Extras: Ricky Gervais May Call It Quits

Though the fun and innovative British show Extras is quite popular and has won several awards, it looks like series creators Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais may be calling it quits. The series just wrapped its second season and sadly it looks unlikely we’ll see a third.

The British series centers around the crazy world of show business and an aspiring actor named Andy Millman (played by Ricky Gervais). In the series, Millman struggles for work but keeps losing out on roles to famous stars and humorous results. Stars that have guested in the past include Patrick Stewart (X-Men), Kate Winslet (Neverland), Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane) and Ben Stiller (upcoming Night at the Museum). Some have speculated that the series may be parodying Ricky’s own rise to fame with the hit British series The Office (which was adapted as a hit NBC series starring Steve Carrell)

So why would the show come to an end after only two short seasons? For the same reason there were only two seasons of the supremely funny UK version of The Office. In a recent interview, Ricky was quoted as saying, “At the moment, I don’t think there will be another one. Steve and I have always had this thing where we only like to do two series (seasons).”

“It’s like The Office, people are always asking why we didn’t do any more, but we just wanted to leave people wanting more. Why drag it out and ruin it? I’ve seen that happen to other comedies and I hate it. I love starting from the beginning again, that’s just brilliant,” Ricky said.

It’s no secret that Ricky likes drama series like The Sopranos and 24 and that may be where his future lies. “I think I could appear in a drama. I know people may say I couldn’t be taken seriously, but I think it just depends on how strong and well-written it is.”

Until the final decision is made, fans of Extras can enjoy season two of the Extras series. Guests that will appear in the sophomore season include musical legend David Bowie, Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe, and Pirates of the Caribbean hottie Orlando Bloom.

There has been talk of members of the British Office series guesting on the American version but it appears they’re only rumors. It appears that it was considered that Ricky’s character might meet members of The Office cast at a paper convention but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon — though it might be an idea for the series finale (which is assuredly years away).