Ricky Gervais plans David Brent: The Movie

[Phil_A]

There's a really strange, off-putting combination of self-loathing and self-aggrandizement that runs through most of what he does - can't think of a better single example than the Bowie scene in EXTRAS; on one hand, there's David Bowie "improvising" a song that cruelly mocks Gervais' physical characteristics, on the other, hey, look, I'm big enough that I can get Bowie on my show to sing this song I wrote mocking my physical characteristics.  Seems like he's been overplaying the "loser" card in a blatant attempt to deflect attention from his bloated self-regard for some time now.

I've often wondered about Bowie and Gervais's relationship. Was Dave flattered or weirded out by someone who had basically modelled themselves on him to such a precise degree?

After Bowie's death, Ricky was all "Oh, he didn't even tell me he was ill!" and I just thought, hmm, maybe you weren't as close to him as you liked to think. I suspect Bowie probably had "friends", e.g. people he liked to hang out with and impress, but who weren't necessarily part of his inner circle. And Gervais was probably in the former category.

[H-O-W-L]

I have no impression that Gervais and Bowie had anything but a professional relationship. The story of when he went around Bowie's house for dinner sounded so fucking formal and straight-laced that it was probably (read: definitely, because I'm saying it) a business dinner.

The fact that Gervais said that (a fact I didn't know) fucks me right off though because why the fuck would he tell such a notorious cund (his words) as Gervais about his incredibly personal illness? The impression Bowie left of his own illness with Blackstar and what little he said before his passing made it very clear that even Bowie himself wasn't very content with the fact, so why would he tell someone whom he had only one significant collaboration with and then later probably only met at the few mutual public events Bowie attended post-2003? Such pompous arsery.

Bowie, as we well know, was never a very public man in the later years of his life, when Gervais finally drew his attention, and as far as I'm aware the discussion of their relationship is almost entirely from Gervais, who seems to have gotten the impression that Bowie and he were bessie mates despite the fact that Bowie probably viewed their relationship as mutual admiration. Fellow creators. Not "MY MATE RICKAYYYYY".

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

I suspect he got confused that you can be nice to someone and not look down on them, without considering them to be of similar artistic talent.

[ieXush2i]

"Oh, he didn't even tell me he was ill!"

The salesman is constantly on, Gervais sold himself as someone respected as an artistic equal by Bowie, Seinfeld, David etc

[Oops! Wrong Planet]

Do we need to bring up Gervais saying "Bowie" wrong in his Oxford Union speech last year?  No.

[yesitsme]

With lack of anything else to do I forced myself to watch this the other day.  As has been said it's really grim isn't it?  A sort of poor reproduction of The Office's B-sides.

A couple of good gags, the one where he says his pension is now worth almost what he's put in was quite good but over all Christ almighty.

[Dr Rock]

Do we need to bring up Gervais saying "Bowie" wrong in his Oxford Union speech last year?  No.

In a relatively new series of Podcasts entitled "RICKY GERVAIS IS DEADLY SIRIUS' he explains he knows he pronounces 'Bowie' wrong, as well as taking over guests like Professor Brian Cox about how he knows what atheism is.

[Spudgun]

In a relatively new series of Podcasts entitled "RICKY GERVAIS IS DEADLY SIRIUS' he explains he knows he pronounces 'Bowie' wrong, as well as taking over guests like Professor Brian Cox about how he knows what atheism is.

Shortly before branching out into football management and taking the SV Hamburg job:

https://www.facebook.com/hsvenglish/photos/a.1828332434083176.1073741828.1824681317781621/1979349365648148/

[thecuriousorange]

Free Love Freeway is in the new Freeview ad.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WseNj6Gc5pY

[Sin Agog]

Thought he was surprisingly funny and relatable in his last appearance on Jim and Sam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA1fwq7YAqs).  Mostly talked about embarrassing youthful grandeur, and for awhile I forgot all the fucking droning on about the same three things he's been doing in interviews for over a decade.  That is until he gets to talking about the mechanics of comedy, but luckily that was only short-lived, and the ending to this video was hilarious.  So he is still perfectly capable of being likeable when he's roasting and being roasted by a few friends.  Should be legally mandatory that he can only be around people willing to put him on hot coals every now and then.

[bobloblaw]

Jon Plowman was rather curt when his name came up at the end of his Loose Ends interview. Wonder if he expands further in his book

[tookish]

Free Love Freeway is in the new Freeview ad.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WseNj6Gc5pY

I was actually going to start a thread on this today. It's been recorded with Noel Gallagher. My partner and I were in fits.

[gilbertharding]

If you didn't know, it could easily have been an actual Bon Jovi (or Sheryl Crowe, or one of those people) single from the 90s. It ticks all the right cliches. I don't know if it's *too* good to have been written by a sometime paper salesman from Berkshire.

[bgmnts]

I was actually going to start a thread on this today. It's been recorded with Noel Gallagher. My partner and I were in fits.

