Domnhall Gleeson on TAKE THE BISCUIT
For nine seasons, from 2005 to 2013, THE OFFICE became a cultural phenomenon that extended far beyond its initial television run. The series thrived in syndication, found new life on streaming platforms, and spawned countless memes and cultural references. Its influence on subsequent workplace comedies cannot be overstated—the mockumentary format became a standard approach, and the idea that office mundanity could be comedy gold inspired numerous imitators.
The series concluded in 2013 with a satisfying finale that tied up loose ends and provided closure for characters viewers had followed for nearly a decade. A finale special followed two years later, seemingly putting a definitive end to the Scranton branch’s story. The paper company had finally closed its doors, metaphorically speaking, and fans were left with memories and endless rewatching opportunities.
Now THE PAPER arrives on Peacock as something between sequel and spiritual successor. With an almost entirely new cast of characters but maintaining that familiar mockumentary workplace format, the series represents both continuity and evolution. It’s THE OFFICE returning without being THE OFFICE, a continuation of format and sensibility rather than character and location. The challenge facing this new iteration is substantial: how do you capture the magic of something beloved without simply repeating it?
The streaming landscape of 2025 is vastly different from the network television environment that nurtured the original American THE OFFICE. Audiences have shorter attention spans, more viewing options, and different expectations for workplace comedy. The mockumentary format, once fresh and innovative, has become familiar territory. THE PAPER must prove that the format still has stories worth telling and that workplace comedy can evolve while maintaining its essential appeal.
The lineage from Slough to Scranton to streaming represents more than just adaptation and continuation—it reflects television’s remarkable ability to reinvent itself while honoring what came before. Each iteration has built upon its predecessor while responding to its own cultural moment. The British THE OFFICE emerged from a specific time and place, capturing post-millennial British workplace culture with surgical precision. The American version expanded and Americanized those themes, creating something that honored the original while speaking to different cultural sensibilities.
THE PAPER now faces the challenge of proving that this format has more to offer, that workplace comedy can continue evolving and finding new ways to make us laugh at our professional lives while recognizing the humanity in our daily struggles. Whether it succeeds will determine not just its own fate but the future of a format that has already proven remarkably resilient and adaptable across cultures and decades.
Gothic drama LIES WE TELL is now on Netflix.
With powerful performances by Agnes O`Casey and David Wilmot, the Irish drama takes Sheridan Le Fanu`s classic novel UNCLE SILAS and transforms it into something urgent and vital for our moment.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley finally sat down together, they were strangers—but within moments, the conversation became profound.
Both Irish actors are carrying the weight of devastating roles this year: Farrell as a gambling addict spiraling in Macau in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare grieving her son in HAMNET.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
From FAIR CITY to KNIVES OUT! Daryl McCormack shines in the new #netflix film WAKE UP DEAD MAN.
McCormack just wrapped Netflix`s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE opposite Jack Lowden, Emma Corrin, and Olivia Colman. Talk about range: trading viral grift for Jane Austen elegance. Same actor, different century, wildly different moral compass.
More Daryl at irishfilmtv.com.
Eve Hewson brings ghosts to life in Noah Baumbach`s JAY KELLY.
From her breakout in THIS MUST BE THE PLACE to BAD SISTERS and beyond, she`s now haunting George Clooney as Daphne—a face from the past that forces a movie star to confront who he became while chasing fame.
More Eve at irishfilmtv.com.
When the past catches up with you in Amsterdam 🌊
Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville star in MIDWINTER BREAK—a retired couple`s winter getaway becomes a reckoning with memories they`ve tried to outrun for decades, in theatres Feb 20.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
James Nesbitt is back in Harlan Coben`s twisted universe. 🔍
RUN AWAY drops January 1st on #Netflix — and this one`s personal.
When Simon (Nesbitt) finally finds his missing daughter strung out in a city park, it`s supposed to be a second chance. Instead, it`s the beginning of a nightmare.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
Are you loving STEVE on #Netflix?
Legendary war photographer Sir Don McCullin spent days on set capturing behind-the-scenes magic from this raw Netflix drama starring Cillian Murphy about a head teacher fighting to save his reform school while battling his own demons.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🏆 RIVALS just scooped the International Emmy for Best Drama Series!
The Disney+ hit starring Irish talents Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit brought home the gold for this deliciously scandalous 1980s romp through the world of wealthy media types.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From THE COMMITMENTS to THE TUDORS to KIN, @mariadoylekennedy has built a career that defies categories.
In a brand new interview with The Irish Examiner, Maria opens up about the artists and art that shaped her creative journey—from her Dublin roots to international screens and stages.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 From Shakespeare to a Beatle: Paul Mescal is doing the impossible!
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Paul Mescal is taking on TWO iconic roles that prove he`s one of the most fearless actors working today.
Watch Paul`s latest interview at irishfilmtv.com.
Kerry Condon`s brief but powerful performance in TRAIN DREAMS is pitch perfect.
She inhabits her character with quiet competence, moving through a male-dominated world with both caution and grace.
Watch now on @netflix!
🎬 HAMNET stars to receive Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards!
A stunning meditation on love`s fragility and art`s power to transform suffering into transcendence. This is Irish talent at its absolute finest on the world stage.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix just quietly dropped a crime thriller you`ve been sleeping on, and Brendan Gleeson`s performance alone makes it mandatory viewing.
MR MERCEDES, Stephen King`s dark detective series that somehow flew under the radar, is finally streaming – and it`s everything fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers have been craving.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott is about to steal another movie and we`re absolutely here for it! 🔍
The trailer for WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY has dropped, and our beloved Irish actor is joining Daniel Craig`s Benoit Blanc for what looks like the most deliciously twisted instalment yet.
Scott plays bestselling author Lee Ross, one of several suspects in a seemingly impossible murder that rocks a small town`s religious community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From GLADIATOR II`s arena to the quiet forests of Maine collecting folk songs on wax cylinders—Paul Mescal`s latest role in THE HISTORY OF SOUND might be his most vulnerable yet.
Now on @amazonprime, the film follows Lionel, a shy musician from a Kentucky farm in the 1910s, who meets David White (Josh O`Connor) at the New England Conservatory.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
