How The Office Australia Compares To The UK And US Versions Of The Sitcom, Explained

The Australian version of The Office is the latest take on the original UK TV show, so some fans are wondering how it stacks up against the original version as well as the beloved US version. The Office Australia is a 2024 adaptation of Ricky Gervais' mockumentary sitcom that explores the mundanity of office life through the eyes of an inept, obnoxious, and, at their core, loving boss who is just trying to make the most of a job that does not have a lot of joy in it.

While the US and UK The Offices are the most popular series, there have been several iterations of the template from different countries. In total, 16 countries have a The Office version, and the Australian version, which debuted in October 2024 on Amazon Prime Video, is the latest. This series is set in a packaging company in Sydney, Australia, just after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, so along with all the normal office-life issues, the employees are also dealing with their return-to-work orders. That's not the only difference between the versions of the show.

How The US, UK, And Australian The Offices Compare

The Australian Version Gender Swaps Many Characters

Like all The Office adaptations, there are some obvious similarities in the series. For one, the Australian version also stars an annoying, oddball boss, Hannah Howard (Felicity Ward), who is more fun to watch than she would ever be to work for. The series also has clear analogs to the US and UK characters, with Dwight/Garreth, Michael/David, Jim/Tim, and Pam/Dawn all having Australian replacements. The mockumentary style of the sitcom is maintained throughout the series as well.

There are several differences in the series, including the firm in the Australian The Office, Finley Craddick, being a packaging firm, unlike the paper firms in the US and UK versions. The modern setting may be a bit of a shock to US and UK fans as well. There are laptops, flatscreens, and smartphones everywhere, with The Office Australia mining plenty of comedy from the more updated setting. The biggest change in The Office Australia comes with the gender-swapped cast. For the most part, female characters in the US and UK versions are now male, and vice versa.

The most notable effect is that the boss character in the Australian The Office is now a woman, the first time in the entire franchise that the manager character has been female. This changes some of the dynamics and relationships within the show, and it's a breath of fresh air in a series where remakes often feel like copy-and-paste.

The Best Version Of The Office Is The US Version

Michael Scott Is An Indelible TV Character

While The Office UK needs to be celebrated for paving the way for the franchise, the US version takes the crown as the best The Office. The UK version is ridiculously funny and is a much watch for anyone who enjoys comedy TV shows, but Steve Carell's interpretation of the character created arguably one of the best TV characters, and the US The Office managed to stay funny for more seasons than the scant two seasons the UK The Office received.

There Was Backlash To The Australian Office For Casting A Woman In The Lead

Felicity Ward Received Hate Online When She Was Cast

When the gender-swapped cast for the Australian The Office was announced, there was, of course, a backlash, as there always is to these sorts of announcements. Ward received a lot of hate online for taking up a role traditionally played by men, but she's taken the vitriol in stride (via THR),

"...Of course they're gonna come for me because it's a double whammy because it's The Office and because I'm a woman and I don't say that as a victim. It's just like the facts. I've been a stand-up comedian for 16 years. I've had this shit before, like that just exists."

It's a surprise that there's never been a The Office with a female boss, and it actually makes sense to swap genders for a remake. Otherwise, the Australian The Office would be just another redux of a story that's already been done perfectly well. This at least offers viewers something they haven't seen before.