Due to the success of Netflix’s After Life, a second season is on its way this year. Created, directed, and written by Ricky Gervais, the theme of the dark comedy is proving there can be comedy in grief. Gervais’s character Tony is a reporter for the Tambury Gazette and he meets countless people who are dealing with grief but hide behind small bouts of happiness.
For Tony, he lost his wife to cancer and loses himself in the process. The negative energy and insults he gives out to those around him are from pain, which gives him a sense of ‘I have nothing to lose’ mentality. The end result is solid gold for viewers. In preparation for season two, we’re taking a look back at some behind-the-scenes facts about season one of Netflix’s After Life.
RICKY GERVAIS REALLY IS AN ATHEIST LIKE TONY
In the movie, Tony is so devastated about losing his best friend and wife Lisa that he sees no point in living. He’s joked about—and attempted—suicide a number of times to deal with his sadness but the thought of leaving his dog alone without an owner is enough to keep him grounded.
Tony has told his co-workers that he didn’t believe in an after life and is a devout atheist. In real life, Gervais is also an atheist simply because there is no scientific evidence. He’s also not fond of religious groups who make non-religious people feel poorly about their life simply because it wouldn’t look good in God’s eyes. It’s obvious Gervais put some of himself in Tony.
AND HE REALLY DOESN’T WANT KIDS
In After Life, Tony mentioned to Sandy that he didn’t want kids because he thought they were, more or less, annoying. He does have a soft spot for his nephew George, however. He also treats his dog Brandy as if she were his own, which is enough of a priority for him at the moment.
In real life, Gervais put his own views on fatherhood in his character Tony. Tony and Lisa were very happy as a childless household. Likewise, Gervais and his partner of over 30 years don’t want kids because it would be too much to worry about, among many other hilarious reasons like the world being overpopulated.
THE SHOW WAS FILMED IN VARIOUS PARTS AROUND ENGLAND
After Life doesn’t make clear where Tony and co. live and work. They’re obviously in the UK and work for the Tambury Gazette but not much else is known. But as it turns out, the Netflix hit is filmed on the outskirts of London in three different towns.
Gervais said they filmed in the towns of “Old Hemel, Beaconsfield, and Hampstead.” And when it came to the beach scene where Tony infamously contemplates drowning himself, they went to Gervais’ childhood summer spot in Camber Sands.
LISA’S MIDDLE NAME IS JANE (THE NAME OF GERVAIS’S PARTNER)
It’s not known if this is on purpose as a subtle shoutout to his loving partner of over 30 years or if it was coincidental but Lisa’s middle name is the name of Ricky Gervais’ partner — Jane Fallon.
In the show, Tony heads off to the cemetery every chance he gets to pay respect to his late wife (where we can see Lisa’s full name), which is where he met his new friend Anne. Anne is a great comfort to Tony and shows him that there can be happiness after sadness.
TONY REALLY DID EAT THE CURRY OUT OF THE CAN
In the premiere episode, Tony is annoyed that he ran out of dog food. As he’s looking through the cupboards, he realizes he has two options for Brandy: baked beans and vegetable curry. He hilariously ends up giving Brandy the beans as he chugged the vegetable curry out of the can.
But fans want to know, did Gervais really eat the curry? The answer is yes! He answered questions on Facebook where he admitted to eating the curry and the watered-down cereal. And the heroine he “smoked” was actually just raspberry leaves!
GERVAIS KNEW THAT NETFLIX WAS THE PERFECT HOME FOR AFTER LIFE
When Gervais created After Life, he pitched the idea to multiple networks and just as he was about to pull the trigger, Netflix came in with an offer. Many have wondered why Ricky would put his masterpiece on Netflix but the answer is simple: streaming services are the future of TV.
As he noted to Broadcast Now, “Films? They’re not winning; TV is winning. It started with HBO beating movies and it’s continued with Netflix series." Following that with the same theme, he questioned whether people would rather spend a wallet full of money on a one-time movie or see a lifechanging show they can keep watching on services like Netflix?
THE MUSIC WAS HANDPICKED
One can’t deny that the music in After Life is superb. “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers sets the tone for the first episode and who can forget Elton John’s “Rocket Man” playing in the background when Tony smokes for the first time?
Everything is so strategically done. It’s brilliant. As it turns out, Gervais had all the creative power in the music department, something that he’s never had before. He chose the music from his personal favorites, which was easy to do thanks to the budget Netflix gave him.
GERVAIS KNEW FIRSTHAND ABOUT GRIEF
The show does a fantastic job of showing Tony’s inner struggle between being present for the sake of his father and getting depressed by the state of his father. However, he continues to see his father because he loves him and is encouraged by the nursing staff. In real life, Gervais also had his only issues with loss.
His mom died of lung cancer and his father passed away in 2002. He explained to Deadline the honest emotion of wanting a loved one’s pain to be gone while also mourning their passing.
HE WANTED THE ‘KINDNESS OF STRANGERS’ TO BE PREVALENT
How sweet is Anne? We first meet her when Tony heads to the cemetery to see Lisa’s tombstone. Anne’s late husband’s tombstone is near Lisa’s, so the two bond over their loss. And unlike Tony’s co-workers, he treats Anne and what she has to say with the utmost respect. She was a stranger that turned into one of his dearest friends.
She gave him hope. “The thing about Penelope Wilton’s [Anne] character is I wanted to do a kindness-of-strangers moment because everybody expects their family and friends to help them, but what’s great is the kindness of human beings as a superpower that we all have,” Gervais said. And boy did it pay off. Anne is like a guardian angel to Tony in many ways that his friends and family can’t be.
BRANDY’S REAL NAME IS ANTI
Tony’s dog Brandy stole the show for many viewers. Had it not been for Brandy, Tony would have killed himself the moment Lisa left her body. But because Brandy is “useless” and cannot feed herself, Tony decides to live to take care of her.
In real life, Brandy’s name is actually Anti. They chose the name Brandy because it sounds similar enough to Anti (for the dog’s sake), so she could perform well for the camera. And just in case fans were worried, Gervais promises Brandy won’t die in season two!
