HBO has ordered thirteen episodes of a new animated show that will be based on Ricky Gervais’s popular podcast. Variety says:
The Ricky Gervais Show features Gervais and his longtime collaborator Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras) and revolves around the world of their unusual friend, Karl Pilkington. “They find him to be the funniest person in the world,” MRC’s Modi Wiczyk said. “Ricky says Karl is like crack to him.” According to Gervais and Merchant, “Karl is a man who believes that a sea lion is a cross between a fish and a dog.”
Fans even began animating some of Pilkington’s musings themselves, uploading the shorts to the Internet. It was Wildbrain development VP Lisa Ullmann who first put the idea of an animated version in Gervais’ head. The Show will utilize the audio from the “Gervais” podcasts and open each week with the animated version of the trio. Then, once Pilkington begins telling one of his unusual stories, the animation will delve into those worlds.
Genius. Go get all the podcasts (the ones at the top of the charts on iTunes) right now. There is a little tast below. All they do is talk and somehow it comes out as the best stuff ever. Try listening to this on a bus and not look wierd. True story.
