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The Office spin-off star says Domhnall Gleeson’s manager character has a spirit of optimism” akin to Parcs and Recreation’s Leslie Knope rather than Michael Scott

Megan Garside

17 September 2025

The Paper stars Domhnall Gleeson as an optimistic newspaper editor

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(Image credit: Sky/Peacock)

New TV show The Paper may be spun off from NBC’s hit series The Office US, but star Alex Edelman says “they’re totally different shows,” and that The Paper’s manager character is more like Parks and Recreation leader Leslie Knope than Michael Scott.

“Our show is a little more Parks and Rec than The Office, in my opinion,” said Edelman in an interview with Variety. “There’s a spirit of optimism to Ned Sampson that’s closer to Leslie Knope than it is to Michael Scott.”
Set in the same world as The Office, The Paper follows he same documentary crew from Scranton as they head over to Ohio to follow a new editor-in-chief named Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) as he attempts to revive a failing Midwestern newspaper. From that description alone, you can see how Gleeson’s manager is vastly different from The Office’s Michael Scott, who spent more time pulling pranks and making ‘that’s what she said’ jokes than trying to boost sales.

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From seasons 1-7, The Office US starred Steve Carell as Michael Scott, the immature but well-meaning regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch. The character is loosely based on Ricky Gervais’s manager David Brent in the original UK-set series The Office, but tends to be a little more sensitive than his British counterpart.

However, as hopelessly funny as he may be, Scott has very little work ethic, which is the complete opposite of Amy Poehler’s well-organized, but just as silly, Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Pawne. Throughout the series, Knope strives to climb the career ladder at her town’s local council and make the community a better place, which seems to be what Gleeson’s character wants to do too.
Funnily enough, The Paper is created by the same person behind The Office US and Parks and Recreation, Greg Daniels. The Paper also stars Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young, Oscar Nuñez, Tim Key, and Melvin Gregg.
The Paper season 1 is available to watch on Peacock in the US and on Sky and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our list of the best sitcoms, and keep up with new TV shows coming in 2025 and beyond.

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Megan Garside

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Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.

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