Which Alums from The Office Came Back for The Paper?
Exciting news for fans of The Office as they tune into The Paper: several familiar faces from Dunder Mifflin appear throughout the show.
The pilot episode of The Paper, which premiered on Thursday, September 4, reveals that Dunder Mifflin has been acquired by a company specializing in paper products. This detail is shared with the documentary crew by none other than Bob Vance, husband of Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith).
With this transition, only one employee opted to move to Toledo, Ohio — the beloved accountant Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez).
“Oscar finds himself there. It’s a new city for him. I like to think he got a pay raise,” Nuñez, 66, exclusively shared with Us Weekly prior to the show’s launch. “Suddenly, this documentary team shows up.”
Indeed, the primary “connective tissue” — as cocreator Greg Daniels described in an exclusive interview with Us — is that the documentary crew from The Office now follows the staff at the faltering newspaper The Toledo Truth Teller.
As Oscar takes on his new role as puzzle maker for the newspaper, the crew captures him making a call to a familiar face from his past.
“Did you get my text?” Oscar asks during episode 2 while retrieving a newspaper from an outdoor stand. “I made it! It’s in today’s paper. Well, is it too easy? Is it too hard? What do you think? Ha, maybe too easy for you, Stanley.”
While Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) doesn’t appear onscreen, Oscar references former employee Michael Scott (Steve Carell) again. “A great man once said, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.’ Also, an idiot I used to know,” Oscar remarks in the season finale, quoting Michael’s famous line.
Despite the nods to The Office, both Daniels and cocreator Michael Koman were happy with the absence of additional alumni in The Paper. Daniels pointed out that fan favorites Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) left The Office residing in Austin, Texas — making it unlikely for them to find themselves in the Midwest.
“I’m not entirely sure why [the documentary crew] would feel the need to call them up and bring them to Toledo,” Daniels remarked, while Koman added, “For this season, we really aimed to focus on these new characters and their journeys. The future is what it is.”
However, if more original characters were to join the new show, cast members Ramona Young and Melvin Gregg might have some suggestions for season 2. (The Paper was officially renewed for another season just one day before its premiere.)
“I think having anybody return would excite the fans. It’s hard to choose … I think I’d love to see Paul Lieberstein back as Toby, given his HR background. He’s a comedic character, and there are definitely HR matters that need attention in this workplace. That could be hilarious,” Gregg, 36, exclusively shared with Us, while Young, 27, chimed in, “I’d say Meredith. That would be a fun addition.”
The Paper season 1 is currently streaming on Peacock.
