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The Ricky Gervais Show
2010 - 2012 7.2 (111 votes) 3 Seasons
Official Website
Genres
Comedy Animation
Networks
HBO
Created By
Ricky Gervais
Stephen Merchant

The Ricky Gervais Show

Overview

The Ricky Gervais Show is an American cartoon series produced for and broadcast by HBO and Channel 4. The series is an animated version of the popular British audio podcasts and audiobooks of the same name, which feature Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, along with colleague and friend Karl Pilkington, talking about various subjects behind the microphone. The TV show consists of past audio recordings of these unscripted "pointless conversations," with animation drawn in a style similar to classic era Hanna-Barbera cartoons, presenting jokes and situations in a literal context. The animated Ricky Gervais Show has aired 39 episodes across three seasons since it premiered in 2010. There were some plans for a possible fourth season which would have used newly recorded audio, but this was shelved in June 2012. Series 3 of The Ricky Gervais Show premiered on 20 April 2012 on HBO, and on 8 May 2012 on E4.

Key Crew

Top Cast

Stephen Merchant
Stephen Merchant

Himself

Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais

Himself

Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington

Himself

Seasons

Season 1 poster
Season 1 (2010)

No overview available.

13 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Space Monkey
2010-02-19

Ricky and Stephen debate the merits of 20th century inventions with Karl; the guys introduce 'Monkey News.'

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Knob at Night
2010-02-26

Stephen shares a news story about 42 midget warriors who were mutilated by a single lion in a Cambodian ring fight, as well as the latest email from a fan, Paul "The Party Animal" Parker, who describes a Serbian man who invented a sex machine for women. Karl ponders how to avoid being conned into donating to charities. That conversation segues into a discussion of sex and butt plugs. A dialogue about America's first nudist organization leads Ricky to critique naked gym jocks, inspiring a revelation from Karl. The guys debate if there is ever a good time to eat the penis of a kangaroo? In Monkey News: A pair of chimps are shot to death after viciously attacking a male visitor to an animal sanctuary, targeting his nose, limbs and genitals.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Charity
2010-03-05

Adding to his wish list of improbable inventions, Karl offers up a serum that ages dead people backwards. Also up for discussion: Do African families really want goats as charitable gifts? Is a space flight worth the money and effort? If you could have any super power, what would it be? How rare is it to see a Chinese homeless person? In "Monkey News," a Moscow network fired so many employees it had to hire a chimp to host a talk show, with Cher as one of the guests.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Dolphins
2010-03-12

Karl admits he's getting a face rub at a spa, but frets he'll end up getting an enema as well. Also: A discussion about the customs of undocumented tribes in New Guinea. Ricky and Karl's recent trip to an antiquities store, where Karl wondered, "What's the newest thing you've got?" An e-mail from an Australian fan insisting there are dangerous armed dolphins ready to do battle. In "Monkey News," Karl recounts the marital regrets of a sympathetic zookeeper who brings home a lonely monkey

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Glass Houses
2010-03-19

Karl answers questions from fans; Karl deciphers the true meaning of sayings; Karl’s New Year’s resolution; “Monkey News.”

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Cobblers
2010-03-26

After receiving a fan letter asking what body part he could live without, Karl recalls when he tried to wash the dishes without using his thumbs. Other fan mail questions: If Karl could be anyone in the world, who would he be? What does he think of the philosopher Descartes? What does he make of the saying “a stitch in time saves nine”? In “Monkey News,” a builder complains when he discovers a chimp working at a new construction site, only to be told the chimp is a good worker.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: The Diary
2010-04-09

Ricky and Stephen read passages from Karl's diary, which chronicles his daily observations, as well as profound thoughts. A fan letter asks the guys if they had any nicknames growing up; In "Monkey News": When one member of a bobsled team unexpectedly quits at the Winter Olympics, the team secretly replaces him with a monkey.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Nuts
2010-04-16

A fan letter asks Karl: If he were on a sinking ship, and could only save either Ricky or Stephen, who would he choose? Karl finds a news report that hedgehogs will be extinct by 2025. Also up for discussion: the story of a man who has a transplanted kidney from a woman and now claims he has an increased interest in housework. In "Monkey News": The owner of an airline reportedly hired a monkey to fly as co-pilot during a strike.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: The Jockey
2010-04-23

