Tony receives devastating news. One, I invite them in. I don’t understand it, why people on both sides fear freedom of speech. I go, “What, you think it’s all brilliant? So when people complain about language, or portrayal, or somebody playing a part they shouldn’t have played, I go, “Nobody really got killed. In Curb Your Enthusiasm, he doesn’t worry about the consequences because next week he can just shrug it off! All the people I follow are nice, rational people, and so I start thinking the world is just that. I think that this is sort of like a fable along the lines of It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s like a workout for the soul and nobody really gets hurt. I’ve got 30-40 pages of ideas. Yeah, because they don’t want anybody to write a letter. He’s frustrated with his dad, and he feels guilty about that because he knows it’s not his fault. And it’s interesting because the two things I wanted to ask you were, is this the most personal thing you’ve done, and you mentioned how you love Curb Your Enthusiasm because you say it’s brave, but don’t you think After Life is brave? The reality shows, the documentaries… I explored in The Office and then in Extras too, that idea that bad behavior was being rewarded. The reactions he has are so real. It would seem a challenge to create a comedy about grief, but for writer/producer/director/actor Ricky Gervais, taking on challenges is a core skill set. A turn of events hits Sandy hard. It’s as simple as that. These are the most privileged, secure celebrities in the world and what do I do? Oh they do. But isn’t there always going to be that level of people who dream of it, even if they never achieve it? I put it in After Life, where people would rather be known for being sh*t than not known at all, because they started getting rewarded for it. But this has been extraordinary, I must admit. We create our own villains and heroes, it’s role-play for the soul. That’s why it doesn’t hurt me. The show finds tremendous warmth in a character who starts out treating people horribly, and then starts taking heroin. I sound like a Christian when I go on about it—which culturally, I guess, I am—but I’m all for forgiveness. And if you’re centrist, it’ll make you look like a coward. Because that’s real life. [19], The second series received positive reviews from critics. NBC, the Hollywood Foreign Press and George Clooney are the king and I’m the idiot who shouldn’t be there. Life is an amazing gift, but it’s only a gift if you’re able to enjoy it. You’ve already written the second season, right? You can have all the good bits of religion without religion. It’s good, it’s cathartic, it’s therapeutic. And series 2, he wasn’t just better because that doesn’t happen. I’d have a heart attack and someone would go, “I can sing!” But now it’s even worse, because now the aspiration isn’t even to have a skit. And then the next thing I had to think of was, well, what’s losing everything? Because Tony says he feels guilty that he resents going to see his dad every day, and that frustrates him. [10][11], Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Ricky Gervais would star in the series. People come up to me on the street, “I lost my brother two weeks ago,” or “I lost my wife last year and that was me”. One thing that was controversial was you told everyone, “Don’t get up here and get on your soapbox.”  Let’s admit, the world is a different place today than it was back in January. When you compromise and still people don’t watch it, it’s a double whammy of shame. Too cold. Religion’s a middleman, I suppose, for feeling good. That’s the bottom line. Wherever you find it, whatever you think—whether it’s a connection with nature, or you think there’s an Almighty, whatever—that’s lovely. It’s like getting angry with dust. It was HBO, not NBC. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an overall approval rating of 74% with an average score of 6.29/10 based on 44 reviews. What happens on Boxing Day? And really funny. The thing about Penelope Wilton’s character is I wanted to do a kindness-of-strangers moment, because everybody expects their family and friends to help them, but what’s great is the kindness of human beings as a superpower that we all have. But yeah, it’s incredible to be going into a second season with all the love for the first. Well, I’d say I was halfway through. If you looked at Twitter, you’d think there was a war going on right now. Well, yeah, I know I couldn’t cope. So I made the psychiatrist act like a spoiled, dumb Hollywood star. [laughs]  And good people are angels who have never done anything wrong in their lives. It’s moreish, yeah… But in the press, on both sides of the Atlantic, you’re often painted as a provocateur and a controversialist; more like Tony at the start of the show. [laughs]  They’ve got their own lives and they are walking their dogs and they’re going home and they’re making tea and they watching telly. Do your own thing, then, and don’t watch it. I have 300 letters sent to my agent. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an overall approval rating of 75% with an average score of 6.28/10, based on 20 reviews. It was further announced that Duncan Hayes would serve as an additional executive producer and that Hanson would actually serve as a producer. It’s exactly that. [3] It is set in the fictional town of Tambury, where Tony works as a journalist at the local free newspaper, the Tambury Gazette. It’s not. He babysits George & begins to somewhat get along with Sandy. With a second series, you know who you’re writing for. The first episode is wearying, punishing and subtle as a sledgehammer. It’s not that bad! At least someone knew I was alive.” It’s odd. It’s complicated! Tony says “the world is an awful place. So I get it. Ricky Gervais interview: 'I'm speaking up for the millions without power' As his sitcom After Life returns, the comedian tells us about the licence fee and celebrity hypocrites So they’re saying that God would rather someone die in agony. There are only two chairs crammed in—I offer him the larger one. The fact that he had to keep feeding the dog, go to work to earn enough money to get drunk or whatever. Ricky Gervais’s After Life struggles second time round, as 21st-century London’s answer to Peaky Blinders gets off to a flying, if violent, start Published: 26 Apr 2020 . And I deal with taboo subjects for a couple of reasons. Season 2 of After Life is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix. Nobody writes letters anymore. The reason we worry about what say or do is because we want to be popular and not hurt someone’s feelings, or we know it will come back to haunt us. Tony's workplace. We know it’s a lovely thing to do to a Labrador when they’re very ill. We know it. And most defense comes when people mistake the subject of a joke with the target and they’re not necessarily the same. And they’re all coming back. After Life is truly one of the best things I’ve ever seen on television. If I find out they are just as bad and they don’t really mean it, then I’m annoyed! It came from me thinking, when my mum was dying, that if she’d have asked me whether there was a heaven, I’d have lied for her and told her yes, because there’s no point not to. If it makes you feel better, good luck to you. Whereas Netflix comes along and goes, “Not only do we get more viewers, but we’ve got deeper pockets and we don’t interfere at all.” So it’s a win-win at that point. I talk about being old, close to death, fat, going bald. I just have to say my favorite thing you’ve ever done, other than After Life, is The Ricky Gervais Show, with Karl Pilkington and Stephen Merchant. Thomas Bastable as Robbie, a classmate of George's, Ethan Lawrence as James, June's son who starts working at the, Anti as Brandy, Tony's and Lisa's dog, Tony's best friend and reason to keep living, This page was last edited on 15 October 2020, at 14:48. His mood worsens after visiting a stand-up gig. Real life is much scarier and harsher, with worse consequences than fiction. Does he keep it up? The seating was inferior. I think I’ve also got the best cast of any comedy/drama in history. The fact that I’m one of them should be irrelevant, because they can get that I shouldn’t have been there. “I miss them, but they went out and had a great time, and then they didn’t wake up.” What a great f*cking life, you know? [13], Season 3 is due to begin production in April 2021. I know loads of writers who start out with those great intentions, but then they go, “Oh, they’re worried about the language. I’m staff. Does the BBC where you developed The Office and Extras still exist anymore? I think Curb Your Enthusiasm probably is in some ways braver because he cares about nothing but the joke. And that’s why I hate it when villains are just all bad, they are child-murdering Satanists who don’t care about anything, right? People complain all the time. There was a sense that Tony was on a journey and he reached the end of it, you know? I know you’re working on season 3, we’re really looking forward to it. They just want to be heard. My worst fear is being told, “You’ve got six months, and it’s going to be the worst six months of your life.” F*cking hell.