Amazon Prime has axed the Australian version of “The Office”.
As reported by The Nightly, the streaming platform made the call to dump the local version of the iconic UK workplace comedy from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant just a year after it premiered.
The decision comes despite the fact that “The Office” is the most-watched locally produced title ever for Amazon Prime, and upon its October 2024 premiere, it ranked in the top three in 37 countries, the top five in 65 and the top ten in 102 countries, including the UK.
Reviews of the series, which made history as the first to feature a female lead in Felicity Ward, were mixed. The Guardian called it “an edgeless reboot doomed for the shredder,” giving it a one-star review. The Sydney Morning Herald was more forgiving, offering three and a half stars and stating, “Sorry, online haters, but ‘The Office Australia’ is genuinely fun.” Empire criticised it as well, noting, “Perhaps most unforgivably, the jokes just aren’t up to snuff.”
The Australian version was the 14th adaption of “The Office”, which follows France, Canada, Israel, India, and of course, the US, led by Steve Carell.
Earlier this year, Peacock produced a spin-off of the US version, “The Paper”, which has already been green-lit for a second season.
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“The Paper” brings back the documentary crew that followed the staff of Dunder Mifflin to the Toledo Truth-Teller – a famous (though past its prime) newspaper that new editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (played by Domhnall Gleeson) aims to bring back to its former glory. The show also features Dunder Mifflin favourite, Oscar Martinez, played by Oscar Nuñez.
“I was very shy next to him, and I was in awe,” star Sabrina Impacciatore told Variety Australia.
“I thought, ‘He’s going to be so disappointed because he’s used to working with these other people. I was really so scared to disappoint him, but I promise he was so supportive. I think it was a very sophisticated technique. He knew that encouraging would help more than discouraging.”