Saudi version of The Office to launch 20 years after BBC original

And other stories from the stranger side of life

David Brent with a guitar

Saudi Arabia is set to introduce its own version of The Office nearly 20 years after the BBC original hit the screens. BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial arm, has sold the comedy format to MBC Studios, the production wing of a Saudi-owned satellite television giant. Production on the show, which will be known as Al Maktab, will begin this month, with Saleh Abuamrh, a 35-year-old Riyadh-based actor, stepping into the shoes of Ricky Gervais’s cringe-worthy manager. It will be the 12th international version of The Office, noted The Times.

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