Office Ladies Podcast: "The Paper" Pilot (September 10, 2025)

Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
Episode: “The Paper” Pilot
Podcast Theme: The Office rewatch by cast members, plus behind-the-scenes stories. This special episode kicks off a new era, reviewing the pilot of The Paper—the official Office universe spinoff.

Overview

In this episode, Jenna and Angela dive deep into the pilot of The Paper, a new comedy series set in the world of The Office and following the fortunes of a struggling Midwestern newspaper, "The Truth Teller," now under the wing of the Dunder Mifflin parent company Enervate. The hosts share tons of exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, cast interviews, background details, and nostalgic callbacks connecting The Paper to its predecessor. The tone is enthusiastic, heartfelt, and affectionate for the expanded Office universe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Connection to The Office Universe

• [03:32] Angela Kinsey: “Hello there, everyone. Holy moly, do we have a big episode today.”
• [03:40] Jenna Fischer: “With the paper... The first four episodes are out now on Peacock. Check them out. Today we're going to talk about the pilot.”
• The Paper is established as a direct spinoff—same creative roots, same style, but in a new setting, with familiar and new faces.

2. Fast Facts & Creation of The Paper

The Premise & Timeliness

• [06:22] Alex Edelman (Writer/Performer):

  "The premise of the show is that there is a company that bought Dunder Mifflin... They have Dunder Mifflin, which is office supplies, but their biggest product is toilet tissues... They also have newspapers... The documentary crew... stumbles on an interesting story in the fact that this old newspaper is trying to be revived by an idealistic young publisher."

• [07:30] Angela (quoting Michael Komen, co-creator):

  “Larger companies are acquiring newspapers, and... the newspapers will just function as a ghost paper. ...They mostly carry stories from the wire... and they just milk them for ads until they disappear.”

The Creative Team & Office Style

• [09:45] Jenna: “Greg brought back so much of the philosophy of The Office. You see it on screen... The Paper feels like The Office. It's in the universe. It's in the world.”

• Writers appear as actors, just like on The Office.

3. Cast & Character Highlights

Oscar Nunez Returns (Oscar)

• [10:38] Jenna: “Oscar's character is the head accountant for Enervate... Last time we saw Oscar, he was running for state senator... now he’s at this newspaper, serving the community.”
• [12:06] Oscar Nunez (voicemail):

  “Greg Daniels... said something like, Oscar, I'm thinking of an idea... like a paper in the world of journalism... How would you feel if your character... was part of that? And I said, yeah, that's fine.”

• [13:29] Oscar: “Angela, as you know... I'm not good at keeping secrets. It was very difficult. ...But it was fun to see [Chris Haston] there. ...Some reporter got wind of it, and so here we are.”

Bob Vance (Bobby Ray Shafer) Cameo

• [24:01] Audio from Bobby Ray Shafer:

  “I receive an email... Would I be interested for a new Greg Daniels project? There's only one answer—yes. ...It was fantastic to be back in the Vance Refrigeration office... It was really just a wonderful feeling to be back involved with those great people.”

Lovely Nostalgic Moments

• [31:51] Laurie and Stephen Socks describe returning to the set, including an emotional story about being present for Steve Carell’s (Michael Scott) last scene.

  “It was shocking and emotional... I got to stand there, full of gratitude for all that The Office meant to me. And then... I got to pivot to this brand new show.”

4. Episode Recap & Set Design Details

Returning to Scranton, Legacy Callbacks

• [19:13] Showing Scranton business park—new businesses in the Dunder Mifflin building; Vance Refrigeration still exists.
• [22:04] Jenna: “If Dunder Mifflin was sold in 2019, that means it was sold before the pandemic. So Dwight never had to deal with COVID rules.”

Connection to Office Traditions

• [22:34] Bob Vance’s office has inside jokes, like his “10% discount on fridges, not labor” post-it note.

First Day at the Ohio Newspaper

• [37:54] Corporate tour (by “Ken”, played by Tim Key): “Ninth floor is home to Softies—Toilet Paper. ...A huge open office, but very few people.”
• [41:43] Juxtaposition of “then and now” for The Truth Teller: Vibrant 1971 scenes vs. the downsized staff of today.

Opening Credits Sequence

• [43:53] Opening montage of newspapers being used for everything except reading; ends with the “Truth Teller” as a birdcage liner.

Easter Eggs

• [67:16] Angela: “We see the same yellow Froggy 101 radio sticker that was on the set of The Office—little Easter egg!”
• [84:23] Angela/Jenna: “Oscar has on his desk that scarecrow doll made out of burlap and twine that Michael Scott gave him in the Goodbye Michael episode.”

5. New Characters & Dynamics

Main Cast Introductions

• Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleason): The eager new publisher, “idealistic,” wants to do real journalism with a mostly volunteer staff.
• Mare (Chelsea Fry): Compositor, ex-Army journalist, quietly dreams of a better paper.
• Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore): Vibrant, chaotic head of TTT Online—“so much fun, steals every scene.”
• Detric (Melvin Gregg): Sells ads, possible crush on Nicole.
• Nicole (Ramona Young): Circulation, reserved, keeps her bird at her desk.
• Barry (Duane Shepard Sr.): The sole veteran real reporter.
• Ken (Tim Key): Corporate head of strategy—British, cringey humor.

