The Office

As a longtime fan of The Office (US), I felt compelled to leave a review. The original series was nothing short of a masterpiece-witty, heartfelt, and endlessly rewatchable. To this day, I still revisit episodes. Unfortunately, this Australian version is a major disappointment. The new Michael lacks the comedic charm of the original, and the new takes on Jim, Pam, and Dwight fall completely flat. The humor just doesn't land. The only thing remotely amusing was the new Michael's facial expressions, which oddly reminded me of Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons. Other than that, the characters are unlikable, and the show feels like a desperate, try-hard attempt to cash in on the brilliance of the original. It's an uninspired, lackluster imitation of a show that set the bar incredibly high. I'd recommend sticking to the US version.

Watching the first episode of The Office Australia reboot was like attending a meeting where everyone forgot the agenda and the jokes. The cringe factor soared higher than Dwight's stapler in Jell-O! Every scene felt as dry as a PowerPoint presentation, leaving me desperately craving some genuine laughs. I got so bored that I rewatched Raygun with her breakdance routine. Suddenly, my day got 100 times better. Made me wish if Amazon should have asked her for 8 different routines and put one up as each episode. If you're looking for comedy, you might be better off watching paint dry... or just cheering for Raygun's next dance battle. 3/10.

Office Australia will face the same problems Inbetweeners US faced; it wasn't a terrible show, but it was nothing in comparison to the original and that sours the remake.

Office Aus has an even bigger problem, there's many different versions, most notably the original UK and then US ones. The characters are likeable, but mirror their mannerisms too closely with their UK/US counterparts. The show does add some originality with updated storylines that will resonate with a younger audience - or anyone who has worked in an office after Covid.

I feel the same writers, crew and cast could have created a watchable original show, it's a shame they went down this path instead.

I won't be leaping to watch Episode 2.

Hannah Howard runs the Sydney office of paper distributor Flinley Craddock. Head Office is planning to shut down the office and have everyone work from home, a development that doesn't sit well with Hannah. So, with the aid of sidekick Lizzie, she tries to undermine Head Office's plan.

The original UK version of The Office was brilliant, an hilarious, intelligent blend of cringe-comedy and human drama set against the backdrop of an average office. It was so good that I initially refused to watch the US version, figuring it could not possibly live up to the original and would just be a cheap American knock-off.

Eventually I watched the US version and, to my surprise, not only was it a great credit to the original series, in some ways it even surpassed it.

So, with the legacy of being spawned by two of the greatest TV comedy series of all time we now have...the Australian version of The Office. I know living up to the quality of those two series is a tough ask but the producers and writers could at least have tried. While quite closely following the plot of those series, especially the US series, this is nothing like those series.

For a start, laughs are few and far between. Somebody should have reminded the writers that for cringe-comedy, you need comedy. This is just cringe. Characters are dull and irritating, plot-lines are irritating, the actors try to mimic the actors of the US series but don't come anywhere near to capturing what made that series so special. It's a struggle to get through an episode.

Quite embarrassing, not only as a fan of the first two versions of The Office but also as an Australian.

Based on the reviews, I started watching this expecting it to be terrible. I have watched both versions of the office, there are good and bad episodes in those versions (especially at the beginning). Honestly the Australian version is good! Set your expectations aside and give it a go. It's not the US Office or the UK Office, it's the Australian Office. They give it their own Aussie spin, with some familiar tropes certainly, but it works! There are some genuinely funny lines and it's extremely watchable! The jokes aren't recycled, they're new and hilarious. Ignore the neckbeard reviewers. This show is light and funny, that's all it needs to be.