Optics (TV series)
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 available on ABC iview when the series was first broadcast.
Plot
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.Production
The series was first announced at the ABC's Upfronts event on 21 November 2024, revealing the next year's programming. The series was filmed in various suburbs of Sydney in July 2024, including Annandale, Botany, and Cronulla.Cast
- Jenna Owen as Nicole Kidman, along with Greta she is catapulted into the role of CEO, bringing a new spin to the company and in order to hide skeletons in the closet
- Vic Zerbst as Greta Goldman, along with Nicole she is promoted to be CEO upon the death of Frank and are at the forefront of navigating public relations crises on behalf of Fritz and Randell
- Charles Firth as Ian Randell, Ian was the heir to the Fritz and Randall PR firm but Bobby gets in the way by appointing Greta and Nicole
- Bali Padda as Cody Smith, assistant to Ian Randell
- Belinda Giblin as Meredith Laughton, the receptionist at Fritz and Randell
- Claude Jabbour as Bobby Bahl, the chair of the board
- Aaron Collins as Dod
- Virginie Laverdure as Anna McDowell
- Will McNeill as Bundy Gribbons, a football player who is prone to getting into accidents so he requires Fritz and Randell's help to get public opinion on his side
- Peter Carroll as Frank Fritz, the former CEO who dies therefore beginning the events of the show
- Josh McConville as Stevo
- Peter Phelps as Rob Ryan
- Daniel Cordeaux as Sports Guy
- Shingo Usami as Father Mori
- Peter Orchard as Alec Nelson
- Toby Farrington as Phone Punter
- Peter Patterson as Board Member 1
- Malcolm Maguire as Board Member 2
- Paul Doyle as Frank Stunt Double
- Rob Flanagan as Old Priest
- James Davies as First Priest
- Cyrus Ning as Second Priest
- Douglas Chalmers as AFL Priest
- Kate Walsh as Hannah Halston, an executive of a wellness products brand who seeks the help of Fritz and Randell in episode two
- Lucinda Price as Female Podcast Host
- Felynn Teo as Poche Model 1
- Jamaya Masters as Poche Model 2
- King Baba as Poche Model 3
- Stephen Reid as Worker 1
- Molonai Makalio as Worker 2
- Travis Earl as Worker 3
- Alex Lee as Lisa Dove, an executive from an airline who appears in episode three
- Phil Lloyd as John Gammit, an executive from an airline who appears in episode three
- Kaan Gulder as Leo
- Tom Cardy as Maitré D, a server who appears in episode three
- Lucas Fatches as Huge Bikie
- Deya Miranda as Flamenco Dancer
- Francisco Lara Puerto as Flamenco Guitarist
- Josh Helman as Archie Toole
- Matthew Whittet as Spence Tasker
- Stephen Hunter as Gregg Hogg
- Nash Edgerton as Jeb Carson
- Arielle Carver-O'Neill as Doctor Chailey
- Suzy Wrong as Susanna Bali
- Sarah Stephens as Roje Daniels
- Daya Czepanski as Lou Morgan
- Skye Beker as Trainee
- Sam Lapin as Hoverboard Rider
- Rhys Muldoon as Matthew Chamberlain, an executive of a telecommunications company
- Mandy McElhinney as Olivia, the assistant to Matthew
- Yaraman Thorne as Ashwin
- Jeremy Waters as Finance Guy
- Nicholas Burton as 5G Theorist 1
- Dave Hoey as 5G Theorist 2
- Cihan Saral as IT Expert
- Chanelle Dylan as Weeping Woman
- Joel Beasley as Man #1
- Nakkiah Lui as Dion Kelly
- Angela Sullen as Cherie Bakes
- Craig Reucassel as Emcee
- Michael Hing as Translator
- Jason Lu as Alan Ng
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald stated that the show is "Delightfully cynical, with swipes at just about everyone, 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.The Guardian rated the series four out of five stars, 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."
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."
Writing on The Conversation, Edith Jennifer Hill, an associate lecturer of learning & teaching innovation at 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."