There have been twelve iterations of the classic sitcom The Office all around the world, all beginning with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s dowdy and bittersweet British original in the early 2000s. By now the formula is set: get an overachieving self-obsessed idiot in the manager role then pack out the cast with some truly talented comedy actors.
But the upcoming Australian version – unimaginatively titled The Office Australia – is doing things a little differently. Felicity Ward will play Hannah Howard, the managing director of a packing company dealing with a very post-COVID twist. She gets a directive from on high that her branch office is to be closed and all staff will work from home from now on. Fearing the death of her office culture she concocts outlandish schemes to make sure her “work family” keeps on commuting in.
Ward will be playing the lead character, who’s cut from the same cloth as Gervais’ David Brent and Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. This will be the first version of the show with a female lead. Producer Kylie Washington said:
“We figured the world is ready for a lovable, flawed, lady boss, ruling over her packaging empire.”
Gervais commented that:
“I’m very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century. Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent.”
Sadly, as you’d expect, the trolls are out in force. They’ve dubbed this “cultural cringe”, predict “a ratings failure”, and that “the twist is that it won’t be funny”. Others confidently predict that it’ll be “absolutely terrible”:
Here’s hoping BBC Studios ANZ can nail that specific awkward vibe that’s made other incarnations of the show such a hit. The eight-episode first season of The Office Australia will air on Prime Video in 2024.