Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman.
The Paper premiered on Peacock on September 4, 2025.
Distributed by Peacock.
The Paper TV Series Review
The Paper brings the mockumentary style of The Office into the struggling world of local journalism, following the staff of the Toledo Truth Teller.
The series mixes workplace comedy, newsroom problems and personal relationships while building its own identity.
Season 1 introduces Ned Sampson and the unusual newspaper staff.
The comedy takes time to settle, but the characters and journalism storyline gradually become more engaging.
The season received generally positive reviews for its ensemble and workplace dynamics.
Season 2 expands the characters and puts greater focus on relationships, particularly Ned and Mare.
It also gives Esmeralda and other supporting characters more room to develop.
Critics have praised the comedy and ensemble while noting that the series is still finding its direction.
CR Rating: 7.8/10.
The Paper Actors
Domhnall Gleeson as Ned Sampson
DOB: May 12, 1983.
Bio: Irish actor and writer born in Dublin, Ireland.
He studied media arts at Dublin Institute of Technology, initially intending to work behind the camera as a writer and director before establishing himself as an actor.
He began working professionally in the early 2000s and has built a career across film, television and theatre.
Role: Gleeson plays Ned Sampson, the enthusiastic new editor-in-chief of the Toledo Truth Teller.
Ned arrives with an ambitious plan to restore the struggling newspaper’s reputation and return it to serious local journalism.
He is optimistic, energetic and deeply passionate about traditional reporting, but his enthusiasm sometimes gets ahead of his experience.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Gleeson developed an American accent for the role, and creator Greg Daniels said he went to Toledo to understand the area’s local identity and distinguish it from nearby Cleveland.
Notable Works: Harry Potter film series, Star Wars sequel trilogy, About Time, Ex Machina, The Revenant, Black Mirror, Run, Frank of Ireland.
Sabrina Impacciatore as Esmeralda Grand
DOB: March 29, 1968.
Bio: Italian actress, comedian and performer born in Rome, Italy.
She studied acting in Rome and at the Actors Studio in New York.
Impacciatore later established herself in Italian film, television and theatre, taking on both comedic and dramatic roles.
Role: Impacciatore plays Esmeralda Grand, the glamorous and outspoken managing editor of the Toledo Truth Teller.
Esmeralda also oversees the newspaper’s online operation and prefers attention-grabbing material, wire stories and click-driven content.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Impacciatore revealed that she was genuinely nervous about filming Esmeralda’s Season 2 undercover sequence at her son’s school.
Notable Works: The White Lotus, Non è la Rai, The Last Kiss, In the Hand of Dante, The Passion of the Christ.
Chelsea Frei as Mare Pritti
DOB: November 16, 1992.
Bio: American actress, writer and producer born in Andover, Massachusetts.
She is a graduate of New York University and developed her career through comedy, television and independent projects.
Role: Frei plays Mare Pritti, a talented newspaper writer and former Army journalist working at the Toledo Truth Teller.
Mare has a genuine passion for journalism, but her career has stalled at the struggling newspaper.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Frei has discussed how her experience with mockumentary-style acting was influenced by reality television.
Notable Works: The Moodys, Sideswiped, The Cleaning Lady, Poker Face, The Addams Family.
Melvin Gregg as Detrick Moore
DOB: September 22, 1988.
Bio: American actor and comedian born in Portsmouth, Virginia.
He studied marketing at Old Dominion University before moving toward entertainment.
Gregg initially gained widespread attention through online comedy and social media before moving into acting.
Role: Gregg plays Detrick Moore, an advertising employee at the Toledo Truth Teller who becomes increasingly interested in the newspaper’s editorial side.
His interest is partly driven by his attraction to Nicole Lee, who works on the editorial side of the paper.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Gregg first gained widespread attention through social media before transitioning into professional acting.
Notable Works: American Vandal, Snowfall, Nine Perfect Strangers, Finding the Way Back, High Flying Bird.
Gbemisola Ikumelo as Adelola Olofin
DOB: March 26, 1986.
Bio: British actress, comedian and writer who was born in Ondo State, Nigeria, and moved to England as a child.
She studied at Queen Margaret University and developed her career through comedy, writing and television performance.
Role: Ikumelo plays Adelola Olofin, an employee at the Toledo Truth Teller who becomes part of the newspaper’s evolving newsroom team.
Adelola is intelligent, practical and initially somewhat disengaged from the ambitions of the people around her.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Ikumelo is also a writer on The Paper.
She has won BAFTA recognition for her comedy work, including Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme for Black Ops.
Notable Works: Black Ops, Famalam, Brain in Gear, A League of Their Own, Roadkill, Sunny D.
Alex Edelman as Adam Cooper
DOB: March 20, 1989.
Bio: American comedian, writer and actor born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Brookline.
He began performing stand-up at age 15 and later studied English at New York University, graduating in 2012.
Role: Edelman plays Adam Cooper, a socially awkward and sheltered accountant who works in Oscar’s department at the Toledo Truth Teller.
Although accounting is his primary job, Adam becomes a volunteer reporter and develops his own unconventional approach to journalism.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Edelman’s comedy special Just for Us earned major awards recognition, including a Tony Award and an Emmy.
He was also named to the Time 100 list in 2024.
Notable Works: Just for Us, The Great Indoors, Teenage Bounty Hunters, Unfrosted, Magazine.
