Is The Office Australia a reboot too far?
The latest version of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's mockumentary feels like a 'bad case of déjà vu'

"David Brent and the staff of Wernham Hogg paper merchants in Slough changed the face of British comedy when they first arrived on BBC2 in 2001," said Tim Glanfield in The Sunday Times.
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's mockumentary series wasn't an immediate hit, but it has come to be seen "as one of the most influential sitcoms of the modern era", and it went on to spawn more than a dozen international versions, the most recent of which has just arrived from Australia on Prime Video.
Writing feels 'flat'
While some things are the same – Nick and Greta, for instance, "are very much the down under answer to Tim and Dawn" – others are new, said Jonathan Dean in the same paper. "There was no HR department in Slough", for instance. There's also – for the first time in the history of "The Office" – a female boss, played by Felicity Ward. But alas, though the "central conceit" of a post-Covid office is fresh, the writing feels "flat" and the characters over-familiar.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A nail in the coffin?
This production is "kind of 'The Office', but not really 'The Office'"; and for fans of the original it might produce "a bad case of déjà vu", said Luke Buckmaster in The Guardian. From the start, "the jokes are pretty lame", and the cast look "a bit dazed and glassy-eyed, like fish nearing their last breath".
"Accents and a few plot points aside, "The Office" Australia is so lacking in distinctive flavour, and so adherent to such a generic format", that it feels as if it could have been made anywhere, anytime. Perhaps this version will put a nail in the franchise's coffin once and for all?
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'We should end this betrayal of man's best friend'
Instant Opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Adolescence and the toxic online world: what's the solution?
Talking Point The hit Netflix show is a window into the manosphere, red pills and incels
By The Week Staff Published
-
Snow White: Disney's 'earnest effort to meet an impossible brief'
Talking Point Live-action remake of Disney classic is not the disaster it could have been – but where's the personality?
By The Week UK Published
-
Don McCullin picks his favourite books
The Week Recommends The photojournalist shares works by Daniel Defoe, Lesley Blanch and Roland Philipps
By The Week UK Published
-
6 breathtaking homes in capital cities
Feature Featuring a glass conservatory in Atlanta and a loft library in Boston
By The Week US Published
-
Playhouse Creatures: 'dream-like' play is 'lively, funny and sharp-witted'
Anna Chancellor offers a 'glinting performance' alongside a 'strong' supporting cast
By The Week UK Published
-
The CIA Book Club: 'entertaining and vivid' book explores a huge Cold War secret
The Week Recommends 'Gripping' narrative explores a covert smuggling operation across the Iron Curtain
By The Week UK Published