January 08, 2026

Ricky Gervais

43 minutes

Comedian and writer Ricky Gervais talks to John Wilson about his formative creative influences and inspirations. Ricky Gervais made his name as the co-creator and

star of The Office, the mock documentary series which became a landmark in British television comedy, and was shown all round the world. Further success followed with the comedy drama series Extras, Life’s Too Short and Afterlife, and awards including two Emmys, four Golden Globes and seven BAFTAs. Ricky Gervais has written and performed numerous solo stand-up shows around the world, the latest of which, Mortality, was filmed for Netflix and has just earned him a tenth Golden Globe nomination.

Gervais tells John Wilson about his early comic influences including Laurel and Hardy, Fawlty Towers and Derek and Clive, the foul-mouthed drunken alter egos created by comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore on three, largely improvised, spoken-word albums recorded in the 1970s. He also talks about his own approach to writing comedy and the huge inspiration that the 1984 mock rock documentary This Is Spinal Tap was on the creation of The Office.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Archive used:

Laurel and Hardy theme, Dance of the Cuckoos

The Office, Series 1, Downsize, BBC2, 2001

Fawlty Towers, Series 1, A Touch of Class, BBC2, 1975

Golden Globes, opening monologue, 2020

This Is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner, 1984

...more

View all episodes

By BBC Radio 4

4.8

7070 ratings