Ricky Gervais teams up with EastEnders star for new animated comedy series in his first show since global hit After Life
HE famously mocked the movie version of Cats at the Golden Globes, so Ricky Gervais’s next project better be purr-fect.
The Brit funnyman is making a new animated series about kitties, his first big show since global hit After Life.
A voice recording session took place last week in London and he’s bringing back big names from his hit sitcoms to lend their dulcet tones to more characters, along with one surprising new addition — Natalie Cassidy, aka Sonia Fowler from EastEnders.
A TV insider said: “The project is still in its early stages, but Ricky is super excited as he’s always wanted to make a show about cats.
“He’s a big animal lover, so mixing comedy and pets is an ideal combination.
“And with his star cast on board, it’s bound to be hilarious.”
Ricky blasted the big budget Cats movie while hosting the Golden Globes in 2020.
He not only labelled lead star James Corden a “fat pussy”, but also laid into the “shocking reviews”, saying: “I saw one that said this is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs.”
Ricky, who has donated nearly £2million to animal charities, posted a picture of the cast, including Kerry Goldliman and Diane Morgan, inside a studio on social media last week.
He’s keeping tight-lipped about the project, only giving away the subject matter and the fact it’s an “animation”.
But given he’s signed an exclusive deal with Netflix, it’s likely the streamer will have its paws all over it.
EastEnders star Natalie was given the green light to feature by Albert Square bosses as the recordings didn’t clash with her soap schedule.
Appearing in a Ricky comedy fulfils a big career ambition for the actress.
Speaking last year on the Chatabix podcast, hosted by Derek and After Life stars David Earl and Joe Wilkinson, she said: “It’s my dream.
“I watch After Life and Derek and I’m like, ‘Why haven’t I done that?’.
“‘Why can’t I be on things like that?’.”
No doubt she’s feline great about her new role . .
THE BBC will air nostalgic Saturday night entertainment this summer – including The Generation Game, Blankety Blank, Noel’s House Party and Bob’s Full House, as well as the first episode of Strictly with Bruce Forsyth.
They will be shown on BBC Four and iPlayer during the Olympics
BILLIE’S BEDTIME READING
BILLIE EILISH is the latest star to join the long list of celebrity readers on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.
The singer follows in the footsteps of fan-favourite Tom Hardy, Zayn Malik, Kate Winslet and Jason Momoa.
Billie will read This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers, which tells the story of a little boy who claims he owns a very big, and wild, moose name Marcel.
She said: “My favourite thing in the world as a child was a bedtime story, and I would be upset if I didn’t get one! I had a lot and I loved them all.”
She added of her book choice, down to her interest in nature: “We need to look after beautiful, wild creatures like Marcel, but we also need to let them do their own thing.”
The CBeebies Bedtime Story airs weekdays at 6.50pm on CBeebies and iPlayer – Billie will feature this Friday.
EX-WIFE THRILLER RETURNS
FANS of tense thriller The Ex-Wife are in for a treat.
Tasha (Celine Buckens) and Jack (Tom Mison) will be back for more with filming underway in Cyprus on a second series.
The Paramount+ drama, which aired on Channel 5 concluded with Tasha fleeing the UK with daughter Emily after finding out husband Jack’s plot to kidnap their little one, and re-ignite things with his ex.
The second series picks up three years later, with Tasha now in hiding – and the ex-wife Jen (now played by Katie McGrath moving on with someone new.
But there’s more drama to come, as a show insider reveals: “Jack appears to be a changed man – but can anyone truly change?”
ITVX celebrated its best ever month of streaming thanks to the Euros and Love Island.
The online platform had over 375.8million streams in June, more than double last year’s figure, with June 30 – when England thrillingly beat Slovakia – their biggest ever day of streaming.
ICELAND BATTLE ROYALE
FILMING has wrapped on a tense new historical drama about the Battle of Hastings.
Kaos actor Elander Moore and La Fortuna’s Indy Lewis were among the new stars who flew to Iceland to join the cast of King & Conqueror, which is due to air on the BBC.
Hearthstone’s Sveinn Olafur Gunnarsson, CITV presenter Jason Forbes, and Royalteen’s Ines Asserson also joined the line-up which stars JAMES NORTON as Harold, Earl of Wessex, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy and Eddie Marsan as King Edward.
The eight-episode series looks at the power struggles in Europe surrounding the 1066 battle, where the Earl and Duke went head-to-head.
A show synopsis revealed: “The allies have no design on the British throne, but find themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.”