MUMBAI: The Ricky Gervais Show, the animated comedy series based on the podcast, returns to US broadcaster HBO for its 13-episode third season on 20 April.

The voices are recorded by Ricky Gervais, his longtime collaborator, Stephen Merchant, and Gervais? colleague and friend, Karl Pilkington, whose offbeat musings inspire many of the storylines.

The series animates the podcast that first appeared on the Guardian website, subsequently earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most downloads. In March 2011, the podcast reportedly passed the 300 million download mark.

Topics covered in season three include: Karl ruminating on museum collections, his invention of the mug coaster, a movie pitch, and Karl, Stephen and Ricky shedding new light on charitable causes.