‘The Paper’ series review: Domhnall Gleeson tells the truth and dares to laugh

What if the searchlight were turned on those who create and direct pop culture? There is Apple TV’s excellent satire, The Studio, thatlooks at movie-making, and their newsroom drama, The Morning Show, which is a study on network broadcasting. The time was ripe to turn the lens on newspapers, in the fraught atmosphere of fake news with regular obituaries being written for old-school journalism.

The Paper, a spiritual sequel in the same universe as the hectically popular The Office (2005 to 2013), turns its mockumentary eye on print media. In the first episode we learn that Dunder Mifflin, the paper company the documentary crew was filming in The Office, has sold out to Enervate, which is also in the paper business.

As corporate strategist, Ken (Tim Key) explains, Enervate sells “products made out of paper: toilet tissue, toilet seat protectors, and local newspapers — and that is in order of quality.” The newspaper, the Toledo Truth-Teller, had its glory days but is now reduced to a skeletal staff, sharing space with the Softees toilet paper workers and filling the paper with stories off the wire.

Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) enters this dismal scene as the new editor-in-chief. Naïve and full of good intentions to turn things around for the Toledo Truth-Teller, Ned meets stumbling blocks at practically every turn. There is Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore), the managing editor of both print and online, looking to get her job back by sabotaging Ned’s efforts. She is proud of her original journalistic piece on how much Ben Affleck tipped his limo driver.

With the board not willing to put money into hiring more staff, Ned convinces them to allow Softees staff to volunteer at TTT. Apart from Esmeralda, there is Mare (Chelsea Frei), who used to be a military journalist for Stars and Stripes and Barry (Duane Shepard Sr.), a dozing reporter who can be occasionally roused to contribute. Nicole (Ramona Young), works on the circulation desk and Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez), the accountant from Dunder Mifflin is now the head accountant at the Toledo Truth-Teller.

The Softees voluntary staff include Detrick (Melvin Gregg) from ad sales, and accountants, Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo) and Adam (Alex Edelman). There is Travis (Eric Rahill) who loves fishing and spends quite a bit of time creating gimmicks to make the bait move, which helps the staff put one over Ken’s managerial eye. Marv (Allan Havey) is the CEO of Enervate while Nate (Nate Jackson) is the janitor who might know a critical secret.

The Paper has some genuine laughs including the one involving a clogged sewer, Mickey Mouse and the Taliban. Some jokes do not land including a dig at MeToo; and Impacciatore’s Esmeralda (who we remember from The White Lotus as Valentina) is a little too cartoonish and shrieky.

There is genuine love for the newspaper business and sharp observations on the state of the media. The show goes by in easily digestible half-hour bites, revelling in the shenanigans of its mostly likeable characters. There is a sneaking suspicion that the mockumentary-style, talking to camera has overstayed its welcome.

For the first season, The Paper has got us invested in its quirky cast of characters. Being renewed for a second season, it will hopefully find its voice, tone down Esmeralda, and create an engaging look at the world of news.

The Paper is currently streaming on JioHotstar