It seems like everything on our screens is a spinoff, a prequel, or a franchise based on a consumer product. Critics and fans have been bemoaning the lack of original stories in Hollywood for what feels like a decade. Every time one of these shows or movies is announced, they’re met with a flurry of criticism online. But they keep happening anyway. The Paper, a new show streaming on Peacock, is a good case study to examine why these spinoffs tend to fail. 

Even though it’s made by the same executive producer and takes place in the same universe as beloved sitcom The Office, The Paper fails to deliver any of its predecessor’s charm. The Paper doesn’t claim to be a reboot, but the parallels between the two shows are specifically highlighted in the pilot, leading the viewer down a confusing path. It’s overly sentimental, tonally scattered, and feels too self-conscious of the success of The Office.