“The Ricky Gervais Show” is an animated series based on popular podcasts and audiobooks that began life as a radio program on British station Xfm in 2001 and eventually picked up a Guinness World Record in 2007 for most downloaded podcast of the year.

The show originally focused on Gervais and his creative partner Stephen Merchant, but ballooned in popularity after a friend of the pair, Karl Pilkington, got involved.

Gervais, who will host the Golden Globe awards next month, told BBC that the clueless Pilkington is “the star of the show.”

“He is a global village idiot, but the funniest man alive,” the comedian explained. “He thinks that a seal is a cross between a fish and a dog. Karl is a bottomless well of stupidity.”

Each episode in the 13-part series, which debuts Feb. 19, will begin with animated versions of the three friends talking and then follow Pilkington’s story as he tells it, according to Variety.

Gervais said unlike “The Office” and “Extras,” which he “stopped prematurely through fear of going stale and running out of ideas,” the new show has an unlimited source to draw from.

“I want this to run and run like ‘The Simpsons,’ the comedian told BBC. “The world has a new Homer, but this one is real.”

Friday, Dec. 4
Taylor Swift – “The Jay Leno Show”
Brad Paisley – “Late Show With David Letterman”
Wale – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Band Of Skulls – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
OneRepublic – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Keane – “Last Call with Carson Daly”

Saturday, December 5
Aimee Mann, Iron and Wine – “Austin City Limits” – rerun
Rihanna – “Saturday Night Live”