David Farnor | On 03, Jan 2014

Season 1 of Derek, starring, written, directed and executive-produced by Ricky Gervais, will be released on Netflix UK on Thursday 30th January.

The show premiered on Channel 4 in the UK but was snapped up by Netflix last year. The first series has been available to stream in other countries for several months, so the arrival of the show on Netflix UK is not a surprise, but will be welcomed by Gervais fans.

Derek is a bittersweet comedy-drama about a man (played by Gervais) who works at a retirement home. Working alongside Derek is Dougie (Karl Pilkington), his landlord who is one of life’s unlucky individuals; Kev (David Earl), a loveable train wreck; and Hannah (Kerry Godliman), a care worker in the home and Derek’s best friend.

All seven 30-minute episodes in the series will be available at launch.

“Ricky Gervais is one of the most distinctive comedy voices of his generation,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix. “With ‘Derek,’ Ricky takes on new territory and mixes comedy with drama that is sometimes touching and sometimes heartbreaking. We are proud to partner with Ricky to present this unique and wonderful series to our members.”

Ricky Gervais added: “Netflix is undoubtedly the broadcaster of the year and of the future and I’m so honoured to be a part of this viewing revolution.”

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