Stephen Merchant

Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

Neal Brennan

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Comedy, Mental Health

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Neal Brennan interviews Stephen Merchant (‘The Office,’ ‘Extras,’ ‘An Idiot Abroad,’ ‘Life’s Too Short,’ ‘Hello, Ladies’ and more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. ---------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 1:33 Origin story 3:07 Ricky Gervais 7:49 Origins of the Office 10:56 Ambition in the UK vs. US 14:22 The Office First Season 17:11 Success 18:24 Christmas Specials 21:35 Sponsor: Mando 23:55 Sponsor: BetterHelp 25:52 American version of The Office 28:08 Secret sauce of his relationship with Ricky 34:42 American adaptation 39:12 Current roles and goals 48:08 Sponsor: Harrys 49:56 Tall 58:30 Comedy persona vs. who he really is 1:05:30 Ambition 1:07:00 Relationships 1:09:06 How Success Impacted Him 1:15:40 Stephen Imparts Wisdom ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ([email protected]) Sponsors: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com !#mandopod This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self. Get the shaving products that always deliver. Visit https://www.harrys.com/NEAL for a $5 Trial Set. Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks ---------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, it's me, oily Neil Brennan.
0:04.3	This is the Blocks podcast.
0:05.9	My guest today, guys, is a British stalwart comedian writer.
0:13.2	Listen to these credits.
0:14.5	The British office, and they call it over there, they called the office.
0:17.4	We call it the British office.
0:18.7	He co-created that.
0:19.9	He co-created extras. He co-created extras. He co-created
0:21.5	Idiot Abroad. He co-created Life's Too Short. He created by himself. Hello, ladies. Didn't
0:28.4	need help with that one. He co-created lip sync battle, the one that we know.
0:34.9	You're welcome. Yes. Thank you.
0:38.5	You're free to go.
0:45.2	A show called The Outlaws that Chris Walken is in, which I haven't, I don't know anything about, but I saw it. It looks good.
0:46.3	And he co-wrote and directed, or for Fighting with My Family?
0:50.6	Wrote and directed that one.
0:51.4	Wrote and directed by himself no help necessary
0:54.7	a movie called fighting with my family which the rock was involved in which it's a whole other thing
1:00.6	his name ladies gentlemen is stephen merchant and he's here with me today there'll be applause
1:08.0	at some point.
1:15.5	You have, they sound like fake credits.
1:16.7	You know what I mean?
1:18.7	Like they're so good that you go. This is not true.
	...

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