Gervais debuts YouTube channel

Ricky Gervais is launching his own YouTube channel, with videos including new material featuring the comedian as the David Brent character that shot him to fame in The Office.

Ricky Gervais YouTube channel

The online network is an alliance between Gervais’s Derek Productions and YouTube, which is backing it through the original channels initiative it rolled out to the UK and Europe in October last year.

It’s being managed by Shine Group-owned ChannelFlip, which won YouTube backing for two other channels at the time – one a scripted drama and comedy proposition called The Multiverse, helmed by Gervais’s Life’s Too Short star Warwick Davis.

The new Ricky Gervais YouTube channel makes its debut today, though the comedian has had a presence on the site since 2006. The initial line-up includes the new David Brent material – the first time the character has appeared since 2003, with the exception of a cameo in the US version of The Office in 2011.

All new original content from Gervais, including sketches, filmed podcasts and behind-the-scenes snippets and interviews from forthcoming movie The Muppets… Again will also feature.

“Working with YouTube is a fantastic opportunity for new content to be made available without the limitations of schedules and international restrictions,” said Gervais. “Viewing habits are changing. And anyone who doesn’t realise that will be left behind. I am very excited to be working with a platform that is so instant and accessible. And to catch up with David Brent is going to be fantastic.”

Ben McOwen Wilson, head of content partnerships for Northern Europe at YouTube added: “Ricky Gervais already has a huge fan base on YouTube and they’ll be thrilled to see what he’s got up his sleeve including the next adventures with the infamous David Brent.”