Through his various award show-hosting gigs, hilariously unabashed Twitter presence, and shows like “The Office” and “Extras,” Ricky Gervais has become a pretty hot commodity in recent years. Now, the latest to score a Ricky Gervais-helmed project are the folks over at Netflix.
According to the New York Times, Netflix will stream “Derek,” a comedy-drama written by and starring Gervais. It also features Karl Pilkington, which you may know from the Gervais-produced anti-travel show “An Idiot Abroad.”
“Derek” has already been airing on Channel 4 in Britain. The pilot received a good response, and a full series was ordered. Netflix will pick it up and show it to users worldwide some time in 2013.
Here’s what you can expect from “Derek,” according to Ricky Gervais’ website:
Derek is a bittersweet one-off comedy drama about a group of outsiders living on society’s margins. Derek Noakes (played by Ricky) is a tender, innocent man whose love for his job and the people he cares for shines through. He’s 49 years old and loves animals, Rolf Harris, Jesus, ‘Deal or No Deal’, ‘Million Pound Drop’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ – but his main hobby is autograph hunting.
“Netflix is the future. TV habits have already changed drastically over the last 10 years and this is the next phase. People want their favorite shows on demand whether they are homegrown or not. As an artist you want the fruits of your labor to be seen by the largest number of people possible without having to compromise the product. This deal gave me the freedom and the huge potential viewers of the Internet but the production values of film and TV. They also made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Come on, an artist gotta eat man,” said Gervais.
“So glad Netflix got Derek. What clinched it?” Maximum viewers. Total freedom. & the money was 28 times what I got for The Office series 1
[Image courtesy IMDb]
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