You've been asking for it, and [checks notes]... Saudi Arabia provided!
Michael Scott would be proud.
After all these years, it's finally time.
The name of the show is "Al Maktab," which is a literal translation of "The Office" in Arabic.
BBC Studios, which owns the format rights, and MBC Studios, the production arm of Saudi-owned Middle East satellite giant MBC, have unveiled Al Maktab, the first Arabic-language version of the long-running and award-winning comedy series.
Set to begin filming later this month, the series will star Saleh Abuamrh as Malik Al-Tumaifi, the comically self-absorbed David Brent/Michael Scott character at the center of the show, with the comedy shifting from a paper merchant to a courier services company.
I do have some questions though.
The Office has been adapted into Canadian, Chilean, French, Indian and Polish editions. The MBC deal marks the 12th international sale of the format.
No, no, no, not about whether this has been done before.
The 20-part series will broadcast on MBC's TV channels, and via its streaming platform Shahid VIP, later this year.
No, not about the length of the show.
Al Maktab features a very talented cast from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond who will bring the stories of this eccentric group of colleagues and their boss to life, reimagined for Middle Eastern and Gulf audiences for the very first time.
Stop it, you dang block quotes. No, not about the actors.
My question is how you do comedy in Saudi Arabia. On one hand, there's zero sex, swearing, or nudity in their content, so that's a definite bonus.
On the other hand, criticizing the king, his government, social norms, and especially religion will get you quite literally decapitated.
And the iconic slapstick humor of the series aside, in a country where spouses holding hands in public is a punishable fine, how will they ever come close to the masterpiece of Jim and Pam's relationship that defined the American version???
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