The original video had Gallagher in it didnt it? I remember that.

[Ferris]

I was actually going to start a thread on this today. It's been recorded with Noel Gallagher. My partner and I were in fits.

How on earth did he sell this to Freeview? "Remember that novelty song that was in 90 seconds of a popular sitcom from ~20 years ago? Fancy the rights to it?"

It might as well be My Lovely Horse.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

I'm just brainstorming here, but I think the repetition of 'Free' might have given this the edge over My Lovely Horse.

[Ferris]

I'm just brainstorming here, but I think the repetition of 'Free' might have given this the edge over My Lovely Horse.

Well yeah, but as if there aren't any other songs with the word "free" in them. I'm just wondering why Mr Gervais' pitch was the one they went with, instead of any of the myriad alternatives.

[checkoutgirl]

I'm just brainstorming here, but I think the repetition of 'Free' might have given this the edge over My Lovely Horse.

Also Gervais seems to shit gold and horseshoes for some reason. Why have Netflix given him 20 million for bad stand up twice in a row? Because he shits gold and horseshoes for some reason.

Merchant would get 20 grand for the same product.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Well yeah, but as if there aren't any other songs with the word "free" in them. I'm just wondering why Mr Gervais' pitch was the one they went with, instead of any of the myriad alternatives.

Only teasing.

It's probably nothing more than some ad execs spitballed song suggestions that contained repetitive use of 'Free' that hadn't previously been used in a commercial, someone suggested that scene from the Office/the more recent use for the film promo and it amused enough people for it to stick. Gervais is still popular.

There was an ad campaign for Courts that riffed on Monty Pythons Galaxy Song, roughly a decade after that film was released.

[Ferris]

It is all quite, quite mad.

[Utter Shit]

Well yeah, but as if there aren't any other songs with the word "free" in them. I'm just wondering why Mr Gervais' pitch was the one they went with, instead of any of the myriad alternatives.

I wouldn't overthink it, I'm sure they didn't. The PA at Tottenham recently marked the end of a game with Stereophonics' 'A Thousand Trees', a song about a paedophile.

[Dog Botherer]

How on earth did he sell this to Freeview? "Remember that novelty song that was in 90 seconds of a popular sitcom from ~20 years ago? Fancy the rights to it?"

It might as well be My Lovely Horse.

Genuinely surprised no one has tried My Lovely Horse in Ireland, where it's incredibly well known.

[Huxleys Babkins]

Only teasing.

It's probably nothing more than some ad execs spitballed song suggestions that contained repetitive use of 'Free' that hadn't previously been used in a commercial, someone suggested that scene from the Office/the more recent use for the film promo and it amused enough people for it to stick. Gervais is still popular.

There was an ad campaign for Courts that riffed on Monty Pythons Galaxy Song, roughly a decade after that film was released.

A lot of adverts tend to be about 15-20 years behind the curve because they want to sell to 30-50 year olds using the popular culture that demographic associated with being cool when they were young.

It's why you've got Mr Scruff and Fatboy Slim (or at least one of the songs he sampled) advertising DIY shops now, and a cover of Rozalla's Everybody's Free selling glasses and makeup.

[gilbertharding]

...Bowie...

Yeah - I'm reminded of a thing I read in about 2011 which reminded the world that David Bowies only recorded work  for the previous 8 (whatever years) was Chubby Little Loser from Extras...

[rm2kmaster]

Also Gervais seems to shit gold and horseshoes for some reason. Why have Netflix given him 20 million for bad stand up twice in a row? Because he shits gold and horseshoes for some reason.

Merchant would get 20 grand for the same product.

Because American people are fucking stupid.

[vainsharpdad]

I can only presume Jagger/Richards wanted too much to let them use The Soup Dragons version of "I'm Free".

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Jagger/Richards have no word to say and make nearly nothing on their sixties compositions, which belong to the estate of their then manager Allen Klein, the guy who founded ABKCO (Allen & Betty Klein and Company). At some point, Kubrick wanted to use an all-Rolling Stones soundtrack for Full Metal Jacket, then he only took "Paint It Black" because the rights were too expensive. Allen Klein was also the guy who got 100% of the rights on "Bittersweet Symphony" based on the use of a sample from an orchestral version of "The Last Time".

[bgmnts]

Jagger/Richards have no word to say and make nearly nothing on their sixties compositions, which belong to the estate of their then manager Allen Klein, the guy who founded ABKCO (Allen & Betty Klein and Company). At some point, Kubrick wanted to use an all-Rolling Stones soundtrack for Full Metal Jacket, then he only took "Paint It Black" because the rights were too expensive. Allen Klein was also the guy who got 100% of the rights on "Bittersweet Symphony" based on the use of a sample from an orchestral version of "The Last Time".

Now THAT'S a parasite.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

We should always keep in mind that there are worse people in the world than Ricky Gervais.

[Chollis]

We should always keep in mind that there are worse people in the world than Ricky Gervais.

Name 3

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