More e-mail questions for Karl, such as: If Karl could talk to any animal, which would it be and what would he say? Highlights from Karl's diary, including why he doesn't like meetings, and why he and his girlfriend always get in an argument after she gets a haircut. In "Monkey News": A story from the 1950s about a gangster who bought a racehorse. When none of the jockeys wanted to be involved with him, he got a monkey to race the horse.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: The Fight
2010-04-30

Topics include: school curricula; physical altercations; human anatomy; whistling and happiness; birds and flight; Karl's thoughts on doppelgangers and the Big Bang; and the origins of the universe. Also: a "Monkey News" segment about eye surgery.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 11: Beetles
2010-05-07

A fan letter asks Karl to reveal the most romantic thing he's done for his girlfriend on Valentine's Day. Another fan asks him to interpret Wittgenstein's statement "If a lion could talk, we could not understand him." From Karl's diary: He creates a jingle after giving a homeless man some change, and describes his trip to Malaga, Spain. In "Monkey News": Karl relates the story of Enos, a monkey who flew in the space shuttle in the 1960s.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 12: Noises
2010-05-14

Stephen asks Karl questions posed to guests on "Inside the Actors Studio, leading to a discussion of organ donation. From Karl's diary: A news report from India about an elephant who had a giant pair of slippers, and Karl's belief that scientists should give up trying to kill germs because it will only make them stronger and bigger.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 13: Freaks
2010-05-21

Another question for Karl from "Inside the Actors Studio": "If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you enter the pearly gates?" From Karl's diary: A news report that humans will have spoken to aliens by the year 2025 leads him to worry that aliens will try to read his mind, while a story about a baby who looked like a frog makes Karl think life would be more interesting if there were different types of humans. Plus, Karl's top five freaks.

Runtime: 30 min
Season 2 poster
Season 2 (2011)

No overview available.

13 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Clive Warren
2011-01-14

Karl tells Ricky and Stephen about his pitch of a movie starring "Clive Warren" and Rebecca De Mornay. Stephen reads more pages from Karl's diary, revealing Karl's dislike of camping in Australia and his habit of saving insects from falling into a swimming pool.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Doppleganger
2011-01-21

Karl discusses what his doppelganger would be like. Ricky gives Karl a riddle. Karl and Stephen say what they do not like about Ricky's cat. Stephen discusses his holiday in Rio, where he went for Carnival.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: The Fly
2011-01-28

The trio discuss animals and diseases; evolution; a fly that is supposedly a pet; Karl's diary.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Onion
2011-02-04

Ricky gives Karl some animal facts. Karl ponders the question of whether you control your brain, or your brain controls you. From Karl's diary we investigate the curious case of the invisible Chinese man, why blind people have affairs, the feasibility and usefulness of putting a mirror on the Moon, and birthdays.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Insects
2011-02-11

Karl shares his thoughts on why insects are so deserving of his attention. Karl talks about his disappointment when learning about a killer octopus; what he would change in crabs; more stuff about insects. Karl's diary is also mostly about insects.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Kidneys
2011-02-18

Karl talks about having been rushed to hospital. He says that kidney stones were found and he had a catheter put into his penis. Karl ponders a phenomenon; Karl's diary; and more.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: Night Club
2011-03-04

Karl ponders height extremes when he learns that one of his new fans is actor Warwick Davis. Stephen talks about a night when he and his friends visited a nightclub in London. The bouncer refused them entry due to them not having any girls with them. Karl's diary is about his hospital visit for his kidney and a TV documentary in which he believes a monkey acted as a toll taker on a bridge.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Future
2011-03-11

Karl makes several predictions about humanity's distant future, including his belief that everyone will be ugly, that we will be physically weaker, the little finger will cease to exist, trousers will cease to be produced and we will blend all of our food. Stephen says that if he knew it were the last day of Earth's existence, he would smash up a bar and kill a person. Karl says that he would kick a duck up the arse.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: Natural History
2011-03-18

