Ricky Gervais's After Life series 3 [split topic]

[jobotic]

Bit early for that then. I'll try later.

[Hat FM]

really enjoyed that interview. its clear that the writer is in the same boat as many of us that loved the office and extras and despair at the rubbish he has released since and the fact that he had previously rallied against it.Funny how he objected at saying how much he was worth when i'm sure he's boasted about it and mentioned actual figures in his stand-up before. Organising for a passing member of the public to tell you one of your jokes was good is so david brent its unreal.

[TommyTurnips]

I rewatched extras a while back and found that I couldn't even enjoy that as much anymore. There were too many seeds of things that would go on to become Gervaisian tropes such as actors who are only there to be nasty, rude and overly honest and the restaurant scene with the kid with down syndrome was like testing the waters for shows like Derek. Just seems like such a prequel to everything that was to come. I think (IMO) that the office might be the only good comedy he did.

[BritishHobo]

There's a lot of stuff in Extras that makes me wonder how on earth I ever watched it and found Andy to be a likeable protagonist - like the repeated homophobia, or his comments about Warwick Davis. It's that weird Gervais thing where you have the ironic bigotry (Ashley Jensen and Steve Merchant's idiot characters always putting their foot in it), but he's so obsessed by difference that even the character who's supposed to be smart and likable is constantly saying weird things about disabled people and gay people.

[Dickie_Anders]

Still love the XFM show (which of course was really the Karl Pilkington Show)

You do get the odd bit that acts as foreshadowing to later Gervais cringe though. Something I remember in particular is him waxing poetic about the Radiohead song "Bones", and how it speaks about old age. Derek fanatics will recognise that as the song used in a mortifying montage where somehow the documentary crew access the memories of the elderly, showing what they got up to when they was yung ;_;

[TommyTurnips]

Still love the XFM show (which of course was really the Karl Pilkington Show)

You do get the odd bit that acts as foreshadowing to later Gervais cringe though. Something I remember in particular is him waxing poetic about the Radiohead song "Bones", and how it speaks about old age. Derek fanatics will recognise that as the song used in a mortifying montage where somehow the documentary crew access the memories of the elderly, showing what they got up to when they was yung ;_;

It's clever yeah? Because you didn't care about old people before, you just thought they were a bunch of grey wrinklies with a boiled sweet collection. Turns out that they all had lives before they were old Stew. Don't you see? Aaaaaaah. It's a good thing that there was a genius like Ricky Gervais around to point this out as I was just about to throw my granny in the bin.

[Hat FM]

well, thats extras ruined as well then. heyho. talking of radiohead, his favourite album by them is 'the bends' which makes me judge him.

[Ferris]

Ahhh yes, Derek relied on the music narrating the activities of the people on screen! I'd forgotten that. 'Tears stream down your face' wails Chris Martin as we cut to people crying, but it does the entire song. Every line has a visual cut of people doing like what the song says.

Edit: good lord. I watched the Coldplay montages. Really, genuinely once in a lifetime mad stuff. One involves a slo-mo of Gervais in character playing with puppies and it is played completely straight.

[TommyTurnips]

Ahhh yes, Derek relied on the music narrating the activities of the people on screen! I'd forgotten that. 'Tears stream down your face' wails Chris Martin as we cut to people crying, but it does the entire song. Every line has a visual cut of people doing like what the song says.

Edit: good lord. I watched the Coldplay montages. Really, genuinely once in a lifetime mad stuff. One involves a slo-mo of Gervais in character playing with puppies and it is played completely straight.

That's to show how kind he is. Would a non-kind person play with puppies? I think not.

