The upcoming The Office follow-up just got an interesting update regarding its broadcast.
The Paper is set to premiere on Peacock later this year, but it’s possible it could find its way to The Office’s home network.
Videos by PopCulture.com
In a new report from Deadline, NBC still has two half-hour slots to fill on the fall schedule, following sophomore sitcoms St. Denis Medical on Tuesday and Happy’s Place on Friday. Although there are actually two comedy pilots still in limbo, The Paper is reportedly in contention to fill one of those slots come November.
That won’t jeopardize its September launch on Peacock, as it could also broadcast on NBC two months after its premiere, sources say, giving those who don’t have Peacock the chance to watch this new series set in The Office universe. It’s not confirmed, but it wouldn’t be surprising if discussions are actually happening, as The Office ran on NBC for nine seasons. So it’s not completely out of the question. That being said, November slots are not the only option for comedies, as midseason premieres are reportedly also being considered.
Several streaming shows have found a second life on broadcast television, such as Only Murders in the Building and Paradise on ABC. If anything, even if The Paper doesn’t find its way to NBC later this year, it’s likely it will eventually air on the network in the future to wrangle in more The Office fans, especially since original star Oscar Nuñez is reprising his role as Oscar Martinez in the new series.
The Paper “features the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. The crew is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher that is trying to revive it.” Along with Nuñez, it stars Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key.
Michael Koman and The Office creator Greg Daniels created the series and also serve as executive producers and writers. Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas also serve as executive producers on The Paper, which is produced by Universal Television. A premiere date for The Paper has not been announced, but it will be premiering in September on Peacock, and possibly later this year on NBC.