‘The Office’ Gets Another International Reboot

The Big Picture

• The Australian version of The Office, premiering on Prime Video, features a female lead in a packaging company trying to save her branch.
• The show follows familiar Office antics and shenanigans, shedding a comedic light on a white-collar work environment.
• The US version of The Office, a remake of the British comedy, ran for 9 seasons, winning multiple Emmy Awards.

The Australian adaptation of The Office will enter Prime Video later this year. The show is simply titled The Office Australia, and unlike the original British comedy series and U.S. adaptation, the mockumentary will contain eight episodes and feature its first female lead. This upcoming Australian series marks the 13th international adaptation of the popular TV franchise and features a cast that have appeared in numerous notable projects.

Starring in the series is Australian comedian, Felicity Ward, known for her role in The Inbetweeners 2. She plays Hannah Howard, the Managing Director of Flinley Craddick – a packaging company in Australia. According to a Prime Video press release, The Office Australia follows the story of Hannah as she attempts to save her branch from shutting down after receiving the bad news from the head office. To save her “work family” and her job, she goes into “survival mode,” by making promises she can’t keep and doing anything that she can to meet impossible targets set for them.

Joining Ward in the series includes Edith Poor (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Steen Raskopoulos (Black Mirror), Josh Thomson (Young Rock), Shari Sebbens (Thor: Love and Thunder), and Zoe Terakes (Talk to Me). Directing the series are Christiaan Van Vuuren and Jesse Griffin, and it was written and developed by Julie De Fina and Jackie van Beek.

What is ‘The Office’ About?

While each international version tends to have its differences, the premise of The Office remains the same. The show takes place in an office firm, which features a general manager doing anything in their power to save their branch from shutting down. The series features numerous antics and shenanigans that often are never seen in an actual professional setting, yet somehow it sheds a comedic light on a white-collar work environment.

The Office was first released in the UK in 2001 and ran for 2 seasons, starring Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, and Mackenzie Crook. It won the Best New TV Comedy award during the 2001 British Comedy Awards, then later won Best TV Comedy a year later. Following its success, an American Adaptation was released in 2005, starring Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer. The U.S. version of The Office ran for 9 seasons and out of the 44 PrimeTime Emmy Award Nominations, 5 of them were won, such as “Outstanding Comedy Series” in 2006.

The Office Australia will enter Prime Video on October 18, 2024. Meanwhile, the U.S. and UK adaptations are available to stream on Peacock.