The Office Remake Is Repeating An American Mistake
The Office is getting its latest international remake as Australia takes its shot at the beloved workplace sitcom. Unfortunately, the first trailer for the new show has already turned the internet against the show, with criticisms ranging from legitimate to openly misogynistic.
While some of the criticism is overblown, I do believe it repeats the US version’s biggest mistake. It feels like a cheap imitation of an earlier show.
In terms of its whacky tone, quirky characters, and even visual style, The Office’s latest remake leans too heavily on the popular US version.
In terms of its whacky tone, quirky characters, and even visual style, The Office’s latest remake leans too heavily on the popular US version. The show’s delivery and look feel too familiar, coming across more like a parody of the US version than a unique new show. The trailer simply didn’t do enough to set itself apart from previous iterations.
Check out the trailer for The Office remake and see for yourself.
The trailer for The Office remake focuses heavily on Hannah Howard, the show’s tactless manager, and her crony Lizzie. These characters are very clearly channeling their American counterparts, Michael and Dwight with Hannah being obsessed with her work “family” and Lizzie’s excentricities on full display. They seem too similar to the American characters and will struggle to escape their shadow.
To be fair to the latest Office remake, the American version made the exact same mistake in 2005
To be fair to the latest Office remake, the American version made the exact same mistake in 2005. The show’s first season was a watered-down version of the UK show, without a hint of the originality it would eventually develop. Despite considering it one of my favorite shows, I hated the first season and wrote the show off entirely, rediscovering it a few seasons later when it had found its footing.
I was mostly unimpressed with The Office remake trailer, but I think it deserves a chance to develop the way the US version did. There’s no reason to think the Australian show won’t grow and find unique ideas rooted inside the everyday workplace premise. As a fan of the US and UK versions, I welcome a new take on the show and I think fans should reserve their judgment until it’s had a chance to find its voice.
In other words, while the franchise hasn’t learned from its mistakes I plan to learn from my own. I missed out on enjoying The Office as it was coming out for years because I rushed to judgment on it, I’m not going to do that with this remake. The franchise has earned enough goodwill for me to give the show a couple of seasons before I move on.
It’s also worth pointing out that all of this speculation about The Office remake, including my own, is coming from a trailer. Sitcoms rarely work well in trailers with jokes losing their organic timing and frame of reference. At the very minimum, I implore people to reserve judgment until they’ve seen an actual episode.
I hope that the Australian version of The Office can find its footing faster than the US remake did because the reaction to the trailer makes it clear most fans won’t give the show a second chance. Many fans seem more than willing not to give it a first chance. I for one am ignoring the underwhelming trailer and waiting for the Amazon show to come out on October 18th.
