Netflix has donated benches to local councils around the UK as part of a mental health scheme to mark the third season of After Life.
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The benches were commissioned with suicide prevention charity the Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm) and feature QR codes leading to online resources and a message of support.
They’re also inscribed with a quote from the third season: “Hope is everything”.
The benches can be found in various locations, including Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Falmouth, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Minehead, Newcastle, Nottingham, Surrey Heath and Taunton. You can check out the full list below.
Created by Ricky Gervais and set in the fictional town of Tambury, After Life stars the comedian as local newspaper journalist Tony as he contends with intense grief following the death of his wife. Throughout the series, Tony is seen sitting on a bench reflecting on his loss.
In a statement, Gervais said: “We hope the benches will create a lasting legacy for After Life, as well as become a place for people to visit, and we are thrilled to be associated with Calm and the great work they do.”
Simon Gunning, chief executive at Calm, said: “Park benches provide opportunities to reflect, talk to someone, sit shoulder to shoulder with someone and get things off your chest.
The bench scenes in After Life are iconic. Together with @theCALMzone (Campaign Against Living Miserably), we've donated 25 benches to councils around the UK. #AfterLife3 @rickygervais pic.twitter.com/8h64SXqwRd
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) January 17, 2022
“That is why we’re delighted to team up with Netflix to put benches in parks across the country – inscribed with that crucial line from the show, ‘Hope is everything’ – to help people have those conversations and to show it’s normal to have those feelings.”
You can find more information on the Calm website.
In NME’s four-star review, After Life season three is described as “unapologetically nasty, saccharine, lovely and poignant”, and also “often a bit of a mess, a little bit like life itself”.
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