Tag Archives: Karl Pilkington

May 9, 2012 · 4:13 pm

Derek series gets go-ahead

Pilkington and Gervais star in Derek

Ricky Gervais’ comedy drama, Derek, has been commissioned by Channel 4, it has been confirmed.

One episode of the show, starring Gervais as care home worker Derek Noakes, was broadcast by the Channel in April and received the highest audience figures for a scripted comedy in nearly two years.

Head of Comedy at Channel 4, Shane Allen, said of the news:

“The pilot triggered an amazing response and Derek’s story had only just begun so it’s brilliant that we can explore this world and its beautifully drawn characters across a series”

Gervais, 50, also commented:

“David Brent [of The Office] was an egotistical, failed musician and the most annoying man in the world.

“Derek is a 50 year old man with bad hair and clothes, whose best friend is a whinging bald Manc twonk. Where do I get my ideas from?”

Derek follows the lives of a “group of outsiders living of societies margins” and stars Karl Pilkington as landlord, Dougie and Kerry Godliman as a care worker at the home.

The series will again be written and directed by Gervais and is set to air next year.

Related: New Idiot Abroad series confirmed

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April 26, 2012 · 1:04 pm

New Idiot Abroad series confirmed

Karl will have Warwick to keep him company this time

Sky has announced that it has commissioned a third series of Ricky Gervais’ An Idiot Abroad.

This time, the hapless Karl Pilkington will be joined on his travels by Life’s Too Short and Harry Potter star, Warwick Davis.

Previous series’ have seen Karl sent to see the Seven Wonders of the World and on a journey of a lifetime to experience the untilate Things to do Before You Die.

The comedian has now persuaded Mancunian Karl to embark on an epic journey, following the footsteps of famous explorer Marco Polo from Italy to China.

Ricky, said of the new series:

“Karl once said to me that opposites attract. Warwick Davis is sociable, hardworking and never complains. They should get along fine.”

According to Sky, An Idiot Abroad: The Short Way Round “will follow Karl and Warwick as they get stuck into different cultures and traditions, illuminated by Karl’s trademark observations about the world and Warwick’s varying experiences as a little person in different countries”.

Of the new series, Pilkington commented:

“I don’t know how it will work out. Honestly. Edmund Hillary had that Tenzing fella, Ben Fogle had James Cracknell. I’ve been given an Ewok.”

An Idiot Abroad: The Short Way Round will air on Sky One and Sky One HD this December.

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March 20, 2012 · 2:19 pm

New Gervais pilot gets go ahead

Derek will appear on Channel 4 this April

The pilot episode for Ricky Gervais’ new sitcom, Derek, will be screened on Channel 4 next month, it has been confirmed.

Written and directed by Gervais, Derek is a bittersweet one-off drama about a “group of outsiders living on societies margins”, according to BAFTA.

Gervais is, however, hoping that the nursing home-centred comedy will be commissioned for a full series.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said of the programme:

“Channel 4 is very excited to be working with Ricky Gervais on this new project and it’s wrong to say we have rejected a series.

“The pilot will be on TV in April and then there’ll be further discussions about the potential for a full series.”

The show will see Gervais play retirement home worker Derek Noakes, alongside Kerry Godliman, who stars as his friend, Hannah.

Karl Pilkington will also appear in the show as Dougie, Derek’s employer.

Derek will be screened by BAFTA at the Princess Anne Theatre on 27 March and on Channel 4 this April.

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September 13, 2011 · 10:44 am

Gervais: I’m too famous for pubs

'People tell me I've changed'

Ricky Gervais has spoken about the downside of fame, revealing that it’s impossible for him to go down the pub for a pint.

The Office star has said that popping down to his local is now a thing of the past, telling The Sun:

“As soon as I got on the cusp of fame I stopped.

“I miss the pub but you can’t do it. Life is too short. People are lovely but someone will come and sit down and ask, ‘Can I join you for a pint?’ And I say, ‘No, I don’t know you, so obviously not.’

“People then tell me, ‘You’ve changed’ and then I think, ‘I haven’t, I never used to drink with ****ing strangers’. So now I just avoid the situation.”

Fifty-year-old Gervais also spoke about his recent weight loss, rubbishing claims that it was down to a new ‘LA persona’:

“I have got fit after running around Hampstead. I also have a gym in my house.

“It’s nothing to do with Hollywood or looking good. I thought enough is enough. I need to look after myself. I don’t want to die.”

Ricky’s new series, An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List airs this month on Sky1 and sees Karl Pilkington being sent to undertake a list of challenges you should do before you die.

The series has already caused controversy over in the States, with rockers Van Halen trying to ban an episode in which Karl performs their hit, Jump, with a Glee-style chorus group.

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June 30, 2011 · 12:39 pm

An Idiot Abroad returns for a second series

Back but not happy

In 2010, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant sent their hapless pal Karl Pilkington on a journey to discover the Seven Wonders of the World in An Idiot Abroad.

Now, despite Karl’s best efforts, he has been convinced to return for a second series this September, saying:

“What else am I going to do? When you’ve been in a programme called An Idiot Abroad, other job offers aren’t going to be flying in, are they?

“At least Wagner off X Factor could go back to Brazil… Because An Idiot Abroad has been on all over the world, I can’t escape being known as ‘the idiot’. Ricky did that.”

An Idiot Abroad 2 will see Karl set out to fulfil a list of Things To Do Before You Die.

He will be dispatched to far flung corners of the world to complete his definitive bucket list – such as swimming with dolphins, travelling Route 66 and staying on a desert island – all in an attempt to prove whether they really are what they’re cracked up to be.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are both happy to go along with Karl’s wishes to get him through the departure gates.

However, once Karl’s back on the road, they’re sure to be back to their old tricks, throwing in unwelcome surprises for Karl along the way to make sure he’s always pushed out of his comfort zone.

Ricky said:

“When we asked Karl to list his Things to do before you die, the only thing he could think of was ‘work in B & Q part time’. So we decided to make a list for him.”

An Idiot Abroad 2 starts in September 2011 on Sky 1 HD and Sky 1.

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