After Life: Ricky Gervais gives fans update on season three progress

Season two premiered on the streaming service back in April

Ricky Gervais has given fans a first peek at his progress on the forthcoming third season of After Life.

After Life, released on Netflix, sees Gervais play a journalist who struggles to deal with the death of his wife.

In a picture shared on Instagram, the comedian, who also writes and directs the series, can be seen posing alongside a newly completed script.

The stack of paper Gervais clutches to his chest reads: “After Life 3, by Ricky Gervais, episode one (first draft).”

Gervais has previously confirmed on Twitter that the show’s third season would be its last.

His previous TV projects, which include seminal Noughties sitcom The Office, showbiz satire Extras and the Warwick Davis-fronted Life’s Too Short, have lasted no more than two full seasons, concluding with one-off specials.

On Twitter, Gervais wrote: “Because so many of you watched #AfterLife2 so quickly and made it Number 1 again, the nice people at @Netflix have suggested that I get off my fat arse and do another season.

“This all your fault,” he joked.

The Independent‘s review described After Life‘s second season as “bafflingly popular”, and wrote: “For some, After Life is a comedy with a heart, a touching exploration of grief, depression and the redemptive power of friendship.

“To judge by its generous IMDb scores and legions of below-the-line defenders, plenty of viewers love it and rank it among Gervais’s best work.”