Steve Carell's Michael Scott talking at a podium in The Office.Image via NBC
By
Ryan O'Rourke
Published 54 minutes ago
Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.
Sign in to your Collider account
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
When one international branch of The Office closes, another one opens somewhere else in the world. Last month, Prime Video announced it would cancel the Australian version of the ever-popular sitcom mockumentary series after just one season, despite some positive momentum. The show marked the first iteration of the format to star a female lead in the form of Felicity Ward, and was solidly received by critics at the very least, boasting a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were less sold on the new version of Down Under, which may have contributed to Flinley Craddick's early closure. Now, the latest adaptation of the U.K. original is set to premiere on Showmax on January 20, 2026, taking viewers to a new workplace in South Africa.
Titled Die Kantoor, this latest edition of The Office will mark its 14th international adaptation and will also get an early preview with Episode 1 on the broadcaster kykNET on January 18 before the two-episode premiere on the African streamer. Instead of a paper company, it will follow workers at a polony manufacturer called Deluxe Processed Meats. At the center of the show, as its answer to Michael Scott or David Brent, will be Flip, played by 2025 Fleur du Cap award winner Albert Pretorius, who harbors some delusions of grandeur and believes the documentary crew is about to capture his moment of glory as a manager. Of course, that glory is undercut by the decidedly unglamorous work at the manufacturer.
Rounding out the ensemble for Die Kantoor is South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Schalk Bezuidenhout, alongside Lida Botha, Carl Beukes, Ilse Oppelt, Daniah de Villiers, Mehboob Bawa, Sipumziwe Lucwaba, and newcomer Gert du Plessis. Bennie Fourie, another SAFTA winner who co-created kykNET's acclaimed comedy series Hotel, is both writing and directing the series. In an official statement, he expressed how much of an honor it was to get to tackle The Office, especially after taking inspiration from the iconic sitcom for his own work on Hotel. Fourie's primary goal for Die Kantoor was to make it more tailored to South African culture, adding, "South Africa is not the U.K., and it’s not the U.S., and we really wanted to reflect that." That identity is further expressed through the different, yet still mundane setting of a polony manufacturer.
“South Africa is a proud meat-consuming nation. From biltong to droëwors to steak, many South Africans find some of our identity in the meat we eat. But polony is not on that list. It’s just so flippen pink. When you’re standing around a braai, the last thing you want to say is that you are passionate about polony. Especially after that Listeriosis outbreak.”
How Has 'The Office' Fared Around the World?
No iteration of The Office has fared quite as well as the Steve Carell-fronted U.S. sitcom, with most not surviving past their first season. However, there have been a few success stories beyond the first two series. Stromberg, the German version of the show, enjoyed a successful five-season run from 2004 through 2012 and earned a spin-off film in 2014. Finland's Konttori, meanwhile, ran for three seasons despite dividing viewers over its quality. Among the currently ongoing series, The Office PL has maintained its momentum so far in Poland, recently debuting its fifth season on Canal+ and taking viewers back to the offices of the Kropliczanka mineral water company.
In the U.S., meanwhile, viewers have been enamored with The Paper, the official spin-off of The Office, following the same documentary crew into the workplace of a struggling Ohio newspaper. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman and starring Domhnall Gleeson as the Toledo Truth Teller's eager editor, the series' first season was a success, garnering both an 85% score from critics and a 70% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Peacock felt confident in the project from the get-go, ordering a second season just before the show went to print, a move that seems to have paid off with it being an enduring streaming hit since its release. As of November 10, episodes have been airing on Mondays on NBC, bringing the new employees and a returning Oscar Nuñez to a new audience.
Die Kantoor will get an early preview on kykNET in Africa on January 18, 2026, before officially kicking off with two episodes on Showmax on January 20. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the future of The Office around the world.
the-office-poster-michael-scott.jpg
The Office
Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Release Date 2005 - 2013-00-00 Network NBC Showrunner Greg Daniels Directors Greg Daniels, Paul Lieberstein, Paul Feig, Randall Einhorn, Ken Kwapis Writers Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, Ricky Gervais, Greg Daniels, B.J. Novak Franchise(s) The OfficeCast
See All-
Steve Carell
Michael Scott
-
Rainn Wilson
Dwight Schrute
Expand
Collapse
-
The Office
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
4 hours ago
Russell Crowe Terrorized Denzel Washington as an Unhinged AI in This Underseen Sci-Fi Thriller
3 hours ago
Ahead of 'Fast X: Part 2,' Vin Diesel Breaks Silence on His Feud With the Rock
18 hours ago
Stephen King’s Favorite Movies of 2025 (Two Are Adaptations of His Own Work)
3 hours ago
This Rolling Stones Song Feels Perfect For Thanksgiving Dinner From Start To Finish
More from our brands
Everything We Know About Peacock's 'The Office' Reboot
The Paper: Where You Know The Cast Of The Office Spinoff From
6 Reasons Why The Paper's RT Score Is Higher Than The Office's Debut Season
The Paper Season 1 Review: The Office This Is Not, But That's (Mostly) A Good Thing
3 Years Later, Horror Fans Are Still Waiting for Netflix to Greenlight Season 2 of This Chilling 93% RT Show
14 Best Sitcoms on Britbox, Ranked
R.I.P.: 15 TV Shows That Have Already Been Canceled in 2025
What To Watch
July 20, 2025
The 72 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Trending Now
The 10 Most Romantic Spy Movies, Ranked
'The Bear' Season 5 Finally Gets a Huge Update Following Season 4's Cliffhanger Ending
53 Years Ago, Elton John Released the Iconic Song that Would Become His Greatest Hit of All Time
