All 10 episodes of “The Paper” Season 2 arrived on Peacock at once on September 9, 2026, continuing the mockumentary comedy that follows the same fictional documentary crew that once filmed “The Office.” This time the cameras are inside the Toledo Truth Teller, a struggling Ohio newspaper invented for the show — along with its fictional owner, a company called Enervate. The paper and its parent company aren’t real, though the show’s creators drew on research into actual Midwestern papers, including the real Toledo Blade, to make the newsroom feel authentic.
Key facts
- Release: all 10 episodes dropped at once on Peacock, September 9, 2026
- Setting: the fictional Toledo Truth Teller newspaper, owned by the fictional Enervate
- Early renewal: Peacock renewed the show for Season 2 a day before Season 1 even premiered, in September 2025
- Critic score: Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer shows 80% from 15 critic reviews so far — an early number that could still move
- Season 1 for comparison: 85% Tomatometer once reviews settled into the triple digits, and a 74% audience score
- Season 3: no renewal or cancellation decision has been announced as of September 10, 2026
Same universe, new newsroom
Peacock committed to a second season unusually early, renewing “The Paper” a day before Season 1 had even premiered in September 2025.
“The Paper” is not a continuation of “The Office.” It was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, who set it in the same universe and reused the same faux-documentary premise, but it has its own cast and its own story. One familiar face does cross over: Oscar Nunez appears as Oscar Martinez, the character he played on “The Office,” in a guest role. The rest of the ensemble returns intact: Domhnall Gleeson is back as editor-in-chief Ned, Sabrina Impacciatore as managing editor Esmeralda Grand, and Chelsea Frei as reporter Mare Pritti, joined by Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Tim Key, Ramona Young, Eric Rahill, Alex Edelman and Duane Shepard Sr. — no departures or new additions to that core group have been reported this season.
What happens in season 2
The new season picks up after the Truth Teller sweeps the Ohio Journalism Awards. Riding that momentum, Ned goes after a new investigative target — a local private club whose secrets threaten to blow back on the paper — while he and Mare navigate a growing attraction between them. Esmeralda keeps searching for where she fits in the newsroom, and the paper’s younger reporters grow into the job as the season goes on. Lisa Gilroy joins in a recurring role as a new, deliberately over-the-top HR representative, and the season rounds out its guest list with Jon Lovitz, Andy Richter, Matt Braunger, Toks Olagundoye and Phil Hendrie.
Critics’ early reaction
Early reviews lean positive, though not unanimously. Rotten Tomatoes’ own “First Reviews” roundup certified the season Fresh and praised it for stepping out from under “The Office’s” reputation. Collider’s Tania Hussain called it “faster, funnier, and more confident” than the first season, and Screen Rant’s Ben Gibbons went further, calling it an “exceptional new situational comedy.” Not every critic agreed: Comic Book Club’s Alexander Zalben wrote that “it’s just not that funny” in places. As of this reporting, Rotten Tomatoes’ live season page shows a Tomatometer score of 80% from 15 critic reviews — an early snapshot that could still shift as more reviews come in over the following days. Rotten Tomatoes hasn’t posted an audience score for the season yet; the site doesn’t display one until it collects enough ratings.
How season 1 compares
Season 1, for comparison, ended up with an 85% Tomatometer score once its review count settled into the triple digits, alongside a 74% audience score — a reminder that critics and viewers didn’t fully agree on the show even then, and that early-week numbers for Season 2 could still move in either direction as more critics weigh in.
What’s next
Nothing has been announced yet about a Season 3. Entertainment outlets covering the show say a renewal decision would typically follow how Season 2 performs with viewers and critics, but as of September 10, 2026, Peacock and NBC have made no statement either way.
Sources and further reading
- The Paper: Cast, Characters for Greg Daniels’ Peacock Series Set in The Office Universe
- Peacock Debuts Season 2 Trailer and Key Art for Comedy Series ‘The Paper’
- Great News: Peacock’s The Paper Just Got a Season 2 Ahead of Its September 4 Premiere
- The Paper Season 2 Cast, Guest Stars
- The Paper Season 2 Has a Premiere Date, Trailer, More