An image from the Australian version of ‘The Office’ (Prime Video)
For some it is a kind of audiovisual Bible and, for others, a meme recurring that appears from time to time on social networks to agonize its existence. The Office It is one of the most successful comedy series of all time. Created by Ricky Gervais y Stephen Merchantpremiered in the United Kingdom in 2001. It has since been reinterpreted in numerous countries, including the United States, Canada, Chile, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Sweden. Its most successful version to date is the American one, starring Steve Carell and which ended its broadcast just a decade ago.
Precisely to commemorate this anniversary, Prime Video premiered this month the Australian version of the award-winning sitcom created by Gervais and Merchant. Of course, this one had a clear difference with respect to the original and the American one: its protagonist is a woman. Hannah Howard (Felicity Ward) is the new Michael Scott and the gender of her character has generated much controversy among the faithful of fiction.
“When I got the job, I cried because I was so happy. […] And then, five minutes later, I thought: ‘Oh, the Internet is going to destroy me. They’re going to come for me.’ That’s why I don’t go on the Internet at all. It’s not my business. I don’t read comments, articles, headlines, anything. It’s not for me. “It’s not for my eyes,” Ward told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I propose an exercise,” Ward continued. “Go to YouTube, check out literally any video by any comedian who is a woman, and then read the comments. Well this is the same. Of course I knew this was going to happen. There are a lot of grumpy people out there. They come for me because it is The Office and because I am a womanand I don’t say that to victimize myself. They are facts. I’ve been a comedian for 16 years and it’s always the same shit,” she added to the outlet.
Despite the criticism received, the series (which premiered on the platform last October 18) seeks to offer a new perspective on the classic office comedy formatadapting it to a contemporary Australian context. The decision to have a woman head the most famous office on television is an attempt to modernize the narrative and reflect diversity in today’s business leadership. The response has been similar to that received by remake American, created in 2005, four years after the British version.
The conflict of history The Office: Australia It begins when Hannah Howard is told that her branch is going to be closed and that all employees will have to work from home from that moment on. In a desperate attempt to keep her “work family” together, Hannah will go into “survival” mode and start making promises to her superiors that she can’t keep.
Along with Felicity Ward (who ‘replaces’ Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell), there is Edith Poor as Lizze Moyle, the receptionist, front desk executive and productivity manager (in the Dwight/Gareth equivalent role). In addition, Steen Raskopoulos will play Nick Fletcher, sales representative (in the Tim/Jim-like role); and Shari Sebbens will be Greta King (in the equivalent role of Pam/Dawn).
The cast also includes Josh Thomson such as Martin Katavake, head of human resources; Jonny Brugh as Lloyd Kneath, IT chief; Susan Ling Young as Tina Kwong, sales representative; Raj Robe as Sebastian Roy; Lucy Schmidt as Deborah Leonard, chief financial officer; Zoe Terakes as Stevie Jones, warehouse manager; Pallavi Sharda as Alisha Khanna, regional director of Flinley Craddick Australia; Claude Jabbour as Mason, Greta’s boyfriend; and Jason Perini like Johnny, warehouse staff.
‘The Office: Australia’ is the new adaptation of the franchise (Prime Video)
