BBC, the world’s largest international television market hosted by a single distributor announced at BBC Showcase on 20 February that popular mockumentary sitcom The Office will relocate to India.
Wernham Hogg becomes Wilkins Chawla, a paper company, as the hilarious format, sold to India’s Aditya Birla Group’s Applause Entertainment, follows Indian boss Jagdeep Chaddha and his hapless attempts to inspire and motivate a reluctant workforce. And the Slough trading estate of the home version becomes an industrial park on the far outskirts of Faridabad, a satellite town of New Delhi.
Chadda sees himself as a smart, fun and go-getting leader loved by his adoring team. But nothing could be further from the truth and his attempts to cheer and impress his staff invariably end in comic disaster.
Meanwhile, the office staff working for Chaddha at the company’s regional branch do not have much to handle beyond routine paperwork. They’re generally passive and know the real action is in the nearby Delhi head office, but they lack the ambition to move to the big city. And amidst the corporate-grey interiors of the office lies the budding romance between Junior Sales Officer Amit Sharma, who finds himself drawn to Pammi the receptionist, but holds back from revealing his feelings because she is engaged to be married to someone else.
The original UK version of The Office won numerous TV awards and has spawned eight international versions in Europe. It was written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and first broadcasted in the UK on BBC Two in 2001. The format since then has become a global success with nine other local versions in countries including Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Sweden, Finland, the US and awards including Best New TV Comedy at the British Comedy Awards in 2001 and ‘Best TV Show of the last 20 years’ Broadcast Awards 2015 for the original version, Emmy and Golden Globe for the US adaptation.
The agreement with Applause Entertainment will mark the first time The Office has been commissioned in Asia, with India being the first country in the region to launch a local version of the show. The adaptation will adapt series one and two of the US version into one series of 28 episodes. Previous scripted formats from BBC Worldwide made in India were Yes Minister and Keeping Up Appearances.
