The creators of The Office and Parks and Recreation, two of the most heartfelt homages to the people and places that comprise our community, strikes gold again with The Paper, a comedic and sincere look at local journalism.
As a longtime reporter, I put off viewing The Paper because I thought watching a small-town newspaper struggle to stay afloat would prove too depressing.
After all, I’ve experienced firsthand how my industry has endured decades of budget and staff cuts, all while trust in the Fourth Estate eroded.
However, I finally broke down and watched the first episode. Set in Toledo, Ohio, creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman drop us mockumentary style in the newsroom of a struggling outlet known as the wholesomely apropos “Truth Teller.”
Immediately, I was hooked by the familiar style and tone of the storytelling and direct connection to everyone’s favorite binge-watch: The Office.
That this new series takes place (kind of) in the Dunder Mifflin universe lights a spark of nostalgia that burns throughout the 10-episode run while managing to illuminate a new path for the underdog journalists working to turn around a newspaper so diminished that it shares office space with toilet paper sellers.
[I promise no more spoilers for those that haven’t seen it. But, if you haven’t, get to it already!]
And while there is much to admire in the careful crafting of this hilarious ensemble cast by Daniels and Koman, it’s the setting of the show that kept me clicking “next episode.”
That their story is set in our community, which, like many other cities and towns, has suffered the slings and arrows of deindustrialization, makes it especially relatable to me. Toledo was once known as “Glass City” for its roots in windshield making and other automotive manufacturing, just as my hometown was once the world’s largest producer of aluminium.
Like Scranton, and the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, which creators say was inspired by Muncie, Toledo is away from the bright lights of New York, Chicago, and L.A., where many shows are set. Instead, the audience is dropped into Postindustrial America.
It’s my hope in the already greenlit second season of The Paper that Toledo landmarks and attractions get their due, much like Scranton’s Cooper’s Seafood restaurant (the soft-shelled crab sandwich on a potato bun is legit) and the Harry Hoodini museum.
Because it’s a town like many others in our community that deserves a spotlight. Toledo’s minor league baseball Mud Hens have a fantastic downtown park, and the city is filled with amazing people, like the talented ambidextrous artist Lauren Cervetto, whom we met during a recent visit.
And let’s hope even more show creators choose to tell laugh-inducing stories in our community.
