Ricky Gervais‘ next stand-up special will arrive on Netflix on Dec. 30.
“Mortality,” the hour he’s been touring since 2024, was filmed in 2025 at the London Palladium. It’s Gervais’ fourth stand-up special — following “Humanity,” “Supernature” and “Armageddon” — and it promises “no topic is off limits as Ricky closes out the year with his best show yet.”
Per the logline, “Gervais takes on his own mortality in a brutally honest and darkly funny stand-up special about his life, death and the state of the world.” The provocative comic’s previous work has touched on mortality as well, most notably his Netflix series “After Life,” about a man mourning the death of his wife.
“I think ‘Mortality’ is my most honest and confessional show so far and also my favourite tour. I still can’t believe what a privilege it is to fly around the world making people laugh,” Gervais said in a statement.
Gervais’ 2023 special “Armageddon” topped the Netflix charts and won the comedian a Golden Globe award. He will complete his arena tour of “Mortality” in December ahead of the special’s release, promising to donate a portion of the proceeds to charity.
Gervais is known for co-creating and starring in the original British series “The Office,” which was later adapted into one of the most-watched American TV series of all time. He’s won seven BAFTA awards and two Emmys, and he hosted the Golden Globes five times, delivering now-famous monologues that took aim at the starry Hollywood audience.
He has long partnered with Netflix for his creative endeavors, and when Gervais came under fire in 2022 for jokes that were seen as anti-trans, streaming boss Ted Sarandos came to his defense, saying that comedians figure out where the line is by “crossing the line every once in a while.” Sarandos added: “I think it’s very important to the American culture generally to have free expression.”
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From Variety US