Stephen Merchant responds to whether he’d work with Ricky Gervais again – and which classic comedy they would never revive

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Stephen Merchant has opened up about whether he’d work with Ricky Gervais again.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant famously created the popular BBC sitcom The Office in the early 2000s. They later collaborated on other successful comedies like Extras and Life’s Too Short.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant famously collaborated on projects like The Ricky Gervais Show, featuring Karl Pilkington, and also created the travel series An Idiot Abroad together.

In a recent interview with The Times, Stephen Merchant shared that he and Ricky Gervais don’t often speak to each other these days.

He said: “Would we work together again? Well, never say never, but we wouldn’t revive The Office.

We don’t see each other much anymore, and even when we were closest, our lives felt pretty different. Ricky always joked that he was a generation ahead of me – while I was out exploring nightclubs, he was happily settling into his favorite armchair.

Merchant and Gervais’s last collaboration was the final episode of Life’s Too Short back in 2013.

Since then, Merchant has appeared in popular films like Logan, Jojo Rabbit, and Fighting with My Family, which he not only acted in but also wrote and directed.

Ricky Gervais has been busy with Netflix, creating, directing, and starring in the popular series After Life. He’s also released several successful stand-up comedy specials – Armageddon, SuperNature, and Mortality – on the platform. Plus, he’s developing a new animated comedy series called Alley Cats which is expected to debut in 2026.

In 2018, Merchant stated he’d be willing to collaborate with Gervais again, noting there were no obstacles to doing so. However, he also acknowledged that the two were pursuing different creative paths.

Look, I’m always open to revisiting a franchise or character, but right now, nothing’s really grabbed me. I’m not saying ‘never,’ but there isn’t a compelling idea on the table at the moment that feels worth pursuing. I’m waiting for something truly special to come along.

He explained that they collaborated closely for more than ten years, and he believes the current issues stem from differing creative visions.

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Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss writes about the newest happenings in TV, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.

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2026-01-08 21:07