Ricky Gervais's After Life series 2

[Jumblegraws]

He did get a fair bit of stick online, plus she wrote a bunch of articles about it so I doubt it, and you never know with Gervais he is remarkably petty as you can see by focusing most of his earlier video on one critic who gave him a bad review to the detriment of all the gushing everyone else was apparently doing. I cannot believe the character in After Life isn't a dig at Corden either, and his impression of him goes back over 10 years ago!

I can definitely see I might have underestimated his pettiness, it's more the obliqueness of the supposed dig - "Victoria met Mr Right" - that you can extract "Victoria [W]Right" from that is surely coincidence, and where the derogatory force in referencing someone's name in the context of that quote?

[Hand Solo]

I can definitely see I might have underestimated his pettiness, it's more the obliqueness of the supposed dig - "Victoria met Mr Right" - that you can extract "Victoria [W]Right" from that is surely coincidence, and where the derogatory force in referencing someone's name in the context of that quote?

Yes, it's quite oblique so it's either just coincidence, or Gervais did it in such a way that he'd thought only the person he was aiming at would get it and thus he could deny any wrong-doing, gaslighting like some bullies do. I wouldn't put it past him, but the Corden one seems more blatant to me but I think he'd assume most people would just think it's a new character in After Life, but only Corden would obviously cotton on to it being a pisstake of him both physically and of his AmDram background to finally get back at him. It's a special kind of psychology but I would assume he'd get more enjoyment out of only the individual targetted getting his secret message rather than tweeting that they're a cunt or whatever. But I could be reading too much into it, but again, if it is a message it would only people reading into it that would notice.

Also, we know he thinks of people who came up through acting, when he didn't.

[non capisco]

After Life 3 to have a new character that everyone hates and Ricky continually bests in a series of arguments and calls "you fat floppy haired repetitive Midlands cunt."

Maybe call him something like Lee Stewart.

[Ferris]

Stuart Lea

[Ferris]

Stu Artley

[Hand Solo]

The character works at a paper so there'll definitely be some way he can shoehorn some kind of denigration of that journalist who gave him the bad review, or a take-down of the Guardian in some form. Since Lee writes for the Guardian also I'd say it's almost a dead cert to be a target in series 3.

[petril]

an artist figure who uses excrement as a medium, and is repetitive and from the Midlands. he is also quite small. Poo Art Wee

[Hand Solo]

an artist figure who uses excrement as a medium, and is repetitive and from the Midlands. he is also quite small. Poo Art Wee

Won't have to look far for casting:

[Ferris]

Won't have to look far for casting:

Has the Rickster shopped his own face onto his own face there? Shades of After Life...

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's just so weird that Life's Too Short is all but forgotten. It's a very forgettable show, admittedly, but even Gervais never mentions it in his list of triumphs. He'd obviously rather pretend that it never existed, as it ruins the self-marketed narrative of non-stop Rickster successes.

I'm fairly convinced that it was the last straw between Gervais and Merchant. It always felt like something Gervais came up with - Haha! A dwarf! - while Merchant grudgingly tagged along.

The LTS finale special, or whatever you want to call it, was actually quite funny, but that's because they ditched the hilarious conceit of laughing at a little person and focused instead on Les Dennis, Cheggers and Barry from EastEnders. It was more like an episode of Extras.

[Ferris]

Isn't Gervais 5'6" or something? He's some brass neck to laugh at people for being short.

It's far too armchair psychologist to suggest that's the raison d'être behind LTS, but then again, who among us can uncover the motives of the Great Sage.

[Jim Bob]

I'm fairly convinced that it was the last straw between Gervais and Merchant. It always felt like something Gervais came up with - Haha! A dwarf! - while Merchant grudgingly tagged along.

I've often suspected the same thing.  I found it very curious that in the scenes with Gervais and Merchant playing themselves (which were numerous - possibly one per episode), Merchant barely has any lines to speak of.  I think he maybe has 2 lines total throughout the entire series (I can only think of a single line myself - "never without his lute", in reference to Sting).  It's mostly just Gervais doing all of the talking, whilst Merchant awkwardly sits there in silence.  It's bizarre and absolutely does come across as Merchant not being invested in the series at all, but rather there out of some kind of contractual obligation.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Isn't Gervais 5'6" or something? He's some brass neck to laugh at people for being short.

Same with Tony Way's character in After Life. If the phrase "No, we have to cast someone fatter than me or it doesn't work" can be applied, you should redraft.

[chveik]

you're being way too nice to Merchant. he was complicit in the bullying for quite some time. it seems like he grew out of it but he's still a cunt in my book.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

you're being way too nice to Merchant. he was complicit in the bullying for quite some time. it seems like he grew out of it but he's still a cunt in my book.

I think it's fair enough to assume that Merchant is probably a decent person. As you say, he grew out of that immature streak.

[lankyguy95]

Yeah Merchant was involved in his fair share of cruelty. Leaving Gervais to write on his own being the ultimate example of that.

[Jim Bob]

you're being way too nice to Merchant. he was complicit in the bullying for quite some time. it seems like he grew out of it but he's still a cunt in my book.

Sorry, I should clarify that my own take on Merchant not being creatively invested in Life's Too Short has nothing to do with any perceived bullying of people with dwarfism.  Rather, I just think that his heart wasn't in the show, period.