Funny & Relatable Moments

• [65:40] Mare’s salad is destroyed by Ned’s overzealous backpack—discussed with reference to Hugh Grant’s pet peeve about backpacks.

• [66:07] Ned locked in the copy room; confusion about whether he works in “news” or “toilet news”:

  “Why would I say the paper about toilet paper?” (Ned)
  “We don't know you, sir. How should we know why you say the things you say?” (Detric)

Physical/Digital Set Details

• [50:59] Angela’s desk breakdown: “Esmeralda has four lamps, burnt sage, stacks of paper, sad plants... she’s me—sad plants and lots of lamps.”
• [73:22] Alex Edelman (Adam, accounting) on his desk:

  “I have various books... toys like Velcro ball catchers, Rubik’s cubes, a fart gun, a Boston snow globe. And the Magic 8 ball—my little nod to Michael Scott.”

• [76:03] Also, crew featured in desk plaques and photos—continuing The Office tradition.

6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

On reviving the Office energy:

• [09:46] “Anything that seemed like good luck from back then we tried to recreate.” – Greg Daniels (relayed by Jenna)

On workplace legacy:

• [41:05] “Tracy Letts, multiple Tony Award winner... He was my first choice. So they just reached out and he said yes.” – Michael Komen (relayed by Jenna)

On Oscar's running gag:

• [58:11] “God, not again. I'm not agreeing to any of this. Don't you guys have enough? After nine years, nobody wants this... You can’t use my voice, my likeness, my face, nothing.” – Oscar Nunez, on being pulled into another documentary.

On ‘Esmeralda’ energy:

• [57:48] “You are going to get tired chasing my busy little body around with that camera. Also, I’m a single mom, so there’s lots going on in my life. Anyway, here are two accountants and the head accountant. Boring. Boring. And hat boring.” – Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore)

On preparing for change:

• [87:08] Ned’s rally speech:

  “If you have ever wanted to be the first person to know what’s going on in the place where you live, or if you want to make sure the people who are running your city are telling the truth and doing the things that they said they would do, or if you just root for the underdog and you want to give it to the loudmouths, you are more than welcome... to volunteer your time at this newspaper…”

On American optimism:

• [88:03] Esmeralda:

  “In America, there is a saying about accepting things you cannot change. Well, we do not have that saying in Italy.”

On the power of news:

• [91:54] John Stack (Tracy Letts) in the 1971 doc:

  "It is a kind of alchemy. And what comes out this end is the truth. It's a truth teller. That's what we do. And I don't mean to be blasphemous, but I worship at the altar of this machine."

Notable Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:32] – Introduction to The Paper/Spoiler-free overview
• [04:23] – Official pilot summary & creative team credits
• [06:22] – Show premise & inside story from co-creator
• [10:38] – Oscar Nunez’s new role explained/interview audio
• [24:01] – Bobby Ray Shafer (Bob Vance) audio message
• [31:51] – Stephen Socks’ emotional story about The Office sets
• [37:08] – Corporate/softies office tour; Office references
• [41:39] – Tracy Letts cast; host fangirling
• [43:53] – Show open/credits/music discussion
• [50:59] – Angela’s epic desk breakdowns (props galore)
• [57:48] – Esmeralda’s hilarious camera-flirting monologue
• [65:40] – Ned’s backpack troubles; pop culture discussion
• [73:22] – Alex Edelman’s (Adam) desk Easter eggs/interview
• [87:08] – Ned’s “join the paper” speech
• [91:54] – Poignant finale monologue about the printing press

Additional Highlights & Easter Eggs

• The Paper has numerous callbacks, including:
  • Sets and signs recreated from The Office [25:25]
  • Iconic prop returns: Froggy 101 sticker, Magic 8 ball, Michael’s scarecrow gift, etc. [67:16, 84:23]
  • Crew/cast traditions: writer-performers, crew member references in set design
• Cameos and heartfelt audio clips from The Office alums & set crew

Tone & Vibe

• Warm, friendly, and brimming with excitement and nostalgia—Jenna and Angela’s close friendship shines throughout, making for a chatty, honest, and playful exploration of what makes both The Office and The Paper special.

Final Thoughts

• The episode captures the hope and humor of reinventing The Office for a new era and the affection Jenna, Angela, and all their colleagues have for this universe.
• The Paper aims to carry forth the quirky ensemble energy, inventive set dressings, real-world resonance, and heart of The Office while tackling contemporary themes like the collapse of local journalism.

Memorable Takeaway Quote

"It is a kind of alchemy. ... And what comes out this end is the truth. It's a truth teller. That's what we do.”
—John Stack/Tracy Letts (91:54)

For more Office content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes nuggets, keep up with Office Ladies and check out the first episodes of The Paper streaming now.