Ricky Gervais has revealed that he would be happy for his new Netflix animated series Alley Cats to continue indefinitely, describing it as the first project he has created that he wants to last forever. The 65-year-old comedian told The Mirror: 'It's the first thing I've ever created that I'd like to go on forever. I can see myself just making this show till I die.'
Why Alley Cats could run indefinitely
Unlike his previous shows, which were deliberately kept short, Gervais sees Alley Cats as a format that can continue without concern for aging. 'The cats won't age, and it doesn't matter how fat and old and bald I get,' he said. 'Someone can just put me in a chair with a microphone, surrounded by the rest of the cast, and off we go. It won't really matter when senility kicks in, as I'm usually talking b* anyway. It's the dream job.'
The show, which premieres on Netflix on August 7, follows a curmudgeonly cat who swears but has a heart of gold, a departure from Gervais's live-action series After Life, which featured a human with similar traits.
Pre-empting criticism
Gervais has already anticipated backlash over the show's content, telling potential critics: 'Please don't be offended by anything these characters say or do. They can't help it. They're cats. So sometimes, they're s****.' He also warned during a YouTube live stream about people misinterpreting the series, noting that one critic wrote a negative article based on a one-minute trailer.
Gervais defended the show's quality, pointing to an ensemble cast he described as the 'Avengers of British comedy,' including Tom Basden, David Earl, Kerry Godliman, Jo Hartley, and Diane Morgan. 'I cast my usual gang of comedy chums, because I know exactly what they're capable of,' he said. 'They can stay in character, drive the plot, stick to the screenplay, and go completely off-piste whenever the moment demands it.'
