Xfm Series 1
Xfm Series 1 ran from September 2001 to May 2002 and marked the return of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to their former employers, Xfm following the Capital Group takeover in 1998. Earlier in the year Ricky and Steve had co-written and co-directed the first series of their sitcom The Office. It was broadcast in July 2001 to critical acclaim and the success of the sitcom was thought to have been a factor in Xfm's re-hiring of Ricky and Steve. Further evidence of their success could be seen in the fact that Xfm had given them a producer, unlike their old Xfm show which they had had to produce themselves. Their new producer was a laconic, round-headed Mancunian by the name of Karl Pilkington, who was originally an off-air producer. However, Ricky and Steve found his contributions hilarious and with their encouragement Karl got steadily more involved. The development of Ricky and Steve's relationship with Karl was apparent over the course of the series, and by the end Karl had become an essential part of the show.
Although the series began in September 2001, the earliest show in circulation is 10 November 2001. There are 23 shows from Xfm Series 1 in circulation and each show has an individual page detailing its contents. They can be accessed by clicking the 'Title'( date) of each show. All shows can be downloaded below. Most shows have a bitrate of 64kbit/s, though some are 32kbit/s.
If any of the download links are broken, please post a message on the Pilkipedia forum here.
List of Episodes
| Title | Xfm Label | Season | Download | # | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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10 November 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 1 |
| This show is the earliest known recording of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant on Xfm following their return to the station after the Capital Group takeover. | |||||
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17 November 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 2 |
| Steve's animal trivia about birds with penises leads to an afternoon of euphemisms and double entendres, much to Karl's chagrin. | |||||
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24 November 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 3 |
| It's Stephen Merchant's Birthday. Both he and Ricky are hungover after going out (separately) the previous night. | |||||
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01 December 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 4 |
| Karl: Well...like, when you're born, you're a little baby, you're wrinkly and stuff, when you get older you sort of morph into a baby again. | |||||
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08 December 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 5 |
| Karl talks about his mobile disco. | |||||
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15 December 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 6 |
| Features Rickys song "Dont cry its christmas" - also, Jonathon Ross stops by. | |||||
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22 December 2001 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 7 |
| Ricky and Steve discuss christmas presents and the Bionic Man. | |||||
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12 January 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 1 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 8 |
| Steve discusses the drawbacks of being 6ft 7in tall, and Karl reveals the origin of baguettes. | |||||
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19 January 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 2 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 9 |
| Steve and Ricky talk about driving incidents. Karl tells a story about ghosts he heard from a program called "Mr.Exorcist" involving a depressed budgie. Ricky invites the listeners to send in their questions for Karl. | |||||
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26 January 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 3 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 10 |
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09 February 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 4 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 11 |
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16 February 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 5 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 12 |
| Ricky talks about Feng-shui and tries to get karl to say one of the gods (FUK) | |||||
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23 February 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 6 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 13 |
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02 March 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 7 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 14 |
| Karl talks abou this classmates from school including his pet maggie the magpie. | |||||
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09 March 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 8 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 15 |
| Karl's homework: read all about Che Guervara; White van Karl; Karl's brother; Karl in "Little Donkey"; Elephant woman | |||||
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16 March 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 9 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 16 |
| Karl in Heat; Karl's homework: Hitler; White van Karl: Will Young, police protest, privacy laws; Attaching 6000 baloons to Karl | |||||
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23 March 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 10 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 17 |
| Ricky wants karl to lifted up in the air by ballons.Ricky teaches karl about fables | |||||
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30 March 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 11 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 18 |
| Karl homework: Aesop's Fables. Ricky in trouble for coarse sexual innuendo. | |||||
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06 April 2002 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 19 |
| Episode with the now famous, or infamous, White Van Karl links containing the "Horse in the House" story, Karl selling little snippings of flowers for charity, and the Saintsbury tins "that'll be interesting for Meatballs" finalé. | |||||
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13 April 2002 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 20 |
| Karls dad puts a boy in a wheelie bin. | |||||
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20 April 2002 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 21 |
| Karl Does impresions.Karl beats ricky at Lateral Puzzles | |||||
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27 April 2002 | The Early Years Ep. 12 | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 22 |
| They return from the baftas.They talk about Urban Myths. | |||||
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04 May 2002 | n/a | Xfm Series 1 | Download | 23 |
| Last episode in the series.karls room 101 | |||||