10 TV Shows Like ‘The Paper’ You Should Watch Next
After several failed attempts at planned spinoffs and/or reboots, The Office universe continues with The Paper , which returns to Peacock for a second season. In the series, the same crew that followed the employees of Dunder Mifflin for nearly a decade travels to Toledo to follow the newsroom of the Toledo Truth Teller , the oldest newspaper in the Midwest, which is doing pretty much like any other American newspaper (badly). Filled with awkward comedic moments and characters who could have stepped right off the screen at your workplace, it’s the latest in a rich tradition of shows set in and around the American workplace. After you binge-watch the second season, here are 10 more shows to help you get through the workweek.
St. Denis Medical Center (2024 – )
Justin Spitzer, one of the creators of St. Denis Medical Center, once worked as a writer and producer on The Office , so it’s no surprise that there are many similarities in tone between it and The Paper . Set at St. Denis Regional Medical Center, the series follows the medical staff as they navigate challenging patients and an even more complex medical system. Allison Tolman leads an impressive cast, including Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier. The series combines a comedic style reminiscent of a work documentary with relevant themes about the dreadful experience of being a doctor or patient trapped in the American medical system. Watch St. Denis Medical Center on Peacock .
Sports Night (1998–2000)
Created by Aaron Sorkin after the early success of The West Wing, Sports Night received similar acclaim (and won numerous Emmy Awards), though it didn’t last as long, lasting just two seasons before becoming a cult classic. Robert Guillaume plays the editor-in-chief of a SportsCenter -style show struggling to stay on the air. He stars alongside Josh Charles, Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Joshua Malina, and Clark Gregg. While seemingly a sitcom, it’s actually a fast-paced, action-packed comedy-drama with multifaceted, complex characters. Buy Sports Night on Prime Video .
Abbott Elementary School (2021 – )
Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary , quickly establishing itself as one of the best mockumentaries about work, follows (mostly) well-meaning characters as they navigate an American education system that doesn’t always reward good intentions. It’s a bit more sincere in places than The Paper , but at least no less funny in its depiction of the American workplace. Abbott Elementary is available to watch on Hulu , Disney+ , and HBO Max .
American car (2021–2023)
Another series from The Office writer and producer Justin Spitzer, this mockumentary sitcom follows the employees of Payne Motors, a Detroit car dealership, after the arrival of new CEO Katherine Hastings (Ana Gasteyer), who knows absolutely nothing about cars. Like The Paper, American Auto follows the employees and managers as they struggle to navigate the absurdity of an industry on the brink of collapse. Watch American Auto on Peacock .
Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)
NBC’s first successful attempt to replicate the success of The Office . Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, a spirited and driven resident of the sleepy town of Pawnee, Indiana. Irresistibly cheerful, she’s the deputy director of the local parks and recreation department, with ambitions that reach all the way to the White House. Her dream is simultaneously inspiring and seemingly crazy, but it’s hard not to root for her—at least a little. In the best tradition of workplace comedies, her office is full of charming oddballs: stern libertarian Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), cynical loser Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), and feisty Donna Meagle (Retta), whose mysterious but decidedly turbulent personal life is only hinted at. Watch Parks and Recreation on Peacock .
What We Do in the Shadows (2019–2024)
The Staten Island vampire polygamy at the heart of What We Do in the Shadows is populated entirely by ancient, immortal oddballs, unfit for our time, for whom any encounter with modernity is absurd. The similarities to The Paper lie primarily in tone and mockumentary format, but the central joke is the same as the Peacock series: none of us are particularly good at the affairs of modern life, but we’re all bad at them in different ways. Mark Proksch’s “energy vampire” Colin Robinson, the only one who works in an office, would fit right in with Toledo Truth Teller (or Dunder Mifflin), while in later seasons, Harvey Guillén’s Guillermo de la Cruz ventures into the world of office workers himself, further reinforcing the parallels between The Office and The Paper . Watch What We Do in the Shadows on Disney+ and Hulu .
The Brave Type (2017–2021)
The series offers a slightly different atmosphere than most, but if you’re looking for a newsroom or newsroom experience, it’s a fun way to switch things up. Inspired by the career of Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, the series follows three young best friends—Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy)—as they work at the fictional women’s magazine Scarlet in New York City. Under the firm guidance of editor-in-chief Jacqueline Carlisle (Melora Hardin), they navigate life and career challenges in their impossibly stylish world. Watch “The Bold Type” on Hulu and HBO Max .
Supermarket (2015–2021)
Workplace comedies typically revolve around an office environment (e.g., “The Paper “). “Superstore” follows the employees of Cloud 9, a large retail store with a reputation somewhere between Walmart and Target . The show’s large and diverse cast is appropriately focused on jokes, but much of the humor is derived from the familiar workplace, which demands both dedication and a smiley attitude in the face of both arrogant customers and pushy bosses. As with office-based shows, there’s plenty of room for improvement, such as when friendly employee Myrtle is replaced by a hologram. Watch “Superstore” on Peacock and Hulu .
NewsRadio (1995–1999)
Back in the day, car radio was one of the main ways to get information (or so I’ve heard), and this comedy about working in a newsroom recreates that era with a unique blend of witty writing and hilarious visual gags. Created by Paul Simms (of such diverse shows as The Larry Sanders Show , Flight of the Conchords , What We Do in the Shadows , and Atlanta ), the series also boasts one of the wildest casts in sitcom history: Dave Foley, Maura Tierney, and Stephen Root star alongside Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Andy Dick, and Joe Rogan (yes, that Joe Rogan). It’s both a groundbreaking series and a time capsule, capturing a very specific era. Watch NewsRadio on Prime Video and Tubi .
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
It wasn’t the first workplace sitcom, but it truly capitalized on the format, and it’s almost certainly the first sitcom about a newsroom. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” features a talented cast of awkward oddballs gathered behind the scenes of a Minneapolis news show—an environment that’s simultaneously tense and, somehow, time-consuming. The plots don’t write themselves, but if you gather enough oddballs together and give them a challenging enough job, the possibilities are endless. Buy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” on Prime Video .