The Office opens Israeli branch
Deal for another remake
The Office is to be remade for an Israeli audience in what will be the seventh foreign version of the show.BBC Worldwide has licensed the show to an Israeli company, July August Productions, which will make 15 episodes to air on satellite channel Yes from April 2010.
Ricky Gervais said: ‘I am thrilled and amazed that Israel are making The Office with local writers, directors and actors. I mean, whoever heard of Jewish entertainers?’
Giyora Yahalom, head of production at Yes, added: ‘We are sure that the universal experience of contemporary office life will speak to Israeli viewers. There is no doubt that our viewers will enjoy the same jokes as their contemporaries in the UK.’
Local versions of The Office have also been made for the US – where the show has run to five successful series – Chile, Canada, France, Germany and Russia. The BBC original has also run in 70 countries.
BBC Worldwide’s Claudia Danser said there had been a lot of interest from Eastern Europe about another potential remake.
It was also announced today that deals have been struck to syndicate the US version of The Office to cable TV stations covering 93 per cent of the country.
These contracts, plus a deal with the cable channel TBS two years ago, means producers NBC Universal now take in about $3 million an episode for ‘off-network’ repeats.
Published: 30 Mar 2009
