After Life is a British black comedy-drama streaming television series that aired on Netflix in 2019.
Let’s find out more about the series!
- After Life is a British black comedy-drama streaming television series.
- It was created, written, produced, and directed by Ricky Gervais.
- He plays lead character Tony Johnson.
- It premiered on 8 March 2019 on Netflix.
- It’s a Netflix original series.
- The second series premiered on 24 April 2020.
- The third season premiered on 14 January 2022.
- The third was the final season as well.
- Set in the fictional town of Tambury, After Life follows newspaper writer Tony Johnson, whose life is turned upside down after his wife dies from breast cancer. He contemplates suicide, but instead decides to spend his life punishing the world for his wife’s death by saying and doing whatever he wants regardless of how it makes other people feel. Although he thinks of this as his “superpower,” his plan is undermined when everyone around him pities him and tries to make him a better person
- On 9 May 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of six episodes.
- The series was created and directed by Ricky Gervais, who is also executive producer, alongside Charlie Hanson.
- On 14 January 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on 8 March 2019.
- It was further announced that Duncan Hayes would serve as an additional executive producer and that Hanson would actually serve as a producer.
- On 3 April 2019, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season.
- On 6 May 2020, the show was renewed for a third season.
- Actually, it’s the first time a fictional series created by Gervais had been extended beyond two seasons.
- Hanson was suspended from his position in the show during filming for the third season.
- This happened because eleven women said that he committed sexual misconduct and assault against them between 2008 and 2015.
- Netflix said: “Whilst the allegations are unrelated to his time on the show, we immediately removed him from the production and referred the matter to the police.”
- Gervais commented that he was “shocked and appalled” to learn of the allegations.
- Hanson claimed that they were “demonstrably false”, from the information given to him.
- Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Ricky Gervais would star in the show.
- On 5 July 2018, it was announced that Penelope Wilton, David Bradley, Ashley Jensen, Tom Basden, Tony Way, David Earl, Joe Wilkinson, Kerry Godliman, Mandeep Dhillon, Jo Hartley, Roisin Conaty, and Diane Morgan had joined the cast.
- Principal photography for the first series reportedly began by July 2018 in London.
- The series was filmed in Hampstead, Hemel Hempstead, Beaconsfield, and Camber Sands in East Sussex.
- The third series of After Life began production in April 2021 and wrapped in June 2021.
- The character of James the Recorder Kid is based upon James Corden, who has been the butt of many of Gervais’s jokes on prior occasions
- Ricky is an animal rights defender. Therefore, the fish fingers use in the show were vegan.
- Tony’s wife’s middle name is Jane, which is the name of Ricky Gervais’ partner in real-life.
- Ricky Gervais kept his character’s wardrobe after filming was complete.
- The beach scene was filmed at Camber Sands.
- David Bradley (Walder Frey), Tony Way (Dontos Hollard), Paul Kaye (Thoros of Myr), and Tim Plester (Black Walder) appeared on Game of Thrones (2011).
- Penelope Wilton and Peter Egan play characters whose first names are the same as those they once played inEver Decreasing Circles (1984).
- The painting behind Tony’s couch looks to be an Aboriginal dot painting from Central Australia.
- Ricky Gervais’ character, Tony, represents many of his own beliefs including Atheism, Humanism, and Transphobia.
