Brit Karl Pilkington has led a sheltered life. Not having done any traveling, he enjoys living within the comforts of what he knows, basically that being what is purely British. As such, his friends, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, decide to send Karl to various parts of the world to experience unfamiliar cultures. Stephen believes that travel is a life broadening venture, and hopes that Karl will indeed feel like his life is enriched by these travels. Ricky, however, hopes that Karl will hate every minute of his travels. For Ricky, this experiment is the most expensive gag for his own pleasure that he could have conceived. Written by Huggo

A middle-aged man recently ditched by his long-term girlfriend, ‘Karl’ lives with his elderly Auntie and his closest companion is his doppelgänger alter ego.

Karl is faced with the different aspects of life by travelling around the world and discovering how different people face life's challenges.

With Derek, Ricky Gervais forays back into comedy with a sensitive format that sheds awareness along its humorous path. Styled in mockumentary fashion, Derek (Ricky Gervais) is the story of a man who works in a British nursing home, helping to care for its residents. While Derek could be said to suffer somewhat, lacking in some mental faculty, this remains debatable throughout. The story takes place primarily within the nursing home, yet does venture beyond those walls into the world of the norm. The character subjects vary from typically aged to otherwise different-from-norm. Derek's primary colleague is Hannah (Kerry Godliman), who has apparently worked in the home for some time and exhibits great care toward her subjects. Written by Angela T.

Karl investigates how we should spend our limited time on the planet as he finds out what he will be like as an old man.