Ricky Gervais [split topic]

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

The corpsing outtakes you can watch of Extras on YouTube are often better than the show itself. Watching Chegwin say "Men have knobs, women have fannies. Pop knob in fanny" in multiple different ways, before Gervais (and it's ALWAYS Gervais) cracks up laughing are better than the actual take they used.

[BritishHobo]

God, the episode where Andy gets a role in a play but he has to play the role of - *GASP!* a gay!

[Chollis]

The corpsing outtakes you can watch of Extras on YouTube are often better than the show itself. Watching Chegwin say "Men have knobs, women have fannies. Pop knob in fanny" in multiple different ways, before Gervais (and it's ALWAYS Gervais) cracks up laughing are better than the actual take they used.

Yep. Also Ricky walking in on Merchant wanking.

[Bennett Brauer]

That scene is moderately amusing, to be fair , with the massive inevitability of yer man Steve Carrel  * still* listening in on a second occasion.

How many cameras are there? For a start, there's one filming Carrell's image over Merchant's shoulder that should be visible in all the cutaways from behind Davis, but isn't. (I know you're supposed to ignore that sort of thing for laughs, BUT I CANNAE.)
Also, wouldn't Gervais's immediate reaction as soon as he suspected Carrell was still there have been something like "... and we're going to keep on slagging you off Steve unless you get off the line"?

I hated Life's Too Short though.

[up_the_hampipe]

God, the episode where Andy gets a role in a play but he has to play the role of - *GASP!* a gay!

As tone deaf as that was, it was really funny when he played the camp genie in the panto. Another slice of blooper gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7EO2cNBinU

[Utter Shit]

Yeah the bloopers of all his shows are brilliant, even the Derek ones are good when David Earl tries to come up with offensive things to say to make Pilkington corpse.

I think the most I've ever laughed at a blooper is Gervais going from "Tim Canterbury" to "the Archbishop of Canterbury" to "Bishop Muzurewa" and then everyone losing it. The delivery of Bishop Muzurewa is so good. The outtakes from Tim's performance review are fantastic too, those insane, ridiculously exaggerated faces as he points to his chair.

[QDRPHNC]

Here's a question for you Extrasheads. I've only seen the much-trumpeted De Niro episode once, but I got the feeling that they filmed all his bits separately. Like, I remember an odd-symmetrical scene with him and Merchant sitting across from each other with a coffee table dead centre (the easier to line up the two different shots). Is that real or did I invent all of that?

[Bennett Brauer]

Here's a question for you Extrasheads. I've only seen the much-trumpeted De Niro episode once, but I got the feeling that they filmed all his bits separately. Like, I remember an odd-symmetrical scene with him and Merchant sitting across from each other with a coffee table dead centre (the easier to line up the two different shots). Is that real or did I invent all of that?

I remember thinking at the time that there didn't appear to have been any real interaction between them, even though (might be misremembering) De Niro is handed a novelty pen at one stage. Will watch it again tonight if it's available.

[BritishHobo]

It looks uncannily like the framing of interviews from press junkets, where a celeb sits in a chair in a hotel room, usually in front of a poster for their film, and three hundred journalists in turn filter in to bore them with the same questions, seperate cameras on each. I always assumed they just sent Merchant to one of them. As I type it, it doesn't really explain why they couldn't just have moved the chairs closer together, cos like Bennett Brauer says, I have it in my mind that they're never actually onscreen together.

Either way, I'm sure Gervais said he only appeared in the film Stardust so he could meet De Niro and convince him to do Extras. Seems like it didn't pay off that well.

[lankyguy95]

Gervais talks about it ten minutes into this appearance on Jonathan Ross https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5BFjmt9tU

Merchant and De Niro did shoot together, although they only had De Niro for an hour.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The corpsing outtakes you can watch of Extras on YouTube are often better than the show itself. Watching Chegwin say "Men have knobs, women have fannies. Pop knob in fanny" in multiple different ways, before Gervais (and it's ALWAYS Gervais) cracks up laughing are better than the actual take they used.

This is also true of Jim Bowen in his Phoenix Cameo.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It looks uncannily like the framing of interviews from press junkets, where a celeb sits in a chair in a hotel room, usually in front of a poster for their film, and three hundred journalists in turn filter in to bore them with the same questions, seperate cameras on each. I always assumed they just sent Merchant to one of them. As I type it, it doesn't really explain why they couldn't just have moved the chairs closer together, cos like Bennett Brauer says, I have it in my mind that they're never actually onscreen together.

