Ricky Gervais has announced a new television special, Talking Funny, which sees him alongside comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock discussing the art of comedy. The show, which has already aired in the US on HBO, is described by Gervais as 'not a comedy show, but a show about comedy'.
The idea for the programme came after Gervais performed at Madison Square Garden in New York. He said: 'There was a knock on the door and those three came into the room. They sat down and said they loved this bit and that bit and, 'Where did you get the idea for that from?' We suddenly realised it was like we were just so excited about being in each other's company talking about comedy, so we put it on screen.'
Gervais also revealed that he has other groups of comedy legends lined up for potential future episodes. In a separate anecdote, he shared a recent exchange with actor Will Smith, who has been filming Men in Black 3 in New York. Smith sent Gervais a hamper from Harrods containing cheese and a box of Daz washing powder after reading an article about Gervais' past financial struggles.
'Once I was so poor, I had a bath with my shirts in soap powder water, which is true,' Gervais said. When Smith's oversized film trailer caused traffic complaints in New York, Gervais joked via text: 'The Golden Globes want to hold the ceremony in your trailer next year.' Smith's trailer has since been moved to a nearby parking lot.
Talking Funny airs on Thursday 2 June at 10.15pm on Sky Atlantic HD.
