| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by | Max Miller |
| Starring |
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| Composer | Elliott Wheeler |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Paige Wharehinga |
| Production location | Sydney |
| Editor | Gabriella Muir |
| Running time | 26–30 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC TV |
| Release | 29 January – 5 March 2025 |
Optics is a TV series that premiered on ABC TV on 29 January 2025. Its first series was broadcast on the ABC TV channel until 5 March 2025. All episodes were made available on ABC iview when the series was first broadcast.
Optics follows two young, social media-savvy women at Fritz and Randell who are suddenly promoted to be CEOs of the company after the original CEO Frank Fritz dies. Along with Ian Randell and Meredith Laughton they work together to find solutions to situations involving public relations crises.
The series was first announced at the ABC's Upfronts event in 2024, revealing the next year's programming. [1] The series was filmed in various suburbs of Sydney in July 2024, including Annandale, Botany, and Cronulla. [2]
The Sydney Morning Herald stated that the show is "Delightfully cynical (it’s about PR, after all), with swipes at just about everyone (the intergenerational sparring apparently inspired by Owen and Zerbst's experiences working with Firth), the series is also a dig at "glass cliffing"; as opposed to the glass ceiling, a glass cliff is when women are promoted only when a company is in trouble and needs good optics." and rated the series four stars out of a possible five star ranking. [3]
The Guardian rated the series four stars out of a possible five star ranking, stating that "It makes for a fast-paced, intelligent show that reveals the duplicitous underbelly of public relations in Australia and the way diversity often plays out in the corporate world: as lip service only. Some of the scenarios and characters border on caricature – but when modern life is becoming increasingly cartoonish, maybe that’s not a problem." [4]
Screen Hub gave the series a three out of five star ranking while stating "Optics feels like two warring comedy concepts doing battle, at the occasional expense of laughter." [5]
Writing on The Conversation , Edith Jennifer Hill, an associate lecturer of learning & teaching innovation at Melbourne's Flinders University stated that "The show expertly balances humour with quick-wit, social media vernacular, and a level of marketing wordsmithing that make you question if the news has ever told you a true story." [6]
| No. | Title | Air date | Overnight ratings | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | ||||
| 1 | "Episode 1" | 29 January 2025 | 332,000 | — | [7] |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | 5 February 2025 | 281,000 | — | [8] |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | 12 February 2025 | 223,000 | — | [9] |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | 19 February 2025 | 260,000 | — | [10] |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | 26 February 2025 | 272,000 | — | [11] |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | 5 March 2025 | 268,000 | — | [12] |
As of March 2025, no announcement has been made yet regarding the series' future production plans.