Extras

"Extras" is a low-key hilarious spoof of the universe as seen through the eyes of a miserable & failed actor who is equally miserable & failed at the role of being a human. The main draw of this clever comedy is the cameo appearance by a famous moviestar in each episode (Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, David Bowie, etc), and in each case the celebrity moviestar plays an outrageous parody of himself or herself which is totally at odds with their true personality.

For example in Episode 1, "Ben Stiller", Ben plays a totally unhinged, arrogantly-insecure movie director who boasts about slapping Jennifer Anniston's ass ("in a movie though." "THAT COUNTS!") or in Episode 6, "Patrick Stewart", the Shakespearean goliath himself Patrick Stuart plays a vapid, emotionally-stunted, nudity-obsessed adolescent who makes you realize how Beavis & Butthead might be after they grew up. Also definitely stick around for Episode 8, "David Bowie" where bowie thrills a party with his impromptu song "Chubby Little Loser" with which he serenades Ricky Gervais.

All of this is played with a totally straight-faced, deadpan, witty & distinctively British sense of humour (spelled with an 'our') that should thrill all English speaking audiences.

But it gets better. Or worse, depending on how you feel about this. The stories aren't pure absurdist comedy like the examples I mentioned. Each episode carries an undercurrent of some serious social problem, usually regarding prejudice & insensitivity, that is brilliantly and hilariously--and slightly depressingly--woven into the story. I'll give you an example:

In Episode 3, "Kate Winslet", Kate plays an obnoxious, Oscar-award-obsessed parody of herself, taking on roles in powerful dramas about things like the Holocaust, pretending to care about the issues, just because she knows those roles win the awards. In a parallel story, Ricky ("Adam") begins flirting with a girl he meets who is Catholic, so he pretends he too is Catholic, with hilariously disastrous results when he meets an actual priest. And at the same time he is forcing a show of empathy for the girl's sister who has cerebral palsy (excellently played by comedienne & real-life cerebral palsy afflicted Francesca Martinez, whom you gotta check out on youtube after the show). Like Kate, Ricky is merely putting on a front to mask his selfish agenda, only we see the duality of Kate's success vs. Ricky's utter failure, and that's the "a bit depressing" part I mentioned in my title.

It's not played off as schlocky or silly or with a big drumshot punchline. Instead we get just enough sobering reality to affect us on a serious level while on the surface we are mirthfully awaiting the next gag. Sometimes, masterfully, the next gag doesn't come and we are left with the sobering reality. This might be disorienting to audiences who are just expecting a zany comedy, but to me it's what elevates this production from zany comedy to masterpiece material. Without losing its comedic rhythm, "Extras" gives us some powerful thoughts to ponder, but ultimately leaves us laughing.

Ricky Gervais would continue to refine this storytelling technique, perhaps even recycle some of these powerful thoughts in later productions (such as his 2009 film "The Invention of Lying" which uses a powerful bit from the "Kate Winslet" episode regarding faith and the afterlife), and Ricky would eventually arrive at what is to me is best work so far, the currently running "After Life". If you enjoy "Extras" then definitely check out "After Life" where Ricky turns up the volume on the depressing aspects while keeping in line with the witty, sarcastic humour that keeps us coming back for more.

This sort of societally-self-deprecating comedy is a rare occurrence (and by 'societally-self-deprecating' I'm talking about comedies that shed light on society's flaws by unapologetically parading these flaws in our faces). But if you enjoyed "The Sarah Silverman Show" (where she herself plays a cluelessly selfish, borderline racist, privileged white girl) then you might know what to expect. But in Sarah Silverman, the comedy does come across as campy and silly so it's not quite as powerful and quietly sobering as what we get here. But in both cases, it's a novel way of looking at our crazy, conflicted society through the veil of laughs. Definitely check this series out if you have the chance.

I think the genre of the movie is not clear to all... This is FAR from your normal comedy. It's borderline dramatic. You'll get to gigel and even laugh yourself to tears but the genius of the show doesn't lie here. It's the awkward moments and the depressing ones that make this show like no other.

I find myself sometimes wishing that Andy would find a new best friend, a new agent or at least a small break but the awkward comedy that follows always leaves me wanting for more, wanting to see how much he can take before he breaks.

The sadness that sometimes appears in Andy's eyes reminds us of all the unfortunes we had to go through in our lives. But he stands strong and so do we, just waiting to "have a laugh".

The ending fits perfectly with the theme of the show. "Tea for the Tillerman" offers a strangely thin comfort until the next time it will play, maybe under somewhat better circumstances (witch never really happens). I really think there is no better show to watch after a hard day at work. It always leaves you satisfied. So chin up Andy and do the magic that you do and maybe one day it will all be worth it!

What is it about irony that tickles us so? In some ways it reminds me of films that I find delightful in their atrocity: "Doom", "DOA", "Snakes on a Plane" are some recent prime examples of Goodness By Antithesis; films that are so brazenly and proudly bad that you have to like them. Irony, as we like to see it, is similar in that it is Humor By Antithesis: situations and events that are so mundanely tragic, so cringe-making and excruciating that we just have to laugh. It is a bizarre logic, it's a twisted logic, but it's also worth noting that it's a line so fine that only the cleverest and subtlest of writers can really make it work. America's Larry David is one. England's Ricky Gervais is the other.

