Peacock's 'The Office' spinoff just got its first trailer — and now I'm concerned

L-R: Mare (Chelsea Frei), Nicole (Ramona Young), Detrick (Melvin Gregg), Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo), Adam (Alex Edelman), Travis (Eric Rahill) and Oscar (Oscar Nunez) in a scene from Peacock's "The Paper"
(Image credit: John P. Fleenor/Peacock)

We've just gotten our first proper look at Peacock's upcoming "The Office" spinoff, "The Paper."

We first learned about the forthcoming sitcom back in May, and the "The Paper" release date followed in mid-July, but this trailer finally gives us a glimpse at the series in action. Check it out below:

The Paper | Official Trailer | Peacock Original - YouTube The Paper | Official Trailer | Peacock Original - YouTube
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I know it's tough to judge a show by its trailer, but I don't think this sells the show as a must-watch comedy.

I'm a big fan of Tim Key's work (seek out "The Ballad of Wallis Island," if you haven't), so seeing him involved is a big plus for me, but I'd be lying if I said "The Paper" trailer was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

The opening "order of quality" line got a quick laugh from me, as did Oscar's brief crash-out at the end, but otherwise, it makes for a pretty bland watch. It's not exactly making me want to bump it to the top of my watchlist.

Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore, left) holding Nicole's (Ramona Young) face in a scene from Peacock's "The Paper"

(Image credit: Aaron Epstein/Peacock)

It is just a trailer, though, so I don't want to judge it too harshly. We're yet to get to know any of these new characters (apart from Oscar, obviously) or what makes them tick.

Plus, the fact that "The Office" co-creator Greg Daniels is on board (teamed with "Nathan For You" co-creator Michael Koman) is promising, and several fans on YouTube also point back to the first season of "The Office" not being the show's strongest outing, too.

Thus, I'm concerned, but I'm going to remain optimistic that there's still a chance the new show is a worthy "The Office" successor between now and its premiere.

As a reminder, "The Paper" is getting a four-episode premiere on Peacock on Thursday. September 4, with new episodes airing Thursdays through to the finale on September 25.

What else do we know about 'The Paper' on Peacock?

L-R: Esmerelda (Sabrina Impacciatore), Oscar (Oscar Nunez), Ned (Domhnall Gleeson), Adelola (Gbemisola Ikumelo) in an office building in a scene from "The Paper" pilot episode.

(Image credit: Aaron Epstein/Peacock)

Peacock previously released a full series synopsis for "The Paper," though it doesn't give too much away about what's in store.

It reads: "The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch in the Emmy Award-winning series 'The Office' find a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it."

Across its run, "The Office" boasted a ton of great stars, and "The Paper" looks to be no different. The main cast includes Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key, and "The Office" alum, Oscar Nuñez.

NBC's also confirmed the guest stars for the season. Expect to see Eric Rahill, Tracy Letts, Milly Ephraim, Mo Welch, Allan Harvey, Duane Shepard Sr., Nate Jackson and Nancy Lenehan popping up at some point in the new show. And, of course, it features the same documentary crew that filmed all the chaos back in Scranton.

Looking for something to keep you entertained while you wait for "The Paper" to arrive? Check out our round-up of the best Peacock shows you can watch right now for more top recommendations.

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Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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