New Animated Ricky Gervais Show On HBO
Ricky Gervais will star in a new animated series for HBO entitled “The Ricky Gervais Show”. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, along with their friend Karl Pilkington, will serve as producers of the new animated TV comedy. Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington will also star as the voice talent for the new animated series. HBO stated that The Ricky Gervais Show is based on Gervais’ popular podcasts with Pilkington’s musings, similar to the podcasts, inspiring storylines for the series episodes. “Ricky Gervais is one of the most original comic voices working today,” noted Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment.
Gervais has previously appeared on HBO in “Extras,” winning him an Emmy as best comedy actor. Gervais starred in and created the British TV series “The Office,” which was adapted for the hit series for the American audience on NBC.
“The Ricky Gervais Show debuts on HBO a month after the Globes,” Gervais blogged recently, mentioning the launch of the show follows his upcoming gig as host of the host of the Golden Globe Awards January 17. “I think it could be bigger than Extras. Big words. Well to Karl they’re big words.”
Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington serve as producers for the half-hour animated show, with animation created by Wildbrain, the company behind the popular preschool show Yo Gabba Gabba.
Gervais stated he wanted to keep the new show running long term because of Pilkington – “a global village idiot, but the funniest man alive”.
“Karl is a bottomless well of stupidity, so unlike my other shows The Office and Extras, which I stopped prematurely through fear of going stale and running out of ideas, I want this to run and run like The Simpsons. The world has a new Homer, but this one is real,” said Gervais.
Gervais is known for creating and starring in British comedies. The successful American spinoff of The Office is produced by Gervais. Gervais has starred in the films “Ghost Town” and “The Invention of Lying”. His children’s book series is a bestseller and is being adapted into a 3-D animated feature film.
The Ricky Gervais Show will premiere February 19th on HBO.
