With the release of an Australian edition of The Office just around the corner, it begs the question, what can we expect?
With huge expectations for an emulation of one of the most loved and renowned TV shows of all time, The Office Australia has big shoes to fill if it wants to impress audiences nationwide.
Personally, I am looking forward to it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any doubts at all.
From the outside, it’s the dream. Both the original UK version and the American adaptation are up there with some of my all-time favourite TV shows, so having a version that’s from your own country is something I’m really looking forward to.
The problem that I have is, I don’t want the show to come and go, then disappear into the lost void of the 11 other countries that have had their versions met with ratings varying from average to outright terrible.
That being said, what can we really expect?
As simple as it is, I believe the biggest advantage that The Office Australia has is the fact that it will be in English. This means a wider audience will tune in and understand what’s going on.
I’m also anticipating the humour to be a little different to what we love in the US version. Australian humour has more similarities to UK humour, that being witty, dry and sarcastic. In saying this, it probably means that we can prepare to see an Australian version of the UK’s David Brent (If so, that sounds good to me!).
The Australian edition of The Office will bring something completely new to the table. For the first time in the franchise, we will be introduced to a female lead, Hannah Howard, portrayed by Felicity Ward.
Felicity is no stranger to comedy with her vast experiences across TV, movies and game shows. And it’s clear the producers believe she’ll be able to fill the boots of Michael Scott, as shown on the programs poster, where they have confidently replaced his name with hers!
In my opinion, I am looking forward to a different character bossing people around in the office (or being laughed at), but I think it’s critically important the writers and producers get it right.
I hope the show will stick to what makes The Office so great in the first place, but not to the degree that they are copying and recycling jokes and drifting too far away from what people love about the show in the first place.
Gone are the days of risky, dark jokes (that definitely would not fly today) that we loved from the original BBC classic written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
In saying this, it’s also important to understand that comedy has changed, and a modernised approach to the new style of humour might not be what everyone is expecting.
It’s okay if The Office Australia isn’t for everyone. To be honest I believe that ultimately the show’s reception will come down to the writing and comedy itself, regardless of how good everything else is.
At the end of the day, I am optimistic for the future of the show. I hope it can live up to the name of the franchise and become a staple in Australian comedy, and while it is a tough task, we’ll just have to wait and see.