A controversial Australian reboot of The Office has come under fire from fans, but lead actor Felicity Ward is not letting the criticism dampen her spirits.
The actress, who has taken over the office boss role made famous by Ricky Gervais, has hit back at the haters and urged viewers to give the show a chance before passing judgement.
Felicity, 42, passionately defended the Prime Video series and acknowledged the skepticism that comes with reimagining such a beloved franchise.
“Look, I know what it’s like to love something and feel protective of it being remade. I absolutely understand that’ she told Yahoo Lifestyle on Wednesday.
‘But if you look at the American one, there was a huge backlash. The people were very angry. And it’s its own thing. And that also applies to the Australian ones.’
“People will be angry, and people will also be very happy about it, and have your feelings, and we’ll all just do the best we can.”
Felicity, who plays Hannah Howard, the director of parcel company Flinley Craddick, encouraged viewers to watch the comedy show before forming an opinion.
“I would say just look at it and then decide, like anything, we can all have our disdain prior to the investigation, but when you look at it, have an opinion,” she added.
The Australian reboot of The Office has come under fire from fans, but lead actor Felicity Ward isn’t letting the criticism dampen her spirits (pictured during a preview on Wednesday)
The actress, who has stepped into the role of the office boss made famous by Ricky Gervais, has hit back at the haters and urged viewers to give the show a chance before passing judgement.
Despite its light-hearted take, the show has faced significant backlash since Prime Video dropped the full trailer in September.
Fans took to YouTube at the time to express their disappointment, with many labeling it as ‘cringe’ and not funny.
“This is the Raygun version of The Office,” one commentator joked, referring to Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn’s viral disaster performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Dear Prime Minister, it’s not too late to take this down,” wrote another disgruntled viewer, while one critic cruelly compared the show to a school project.
“This looks like one of those cringe-worthy school parody projects… someone actually thought this was a good idea,” they added.
Felicity, 42, passionately defended the Prime Video series and acknowledged the skepticism that comes with reimagining such a beloved franchise
The original British version of The Office, created by Gervais (portrayed as David Brent) and Stephen Merchant, debuted in 2001 and ultimately consisted of 12 episodes spanning two seasons.
Another unimpressed fan added, “If this is the best you got for the trailer the show is doomed.”
It comes after Australian fans were assured the local version of The Office would channel the same famously dry comedy style as the original British hit.
However, in June last year, the makers promised they would also give the show a distinctive Australian twist.
“Everyone loves the show and has an opinion about it, and then suddenly here you are with the Australian version in your hands,” said Kylie Washington, then managing director and creative director of BBC Studios.
“You want to preserve the DNA of the show that made it so successful,” Washington continued in an interview with Media Week.
‘There is absolute respect for that. We don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and reinvent everything, that’s not what you do when you work with a format.’
A popular American spin-off of the show starring Steve Carell (portrayed as Michael Scott on the show) then debuted in 2005 and ran for nine successful seasons.
Ward is pictured alongside cast members Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh, Lucy Schmidt, Susan Ling Young, Zoe Terakes, Claude Jabbour, Jason Perini, Susie Youssef and Chris Bunton
It was rumored that names as big as Isla Fisher and Magda Szubanski would take on the leading role made famous by Gervais, but Ny Breaking Australia exclusively revealed last year that Ward would take on the role of office boss in the Aussie remake.
The Office Australia is produced by BBC Studios ANZ and Bunya Entertainment for Prime Video.
The original BBC version of The Office, created by Gervais and Stephen, Merchant, debuted in 2001 and ran for two seasons.
In 2003, Merchant and Gervais reunited with the original cast to produce a critically acclaimed and hugely popular two-part Christmas special.
A popular American spin-off of the show starring Steve Carell then debuted in 2005 and ran for nine successful seasons.
Versions of the show have also been produced in Sweden, France, Israel, Canada, Brazil and India, among others.
The Office will be available to stream on Prime Video from Friday, October 18.
