The Officereturns with a new version in Australia, but with some interesting changes. Premiering in the UK in 2001, the original series starred comedian Rick Gervais and lasted only two seasons. However, in 2005 NBC did its own adaptation, and everything changed.
Despite the fact that the first season of the American version was not very well received, that same year its protagonist, Steve Carell, achieved his first big success at the box office when he starred inThe 40-Year-Old Virgin. Its sudden popularity was automatically reflected in the numbers of the show’s second installment, and it quickly became one of the most popular sitcoms of the moment, and eventually, of all time.
Now, Australia will join the long list of countries that already had their version ofThe Office, andas reported by Deadline, it will do so with some important changes to the plot and its protagonist. The new series, from Prime Video Australia, will feature stand-up starFelicity Wardas its main lead, being the first woman to become the boss.
NBC’s The Office lasted for nine seasons with a total of 201 and ended in 2013. But by that time, most of the main stars were already gone, including Carell himself, whose departure was the biggest downfall for the show and its legacy. But now, thanks to streaming services, the series is as popular as it once was, with fans enjoying it almost everyday, especially the first couple of seasons.
The Office Australia Will Tackle an Important Issue for Companies in Modern Times
But having a female lead won’t be the only change inThe Office Australia, the series will also be addressing an important issue that many employees and companies are currently facing, especially after the pandemic, with many large companies adopting new ways of working.
Here’s the official synopsis of the show:
“Gervais’ David Brent will become Hannah Howard in the series, with Ward putting her own spin on bad team management at packaging company Flinley Craddick. When she gets news from the Head Office that they will be shutting down her branch and making everyone work from home, she goes into survival mode, making promises she can’t keep in order to keep her ‘work family’ together.”
In addition to the original and the American version, the show reached several countries. AfterThe Office UK, the first and one of the most popular adaptations was the one from Germany, released in 2004. Canada and France joined in 2006, and Chile in 2008. Three Nordic adaptations followed, the Swedish, the Czech and the Finnish, which was the one that had the most success from the three.
In 2019, India presented its own, with Poland and Saudi Arabia joined in 2021 and 2022. Finally, this same year Greece will launch its adaptation, adding a total of 12 versions, reaching 13 with the Australian one which will probably arrive by the end of the year or in 2024.
