Ricky Gervais' 'After Life' has been renewed for a second season on Netflix.
Ricky Gervais
The streaming service have confirmed the hit show will return in 2020 with six more 30-minute episodes, and the 52-year-old comic - who plays Tony in the hit show, a suicidal man who responds to the loss of his wife of 25 years by opting to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he wants with no inhibitions - says the reaction to the show has been "heart-warming".
In a statement, he said: "I have never had a reaction like this before. It's been insane.
"And heart-warming, but now I have to make sure the second season is even better so I'll probably have to work much harder than usual. Annoying really."
Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos added: "'After Life' has moved audiences from laughter to tears around the world and we are thrilled to announce that Ricky Gervais will be back with a second season on Netflix.
"We are so proud to play host to Ricky's brilliant stand-up comedy, specials, original films and series and join in the joy of the fans with his latest hit."
The news comes after 'The Office' star admitted ahead of the show's Netflix debut that he had ideas in mind for another series, and also explained that if the programme hadn't been a hit, he felt the first run of episodes concluded at a satisfying point.
Asked if he would like to make a second series, he said: "I'd love to. Just in case, I always do my first series of anything that it could be a standalone thing.
"But I've really fallen in love with the characters and I think it'd be a waste not to do a second series now.
"And the second series could be the best, because you can hit the ground running. You've done all the set up.
"You know that people you know the characters now, so you can delve deeper into things without having to do the admin of explaining stuff. So the second series can be the most joyful to write and watch."
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