The trailer for the Australian version of hit UK comedy series The Office has been slammed just hours after its release.
On Wednesday, Prime Video took to YouTube to release a full trailer for the show, starring comedian Felicity Ward in the role made famous by Ricky Gervais.
But the show’s sneak peek failed to impress fans, with many complaining the scenes were not funny, or ‘cringe.’
‘This is the Raygun version of The Office,’ wrote one commenter, referencing Aussie breakdancer Rachel Gunn, who shocked the world with her viral dance routine at the recent Paris Olympics.
‘Dear Prime, it’s not too late to delete this,’ wrote another YouTuber.
Meanwhile, another critic compared the trailer of the workplace comedy to a performance at school.
‘This is like one of those cringe, school parody projects…someone actually thought this was a good idea.’
‘If this is the best you got for the trailer the show is doomed,’ someone else remarked gravely.
The trailer for the Australian version of hit UK Ricky Gervais (pictured) series The Office has been slammed just hours after its release
On Wednesday, Prime Video took to YouTube to release a full trailer for the show, starring comedian Felicity Ward (pictured) in the role made famous by Ricky Gervais
It comes after fans were assured that the local version of The Office would channel the same famously dry comedy style as the original UK hit.
However, in June last year the creators promised they would be giving the show a distinctive Aussie flavour too.
‘Everyone loves the show and has an opinion about it, and then all of a sudden, here you are with the Australian version in your hands,’ said Kylie Washington, general manager and creative director of BBC Studios at the time.
But the show’s sneak peek failed to impress a host of commenters on the video sharing site, with many complaining the scenes were not funny, or ‘cringe’
‘You want to keep the DNA of the show that has made it so successful,’ Washington continued in an interview with Media Week.
‘It’s absolutely paying respects to that – we’re not throwing the baby out with the bath water and reinventing, that’s not what you do when you’re working with a format.’
Names as big as Isla Fisher and Magda Szubanski had been rumoured to take on the lead role made famous by Gervais, but Daily Mail Australia revealed exclusively last year that Felicity Ward was set to claim the role of the office boss in the Aussie remake.
The Office Australia is being produced by BBC Studios ANZ and Bunya Entertainment for Prime Video.
The original BBC version of The Office, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant debuted in 2001, and ultimately consisted of 12 episodes of two seasons.
In 2003 Merchant and Gervais re-united with the original cast to produce a critically acclaimed and hugely popular two-part Christmas Special.
A popular U.S. version of the show starring Steve Carrell ran 9 seasons, after debuting in 2005.
Versions of the show have been produced in Sweden, France, Israel, Canada, Brazil and India.
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