Comedian Ricky Gervais has helped give an unlikely career to his round-headed buffoon of a friend, Karl Pilkington. Thanks to The Ricky Gervais Show and An Idiot Abroad, the comedy gold that comes from the British eccentric is just too good to pass up – which is probably why Gervais is sticking with Pilkington for yet another Web series.
Remember that The Ricky Gervais Show started as a comedy podcast and then became the HBO animated series (which just concluded its third and final season last month); however, this new series, titled Learn English with Ricky Gervais, comes packaged like an average TV show, and Gervais says the pilot is done, and hopefully will be made available for download very soon.
Gervais announced the project on his own blog and said:
“We hope to have it subtitled into as many languages as possible.
I’m going to put out the first one free as a taster then work out the best way to distribute. Might charge a small fee or get it sponsored. Unlike the audio podcasts this actually costs quite a bit to make, but even if we charge it will still only be a couple of quid.
I’m thinking of making a clean version of the pilot available for download so people can put their own subtitles on it and repost it. You can do a Klingon version if you want. Interactive…so..”
The title helps us surmise what the Web series might entail, but it also allows plenty of tangents for Gervais and Pilkington to bring the laughs. However, we should probably let the trailer speak for the show:
It seems like a bit more of the same kind of musings and dialogue from The Ricky Gervais Show, but maybe with more of a focus on the English language and history. Either way, I can watch Gervais giggle at Pilkington’s peculiar conclusions and thoughts all day. While most of their collaborations together have involved making a fool out of Pilkington simply for the strange man he seems to be, Gervais also has used his friend and colleague as an actor in the 2012 series Derek from the United Kingdom. You can check out the trailer and outtakes from the series right here:
We’re not sure if it will ever come to the United States like Gervais’ other endeavors (which include The Office and Extras), but Learn English will definitely be online sometime down the road, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on its availability.
Source: Ricky Gervais
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Can’t wait, anything involving Karl Pilkington is pure gold.
Derek was an utterly wonderful and incredibly heartfelt piece of television.
Totally agree.
The pond bit was the only bad point about it because it seemed forced but I almost cried at the end.
Agreed. It could have done without that bit. I honestly didn’t think Gervais had it in him to be so humble in a role.
I think Ricky Gervais is the saviour of modern television, where would we be without the office/ extras, when I see The only way is essex on t.v I instantly think “… ok wheres my extras boxset?!” after thinking this I try not to gouge my eyes out watching mark & the other idiots in a bar watching someone walk pass they hate and of course didnt know would be there.. BECAUSE ITS NOT SCRIPTED…
anyway yes I love Gervais,Merchant & Pilkington =)
Ethan, are you Julie’s brother? Sorry to hear about her losing her job. (Oh, you’ve heard that one before? Sorry, hard to resist.)
If you want to see how to create a television show then look no further than the genius that is Ricky Gervais.
Hopefull they will include Steven Merchant as well as the trio together are 24k gold.
Karl is definitely my hero – cant wait
For those who want Klingon, rather than Esperanto, as the international language see http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8TQGVh025E4
but the safest and easiest way is to join the language classes at a nearby academy or choose a free online English teaching course.
There must be healthy competition between the students that have joined the English learning classes lately, because it will boost up their moral and arouse their interest in language learning.