Ricky Gervais Disses 'The Office' Finale: 'If You're Going To Jump A Shark, Jump A Big One'

UPDATE: Gervais wrote another blog entry on Friday, this one defending his comments and denying any malice toward the US. "Office."

Sorry, who dissed The Office finale? I f*cking didn't, that's for sure.

I simply said it's different to the original which I created and made with different ambitions.

What's wrong with that?

The bit about it "jumping the shark" and being like Chris Martin in Extras was meant to be a little self deprecating in-joke. I myself, did a fun but pointless, over-hyped cameo in the episode too remember. I did it for a laugh like everyone else, I assume.

I certainly wasn't dissing anyone involved more than myself.

For the entire entry, click over to his blog.
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PREVIOUSLY:

Ricky Gervais interviewed for the manager's position on Thursday night's season finale of "The Office," but his David Brent didn't quite impress the Dunder Mifflin search committee. That's fine with him; they didn't do much to impress him, either.

Gervais, who created the show in Britain and played the cruelly clueless manager Brent in the show's two series run, hit out at the series' star-studded finale as well as the general thrust of the show. He's proud of it for its success, but doesn't think it quite compares with his original British version.

"'It's only Warren Buffett........ What are you doing in a paper merchant's in Scranton? It's mental,'" he wrote on his blog. "If you're going to jump a shark, jump a big one. Still we've a had a good innings. Ha ha."

The shark he's accuses the show of jumping involves its multitude of guest stars interviewing for the manager position vacated by Steve Carell/Michael Scott and Will Ferrell/Deangelo Vickers, including Will Arnett, Ray Romano, Catherine Tate, James Spader and Jim Carrey.

As a whole, he said, the show doesn't quite compare to the ambitions of the original.

I assume most people know I didn't do the US remake for the art. I did my version for the art. That's why I stopped it after a few hours of telly," Gervais wrote. "Don't get me wrong. I'm very proud of the US version. It was not only a very very good network comedy but it was also a massive success story. But you know, I did it for different reasons, ambitions and with slightly different emotional attachments to the project."

And as for the speculation that he could join the show as permanent manager? Don't count on it.

"And once and for all... I would never ever in a million years take a permanent role in the show as an actor. It really would be f*cking mental. You don't start a company to work on reception."

Interestingly, it may be a fellow Brit in Tate that gets the job; rumor is that she is the top choice of the show's producers for the full time gig next season.