The one-time plaything of The Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant has broken free of his mentors and created his own extraordinary sitcom for Sky One.

Sick of It comes from the much-dissected and discussed mind of Karl Pilkington, a man known to Gervais and Merchant fans as a "shaved chimp" or "round-headed buffoon" from the days when he produced their podcast, The Ricky Gervais Show (later adapted for television by HBO).

His seemingly dim-witted musings have become legendary.

From gems like, "If you sit in a bath of pineapple chunks, it can kill you. That's well documented," to, "Neil Armstrong, that spaceman, he went to the moon but he ain't been back. It can't have been that good," every one of Karl's abstract thoughts were scathingly and hilariously pilloried by Ricky and Steve.

His unique outlook on life earned him two travelogue shows, An Idiot Abroad and The Moaning of Life, though he was still very much the puppet of Gervais and Merchant.

Now, with Sick of It, Karl has created his own distinct show with very much his own voice.

Sky One / Me & You Productions (Sick Of It) Ltd.

Taking his lead from more mundane and grounded dramas like Kes and I, Daniel Blake – as opposed to outright comedies like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses – Pilkington has crafted a contemporary kitchen-sink comedy that casts aside his idiot-sidekick routine and reveals a writer and performer very much in touch with the modern world, its foibles and how you fit in when you're at odds with everything around you.

Although Karl is keen to tell people that Sick of It is not a comedy, it most definitely is. Not in the style of gag-a-thons such as Not Going Out or Mrs Brown's Boys for sure, more in the vein of gentler shows such as BBC Two's Mum or Motherland. And gentler here is by no means pejorative or less-affecting – gentle laughs run the deepest.

Having said that, there are some hearty belly laughs at some of Karl's more shocking exploits – such as masturbating in a nightclub toilet in front of a baby doll, spending a whole episode constipated, or shouting "Shut the f**k up!" to two mothers with their screaming babies.

Sky One

Grieving over the death of a recent relationship, a shadow that hangs over the first series, Karl's London taxi driver is trying to get on with his life while also trying to come to terms with just why it ended. And, as you might have seen in the trailers and on the ads (see above), it's usually another Karl he's coming to terms with.

As a side-note, having a doppelgänger has already been examined in detail on The Ricky Gervais Show some years ago. Memorably, Karl queried, "How would I know which one I was?" Rather than a glib one-liner, this is actually a prescient remark on his sitcom: which Karl's thoughts and opinions are actually the real ones? Which is the real Pilkington: the cynical and grumpy voice, or the caring and helpful (to an incredible degree at times) physical form?

The gimmick of two Karls, Sick of It's USP, is anything but a showy, attention-grabbing stunt.

It allows Pilkington to flex his considerable acting skills. Though he was seen in the Gervais show Derek, it's here where he can be truly judged as a performer. His realistic low-key approach is utterly engaging and will suck you in with his deferential approach against the more aggressive and spiky other imaginary Karl. It's a nuanced and believable portrayal that never falters and should have BAFTA calling next year.

Sky One

It's a double-whammy from the former Gervais stooge on screen but also behind the camera – the series was created and written by Pilkington (we should add that he did have considerable help from collaborator Richard Yee, who directs Sick of It beautifully, giving London's lesser-seen areas such as Neasden and Ladbroke Grove a romantic, cinematic sheen).

As an example of Pilkington's keen eye on everyday social etiquette, the third ep sees Karl go off on holiday to the glamour of Dungeness on the simple quest to get away from everyone and spend time by himself. Of course, in classic sitcom fashion, this doesn't go quite to plan. He suffers the ignominy of fighting the locals intent on enforced fun time with – again in classic sitcom style – hilarious consequences. But it's Pilkington through-line of studying the difference between being alone and being lonely that shows that one doesn't necessarily equate with the other.

Sky One / Me & You Productions (Sick Of It) Ltd.

Without going into specific spoilers, the final two episodes of series one are the most rewarding; being both unexpectedly heart-wrenching and then subsequently utterly uplifting. It's a blistering bolt from the blue and if Pilkington hadn't already subverted your view of him, he will have by then. Within the space of a few hours, the idiot who was once fascinated with the Pig Woman of Manchester Square has unveiled a writer and actor with talents, previously hidden, who looks set to entertain and emotionally illuminate for many years to come.

Karl once said, "Just having a pack of Revels holds enough of a surprise for me." But this humble and rather simple-looking statement belies the depth of the man who made it. He has thrown up so many surprises with his debut both behind and in front of the camera, and has reached out to the audience with his heartfelt and emotional persona.

Sick of It is the most satisfying and genuinely profound show, of any genre, this year.

And who would have thought a shaved chimp could have achieved that?

Sick of It airs from Thursday, September 27 on Sky One

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