With Dexter's producer

Ricky Gervais is creating a new American sitcom about an atheist who dies and goes to heaven.

The Office creator is teaming up with Dexter producer Clyde Phillips for the comedy, titled Afterlife.

They are writing the pilot episode now and plan to film early next year, Entertainment Weekly reports.

Gervais wrote on his blog: "Dexter has consistently been my favourite show of the last five years. When I first saw Clyde's name all over it I knew I had to work with him one day.

‘I found out he was also a fan of my work and we became friends on email and through short conversations on various red carpets.

‘We finally started working on an idea this year and we really hit it off. I am so excited about this project.’

Gervias is an avowed atheist, and a Wall Street Journal article he wrote on the subject prompted something of a storm in America last Christmas.

He is just about to wrap up filming the BBC sitcom Life's Too Short with Warwick Davis.

Published: 20 Jul 2011