It’s three days out from the release of Australia’s own version of The Office on Prime Video. Are we excited or nervous? A bit of both. The show’s lead, previously played by Ricky Gervais (UK) and Steve Carell (US) will be played by Australian comedian Felicity Ward.
The original British show launched in 2001 and went for two seasons. The US version kicked off in 2005 and lasted nine seasons. Now that Australia has pinched the idea and formulated its own with help from Screen Australia, it doesn’t seem like the internet is happy about it – just read the comments under the trailer.
It appears the general sentiment is this: if the exisiting shows are so universally beloved, why touch it? As one critic put it bluntly: “US version [became] arguably the biggest and most beloved sitcom that has ever existed. So … why is Australia making it again?”
Another commentator though believes Ward’s “feral girlboss energy is one of the few things that feels up to date about the show.”
In a red carpet interview at the Logies in August, Ward and fellow cast member Shari Sebbens were asked whether they felt any pressure about the show’s reception considering the popularity of the original and US version.
Ward shrugged and said: “What are you going to do? We had a great time. I think it’s a great show. I laughed every single day. I got to meet Shari Sebbens. What more could you want from a successful show apart from new friendships?”
Describing the distinct quality of the Australian version, Ward continued: “It has the warmth of the American [version] — [but] the Australian one has its own thing. It feels absolutely like you’re watching The Office but it’s like the first female boss, and you never ever get to see female comedy characters who are incompetent. And it is a joy to be an incompetent dickhead everyday.”
This month, during a Prime Video Presents: Trailblazers event in London Ward revealed that “Ricky Gervais had approved a female lead.”
“He’s very excited about a female lead — just in case anyone is angry,” Ward said.
Speaking about the preparation she did before filming began, the 44-year old comedian said she read the script and thought: ‘Oh my god, this is every annoying part of my personality.’
“I did zero preparation, because I read the script…[and] I’m like I’ve been preparing for this my whole life,” Ward said.
“It was just all in the script. And I don’t know if it’s [showrunner] Julie De Fina… I don’t know how much she had seen of me before, but it was as if she just, like, got the tapes and then edited out the charm and the bits that people liked and and then just wrote a character, so it’s just there.”
“It’s very strange playing a character where you’re supposed to make people cringe because you watch it like, urgh, that’s the design.”
When the project was announced in June 2023, Kylie Washington, General Manager and Creative Director of Production at BBC Studios ANZ released a statement, saying: “The Office has connected with audiences around the world because everyone recognises their own David Brent, and now it’s Australia’s turn.”
“We figured the world is ready for a loveable, flawed, lady boss, ruling over her packaging empire in The Office (Australia).”
The show was produced by Bunya Productions (Drover’s Wife, True Colours, Mystery Road) and BBC Studios ANZ. The Australian cast includes Edith Poor, Pallavi Sharda, Susan Ling Young, Shari Sebbens, Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh, and Steen Raskopoulos.
The writers include wife and husband duo Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers, Educators) and Jesse Griffin and Julie De Fina, whose previous credits include the ABC comedy series Aftertaste.
The eight episodes of The Office (Australia) debuts on Prime Video on Friday.