A certain star from The Office won’t be making an appearance in the upcoming spinoff series The Paper. The U.S. version of The Office, which was based on the British comedy created by and starring Ricky Gervais, ran for nine seasons on television and was nominated for 42 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five of those, including Outstanding Comedy Series for season 2. The series gained a substantial following even after it aired, seeing success on such streaming platforms as Netflix and then Peacock, leading to development on a new Office spinoff show.
In an interview with The Playlist, Rashida Jones, who played Karen in The Office, said that she won’t be appearing in The Paper. The actor said she won’t be randomly appearing in the show but says that she’s looking forward to the spinoff, saying that Greg Daniels is an “absolute comedy beast.” Read her full quote below:
Oh, no. I don’t think I’m randomly showing up, but I’m very much looking forward to it,” Jones said. “It sounds like a great cast. And Greg Daniels is an absolute comedy beast. He’s so good at casting and creating those worlds. I cannot wait to see what it’s like.
Should The Paper Rely On Cameos For Success?
Who Could Reappear In The Paper
The Paper can kick off careers like The Office did with John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Ellie Kemper.
While the reappearance of certain characters could be satisfying for fans, The Paper should move on and not dwell too much in the past. The concept for the spinoff, the idea of the same documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin discovering a new subject in a dying historic Midwestern newspaper whose publisher is hoping to revitalize it with volunteer reporters, is something returning creator Daniels and his creative team can run with. Set in the same universe as The Office, The Paper promises a whole new story with a fresh set of characters.
The Paper can kick off careers like The Office did with John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Ellie Kemper, so focusing on a new array of characters and developing their stories instead of focusing on which characters from The Office to feature in each week’s episode would be a better move. However, there are characters who could reappear sensibly in the spinoff. Being a newspaper, there’ll be a need for large quantities of paper, which could be the bridge that connects the two companies.
This makes the reappearance of fan-favorites Jim (Krasinksi) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) unlikely, as both of them were technically fired by Dwight (Rainn Wilson) for the severance instead of letting them quit to fully pursue Jim’s dreams at Athlead. The most sensible cameo would be Wilson’s Dwight, if he’s still the manager at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. However, the fact that The Paper will most likely take place in the Midwest makes this appearance less likely, or at least harder to do, since Scranton, PA is more in the Northeast region of the country.
