When it comes to the greatest sitcom characters of all time, Michael Scott from The Office has to be near the top of the list.
The boss of a Scranton paper company, who is inept but has a big heart, was perfectly embodied by Steve Carell, who knew just how to press the right buttons but also make Michael Scott incredibly likable and pitiful, in an engaging way.
Now, with the new Office spinoff, The Paper, coming out, there are big shoes to fill.
Those are now worn by Domhnall Gleeson, as he portrays Ned Sampson, the boss at a newspaper in Toledo.
The Paper is on Peacock and debuts today.
But Office creator Greg Daniels and Paper Showrunner Michael Koman sat down with NBC to talk about the differences between the shows, characters, and what they have in common, too.
Let's dive in.
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Michael Scott vs. Ned Sampson
Though The Paper takes place in the same universe as The Office, connecting these two shows had to make sense in the world of the show.
To do that, they used the actual format of the documentary crew to connect these stories.
Daniels said, "The thought behind [this] is that the same [documentary] crew is excited to tell a new story, and that works for us, because we're like that crew," Daniels, continued, "It makes sense that we're not repeating characters and story elements, because the crew would be like, "Eh, we did that in the other documentary!"
That logic seems sound to me, and a good way to capitalize on the nostalgia while also getting to be your own show.
So how do you make these characters stand out?
'The Paper'Credit: Peacock
When it comes to Ned Sampson, the boss, they knew they couldn't just rehash Michael Scott.
"But I do think that Ned carries a lot of comedy," Koman says. "As we continued to film, we found these different moves of Domhnall's that were great, and that just kind of came as he kept exploring the character."
"Yeah, he's weird," Daniels asserted. "He's like a prissy little weirdo that has a lot of rules for himself. It's different from Michael Scott, but there are a lot of things that he does that are irritating to other people."
Look, the truth about every boss is that they annoy you much of the time. It's just a natural way to feel when people tell you what to do.
But I like how carefully they're taking this show, and how much they want to give it its own voice in the same world.
Summing It All Up
When it comes to spinoffs, it's hard to recapture the magic. This is a show that seems to be in good hands, and one I am eagerly anticipating binge-watching over the weekend.
I like that they understand what made earlier shows work, but are forging their own path. And I can't wait to see how the world takes us in and what these new people have to offer.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
