This Is the Reason Greg Daniels Likes Writing Comedy

Greg Daniels, a writer, director, and producer, knows a thing or two about making hit TV.

Daniels, who adapted the British version of The Office for American TV, also co-created Parks and Recreation with Michael Schur, developed King of the Hill with Mike Judge, and created the sci-fi comedy Upload for Amazon Prime.

The Paper is an upcoming American mockumentary sitcom series created by Daniels and Michael Koman, and will premiere on Peacock on Sept. 4, 2025. It stars Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore and is set in Toledo, Ohio, where a documentary crew focuses on the Toledo Truth-Teller, a declining Midwestern newspaper trying to resurrect itself.

He discussed his writing and the new show on a recent episode of the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.

- YouTube youtu.be

At one point, the podcast team was discussing how they interact with people in the wide world.

O'Brien said, "My dad always said people don't change. They become more so. And I think that's the case."

"I think that's what I like about character comedy," Daniels said. "Just to talk about that genre. I think that's what people like about it, is that you feel that way about your own friends. And then to see somebody on TV, you get to know what their character is like. And to see them act in character over and over again makes you feel like, 'Oh, I know them.'"

What should we learn from this?

Strong, well-developed characters drive comedy longevity. Successful comedies establish clear traits early and mine them repeatedly. And audiences bond with characters who act predictably within their established patterns.

As Daniels said, it creates the comfort of familiarity that mirrors "real" friendships.

"Longevity" in TV today means building shows that can sustain multiple seasons and find profitable second lives across different platforms. In the streaming era, character-driven comedies like The Office live on through international licensing, merchandise, social media engagement, and multi-generational discovery on platforms like Netflix and Peacock.

Shows with memorable characters become cultural touchstones that generate revenue long after their original run ends.

So, start diving into how to create strong characters for your own pilot.

And for those who are wondering how The Paper connects to the world of The Office? It's the same documentary crew.

Daniels said, "It starts with [the crew] trying to find out what's up with Dunder Mifflin, and they find out some stuff, and it leads them in a new direction to a different city. And in the different city, they stumble upon this historic newspaper, which has kind of turned into a ghost newspaper. That's when some other company buys a local newspaper and fires all the reporters and keeps it going, selling ads, but they just print wire stories. So they see this, and they go, 'Oh, that's an interesting subject for a documentary.'"

Are you excited to see how these characters face their new challenges?