Ramona Young as Nicole Lee
DOB: May 23, 1998.
Bio: American actress and writer born in Los Angeles, California.
She began developing her acting career through television and became widely recognized for roles in comedy and genre series.
Young is also known for her multilingual abilities and has spoken Mandarin and Cantonese.
Role: Young plays Nicole Lee, a staff member in the circulation department of the Toledo Truth Teller and Mare Pritti’s best friend.
Nicole is soft-spoken, intelligent and generally avoids the chaos surrounding her coworkers.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Young can speak Mandarin and Cantonese fluently.
Notable Works: Never Have I Ever, Legends of Tomorrow, Santa Clarita Diet, Z Nation.
Tim Key as Ken Davies
DOB: September 2, 1976.
Bio: English comedian, actor, writer and performance poet born in Cambridge, England.
He studied Russian at the University of Sheffield before developing a career in comedy, poetry, theatre, radio and television.
Role: Key plays Ken Davies, the head of strategy for the parent company that owns the Toledo Truth Teller.
Ken is a corporate-minded figure who is not particularly interested in seeing Ned Sampson succeed with his plans for the newspaper.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Key won the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2009 and has built much of his career around a distinctive combination of stand-up, performance poetry and character comedy.
Notable Works: Alan Partridge, The Witchfinder, The Horne Section TV Show, This Time with Alan Partridge.
Oscar Nuñez as Oscar Martinez
DOB: November 18, 1958.
Bio: American actor, comedian and writer born in Cuba.
He began his comedy career with the Groundlings in Los Angeles before moving into television and film.
He has since built a varied career in comedy and television.
Role: Nuñez reprises Oscar Martinez, now working as the head accountant connected to the Toledo Truth Teller and the local Softees operation.
Oscar has already experienced the documentary crew during his time at Dunder Mifflin, so their return makes him understandably uncomfortable.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Oscar Martinez was the first character from The Office to be cast in The Paper.
Notable Works: The Office, Halfway Home, Benched, The Proposal, Baywatch, The Lost City, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia.
Eric Rahill as Travis
DOB: July 16, 1993.
Bio: American comedian, writer and actor born in Washington State.
He developed his comedy career through stand-up and performance work and has also worked with Chicago’s Second City.
Rahill has built a career that combines comedy writing, acting and podcasting.
Role: Rahill plays Travis Bienlien, a Softees employee who also works as a part-time reporter for the Toledo Truth Teller.
Travis is eager to get involved in Ned Sampson’s increasingly ambitious attempts to attract readers and find stories.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Rahill worked at Nordstrom before joining The Paper and has developed a parallel career as both a comedy writer and performer.
He co-hosts Joy Tactics with Jack Bensinger and Nate Varrone.
Notable Works: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, The Bear, Friendship, Rap World.
Duane R. Shepard Sr. as Barry
DOB: N/A.
Bio: American actor and performer whose television career includes comedy and character roles.
He has appeared in a variety of television productions and has developed extensive experience in supporting and recurring roles.
Role: Shepard plays Barry, a longtime journalist and the Toledo Truth Teller’s remaining full-time reporter.
Barry represents the older generation of newspaper journalists and has a somewhat scattered approach to his work.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (20 eps).
Interesting facts: Barry is described as the newspaper’s remaining full-time reporter, making him an important link to the Truth Teller’s older newsroom culture.
Notable Works: Young Sheldon, The Eric Andre Show, A Black Lady Sketch Show.
Allan Havey as Marv Putnam
DOB: September 19, 1954.
Bio: American actor, comedian, writer and talk-show host born in St. Louis, Missouri.
He began his comedy career in New York in the early 1980s and gained national exposure through appearances on Late Night with David Letterman.
Role: Havey plays Marv Putnam, the CEO of Enervate, the company connected to the Toledo Truth Teller.
Marv is willing to give Ned opportunities to improve the newspaper, but he remains focused on the financial side of the business.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (15 eps).
Interesting facts: Havey created, hosted and produced Night After Night with Allan Havey, which ran for three years.
Notable Works: Mad Men, Billions, Bosch, Hail, Caesar!, Hancock, The Informant!, Rounders, Crashing, Night After Night with Allan Havey.
More Actors
• Mo Welch as Kimberly Wilson.
• Nancy Lenehan as Ann Putnam.
• Nate Jackson as Nate Wells.
• Matt Braunger as Dan.
FAQ – The Paper TV Series
What is The Paper TV series about?
The Paper follows the documentary crew from The Office as they turn their cameras toward the struggling Toledo Truth Teller, a historic newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.
Is The Paper a spin-off of The Office?
Yes. The Paper is set in the same universe as The Office and follows the same documentary crew, but it focuses on a new group of characters and a newspaper rather than Dunder Mifflin.
Is The Paper a comedy?
Yes. It is a workplace mockumentary comedy centered on the staff of a struggling newspaper.
How many seasons of The Paper are there?
There are currently two seasons, with 20 episodes in total.
Where can you watch The Paper?
The Paper is available to stream exclusively on Peacock.
Conclusion
Overall, The Paper is a fun workplace comedy that combines newsroom chaos, memorable characters and the familiar mockumentary style of The Office.
Across its first two seasons, the series develops its own voice while giving the ensemble plenty of room to grow.