Australian iteration of ‘The Office’ to be led by a woman

Popular sitcom The Office is set to have an Australian adaptation which will include middle management led by a woman for the first time.

Actor and comedian Felicity Ward famous for her roles in Wakefield and The Inbetweeners 2 will essay Hannah Howard, the Managing Director of packaging company Flinley Craddick in The Office Australia. In a post-COVID plot twist, Howard gets news from head office that her branch will be shutting down and that staff will have to work from home. She goes into survival mode, making promises she can’t keep and launches outlandish plots in order to keep her “work family” together.

This is the 13th adaptation of the show that was originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Filming of the eight-part series will commence in Sydney in June. Production is by Prime Video, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand and Bunya Entertainment.

The Office Australia also stars Edith Poor, Steen Raskopoulos, Shari Sebbens, Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh, Pallavi Sharda, Susan Ling Young, Raj Labade, Lucy Schmit, and Firass Dirani.

“I’m very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century,” said Gervais, co-creator, co-writer and star of the original U.K. version, according to entertainment website Variety. “Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent.”