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The Office will be an extremely hard act to follow but these are the first images of Ricky Gervais's attempt to do just that, with his eagerly-awaited new sitcom Extras.

BBC2 bosses today confirmed that the series - a wry behind-the-scenes look at the showbiz world starring Gervais as a movie walk-on actor and featuring a string of A-list cameos - will be on screen in the summer.

These exclusive stills from the first (and only) episode to be filmed so far show Gervais dressed as a policeman for a bit-part in a new movie starring Hollywood legend Samuel L Jackson.

Jackson is one of a string of big names who have agreed to appear in Extras after becoming fans of The Office. Kate Winslet, Ben Stiller, Ross Kemp, Vinnie Jones and Les Dennis will also feature.

"In Extras I play a grumpy and sarcastic character who hates being around actors and showbiz types, preferring to lie on my couch at home watching TV," said Gervais. "It's a stretch, but I think I can pull it off.

"Basically, this is my long-awaited new programme that some critics are already calling the disappointing follow-up to The Office."

Appearing alongside Gervais is little-known Scottish actress Ashley Jensen, who plays his on-screen sidekick Maggie Jacobs - a role that is poised to catapult her into the limelight. Her career to date has included appearances in Clocking Off, Inspector Rebus, Silent Witness and as a chorus girl in Mike Leigh's Topsy Turvy.

"Ricky and Ashley have quite a comedy double-act going on," said an on-set insider. "This is Ashley's most high-profile TV role and it's a biggie.

"Her first day of filming was quite a tough one - she turned up and had to act alongside Samuel L Jackson straight away."

Details of the new series are unveiled today as part of BBC2's summer season schedules.

Other highlights include black comedy Sensitive Skin - starring Joanna Lumley as a glamorous sixtysomething who enjoys a highprofile job in a London art gallery. Denis Lawson plays her husband Al, a pundit for a broadsheet newspaper.

Despite their veneer of success and metropolitan sophistication, Al and Davina's 30-year-old son Orlando refuses to grow up - and they are constantly fighting " sexual temptation, professional jealousy and fear of the future".

A major new documentary series, Coast, takes an epic journey around the British coastline in search of its maritime history and communities. Three one-hour films make up the new series E l u s iv e P e a c e : I s r a e l and the A r a b s - a follow-up to t h e award-winning 1998 documentary The Fifty Years War.