The Office Reimagined and Dare I Say … Even Better?

What:

I believed I would never relive the same excitement I experienced when watching The Office USA as a teenager.

That is, until I saw La Oficina, the new Mexican television series based on The Office, originally a British mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant in 2001.

In the fourteenth iteration of the original show and only second in Spanish, Jerónimo Ponce III is regional manager and heir to the Olimpo Soap company based in Aguascalientes, Mexico. His team, of course, consists of colorful characters including Jerónimo’s groveling lieutenant Aniv and punching bag of a human resources manager Mondra.

Why:

The show creators did an excellent job reimagining the original cast from The Office USA. Each character possesses some different characteristics than their original counterpart — for example, Jerónimo is a divorced father — but the camaraderie flows exactly like the original Office and is every bit as hilarious. And for all of Jerónimo’s faults, there are genuine moments of tenderness that endear him to the audience much like the American character of Michael Scott.

La Oficina updates the franchise’s comedy extremely well. The cringe and incorrectness still run strong, but the jokes have more hits per minute than the USA version nowadays because the writing is updated for a 2026 audience. In a media ecosystem where comedy and pacing change greatly in just a few years, the updated writing offers so many new moments of hilarity in the typical Office-style packaging. The shorter season also necessitates a faster plot, which makes the comedy more dense and enjoyable per minute in my view.

La Oficina proudly stands as a huge achievement within The Office universe. I have high hopes that the show will continue with second season.

Overall, this is an excellent show for an upper intermediate learner. I highly recommend it as your next watch.

How:

La Oficina has one season with eight episodes (around 30 minutes each). You can currently search around in Youtube to watch the show through unofficial channels.