[Old Nehamkin]

My main problem with Extras is how in the second series and the subsequent special it basically turns into an extended morality play about the terrible road Ricky Gervais might have gone down if he didn't have so much unerring integrity and artistic courage. You have Andy Millman rather unconvincingly getting to write and star in a BBC sitcom off the back of being a complete unknown with a pilot script, then - almost as unconvincingly - being pressured by the producers to turn the show from a naturalistic pared-down affair into a broad, garish studio sitcom, a smug caricature of a style of comedy which in the real-life mid-2000s was actually about as far out of fashion as it ever has been. And now Andy is a character who has gone from being a hopeless aspiring dramatic actor to an overnight success as a comedy writer/performer, who despite being the star and creator of a hit sitcom seems to have almost zero input into its actual content while also receiving total contempt and revulsion from any character who isn't portrayed as a gormless and unsavoury pleb.

It all just feels so contemptuous and self-congratulatory without having anything insightful or even vaguely recognisable to say about the media, the comedy industry or the nature of celebrity. By the end of the christmas special the revelation we're left with is that it's actually quite grubby and unfulfilling to achieve fame through something tacky like being in a shit sitcom that common people like, it's actually better to not be a celebrity at all or else to be a cool and classy celebrity who hangs about with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld and has lots of Emmy Awards. Just don't gurn or do catchphrases in front of a studio audience, that would be unspeakably grim.

[jobotic]

Read the article and my first reaction is that most of it is bullshit.

[Ferris]

This one is great, because you can almost hear the direction at the old lady "older, more shambing and derelict, and get ready for the cue... 'back', ok great"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiNPi82gs88

This is the full 7 minutes of madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzb_zwPYMmM

Some bleaker madness, more subtle; something for the connoisseur.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL82I32hG5o

[BritishHobo]

My main problem with Extras is how in the second series and the subsequent special it basically turns into an extended morality play about the terrible road Ricky Gervais might have gone down if he didn't have so much unerring integrity and artistic courage. You have Andy Millman rather unconvincingly getting to write and star in a BBC sitcom off the back of being a complete unknown with a pilot script, then - almost as unconvincingly - being pressured by the producers to turn the show from a naturalistic pared-down affair into a broad, garish studio sitcom, a smug caricature of a style of comedy which in the real-life mid-2000s was actually about as far out of fashion as it ever had been. And now Andy is a character who has gone from being a hopeless aspiring dramatic actor to an overnight success as a comedy writer/performer, who despite being the star and creator of a hit sitcom seems to have almost zero input into its actual content while also receiving total contempt and revulsion from any character who isn't portrayed as a gormless and unsavoury pleb.

It all just feels so contemptuous and self-congratulatory without having anything insightful or even vaguely recognisable to say about the media, the comedy industry or the nature of celebrity. By the end of the christmas special the revelation we're left with is that it's actually quite grubby and unfulfilling to achieve fame through something tacky like being in a shit sitcom that common people like, it's actually better to not be a celebrity at all or else to be a cool and classy celebrity who hangs about with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld and has lots of Emmy Awards. Just don't gurn or do catchphrases in front of a studio audience, that would be unspeakably grim.

Great thoughts. I always find looking back that stuff like Daniel Radcliffe being in a film about a magical boyscout, or all the old-hat shit with Kate Winslet talking about how you've got to do a Holocaust film to win an Oscar, it all feels like the work of a writer whose knowledge of the film industry is actually quite shallow, and is largely based on received wisdom and half-formed assumptions rather than a passion for and lifelong engagement with film.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

You do get the odd bit that acts as foreshadowing to later Gervais cringe though. Something I remember in particular is him waxing poetic about the Radiohead song "Bones", and how it speaks about old age. Derek fanatics will recognise that as the song used in a mortifying montage where somehow the documentary crew access the memories of the elderly, showing what they got up to when they was yung ;_;

I think Karl made up his interpretation of Wonderful Tonight because its the exactly the kind of thing Gervais would really get into.

[JamesTC]

That's to show how kind he is. Would a non-kind person play with puppies? I think not.

Somebody stick some Coldplay on top of this.

[idunnosomename]

I always thought "kindness is magic" was a play on My Little Pony. Didnt think it was an actual Gervais line.

There's a comment where someone said they dont usually believe in tattoos but theyre considering getting Joan's words done.


