There's little doubt that Ricky Gervais is funny -- after all, as he told TODAY's Ann Curry on Wednesday, it's in his family genes -- but that doesn't mean he can't adore someone who makes him laugh, too. Which may explain just how Karl Pilkington came to be the center of attention and hilarity in Gervais' HBO series (and podcast), "The Ricky Gervais Show."
"He was actually the producer on my radio show that I did," explained Gervais. "I asked him a question on air one day and what came out was absolute dribble. But it was funny dribble."
Pilkington, he said, "sees the world differently" and when they speak on the phone daily "it's like a podcast every day on the phone. He just cracks me up. He's just so funny."
The HBO series is animated, which means that "Karl's flights of fancy" can take wing in cartoon form. Gervais admits his own animated form on the show resembles a certain stone age breadwinner, "because I look a bit like Fred Flintstone in real life."
His own show aside, Gervais dodged when asked whether he'll host the Golden Globes next year for a fourth time. Some of the fun has gone out of it, he noted, because now the audience gets the jokes. But Gervais said he'd "love to" do some kind of streaming commentary for the Oscars (which he hasn't been invited to host -- yet).
"You watch the Oscars on your TV with the sound down, and you have me and a few of my idiot friends ... saying what you can't say on television. ... That's better than singing and dancing, isn't it?"
"The Ricky Gervais Show" returns to HBO on April 20.
Would you check out the Oscars if Ricky Gervais was live-streaming his snark?Tell us on our Facebook page.
Related content:
Also in The Clicker