Ricky Gervais wants to bring David Brent back to TV in Spinal Tap-style spoof
Comedian reveals that he plans to film a behind-the-scenes TV show about a David Brent tour – but is not (yet) sure whether it will air on Netflix, HBO or the BBC
David Brent is poised to return to TV with a “poignant” behind-the-scenes spoof documentary.
Brent’s creator Ricky Gervais has revealed that he is working on an idea of filming a Brent “tour” which the former head honcho of Slough paper firm Wernham Hogg believes is something profound but is in reality “much sadder and more poignant”.
It seems likely that the tour will see Brent gigging with material from the character's fictional band Foregone Conclusion.
Gervais is embarking on a series of live gigs in May and he tells the Sunday Times that the "music side" of the Brent tour is really a "Trojan Horse" for the new TV idea.
“It’s just an idea,” he adds. “I want to do a tour, a little tour – and people think they’re seeing a tour. I film it, but actually it’s Brent who thinks he’s making a Scorsese-type thing of [classic Jack Kerouac Beat novel] On The Road.
“Of course, behind the scenes, it is so much sadder and more poignant. It’s Spinal Tap meets sad Scorsese meets [Canadian heavy metal band] Anvil. It’s more of the breakdown of this man who thought he was going to be something else.”
The idea is clearly in its infancy which means that Gervais has not yet assigned a broadcaster to it. “That will be on Netflix,” he adds. “Or HBO. Or the BBC".
In the interview Gervais explains why he has waited this long to bring Brent back to the small screen.
“The reason I didn’t bring Brent back before is that I wanted to do lots of other things first, but secretly I do want to do something else. It has to be right, it has to be justified. It can’t be an unwanted encore. It can’t even be an unwanted encore, because people don’t know what they want.”
The Foregone Conclusion tour comes on the back of the Learn Guitar with David Brent series, hosted on Gervais’ YouTube Channel, which has received over 21 million views to date. Those lucky enough to get tickets will enjoy songs from Brent’s back catalogue including ‘Free Love Freeway, ‘Spaceman Came Down’, ‘Slough’, ‘Life on The Road’ and ‘Ain’t No Trouble’.
Before then, Gervais can be seen in the film Muppets Most Wanted, a star-studded follow-up to the Muppets' 2011 big-screen outing.
The new film, opening on March 28, takes our felted friends on a global tour – but one which is beset by a caper involving a criminal plot to steal various art treasures (and then the Crown Jewels) from the world's major museums – all of it organised by Gervais’s character Dominic Badguy.
