After Life is set to conclude with its final run of episodes this month, leaving plenty of viewers devastated that soon they will have seen the last of Tony, Brandy and rest of the Netflix's show's beloved characters.
MORE: After Life season three trailer teases more heartache for Tony
But as a smash hit show for Netflix, why is the series calling it a day after its third outing? Find out what creator and star of the series Ricky Gervais had to say here...
WATCH: The trailer for the third series of Ricky Gervais' acclaimed After Life is here
Speaking to Deadline this month, Ricky was asked why he decided to call it quits to which he responded: "Every time someone asks that I get a little adrenaline rush wishing it wasn't it and I could do a fourth."
He then explained that while it's a "no-brainer" to continue a series at the height of its popularity - and After Life has been watched by 100 million people around the world - he didn't want to risk the quality of the show dropping.
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"I know for a fact I could [do a fourth season]," he said. "But the reason I said [season three] is definitely the end is so I'd be bullied and made fun of for going back on it."
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Elsewhere in the chat, Ricky noted that while he has never made a third season of any of his scripted series before – The Office, Extras and Derek all ran for two seasons and a special - something felt different about After Life.
"[After Life] is slightly grander, it's got more of an elegance, it's got the pace of a drama more than a comedy, so you can explore more. The world is bigger; The Office is set in one place, Derek is set in one place, the world is bigger and people come and go. It's more like a Springfield, where there's 80 characters in The Simpsons that can have their own episodes."
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Indeed, the series, which follows a writer named Tony who is dealing with life after his wife dies, has resonated with viewers all over the world and has been widely praised for mixing incredibly moving subjects and storylines with lighter moments of humour.
All six episodes of season three will be released on Netflix on Friday 14 January and, judging by the trailer it seems as though fans can expect a bittersweet final chapter to the dark comedy as Tony struggles to cope with two heartbreaking deaths in his family while also realising that there's more to life than taking his anger out on the world. Pass us the tissues!
