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poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2005-07-22 09:31 am
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Extras

Ricky Gervais's new show debuted last night. Gervais and his female sidekick, played by Ashley Jensen, are film extras who get to meet bona fide stars on set. Last night's guest star was Ben Stiller- playing a monstrous version of himself that would have been actionable if anyone else had done it.

Like The Office it's a comedy of social embarrassment. Otherwise Gervais is doing his best not to repeat himself. Where Brent was a bumbling puppy; this new character is bitter and morose- and a creature of self-destructive impulses, some of them alarmingly decent. There are some very funny scenes; Stiller was well worth whatever it was they paid him and I loved the bit where Jensen tries to chat up the casting director with a prosthetic bullet hole in the middle of her forehead. Gervais is an unselfish performer and is happy to share out the good stuff with his colleagues.

The Office had a slow-building story arc, and I guess we can expect something similar here. We're promised some intriguing guest appearances (Kate Winslett, Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Stewart) and Gervais and co-writer Stephen Merchant are working on Season 2. I'm hooked.

[identity profile] four-thorns.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 07:07 am (UTC)(link)
oooh. not that we'll be able to watch it over here, but all the same, what's it called?

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
It's called Extras.

Won't it air on BBC America or PBS or something?

[identity profile] halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
Let's hope so, but [livejournal.com profile] four_thorns is on her way to grad school.

[identity profile] humblenarrator.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 10:56 am (UTC)(link)
excellent! i can't wait. i'll have to do some research and see if it's being broadcast here. doubtful. i loved the office--which i didn't get to see until the dvds came out. then nbc americanized it, which--although i heard good things about it--i refused to watch out of spite.

perhaps i'll be able to track down episodes of extras on the internet somewhere as they air...

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 11:52 am (UTC)(link)
The Office was wonderful-

It's too early to say whether this is going to be equally wonderful, but the first show was pretty good- and over far too soon.

[identity profile] ragingnoodles.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been really waiting to see this show for a long time, The Office is probably my favorite show of the last 5 years.

The show will premiere in America on September 25th on HBO, so we still got a long way until we see it here on TV.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
So you will be getting it. Excellent news!

[identity profile] sommeilbienivre.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
ooh, I'm so jealous of UK tv. American televsion is just sad.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[livejournal.com profile] ragingnoodles says its going to be shown on HBO, starting Sept 25.

[identity profile] sommeilbienivre.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
aha! *rushes to accost friends with HBO*