Timeline

A timeline of the history and development of the shows, and the careers of the three main performers.

1961

January: Ricky and Steve begin their first show (Series 0) on Xfm.
August: Ricky and Steve take voluntary redundancy from Xfm
September 8th: Ricky and Steve's sitcom pilot, Golden Years, is broadcast on Channel 4 as part of the Comedy Lab strand.

October 26th: The third series of the 11 O'Clock Show begins, now featuring Ricky Gervais.

July 9: The Office is first broadcast on BBC2.
September: Ricky and Steve return to Xfm with a new show, with Karl Pilkington as their producer. Series 1, and the show as we know it, begins.

May 4th: Ricky and Steve take a break to film the second series of The Office, marking the end of series 1.
August 24th: Ricky and Steve return, and Series 2 begins.
August 31st: An early version of Rockbusters is played for the first time
September 30th: The Office Series 2 is broadcast.
November 21st: The Last Chancers, another Comedy Lab pilot is broadcast, directed by Stephen Merchant.

January 25th: Monkey News makes its debut.
August 16th: Series 2 ends after 51 weeks, as Ricky and Steve go off to film The Office Christmas specials. The show's future hangs on whether Karl decides to return.
November 1st: The show does return, as Karl now has Mondays off, and Series 3 begins
26th-27th December: The Office Christmas Specials are broadcast on BBC1

May 28th: The show returns with the six-week Series 4.
July 2nd: The last show of the series, and of any Xfm series ends early as Ricky will be introducing REM at Live 8.
July 20th: Extras begins on BBC2.
December 5th: The first series of 12 weekly Podcasts begin, free on Guardian Unlimited
December 24th and 31st: Ricky, Steve and Karl stand in for Jonathan Ross on BBC Radio 2 over the Christmas period.
December 27th-29th: Karl co-presents three 6Music Shows with Russell Brand

January 23rd: The first excerpts of Karl's Diary are read in Podcast episode 8.
February 20th: Podcast Series 1 draws to a close.
February 27th: Podcast Series 2 begins, 6 weeks in length and no longer free, available on iTunes or Audible.
March 24th: The first Video Podcast is released, the beginning of a free, irregular, continuing series.
April: Karl appears on a few more episodes of Russell Brand's 6 Music show, but contractual obligations force him to pull out.
April 4th: Podcast Series 2 ends.
August 14th-17th: Karl makes a series of four consecutive 3 Minute Wonders for Channel 4.
August 22nd: After a break in order to film Extras Series 2, the Podcasts return with Series 3, the same deal as Series 2.
September 14th: Extras series 2 begins.
September 18th: The World of Karl Pilkington is released in the UK
September 26th: Series 3 ends, with the suggestion that there will be a break before the next series.
October 31st: The first of three free podcasts will be available through Guardian Unlimited.

07 November Stephen Merchant appears on Danny Baker's BBC London radio show. He talks about not being able to direct The Office (US Series) because of the WGA strike.
09 November Newsnight Review (BBC 2) broadcasts an brief interview of Ricky Gervais on the set of Ghost Town
10 November the Indepedent publishes a long interview with Ricky Gervais. It can be read here