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Is an Australian version of The Office on the way -with a female lead?

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Amazon Prime Video and Bunya Productions have declined to comment on rumours of a local version of The Office in the pipeline.

The Herald Sun reported a local version of the hit UK comedy, which launched the career of Ricky Gervais, is currently casting.

A new version will reportedly shift to a female in the lead role, with names such as Rachel Griffiths, Magda Szubanski, Katrina Milosevic, Isla Fisher all amongst speculation (the latter has been ruled out).

IMDb even has a (very dubious) listing for the project with Jim Jeffries attached, but he is reportedly not in contention.

The series is tipped to shoot mid year in Sydney.

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  2. The original was excellent and I still binge it occasionally. The US version was much too farcical, akin to a cartoon performed by real people. I like it in parts, and I’m tempted to import the Blu-ray set and finally watch it from start to finish, but I doubt I would ever rewatch it, as the humour misses more often than it hits.

    The fact that a female lead is mentioned right off the bat as something of a selling point fills me with no confidence whatsoever from an industry fixated with quotas over casting (and jokes, no doubt). It would have been a hell of a lot less cynical if they had announced the cast and the lead just happened to be female. Hasn’t anybody learned from Ghostbusters “3”?

    Frontline was/is an excellent workplace satire for those keen on something similar to the UK original with an Aussie flavour.

  3. The Office US is the most watched tv show on the planet! and growing! its more popular now then when it was on air.
    The office UK was great too. both shows are very different…. but most importantly Ricky & Stephen love the US version.

      1. Not bold, it was a big success in the US. In Australia it didn’t take off initially (neither was Frasier, neither was Big Bang Theory), but I think over time people appreciate it stood in its own right. Steve Carell’s star was wholly due to The Office US.

        1. The claim the previous poster had about being the biggest show..etc

          That is the bold claim
          I disagree and would want data to back that claim as other shows were more acclaimed and rated higher in Australia

  4. Marty Sheargold let slip on Triple M this morning that he’d been approached about this. I thought that was interesting and certainly gave me enough to think this may be more than just a rumour.

  5. We have already had our own version of The Office – Utopia!!! And it was done brilliantly!!

    If Magda is attached to this I will be giving it a wide berth…

  6. The humour from the original The Office was uniquely British with the comedic timing and dry wit, and I couldn’t resonate with the American version. They should do a lot of research and get Ricky Gervais’ or Stephen Merchant’s input if possible, if this does go ahead.

  7. Please…no no no no

    The US version was terrible
    UK OG version tops

    I can’t see how the Aussie one will be any good
    Happy to be proved wrong (but I will be right)

  8. A strange choice for a number of reasons, including the relative decline in the idea of a centralised office 9 to 5, 5 days a week with actual employees.

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