Cannon and Ball then Head of Programming at ITV station TVS and later to hold a similar position at LWT expressed a concern that northern comedy shows may not suit southern tastes. By the 1990s, the duo were seeking a change in direction and appeared in their own sitcom "Cannon and Ball's Playhouse", the spin-off series "Plaza Patrol" and their game show "Cannon and Ball's Casino". "Plaza Patrol" saw them play security guards in a shopping mall. In more recent times, they have continued to find success as a comic duo in theatre and pantomime, along with numerous cameo appearances on TV. In
Extras (TV series) and Ian McKellen was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Gervais and Merchant were also nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for Daniel Radcliffe and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for Orlando Bloom. "Extras" made the Top 10 list of Outstanding Comedy Series but was not nominated in the Top 5. Extras (TV series) Extras is a British sitcom about extras working in television, film, and theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO and was created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also starred in