Ricky talks about undiscovered species. He talks about a drawing he did when he was in his early teens of an animal which consisted of a lion's head, a gorilla's arms, the body of a rhinoceros, the tail of a scorpion and the legs of a cheetah. Karl says that his design for an animal would consist of the head of an owl, an armadillo's body on a slug base and with peacock feathers. Karl talks about having met a man who had drawn a design for a car which enabled defecating while driving. Karl says his father had a friend who kept a monkey as his pet.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: Leg Rubber
2011-03-25

Karl discusses his childhood memories of having thousands of Tic Tacs in his house, given to his father by a friend. Karl tells of his visit to a "professional leg rubber", who tells Karl ridiculous things and charges £48 for half an hour. Karl talks about his visit to a Harley Street doctor's surgery for a medical. In the waiting room, he was surprised to find Boyz among the magazines. He looked through it, thinking it might enlighten him about the appeal of homosexual sex.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 11: Mrs. Battersby
2011-04-01

Karl talks about the brain having two sides and "sensing" when trouble is near. He recounts having eaten a beetle, having been lost in London and having talked to a ghost in Cornwall. Karl then reveals that the ghost encounter was something his mother told him, rather than a personal memory of his. He talks about his aunt not wanting double glazing. He says that if he was a manager, he would sack staff who were absent due to thick snow impeding their route to work. Karl's Diary includes his belief that Martians are more advanced than us because their days are longer, allowing for greater productivity. Another of his diary entries is about a pub whose new owners have been criticised for barring a regular customer, who is a horse.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 12: Art
2011-04-08

The trio discuss art, including Marcel Duchamp's Fountain and Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living as well as sculptures. Karl talks about a tricycle-riding fat woman nicknamed Miss Piggy who lived on the same estate as him.Ricky says that adaptations of literature and film can be improved by featuring the Muppets. Karl says that his favourite films are The Elephant Man, Kes and Mission: Impossible 2. Karl talks about his fondness of whistling, and Ricky says that he finds it annoying.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 13: Munchies
2011-04-15

Ricky asks Karl if he would give up his real life to live in a virtual reality isolation tank. Karl discusses his thoughts about problems, holidays and happiness. Whilst recounting having met an older man on holiday, Karl finally laughs.

Runtime: 30 min
Season 3 poster
Season 3 (2012)

No overview available.

13 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Bryan's Brain
2012-04-20

Karl ruminates on museum collections, his invention for a mug coaster, and a new movie pitch.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Comic Relief
2012-04-27

Karl feels he's getting up in age and is starting to spend more time with his doctors. No longer young and free, he thinks about his will, which he believes is a form of charity, though Ricky disagrees. Karl's attorney suggested he marry his girlfriend for tax purposes, which would finally give his parents a reason to meet hers.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Armed Forces
2012-05-04

Karl explains why he would have liked to join the Army and recounts his most harrowing acts of bravery.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Room 102
2012-05-11

Ricky, Stephen and Karl discuss what things Karl would banish from the world, and what item he would take if stranded on an island.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Karl's Day
2012-05-18

Karl walks Ricky and Stephen through a typical day in his life. After being woken by his girlfriend Suzanne going off to work, he mulls about, taking his breakfast while sitting on the bed as he listens to the radio.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: The English
2012-05-25

Ricky, Stephen and Karl discuss the essence of Englishness, and what other nationality Karl would like to be.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: Law & Order
2012-06-01

Ricky, Stephen and Karl discuss capital punishment, the Ten Commandments and hostage negotiation.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Medicine
2012-06-08

Karl shares his thoughts on medical advancements, how being sick makes him feel better, and his idea for a machine that would allow doctors to feel their patients' pain.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: Earth
2012-06-15

Karl contemplates the beginnings of the Universe, evolution, recycling and toilets abroad.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: Society
2012-06-22

Ricky, Stephen and Karl discuss the laws of society and civil rights.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 11: Wartime
2012-06-29

Karl interprets the meaning of wartime sayings and imagines a scenario in which he is the wife of a GI.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 12: World Cup
2012-07-06

Ricky, Stephen and Karl ponder the problem of overzealous sports fans; Karl shares his saliva-volume test.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 13: The Year
2012-07-13

Karl ruminates on the insect world; Stephen recalls the horrors of buying condoms.

Runtime: 30 min

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