NBC Pulls The Paper, Replaces It With Stumble Repeats — And Yes, That Says a Lot

NBC has officially blinked. In a move that feels equal parts strategic retreat and quiet panic, the network has pulled The Paper from its Monday night schedule and filled the slot with repeat episodes of Stumble. If that sounds like damning faint praise, well… welcome to broadcast television in 2025.

The Paper, the buzzy workplace comedy with pedigree and expectations to match, arrived with the kind of hype networks dream about. Early marketing leaned hard on its creative lineage and clever premise, positioning it as a must-watch comedy for fans nostalgic for smarter network sitcoms. But despite the push, the ratings never quite justified the real estate. Mondays are still prime territory, and NBC clearly decided The Paper wasn’t cutting it.

Enter Stumble. Or rather, re-enter.

Instead of slotting in a new series or burning off remaining The Paper episodes, NBC opted for the safer, less flashy option: reruns of Stumble. The cheerfully chaotic comedy has quietly become a dependable performer, pulling solid numbers and showing surprising resilience in delayed viewing. Airing repeats in a prime-time slot isn’t glamorous, but it’s practical and networks love practical when Nielsen starts whispering unpleasant truths.

The decision to replace The Paper with Stumble repeats sends a clear message about where NBC’s confidence currently lies. This isn’t about punishing a show so much as protecting a night of programming. Stumble is familiar, accessible and already proven to keep viewers from reaching for the remote. The Paper, by contrast, required patience, something broadcast TV has increasingly little of.

That doesn’t mean The Paper is dead. Far from it. The show’s remaining episodes are still expected to roll out elsewhere on the schedule and on Peacock, where it may find a more forgiving audience. In today’s TV ecosystem, being pulled from a linear slot isn’t the death sentence it once was but it is a humbling reality check.

For viewers, the shake-up highlights the ongoing tension between creative ambition and ratings reality. For NBC, it’s another reminder that even well-reviewed, well-intentioned comedies have to earn their keep. And for Stumble, it’s an unexpected victory lap, proof that sometimes being reliably entertaining beats being prestigiously promising.

Whether The Paper ultimately rebounds or fades into “what could have been” territory remains to be seen. For now, NBC is stumbling forward with what works, repeats and all and hoping viewers are happy to tag along.