Ricky Gervais is also working on a new series of Extras

Gervais and co-writer Stephen Merchant will pen an episode for the US remake of their BBC show, his spokesman said.

The comedy, starring Steve Carell in Gervais' manager role, is to return for a third US series after attracting an average of 10 million viewers.

Gervais recently wrote and appeared in an episode of The Simpsons.

US network NBC has commissioned another 22 episodes of The Office.

The American version re-locates the action from a dreary office block in Slough to an equally uninspiring working environment in Pennsylvania.

Gervais and Merchant have acted as executive producers on the remake, but have not previously written an episode.