Ricky Gervais has revealed that he is writing a second series of After Life after the “amazing” fan reaction.
The debut series of the Netflix comedy, penned by and starring Gervais, landed on the streaming platform earlier this month to rave reviews from critics and a generally positive response from viewers.
On Wednesday, Gervais delighted “the best fans in the world” with the news that more episodes are on the way, saying he “had never had a reaction like this”.
“Thanks again for all the love for #AfterLife. I have never had a reaction like this,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The reviews have been great but the response from viewers has been f****** amazing. And that means so much more to me. You are the best fans in the world. Oh, and I've started writing series 2.”
The comedian’s tweet was immediately met with excited replies, many hailing the news as “brilliant” and the “best thing they’d heard all day”.
Others used the tweet to share personal stories of how Gervais’ work had been a help to them, some finding themselves in similar situations of grief and bereavement to the show's main character, Tony.
One wrote: “It's beautiful, I am struggling badly with depression and various personal situations similar to those portrayed. It helped. Also I laughed. Thank you.”
Another said: “Dear sir, this is a MASTERPIECE and I am not even slightly exaggerating. Emotional suffering idolised, romanticised, praised, belittled, denied... But never expressed so sincerely and purely. What you have done is simple and real.”
“My Lovely Dad left us in January, I was hesitant to watch #AfterLife but I'm so glad I did. Thank You. You are lovely xx,” wrote somebody else.
In After Life, Gervais stars as newspaper writer Tony who had his seemingly perfect world crumble around him when he lost his wife Lisa to cancer.
Grieving and sometimes suicidal, Tony decided to way to live his life was by not caring about his actions and their impact on others – including those who love him the most.
His friends fight to save him and pull him back from the brink, despite not even recognising him now, as Tony grows agitated and fed up.
However, Tony slowly realises – with the help of tapes left by his late wife – that he must come to terms with his tragedy for the good of himself and the world around him.
After Life series one is available on Netflix.
