# The Ricky Gervais Show (2010)

> Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington's pointless podcast conversations are animated as irreverent cartoon sketches.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/32475

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 39
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, animation
- Created by: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
- Network: HBO
- Cast: Stephen Merchant, Ricky Gervais, Karl Pilkington
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1553644/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: irreverent, awkward, deadpan, smug, cringe

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the animated Ricky Gervais Show as acclaimed, admiring its faithful translation of the podcast's absurd, unscripted conversations into retro cartoon form.

## Synopsis

The Ricky Gervais Show (2010-2012) is an American animated comedy series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for HBO. Adapted from the British audio podcasts of the same name, it turns the hosts' unscripted, rambling recordings into cartoon form. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (both playing themselves) trade barbs with their friend Karl Pilkington, whose literal-minded observations about ordinary subjects drive much of the comedy. Across three seasons of thirty-minute episodes, the show stays with these pointless conversations as they wander from everyday trivia to pop culture and personal embarrassments. The animation is drawn in a style reminiscent of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, which sets the cheerful visual register against the crude, profane talk. The tone is irreverent, awkward and cringe-prone, with a dry, deadpan wit that rewards viewers who enjoy the hosts' smug self-regard. Fans of Family Guy, Extras and Aqua Teen Hunger Force will find a similar appetite for absurd, adult-leaning animated humor. Each episode stands alone, so it suits short sessions and easy rewatching.

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