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Ricky Gervais Show previews for April, Karl Pilkington does not disappoint

By April MacIntyre Mar 25, 2010, 18:18 GMT

01/17/2010 - Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon - 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals - The Beverly Hilton Hotel - Beverly Hills, CA, USA © Bob Charlotte / PR Photos

Comic and actor Ricky Gervais has a hit with the animated TV series  "The Ricky Gervais Show" for HBO.

HBO has re-upped with Gervais and company for another season in the US.

Gervais' series is based on a number of comical podcasts that were first presented as a radio broadcast featuring Stephen Merchant, Gervais, and Karl Pilkington, a most unlikely but hilarious celebrity from Manchester, England.

The series will be shown for the first time in the UK on Channel 4 next month.

Michael Lombardo, the president of Programming Group and West Coast Operations at HBO, said: 'Ricky's hilarious show has sparked a loyal and enthusiastic following that is growing steadily throughout the season, and we're happy to bring the show back for another season.'

HBO sent Monsters and Critics the April 2010 run down for the series:
           
Episode #7
Debut:  FRIDAY, APRIL 9  (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT)

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; Stephen says he wanted to be nicknamed “Lefty” or “Scarface,” but those didn’t take, so he went with “Spud” instead.  In “Monkey News”:  When one member of a bobsled team unexpectedly quits at the Winter Olympics, the team secretly replaces him with a monkey.
               
Episode #8
Debut:  FRIDAY, APRIL 16 (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

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.
               
Episode #9
Debut:  FRIDAY, APRIL 23 (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

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.
               
Episode #10
Debut:  FRIDAY, APRIL 30  (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

Questions for Karl include:  If he was in charge of what kids learn in school, what would he change?  Other than his infamous boxing match, has Karl ever been in a physical fight?  What is Karl’s opinion of the human appendix?  Among Karl’s latest diary entries:  Do people whistle only when they are happy?  Why don’t ducks use their wings much?  His thoughts on doppelgangers and the Big Bang.  In “Monkey News”:  A fellow with an eye problem requiring expensive surgery sees an ad in the paper for cheap doctors.  After the surgery, the man wants to thank the doctor, who turns out to be a chimp.