[Mobius]

Do you reckon it annoys Ricky that Smerch's xmas special Click & Collect and Pilkoids Sick Of It have more sincere heart and emotion whilst also being funny than Derek and After Life?

I reckon it does.

[Jim Bob]

Do you reckon it annoys Ricky that Smerch's xmas special Click & Collect and Pilkoids Sick Of It have more sincere heart and emotion whilst also being funny than Derek and After Life?

I reckon it does.

I doubt it.  I think it's all about getting the highest viewer ratings and critical praise from the likes of Heat Magazine with Gervais.  In that regard, he's leagues ahead of his former XFM co-hosts.  Clearly the man has no barometer for quality writing, or sincerity of heart, so I doubt he'd even notice that Merchant or Pilkington's solo projects are vastly superior in those respects over his own efforts.

[jsgibble]

If you showed someone this and Sick Of It blind and asked them which one was made by a Bafta-winning writer and which was made by his little Englander friend, I'm not sure they'd guess correctly.

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

Do you reckon it annoys Ricky that Smerch's xmas special Click & Collect and Pilkoids Sick Of It have more sincere heart and emotion whilst also being funny than Derek and After Life?

I reckon it does.

RG wouldn't be aware of this fact, but it is quite ironic that Karl Pilkington has by far had the best post-podcast solo writing career out of the three of them.

[trabuch]

Do you reckon it annoys Ricky that Smerch's xmas special Click & Collect and Pilkoids Sick Of It have more sincere heart and emotion whilst also being funny than Derek and After Life?

I reckon it does.

Don't forget Detectorists too.

[Noodle Lizard]

Don't forget Detectorists too.

Speaking of which, it's well-observed that Ricky's never mentioned (much less promoted) the solo ventures of Steve and Karl, but has he said anything about Detectorists?

[Blue Jam]

Has he ever mentioned Martin Freeman's post-Office success?

[dr beat]

It's just so weird that Life's Too Short is all but forgotten. It's a very forgettable show, admittedly, but even Gervais never mentions it in his list of triumphs. He'd obviously rather pretend that it never existed, as it ruins the self-marketed narrative of non-stop Rickster successes.

Along similar lines, I was reading this thread the other day and thought of how Cemetery Junction also seems to have been whitewashed (tippexed?) out of his CV.  I saw it in the cinema out of morbid curiosity, and I can barely remember anything about it.

[Jim Bob]

Along similar lines, I was reading this thread the other day and thought of how Cemetery Junction also seems to have been whitewashed (tippexed?) out of his CV.  I saw it in the cinema out of morbid curiosity, and I can barely remember anything about it.

It's such a maudlin and dull film.  It's also entirely unsure of what it actually wants to be.  It mostly seems to be a (poor) attempt at making a Mike Leigh type of film, but then peppered throughout, you'll have ridiculously broad cartoonish characters shouting "PORN!" or talking about their massive tattoo of a big breasted vampire.  It's all over the place tonally.

There is one lovely little moment that I'll give the film credit for though; a minor one-scene character receiving a token retirement gift for a lifetime of service and some cunt flicking ash into it, whilst his Wife comforts him and the retiree looks at her and smiles because they still have each other.  It's hard to describe and my description likely makes it sound horribly mawkish but it's a really touching and well executed little moment of pathos; a window into these two background characters' lives.  Other than that; shite.

[neveragain]

There's also a good scene from Steve Speirs as a seemingly useless copper who gives one of the main characters a forceful reality check. Ralph Fiennes also does some acting.

[BritishHobo]

I really liked it at the time, although I also gave The Invention of Lying five stars around then, so take that with a pinch of salt. As has been shown in the examples above, I think it showed some of the thoughtfulness that Gervais seems to have lost ever since he began writing without Merchant.

[phes]

Co-written and directed

[Wolf8312]

It's just so weird that Life's Too Short is all but forgotten. It's a very forgettable show, admittedly, but even Gervais never mentions it in his list of triumphs. He'd obviously rather pretend that it never existed, as it ruins the self-marketed narrative of non-stop Rickster successes.

I'm fairly convinced that it was the last straw between Gervais and Merchant. It always felt like something Gervais came up with - Haha! A dwarf! - while Merchant grudgingly tagged along.

The LTS finale special, or whatever you want to call it, was actually quite funny, but that's because they ditched the hilarious conceit of laughing at a little person and focused instead on Les Dennis, Cheggers and Barry from EastEnders. It was more like an episode of Extras.

As much as it signalled his transformation into a full-blown ego maniac, I think it just goes to show how weird things are right now in the present internet age.

LTS was pretty bad sure, but for me nowhere near as atrocious and unwatchable as Derek, or After life (or holy god the invention of lying).

I refuse to believe that back in the 90's Derek or Afterlife would not have been universally panned!

With artists themselves putting to work their legions of moronic twitter followers, or journalists who want to keep on the good side of a powerful celebrity, I think reality itself is being distorted. His output reminds me so much of an egomaniacal dictator with a cult of personality, who has come to genuinely believe that the echoes of his own propaganda machine are not of his own making in the first place.

I mean to hear people describe things like After life and Derek as genius, I start to wonder if (aside from his twitter zombies) large companies these days, are not (like our governments) employing troll/shill farms to make it appear as if such shows are wildly popular.

I mean these shows are objectively awful and could probably be proven to be terrible scientifically.

Ordinarily I would say others are entitled to their opinion, but Jesus...