... to fix you

[The Bumlord]

I think Karl made up his interpretation of Wonderful Tonight because its the exactly the kind of thing Gervais would really get into.

I've got an aching LEG


There's some thoroughly dodgy stuff in the XFM shows but they were a constant on my MP3 player back when I was thin and fair.

[TommyTurnips]

The trailer just came out.

Looks like a confused mixture of vandalism, assault and Derek style kindness.

A Ricky Gervais production.

[BritishHobo]

"Caring is what matters" the grown man finally realises, before pouring ashes on the floor of a pub and kicking off when the owner isn't best pleased. Also looks like some amazing nuanced introspection where Kindness Superman feels bad about mocking Cancer Wife's belief in God. The ultimate taboo for Gervais.

Comments as ever full of people with their minds blown by the idea of a show that can make you laugh and cry. The way they talk, it's like they think Gervais has split the atom.

[Ferris]

Christ that looks bad. Didn't even use his own song and save a few quid on the licensing.

[Indomitable Spirit]

"But there are angels! They don't have wings and live in clouds. They wear nurses uniforms and work hard to pay the rent... on their houses."

Gervais... you've done it again.

[shiftwork2]

Absolute wank.

[Ferris]

If you heave a brick through the window of someone's range rover because they don't stop for you at a crossing point, they will likely get out and batter you.

Separately; for all his talk of kindness, that car could have been packed with dogs and cancer children, one of whom now has a sore head from bricks :'(

[Dickie_Anders]

"Nurses are the real angels". Fair play Ricky, you had us for a while there. You just about got away with the song about the poor Dad who counts the lines around his woman's eyes. But there is absolutely no way, NO WAY this isn't a piss take

[kalowski]

I'd have never imagined what a profoundly deep glorious soul Gervais is if he hadn't created this incredibly wonderful show for us... especially when he said "I hope it was his cock, you cunt".

[non capisco]

Was hoping this was the series where we get to see him tearfully watching the video his dying dog made for him.

"Rear Ricky, ron't rorry arout re, rust re rind."

[paruses]

I got the impression he was particularly pleased with the cock /cunt line. It's going to be a favourite with the fans, I can tell already.

I've said it before but I am convinced Gervais is just a top level troll for those mystified by sentimentality, aphorisms, and swearing all in one place. Unfortunately this looks very boring. Technically brilliant, those who troll will say. The troll's troll. Not enough egomania for me though.

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

Christ, this really does look fucking appalling.

And my GOD, the replies to his tweet. https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/1477278832302383108?s=20

"Such emotion - I cried watching it", "You are Angel, Ricky", "Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji", etc, etc.

[dead-ced-dead]

God, is his wife still nattering on her deathbed?

Del:
I remember what Mum said on her death bed. She said to me: "Del," she said, "please give little Rodney all the encouragement that you can. Never, Del, never hold him back."

Rodney:
She didn't half say a lot on her death bed, didn't she?

Del:
What?

Rodney:
Whatever the subject is, Mum had something to say about it on her death bed. She must have spent her final few hours in this mortal realm doing nothing but rabbiting!

Del:
You are walking a bleeding tightrope here, Rodney!!!

Rodney:
No, hang on! Right, you remember last week we were having a row about whose turn it was to go down the chippy, yeah? And you claimed that Mum said on her death bed: "Send Rodney for the fish!"

Del:
Yeah well, I'd had a few, hadn't I?

[BritishHobo]

Christ, this really does look fucking appalling.

And my GOD, the replies to his tweet. https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/1477278832302383108?s=20

"Such emotion - I cried watching it", "You are Angel, Ricky", "Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji Loudly crying face emoji", etc, etc.

I've never seen anybody's fans talk with more hyperbole than Ricky Gervais' current fans. Every clip he shares, it's "Ricky you are an absolute genius, I never thought it possible to see every human emotion contained in one single scene, but you've managed it, you legendary artist. I am weeping, this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, my entire life is changed."

Just say it looks good you weirdos.