BBC Two orders second series

BBC Two has commissioned a second series of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras.

Gervais said: ‘It's a good job the BBC offered us a second series, Stephen and I had already booked the studio and promised about 30 actors a job.

‘Mind you, we'd done that before the first series had been commissioned too.

‘The BBC has never interfered on any level. We know how rare that is and thank them for always giving us enough rope.’

Channel controller Roly Keating added: ‘Extras sums up everything BBC Two comedy stands for – brilliant scripts, superb observation, subtle and sometimes very black humour.

‘I'm thrilled that Ricky and Stephen will be making a second series. We've discussed ideas and the potential is huge.’

American cable broadcaster HBO has already taken up its option to co-produce the second series of Extras, even before it has screened the first. The BBC say such a deal is ‘unprecedented’

Extras starts on HBO on September 25.

The first series is averaging 3.9 million viewers to its slot at 9pm on Thursdays – twice as many as BBC Two usually gets in this slot.

This week's programme, featuring Samuel L Jackson and Ricky Gervais’s character Andy giving advice about how to act around black people, was leaked onto the internet.

And the final programme in this series, to air on August 25, will feature Patrick Stewart.

Published: 17 Aug 2005