“The Paper” might be a brand-new sitcom, but it’s inevitably going to be compared to the long-running smash-hit it was spun off from: “The Office.” Rest assured, it’s hard not to see flashes of Jim (John Krasinski), Pam (Jenna Fischer), Stanley (Leslie David Baker), and even Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) in the mockumentary’s characters, not least of all during the talking head segments. That said, there’s one player on “The Paper” who’s less reminiscent of the personalities of those who used to make their living at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Why? Because they actually bear a stronger resemblance to the long-suffering folks who used to work at Wernham Hogg on the original British iteration of “The Office” instead.
After revealing that Dunder Mifflin was bought by Enervate in Toledo, Ohio, “The Paper” introduces us to England-born corporate stooge Ken Davies (Tim Key), who is more concerned about the paper that’s used in bathroom stalls than the kind with headlines printed on it. He’s an office suck-up, telling jokes that fall flat and under the impression that he’s liked by his staff (who try to keep communication to a minimum). But if you had to compare him to another individual in the larger “Office”-verse, you’d say he’s closer to David Brent (Ricky Gervais) — the cringe-inducing captain of the Wernham Hogg Paper Company in Slough, England — than likable buffoon Michael Scott (Steve Carell). In this regard, it seems like “The Paper” isn’t just concerned with acknowledging the beloved U.S. take on “The Office;” it’s also looking to tip its hat to the two-season British gem that started it all and is still regarded as one of the best sitcoms ever.
Tim Key brings classic Office-style cringe to The Paper (and has experience in this area)
Filling the position of company weasel, Key’s deadpan British delivery as Davies clashes in just the right way with the plucky heroes at the heart of “The Paper,” and it’s a craft that the actor has excelled at for years on the other side of the pond. Before he joined “The Paper,” you might recall Key hovering in the background of Bong Joon Ho’s unfortunate sci-fi flop “Mickey 17,” dressed as a … pigeon. Before that, though, he portrayed Simon, the sidekick of fictional DJ and modern British comedy legend Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan).
A somewhat underrated British comedy series, “This Time With Alan Partridge” showed Key is capable of providing the kind of squirm-inducing laughs that could work wonders at The Truth Teller. Combine that with the type of “double-take at the camera” humor that both the UK and U.S. “Office” specialize in, and you’ve got a certified comedy magnet. For now, it seems Davies will serve as the funny foil threatening to take down the struggling Toledo Truth-Teller newspaper once and for all. Still, if Key continues to play the role just right going forward, he might just prove to be the surprising scene-stealer that “The Paper” didn’t know it needed.
“The Paper” season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.
