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Australian remake of ‘The Office’ criticized
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Australian remake of ‘The Office’ criticized

Australian remake of ‘The Office’ criticized
Amazon

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for the Australian film adaptation of the sitcom “The Office,” and so far, the online reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.

The mockumentary franchise, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first aired in the UK in 2001 and has since spawned a dozen remakes in other countries, most notably the American version starring Steve Carrell.

In this version, comedian Felicity Ward plays Hannah Howard, the director of a Sydney packaging company, surrounded by characters who closely resemble the American and British versions. This is the first version of the series to feature a female lead.

Rather than reinventing the concept, the show leans on nostalgia and has understandably been criticized for feeling dated, out of touch, and just plain cringey and bad. Others have criticized the “girl boss” parody jokes and the timing, as employees have fiercely resisted the corporate push for a return to the pre-pandemic “five-days-a-week in-the-office” routine.

Australian commentators have made disparaging comparisons to other toxic and/or dysfunctional workplace comedies the country has produced that were praised for their script/performances, such as “Utopia” and “The Games”.

From writers Julie De Fina and Jackie van Beek, the series also stars Edith Poor, Steen Raskopoulos and Shari Sebbens.