“The Office Australia” has made a strong debut on Prime Video, becoming the most-watched locally produced title ever. Since the new sitcom launched on Friday, October 18th, it has topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
The show is also gaining international attention, ranking in the top three in 37 countries, the top five in 65 and the top ten in 102 countries, including the UK.
Sarah Christie, from Amazon MGM Studios, expressed pride in the show’s success, saying, “Since 2019, Prime Video has commissioned 30 local originals, building a reputation for delivering an entertaining and diverse catalogue of Aussie shows. We are so proud of ‘The Office’ and thrilled to see Hannah Howard and her team at Flinley Craddick resonate so strongly with Australian and international audiences.”
Hwei Loke, head of Prime Video Australia, noted that the series keeps the classic “The Office” feel while adding an Australian touch.“It has the same kind of archetypes of, you know, ‘The Office’ workers,” Loke explains. “But then at the same time, we have this brilliant Australian take on it. It’s really fresh Australian humour, Australian situations, you know, one episode centres around Melbourne Cup, for example.
Reviews of the series have been 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 of “The Office” follows versions in France, Canada, Israel, India and more countries. Earlier this year, a new iteration of “The Office” in the US was picked up to series at Peacock. It is, however, not a reboot or spinoff of “The Office,” but rather a new mockumentary show with a new cast set in the same universe.
The eight-part Australian Amazon Original series “The Office” is co-produced by BBC Studios Australia & New Zealand, Bunya Entertainment, and Amazon MGM Studios, and is based on a BBC Studios format. The series was developed for Australia by writers Julie De Fina (“Aftertaste”) and Jackie van Beek (“The Breaker Upperers”), with the pair also serving as executive producers. Kylie Washington (“Return to Paradise”) is executive producer with lead producer Sophia Zachariou (“Ladies in Black,” “The Moth Effect”) and producer Linda Micsko (“The Letdown,” “Laid”).