Retrospectives to jazz up Office repeats

The BBC is to air major retrospectives of The Office and Extras – airing interviews, unseen footage and outtakes alongside the full episodes.

Creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are collaborating on the new material, which will also feature tributes from celebrity fans, such as Richard Curtis, Ben Stiller, Matthew Perry, Kate Winslet, Billy Connolly and Patrick Stewart.

Gervais said: ‘They usually make these programs after the creators die. This is much better as I can not only watch the show but also put the money to something more fun than a funeral.’

The first of the three-and-a-half hour retrospectives will involve series one of The Office, and be broadcast late this summer

That will be followed by the first series of Extras in late 2009, with the second series of both shows, and their end-of-run specials, following in 2010.

Published: 5 Jun 2009