THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW, ANIMATED COMEDY SERIES BASED ON THE SMASH-HIT PODCAST, DEBUTS FEB. 19, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2009 � THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW, a 13-episode animated comedy series based on the record-breaking podcast, debuts FRIDAY, FEB. 19 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Voiced by Ricky Gervais, his longtime collaborator Stephen Merchant and colleague and friend Karl Pilkington, whose offbeat musings inspire many of the storylines, the show's debut will be followed by the second-season debut of "The Life and Times of Tim."

THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW animates podcasts that first appeared on The Guardian website, and subsequently earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most downloads. Topics covered include: the merits of 20th century inventions; Karl's suggestion for population control; philosophy through the ages; Karl's round head; and thoughts on charity. Regular features include a "Monkey News" segment and excerpts from Karl's journal, read by Stephen.

This is the second collaboration between HBO and Media Rights Capital, following "The Life and Times of Tim," which debuted on the network in 2008, and returns for its second season in February.

Ricky Gervais' previous HBO credits include the series "Extras," which brought him an Emmy(R) for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series; the show was written and directed by Gervais and Merchant, who were also creators of the Golden Globe-winning BBC comedy series "The Office." Gervais also starred in the Emmy(R)-nominated 2008 HBO presentation "Ricky Gervais: Out of England � The Stand-Up Special."

Media Rights Capital (MRC) is a leading independent film, television and digital studio. The company specializes in the creation of premium content, custom building distribution for each of its projects and partnering directly with leading creative talent. In addition to THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW and "The Life and Times of Tim," MRC's 2009 TV projects include "Rita Rocks" and "Shaq Vs." Its film projects include: "The Invention of Lying," written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson; "Shorts," written and directed by Robert Rodriguez; Sacha Baron Cohen's "Br�no"; M. Night Shyamalan's "The Night Chronicles"; "The Adjustment Bureau," written and directed by George Nolfi and starring Matt Damon; "District 9" director Neill Blomkamp's next project; and "Taken" director Pierre Morel's next film.

Wildbrain is an award-winning entertainment company and one of the world's foremost producers of animation. The studio develops and produces television, motion pictures, short-form programming, commercial content and licensed merchandise. In addition to THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW, the studio has produced an exceptional slate of programming, including the critically acclaimed television series and live touring show "Yo Gabba Gabba!" and the hit Disney series "Higglytown Heroes." Wildbrain and its creative team have won top industry awards. In film, the studio won an Annie for its computer graphics short film "Hubert's Brain." Wildbrain has received Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands for leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Honda, Kraft and Nike and has gained national attention for their animation work on behalf of Esurance and Virgin America. Its upcoming television and short-form projects include "Bubble Guppies," a collaboration with the team behind "The Backyardigans," for Nick Jr., and "Team Smithereen," the stunt puppet show from Dan Clark. Wildbrain's sister company, Kidrobot, creates limited edition toys, clothing, artwork and books, with stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.

THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW is produced for HBO Entertainment by Media Rights Capital in association with Wildbrain; executive producers, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Karl Pilkington, Glyn Hughes and Bob Higgins; co-executive producer, Lisa Ullmann; supervising producer, Margaret M. Dean; consulting producer, Loren Bouchard; producer, Michelle Papandrew.