The hotly-anticipated new sitcom will reportedly be called The Paper, according to showrunner Greg Daniels’ Writers Guild of America profile. Collider reports that the series was previously known as Daniels & Koman Untitled Project.
Titled in the same style as the original hit series, it matches the plot details revealed so far - that it will follow the staff of a struggling community newspaper, mockumentary-style.
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, Steve Carell as Michael Scott, B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard, and John Krasinski as Jim Halpert in the original The Office. Photo / NBC
Fans of the original show aren’t too sure about the name of the new series, with one writing on Twitter, “Worst title ever”. Another commented, “Should’ve just kept the original name.”
However, the show isn’t strictly a spinoff of The Office, but rather a new series set in the same universe - not in Scranton, Pennsylvania but elsewhere in the Midwest.
Its official logline reads, “The documentary crew that immortalised Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”
The project has been in the works for the past year, following years of rumours that a reboot of The Office was imminent. It’s been ordered for a full season on US streaming service Peacock, with filming slated to start in July.
However, Daniels has said that the new series won’t involve any of the actors from The Office, including John Krasinski, Steve Carell and Jenna Fischer, so don’t hold out hope for an appearance from Michael Scott.
Instead, it will star About Time’s Domhnall Gleeson and The White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore. It’s not clear whether they’ll both play the role of the boss, like Steve Carell’s iconic Michael Scott, or if they’ll form this version’s central couple like John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly.
Nathan for You co-creator Michael Koman has joined the writers’ team, sure to bring his flavour of awkward comedy to the show.
The Paper does not have a confirmed release date.
John Krasinski as Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly in the US version of The Office. Neither will appear in the new project from the hit show's creators.
President of NBCUniversal Lisa Katz said last month, “It’s been more than 10 years since the final episode of The Office aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock.
“In partnership with Universal Television and led by the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, this new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: A daily newspaper.”
And if you prefer the original United Kingdom The Office to the US version, good news - the show’s original creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are producing the new series.
