of The Toledo Truth Teller. It’s an inky, old-school newspaper with a storied past, now struggling to figure out what journalism means in 2025.
Gleeson’s character, whose name is being guarded like a Pulitzer candidate, brings a blend of optimist and realist. He wants to drag the paper into the digital age—but, of course, with a newsroom staffed by career print journalists, over-caffeinated interns, and, apparently, a handful of volunteer reporters, nothing ever runs quite on rails. According to press releases, Gleeson’s character is described as “an ink-stained boss trying to save his family’s legacy one click at a time.” Is he awkward enough to fit into The Office-verse? Oh, absolutely. The comedic possibilities are practically endless.
From Scranton to Toledo: Dunder Mifflin Easter Eggs—Start the Hunt
One of the most delightful things about The Office was the avalanche of inside jokes and references hidden in plain sight. Greg Daniels earned his reputation for stuffing episodes with tiny, blink-and-miss gems. So what are we getting this time? “The Paper” is not shy about where it comes from, and eagle-eyed fans have already gone wild speculating: Will The Toledo Truth Teller’s address be “1725 Slough Ave” as a wink toward Dunder Mifflin’s old home? Or maybe just a quick shot of a “World’s Best Boss” mug lingering in the background?
Reddit sleuths on r/DunderMifflin say yes. In fact, several threads have cataloged potential crossovers before the ink has even dried on the pilot script. Some highlights from the rumor mill:
- Office supplies branded with Dunder Mifflin labels casually lying around the newsroom.
- A no-nonsense receptionist named “Pamela” who really, really hates Jell-O.
- Vague references to a paper distributor merger gone wrong in Pennsylvania.
- Rumors swirling about a cameo from David Wallace “advising” on media consolidation.
So, start your Easter Egg bingo cards. If Daniels delivers even half the winks fans expect, “The Paper” will be stuffed with nods to old friends and Scranton in-jokes.
Oscar Returns – and Reddit Is Losing It
Every office (and now, newspaper) needs a numbers guy. Enter Oscar Nuñez, making waves by reprising his role—sort of. News broke earlier this spring that Nuñez will pop up in the new series, though with an entirely new job title. Could this mean Oscar Martinez left behind spreadsheets for newsprint? Maybe he’s a visiting accountant, or maybe—because Peacock teases—he’s an investigative reporter with a penchant for talking finance.
Reddit’s r/television and r/DunderMifflin blew up the day this cameo leaked. Users couldn’t help but toss theories like confetti:
- “Oscar is there to audit the newsroom… again.”
- “What if he switches sides and becomes the HR guy who’s not afraid to call out cringe?”
- “No show can fail with Oscar Nuñez. Stamp it.”
But Oscar isn’t the only familiar face on users’ wish lists. Redditors are practically writing spec scripts for how Rainn Wilson’s Dwight Schrute might try to unionize the newsroom—or how John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert could pop by to “consult” on office pranks. One especially hopeful post imagines Mindy Kaling’s Kelly as a guest star running the Truth Teller’s social media in true “pop culture tornado” fashion.
Will all these dreams become reality? With Daniels at the wheel and rumors that more Office alumni are open to cameos, it might not be as far-fetched as you’d think.
“Cringe Comedy”: Is the World Still Here for It?
Let’s face it, “The Office” thrived on cringe. We all remember hiding behind pillows as Michael Scott performed yet another HR-violating standup routine, or Angela hissed about party planning. That brand of comedy defined a generation.
But it’s 2025. Over the past five years, remote work, rickety Wi-Fi, and Zoom mishaps have replaced actual water coolers and break room squabbles. Does the old-school mockumentary model still hit home in today’s world, or does it feel like a corny relic from the era of Blackberry phones?
Here’s where “The Paper” might actually have an edge. Journalism, as an industry, is in existential crisis: layoffs, TikTok journalists, fake news, and the weird tension of chasing clicks while chasing facts. The writers’ room—led by Daniels and Michael Koman—is reportedly leaning in hard on that. Expect scenes of baby-boomer editors slugging it out with Gen Z content creators armed with ring lights, all in pursuit of the day’s top story.
Add to that the good ol’ heartbreak of losing a source because someone forgot to mute themselves on a group call, or the horror of publishing a typo-laden front page at midnight because the last copyeditor was stuck in traffic. What could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler: Everything, and that’s where the magic is.)
What Fans Want: Cringe, Heart, and a Little Nostalgia
So what are fans begging for? Based on what’s trending on social media and Reddit communities:
- More cringe, but less mean: People want characters to awkwardly fail, but they want empathy, too.
- Cameos that make sense: Not just a “HEY, IT’S DWIGHT!” moment, but scenes where old favorites really land a punchline.
- Slice-of-life awkwardness that reflects today’s chaos: Flexible hours, TikTok-obsessed interns, print journalists confused by podcasts—it’s all fair game.
One Redditor said it best: “I want the feeling that the people making the show know exactly how weird the world has gotten, not just how weird it was in 2009.”
Presses and Punchlines: Will The Paper Deliver?
It’s not just about nostalgia, though there will definitely be plenty. The world of journalism is ripe for the mockumentary treatment. Print newspapers are clinging to life, social media is leveling the playing field, and the battle between ‘old school’ and ‘new school’ has never been more bananas.
With Domhnall Gleeson showing off a comedic edge we haven’t seen since his turn as an eccentric programmer in “Ex Machina,” and Daniels quietly orchestrating another possible comedy classic, it’s hard not to get excited. Early set photos show crammed newsrooms, walls covered in sticky notes, and characters that look frazzled enough to have pulled several all-nighters fueled by stale coffee.
Press interviews with Daniels hint at even more chaos—like a “breaking news” sequence gone wrong because an intern is live-streaming it with accidental puppy filters, or rivalries between old columnists and “content creators” who think headlines are for dinosaurs.
And in the End…
So, will “The Paper” live up to the heavyweight expectations? The show is out to prove that print isn’t dead—and neither is the classic, cringey mockumentary style. If Daniels can balance newsroom madness, sweetly flawed characters, and a few perfectly timed callbacks, “The Paper” just might make us fall in love with awkward office life all over again.
And if not? Well, at least we’ll always have slow-motion shots of spilled coffee and a few unforgettable deadpan glances to camera. Print this article, hang it on your cubicle wall, and get ready to binge-watch chaos in the ink-stained trenches of The Truth Teller. September can’t come fast enough.
