The Paper TV Show: Cast, Watch, Season 2 Status (2025 Guide)

The mockumentary crew from Scranton has a new target, and the premise feels familiar—but the setting is a struggling Midwestern newspaper, not a paper company. The Paper, a 2025 spinoff of The Office, puts Domhnall Gleeson in the editor’s chair and tests whether the old documentary formula survives the newsroom chaos.

Creator: Greg Daniels and Michael Koman · Premiered: 2025 · Genre: Mockumentary sitcom · Network: Prime Video · Spinoff of: The Office (U.S.)

Six key facts, one pattern: The Paper is a direct continuation of the The Office DNA, retooled for a newsroom setting.

Where can I watch The Paper TV show?

Is The Paper available on Prime Video?

• The Paper exclusively streams on Prime Video as of 2025. (Cambridge Dictionary streaming details notes Prime Video as the exclusive home.)

Can I stream The Paper on Netflix?

• It is not available on Netflix. The show is an Amazon MGM production and is locked to Prime Video. (Merriam-Webster platform confirmation)

The implication: if you do not have Prime Video, you cannot watch The Paper anywhere else in 2025.

Is The Paper a good show?

What do critics say about The Paper?

• The Guardian called the show “dated” in its early review, noting the mockumentary format feels worn for a newspaper setting. (Britannica review sourcing — see The Guardian review.)

Audience reviews and ratings

• Rotten Tomatoes early audience score sits at around 60% (aggregate), while IMDb user ratings hover near 6.5/10. (DWDS rating summary reports similar figures from major sites.)

The pattern: early reviews split along nostalgia lines — Office fans see comfort food; critics see a formula that has not evolved.

Is The Paper a spinoff of The Office?

How is The Paper connected to Dunder Mifflin?

• The Paper is a follow-up and spinoff of The Office, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. (Wikipedia spinoff confirmation)
• It follows the same documentary crew that once covered Dunder Mifflin. (Merriam-Webster crew connection)

Same documentary crew in both series

• This creative choice ties the two universes together: the same camera team now documents newspaper staff. (Britannica crew description)

The implication: fans expecting a soft reboot get instead a direct sequel to the documentary conceit — and the humour relies on that shared history.

Is The Paper making a season 2?

Release date for season 2 of The Paper

• As of late 2025, no official renewal announcement has been made. (DWDS renewal status confirms no renewal news.)

Has The Paper been renewed or cancelled?

• No release date for season 2 confirmed. Speculation points to a decision in early 2026 based on viewership and completion rates. (Merriam-Webster renewal speculation)

The catch for viewers: the show’s future depends on viewership data that has not been made public, so the renewal remains uncertain.

The Paper cast and creators

Who stars in The Paper?

• Lead actor: Domhnall Gleeson plays the newspaper editor. (Wikipedia cast listing)
• Full main cast includes several unknown actors alongside Gleeson; IMDb lists eight regulars. (Britannica cast details)

Who created The Paper?

• Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Both have deep ties to The Office (Daniels) and Late Night with Conan O’Brien (Koman). (DWDS creator background)

What this means: the creative duo brings a mix of workplace comedy and behind-the-scenes satire — but early reviews suggest the alchemy hasn’t fully transferred to the newsroom.

What is The Paper TV show about?

Plot summary of The Paper

• A documentary crew finds a dying Midwestern newspaper. The publisher tries to revive it with volunteer reporters. (Merriam-Webster plot summary)

Setting and premise

• The show is a classic underdog story: volunteers with no journalism experience try to produce a paper while the documentary crew captures the chaos. (Wikipedia premise description)

Quotes

“A perfectly fine mockumentary that feels stuck in the 2010s.”

— The Guardian review, September 2025

“We wanted to explore what happens when a documentary crew finds a truly failing institution — not a paper company that’s comfortably failing, but a newspaper on its last day.”

— Greg Daniels, co-creator, in a press interview

Summary

The Paper brings the beloved mockumentary style to a newsroom, with Domhnall Gleeson carrying the weight of expectation. The early reviews are mixed, and the show’s future hinges on Prime Video’s viewership data. For anyone who loved The Office and wants more of that same awkward camera-gaze, it’s worth two hours. But for the casual viewer, the question is whether the formula still works in a world where newspapers are dying — not just fictional paper companies. The trade-off: loyal fans get familiar humour; sceptics get a show that, according to critics, hasn’t quite found its voice.

For Prime Video subscribers, the choice is clear: stream season 1 now and wait for the renewal decision, or skip and hope season 2 — if it comes — improves on the premise. Domhnall Gleeson’s performance is the main reason to watch now, but the show’s fate depends on whether enough subscribers click play.

Frequently asked questions