The trailer for the Australian version of hit British comedy series The Office has come under fire just hours after its release.
On Wednesday, Prime Video took to YouTube to release a full trailer for the show, which stars comedian Felicity Ward in the role made famous by Ricky Gervais.
But the show’s teaser failed to impress fans, with many complaining that the scenes weren’t funny or “embarrassing.”
“This is the Raygun version of The Office,” wrote one commenter, referencing Australian 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 for the workplace comedy to a school play.
“This is like one of those embarrassing school parody projects… someone actually thought this was a good idea.”
“If this is the best you’ve got for the trailer, the show is doomed,” another person commented gravely.
The trailer for the Australian version of Ricky Gervais’ hit British series The Office (pictured) has come under fire just hours after its release.
On Wednesday, Prime Video took to YouTube to release a full trailer for the show, which stars comedian Felicity Ward (pictured) in the role made famous by Ricky Gervais.
This comes after fans were assured that the local version of The Office would channel the same style of famously dry comedy as the original UK hit.
However, in June last year the creators promised they would also give the show a distinctive Australian flavour.
“Everyone loves the show and has an opinion about it, and suddenly you have the Australian version in your hands,” Kylie Washington, BBC Studios’ managing director and creative director, said at the time.
But the teaser for the show failed to impress a host of commentators on the video-sharing site, with many complaining the scenes were unfunny or “cringeworthy”.
“We want to retain the DNA of the show that has made it so successful,” Washington continued in an interview with Media Week.
“It’s absolutely worthy of respect: we’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and reinventing, that’s not what you do when you work with a format.”
Big names such as Isla Fisher and Magda Szubanski were rumoured to be taking on the lead role made famous by Gervais, but Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed last year that Felicity Ward was set to take on the role of office manager in the Australian 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 eventually ran for 12 episodes over two seasons.
In 2003, Merchant and Gervais reunited with the original cast to produce a critically acclaimed and hugely popular two-part Christmas special.
A popular American version of the show starring Steve Carrell ran for 9 seasons after debuting in 2005.
Versions of the show have been produced in Sweden, France, Israel, Canada, Brazil and India.