Derek

This is one of the most sophisticated, deep, and emotional series ever made. It bittersweet and always brings out the light in the darkness that is life. It takes on heavy subjects and leaves you wanting to become a better person. Not too many shows I can think of affect lives like this. If you think you will like it, watch, if you think you will hate it, watch at least the first two episodes before you criticize it. If it leaves you with nothing, then fair enough, but I promise it will.

It's only flaw is that there isn't enough episodes to satisfy avid fans.

Ricky, you are an amazing writer and producer, and you made me want to be a better person.

I cannot speak higher of this series. It has made me laugh with unforgettable scenes and lines, and it has broken my heart with biting reminders of our society, mortality and reflections of our selfish natures.

I cannot thank Gervais enough for such a beautiful and poignant character.

A very pure and indomitable representation of the only people in our world that will ever know altruism.

Highly recommended for the highest highs and teary lows.

Jack

I started watching this show because I was upset, I was angry, I was depressed, and I thought "Hey, it is Ricky Gervais, this has to be funny as hell." I was wrong, it is funny, but it is also sad, it is haunting, and it is beautiful as hell. If you suffer from issues of thinking you no longer have faith in humanity, or wonder why you should even try to be a better person when life is getting you down. This show, this amazing character that Gervais has brought to life will make you realize why it is all worth it. To quote the character from the Season 1 finale "I have met people who do not believe in God, somes good, somes bad. I have met people who do believe in God, somes good, somes bad. So just be good."

I suffer from several medically diagnosed mental illnesses, and this show treated the subject matter with respect, not becoming a blatant parody of the commonly thought stereotypes about mental illness, but becoming a rich three dimensional character who has a mental illness and how it affects his life and the lives of people around him.

It was not an uproarious comedy like I was expecting, but in the end, what it was, was everything I needed at the time, heartwarming and leaving me feeling a good mix of sad and happy.

My sons turned me on to this series, and it brings back truly funny, happy memories of working in a forensic mental hospital on Oahu. I had a fantastic time working there and sharing my days with the residents who were great company and very interesting. Even after I moved on, I was able to come back on holidays and share a meal with them in the cafeteria. I still miss them and love 💕 the great heart in this show.

Ricky Gervais is a comic genius the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. His comedy is somehow both universal yet specific, appealing to a worldwide audience yet never losing touch of his English heritage. But enough about that, this is about something more important.... Derek....

The Office was a brilliantly clever comedy, Extras was even better, Life's Too Short was criminally underrated and wasn't given a chance to find it's feet, An Idiot Abroad is a masterful use of a genuinely interesting and captivating idiot and then there's Derek....

Derek is a masterpiece. I have to qualms about stating that. In future years, maybe even five or ten years down the track, Derek will be the sitcom that all other sitcoms are compared to. The sitcom formula of a studio audience and general dumb jokes is already all but dead, and Derek is the nail in the coffin of such shows. In fact, it is the inevitable fresh step forward for sitcoms in general.

Derek lets go of the usual sitcom laughs and replaces them with real life giggles. Sometimes you're not even sure why you're smiling, then you realise it's because of the situation you're watching. Even worse, sometimes you don't even realise you're smiling.

But it's the emotion of Derek that sets it apart from other sitcoms. It's not lame, superficial, meaningless emotion either, it's real emotion, due in no small part to the brilliant supporting cast. In almost every episode I've watched so far I've gotten teary. And thats exactly where the future is for sitcoms. Real emotion. People are getting sick of cheap laughs and emotionless humor. The best comedy comes from tragedy, always has and always will. It's a shame it's taken TV 60 years to realise that. Derek, along with a select few other shows, may very well be the savior of the sitcom. Because if I the future of sitcoms is Two And A Half Men then I might as well kill myself now.