In creating a follow-up series to "The Office", Gervais risked destroying a damn-near flawless career. It's hard to imagine there wasn't a niggling in his ear telling him to quit while he was ahead. What would really be the harm in letting the world remember him as David Brent? Apart from the nature of the character, the real harm in this would have been that to deny us Andy Millman would be to deny himself status as one of the world's most brilliant comic minds. "Extras" doesn't just further establish Gervais' incredible comedy prowess, it deepens it.

On the surface, the series patiently shows us the mundane and rather fruitless life of a working film Extra, Millman (Gervais), who fancies himself a "real actor" but has never gotten any real acting work. He bitches about this to his friend, confidant and fellow Extra Maggie (Ashley Jensen), who also shares her problems with him. Deep down, however, "Extras" is a deliciously satirical look at the ambitions of the human heart, the ironic overthrow of those ambitions and the emotional chaos of breaking the unspoken rules of society (such as 'Don't Lie To A Catholic Priest About Your Nonexistent Catholicism', and 'Don't Tell Your Best Friend's Colleague That Your Best Friend Said He Was "Too Gay"').

Other reviews have called "Extras" a watered down "Office", and I think this is a fair observation, but not at all a bad thing. After all, despite sequential order "Seinfeld" is much more diluted than "Curb Your Enthusiasm", but the former is still a far superior show. Not that any inferiority between Gervais' shows is being inferred, of course. Where "Extras" is softer than "The Office" is not in humor, or intelligence, merely in character. Andy is really quite a nice guy; insensitive at times, but only in a mild, charming kind of way. Your pity for him is genuine, and not the result of a deeper emotion such as bewilderment or frustration.

The David Brents of "Extras" are not Gervais at all but the transient side characters, and often (brilliantly, fantastically) the celebrity cameos. In short, and this is said with no inflation whatsoever, Celebrity Cameos as a film/television device has its worth made and sold in "Extras". We thought we'd seen self-parody work before. We were wrong. The sheer reckless abandon with which Gervais and the gallant celebrity meat send themselves up (and up and up) practically creates fireworks. Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet and Patrick Stewart are not only the draw cards but the dazzling high lights. They are forever heroes in my eyes.

Maybe it's this ultimate irony that galvanizes "Extras"' brilliance: the celebrity personalities who live the life Andy dreams of reveal themselves exclusively to him as being petty, irresponsible, greedy, insensitive, sexually perverted megalomaniacs, while he, the nobody Extra, cops all sorts of cosmic flack for, mostly, trying to do the right thing. Naturally, this kind of thing borders on cruel, but just before we begin to feel bad for laughing at his hopeless misfortune he lets us know it's alright by cracking a smile himself, telling a joke to Maggie and shaking it off. Then Cat Stevens washes us clean with "Tea for the Tillerman". Yes sir, Ricky Gervais knows how to make it work.

It seems odd that the knives are being sharpened so quickly - one episode and, for some, it's all over bar the lynching. What price comedic success, eh…? Like everybody, I thought The Office was pure comedy gold. The premise was so strong that even the US offering couldn't fail. So, this time up, what has Ricky Gervais got for us? Well, more of the same only different. 'Extras' is in the same mould as The Office, there are those cringe worthy moments that we've all grown to love and expect...but there's a clever twist on the formula. The Gervaise character isn't the butt of all of the jokes this time around. Sure, the scene in the trailer with the crying eastern European reminded one of the fake sacking of Dawn and the scene towards the end at the party with the racial slurs was pure Brent, but more often than not Andy was observer and rye commentator on what was going on around him. This would simply have been beyond David Brent's self obsessed nature.

All in all, 'Extras' has what it takes and I await the next episode with great anticipation.

Every so often, England hits the comedic mark and creates a benchmark to which all else must aspire; Monthy Python, Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses and, of course, the simply faultless "The Office". The writing team of Gervais and Merchant crafted in that series some of the most achingly funny and desperately well observed depictions of the human condition ever committed to film. "The Office" struck a particular chord with me because I have spent most of my adult life in sales and they nailed the highs and lows of that career brilliantly.

Moving on then to their new offering; "Extras", I am happy to report that the observational skills have not deserted them. This time the central character (Andy Millman) is again played by Ricky Gervais, only, unlike his David Brent character, Millman is astute, caring and worth the time of day. Unforutnately, like Brent, he is also trapped in a spiral of underachievement.

Andy Millman is an film extra, a background artiste, who aspires to a real acting role and the central theme of each episode is his quest for a "line" in each film in which he appears in the background. Along side him is his (seemingly) only friend, a frustrated thirty something woman, Maggie Jacobs (superbly played by Ashley Jensen), whose sole aim seems to be to find a husband / longterm partner. Add into this mix a chronically crap agent (Merchant himself), a nemesis in the shape of another extra who seems to be getting lines and a liberal sprinkling of cameoing "A" list guest stars and you have a wonderful platform on which to build a spankingly funny series.

And wow... do they hit a home run! Every second of each episode is deliciously funny and acutely observed. Highlights to look out for are the Ben Stiller/Dodgeball opening weekend grosses scene - the Golly scene in Maggie's apartment - the "Are you really a Catholic scene" and, above anything you will have ever seen in a TV comedy, the entire Les Dennis episode.

Les Dennis will be lost on Americans but for those of us who have followed his plunging career, you can only weep for this superbly written and judged performance. Pathos doesn't even begin to cover it.

Also, anyone who can look at Kate Winslet again without thinking of that "phone sex" scene is a better man than me.

Please, please, watch "Extras". It may, for some, be an acquired taste but once you have that taste, its like a piece of Swiss chocolate - exquisite.

And no laugh track either - yay England.