The Office Is Being Rebooted With A Female Lead

The Office will be making its return but this time with a major change.

For the first time in the show's history, the show's branch manager will be led by a female, according to the Daily Mail. But no, we won't be seeing Jan, Meredith, Kelly or Angela as the new boss, but rather Australian comedian and actress Felicity Ward.

Ward has been casted to play "Hannah Howard," who is the Managing Director of packaging company "Finley Craddic." The show will be based and filmed in Australia but will be available here in the states on Amazon Prime Video. It's scheduled to debut in 2024.

The premise of the reboot will base around the post-Covid era and the struggles the company has as employees want to work remotely.

Felicity Ward will star in Australia's version of The Office. (Photo by Scott Campbell/Getty Images)

RICKY GERVAIS REACTS

Original Office creator Ricky Gervais released a statement confirming the reboot by saying, "I'm very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century."

Gervais also opined about the obvious - just how much society and politics have changed since he first debuted the show in the United Kingdom in 2001.

“Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent,” Gervais said while referencing the branch manager character he played on the show.

Gervais will not have a role in any of the writing of the Australian reboot.

CAN COMEDY STILL WORK THESE DAYS?

However, it will be interesting to see how The Office and its humor resonates in modern times. Not only will the show be a bit different because it's based in Australia and things may not hit here as much as they do there, but also from a comedic standpoint. We've seen a tremendous shift in what is acceptable and tolerable from some people - sometimes to the detriment of the comedic art itself.

Whether it's sitcoms like Friends being considered too offensive by today's younger generation, to the Netflix and Dave Chapelle debate, to even The Office itself. In 2021, Comedy Central pulled any replays of the show's 'Diversity Day' episode because of concerns it was too offensive.

In an interview with Esquire in 2018 Steve Carell, who played Michael Scott throughout the American version of the show said that it would be difficult to make the show in modern times.

"It might be impossible to do that show today and have people accept it the way it was accepted 10 years ago. The climate’s different... I mean, the whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior," Carell said.

Oh, and let's not forget that many times reboots and remakes just plain stink.

Will I watch the reboot? Of course! But I'm also going into it with low expectations because of the uphill comedy battle that Ward, her castmates and the show's writers will have to deal with.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? WILL THE NEW VERSION OF THE OFFICE WORK?

TWEET ME AT: THEGUNZSHOW WITH YOUR THOUGHTS!