Ricky Gervais goes full-throttle in his bid to be the most-mentioned person on TV Scoop by agreeing to write an episode of The Office, in American.

Gervais and Stephen Merchant will scribble an ep for the series 3, which, in a twisty-turny trick of time and space, didn’t exist in the UK.

Yank Brent and mature virgin Steve Carell is back helming The Office: An American Workplace, an NBC slow-burner that’s gradually acquired more than 10m loyalists. Reprising Brent was a thankless task, but the splendid Carell won a Golden Globe for his trouble.

After the break: More News of the Ricky

* Matt Groening loves Ricky. Gervais has written and starred in a Simpsons episode, in which he lives with Marge for Wife Swap. Says Groening: "He should be a regular character. In fact, he should have his own cartoon series." Airs on Fox on 26 March.

* Karl Pilkington‘s line "I could eat a knob at night" is taking over the world. To find out who the flaming willies Karl Pilkington is and what he’s got to do with Ricky Gervais, click here.

* Brand Republic reports excitedly that Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Madonna are to star in Extras. Uh-huh. Gervais: "As far as Brad Pitt, David Bowie and Madonna are concerned, they are fans but the only one we have signed up is Tom Cruise." Whatever. It’s all publicity, innit?