Picture: Netflix
Ricky Gervais has revealed his next stand-up special is coming to Netflix even earlier than the comic originally announced. First expected in 2024, the new stand-up special drops on Christmas Day globally.
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon will be the British comedian’s third major stand-up special following Humanity, released in 2018, and, more recently, SuperNature in 2022.
Ricky Gervais: SuperNature was released in May 2022 to generally positive reviews but attracted widespread controversy for jokes on trans issues, which has also landed fellow Netflix comic Dave Chappelle in hot water.
The special featured in the Netflix TV top 10s in at least 28 countries and in the Netflix UK top 10s for 11 days. The special also won the Best Stand-Up Show at the National Comedy Awards.
Netflix signed an output deal with Gervais in 2019, with the final season of the recent National Television Awards-winning series After Life and Supernature coming to Netflix following that deal. Before that, Gervais wrote and starred in Derek, a co-production with Netflix and Channel 4.
According to Gervais in a live stream in 2020, the streaming giant has signed up for at least two additional projects: Armageddon and a yet-to-be-announced series.
When will Ricky Gervais: Armageddon be on Netflix?
On November 20th, Gervais announced on X that he’d celebrate Jesus’s Birthday in style with the new special landing globally on December 25th, 2023.
Happy Birthday, Jesus! pic.twitter.com/cAQbG4A0oS
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) November 20, 2023
In a statement released by Netflix, Gervais said:
“For the next 2000 years people will remember the 25th December as the day ‘Armageddon’ was released on Netflix.”
The special is directed by John L. Spencer, produced by Derek Productions, and recorded at the London Palladium earlier this year. The tour broke multiple records, including the biggest-ever standup held at the Hollywood Bowl.
Gervais had initially suggested Armageddon would be landing on Netflix globally at some point in 2024 on Twitter, saying earlier in 2023:
“Loads of people who couldn’t get tickets asking me if #Armageddon will be on Netflix. The answer is Yes! I will continue touring it throughout 2023 and then it will stream on Netflix around the world in 2024.”
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon Poster – Picture: Ricky Gervais/Twitter
Although not producing as many stand-up specials as it once did, Netflix is still working with some of the top comedians in the world. They’re working with Chris Rock (in Netflix’s first live show in its history), Bert Kreischer, Mae Martin, Tom Segura, Hannah Gadsby, and Ali Wong, among others, on future specials.
Are you looking forward to the new Ricky Gervais special on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
