An Idiot Abroad made me laugh to the point of not being able to breathe, in a way few shows have been able to before or since.
Ever since I first saw Karl liken the pyramids to ‘Jenga’ and describe the Great Wall of China as an ‘alright wall,’ I knew I had found a new favourite travel presenter.
Now ponderous Pilkington has written his first scripted series alongside long-time producer and director, Richard Yee. And – unsurprisingly – it looks bloody brilliant.
Entitled Sick of It, the sitcom follows Karl’s newly-single character as he grapples with the loss of his long-term relationship.
The character is a fictionalised version of Karl himself, complete with his characteristic grumpiness and offbeat way of looking at the world. Now he must face modern life and middle-age as a single man, while living with his ageing auntie.
However, in a quirky twist, Karl’s closest confidante is ‘Inner Self.’ This is the visible voice inside his head who expresses Karl’s true thoughts while offering guidance and criticism.
Karl plays both the fictionalised version of himself and Inner Self, ensuring you get twice as much Karl for your viewing pleasure.
Check out the trailer for yourself below:
According to the description on IMDb:
Sick of It is a scripted comedy series that sees Karl Pilkington take on two roles – himself, and the voice inside his head, as he muddles through the mundane life he may have led if he hadn’t met Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
The new show will be shown soon on Sky One, and fans are already excited to see the moaning Manc back on the box.
One person enthused:
The new Karl Pilkington Show, Sick of It, looks incredible and I’m happy he’s coming back to television and I just can’t wait to see his little round head again ahhhh I missed him so much yes Karl.
Another optimistically remarked:
Much missed, loved and beloved K-Man, Karl. I hear BAFTA calling.
The form of a scripted sitcom is particularly surprising, as Karl has previously spoken about putting his acting days behind him.
Speaking to Digital Spy back in 2015 about his popular performance in Derek, Karl insisted:
I know they say you should never say never, but I think in this case I can say never as no one is going to be calling me after that performance.
It wasn’t acting. It was just me in a wig. Shocking.
So many questions about this latest – and already quote-worthy – project. Will Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant be making an appearance? Will we get enough of Karl’s endless musings to finally fill an entire philosophy book?
Sadly, no official date has been set yet. However, according to a tweet by Sky One, we should be seeing Karl’s hilarious return at some point during Autumn 2018. What a fantastic early Christmas prezzie…
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.