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IT WAS A LONG JOURNEY FROM DUNDER MIFFLIN TO THE TOLEDO TRUTH TELLER, BUT 'THE PAPER' CO-CREATORS GREG DANIELS AND MICHAEL KOMAN KNOW THEY HAVE A GOOD STORY ON THEIR HANDS

- BY YVONNE VILLARREAL

THE JOURNEY TO SPIN off the U.S. version of "The Office" has, until now, been long and slow. (That's what she said.) While the unconventional workplace comedy about a humdrum band of paper company employees, adapted from a beloved British series of the same name, famously got off to a sluggish start on NBC with a low-rated six-episode first season, it became a rare case study of how a risky gamble can become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history. Talks of expanding "The Office" universe began as early as Season 3, when another office branch was introduced. "Parks and Recreation" was initially conceived as a spinoff but morphed into a standalone series. Another centered on socially awkward Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) would get dropped. The series eventually ended its nine-season run in 2013 with no offshoot. But it still managed to have an afterlife without one, as fans obsessively continued to watch it in syndication or on streaming platforms. Once "The Office" began making headlines in 2020 for the being the most streamed show in America, Greg Daniels, who captained the U.S. adaptation and was initially concerned about tarnishing its legacy with offshoots, was coming around to the idea that it was safely insulated enough to withstand any attempt to find a way to build out its kooky world.

Finally, more than a decade after "The Office" went off the air, Peacock is hoping the spinoff series "The Paper" can recycle some of that show's success while finding its own path.