Either way, I'm sure Gervais said he only appeared in the film Stardust so he could meet De Niro and convince him to do Extras. Seems like it didn't pay off that well.

That's what I thought. Although a lot of those don't involve people being in the same room at the same time or ever.

Before video editing made this easy a similar thing was buying a tape reel of interview answers from a celebrity a radio DJ could ask and edit into an 'exclusive interview for radio Norwich'

[bradaaron87]

Then they played a clip of it and it was the worst possible SHIT. The gap between his pitch and the actual quality of the show was tragic. It made me squirm in my seat. A palpable sadness descended. I actually felt sorry for the poor cunt.

You've gotta be kidding me? Okay, this fucker's lost his marbles. The preamble had me interested, but that was basically a puerile SMTV Live skit with bad language.

[Tony Yeboah]

He's nicked Harry Hill's heroin joke https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-6701267/Ricky-Gervais-speaks-Event-new-deals-heroin-suicide-grief.html

[thraxx]

He's nicked Harry Hill's heroin joke https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-6701267/Ricky-Gervais-speaks-Event-new-deals-heroin-suicide-grief.html

I made the mistake of reading that article. What a prick he is.

[Bronzy]

Ricky Gervais is a fat frustrated fuck

[Bennett Brauer]

Do I spend three years making a movie that makes people go "Yeah, that was all right"? Or do I come up with an hour of stand-up I can tour around the world for a year, any time I want, then put it on Netflix and get paid twice?

[garnish]

[This drug] is very moreish! Lol!!11!!

[Ferris]

[This drug] is very moreish! Lol!!11!!

Is it 2002? If so, that joke is quite fresh.

Note the quick move to claim the line as his as well, before someone challenges him. Lazy shite.

[garnish]

There's absolutely no comment on heroin per se in those scenes,' he insists, shaking his head. 'He's a man in free fall, who wouldn't have indulged in the underworld when he was married and happy with his wife, but suddenly he's hanging about with a sex worker and a drug addict because he doesn't care about himself any more. If you talk to a hundred heroin addicts, I bet you'd find that 90 of them first tried it after a really bad experience. The thing to take from this is that he tries something he would never have tried, and it doesn't turn out well. He's not the right man for heroin. Not that anyone is.'

'There's absolutely no comment on heroin per se in those scenes,' says Gervais, before going on to make a long and tortured comment on heroin use.

[BritishHobo]

He talks like he's the first fucking person in the world ever to think about making a character take drugs.

[phes]

What's the opposite of imposter syndrome, 'cos that's what Gervais public persona has. Absolutely zero insight into his own ability and limitations. Incessant fucking Rickysplaining bullshit

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

What's the opposite of imposter syndrome, 'cos that's what Gervais public persona has. Absolutely zero insight into his own ability and limitations. Incessant fucking Rickysplaining bullshit

He's just being saying the same old shit for ten years hasn't he?

Are we having a c&b watch along when this comes out? Try and re-live the glory days of the derek thread? I've got a feeling this show will just be boring like life on the road, rather than the batshit insanity of derek, but we can hope...

[Cuellar]

"He's hanging out with a sex worker and a drug addict because he doesn't care about himself anymore"

HAHAHAHA. Imagine. IMAGINE hanging around with a SEX WORKER and a DRUG ADDICT, literally the worst people in the world. You'd have to have zero self respect to consort with those types. Drug addict indeed.

Sounds promising! But yeah, probably will just be v. v. boring, as indeed Derek was once the initial lunacy wore off. A second watch through just didn't work, too dull.

[Noddy Tomkey]

He's just being saying the same old shit for ten years hasn't he?

Outed!

[Ferris]

[This drug] is very moreish! Lol!!11!!

If you pop "heroin moreish" into google, the first result is the opening line of this 2004 (!) review from a Russell Brand show. 15 years ago.

There are at least 5 other comics making the same gag on the first page of google. One of them should sue. Some I remembered, some I didn't. Embarrassing.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/stage/2004/aug/17/comedy.edinburghfestival20043

[BritishHobo]

You've got the Super Hans crack line in Peep Show and all.

[Ferris]

You've got the Super Hans crack line in Peep Show and all.

I'd forgotten that - it's Jeremy Makes It, Nov 2004

https://imdb.com/title/tt0672482/

[DrGreggles]

I first heard the heroin/moreish gag from Harry Hill in the mid 90s.

[BeardFaceMan]

I first heard the heroin/moreish gag from Harry Hill in the mid 90s.

That was certainly the first time I heard it. That live stand-up show ITV did (presented by Lee Hurst maybe?) where he stole the show every week.