Extras

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.

Gervais had a big task on his hands with this project- The Office has now entered into comedy history, and people had very high hopes for his follow-up. The documentary style has been ditched, and Gervais has given his character just a little more dignity than he gave David Brent, so the comedy is a little less squeamish. The changes in direction and style are daring and pay off- the show doesn't feel like a desperate follow up or imitation of The Office. In fact, it's highly original.

It's a pitch black satire, which follows the efforts of Gervais's character as he attempts to progress from being an extra to actually getting a real acting job, or at least a line. The shows also charts his female friend's unsuccessful love-life, his deadpan agent and parodies a celebrity every week. This week it was the turn of Ben Stiller, who was mocked as an evil dictator of a man, who constantly reminds those around him of the box office of his movies and insists that kissing Cameron Diaz "still counts", even though it was for a movie. Stiller is a good sport for joining in, and has fun messing with his image.

Overall the show is gently paced, well written and shows extremely high potential for character study. Definitely one to watch.

STILLER: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!? GERVAIS: Starsky or Hutch- I can never remember. STILLER: Was that supposed to be funny? GERVAIS: You were in it- you tell me.

"Extras" is another comedic highlight from the men who thought up "The Office". One might think that the success of their previous show put too much pressure on them to come up with a new project as brilliant and hilarious, but they pulled it off. "Extras" is every bit as funny "The Office". The humour is actually very similar with people talking themselves into uncomfortable situations all the time. I think that it's the new setting that turned off a lot of people who have written negative reviews. "The Office" gave us regular guys and something to identify with. A dead end job in a dead end town, gray routine and idiotic colleagues. To laugh about this all too realistic situation had a curative effect on audiences all around the world. With "Extras" it's different. I'm sure that this show is close to reality, too, but only the fewest people have ever worked as extras and can put themselves into the shoes of struggling actors Andy Millman and Maggie Jacobs. If you just accept that this show isn't "The Office" anymore and that there's no Gareth, Tim or Dawn, you'll find out that "Extras" has a lot to offer, too.

Every episode starts with a dramatic scene in Hollywood-style that's dismantled after a moment with someone yelling "cut" or Andy Millman's face popping up in the picture. Each episode also has a different guest star. With the success of "The Office" Gervais and Merchant (who plays a regular part in this series as well) managed to gather some big names for this project. Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet and Patrick Stewart all make very amusing cameos, but it's the British local heroes who really steal the show.

With only 6 episodes (so far) the first season ended way too quickly and I already long for the second series. This show still has lots of different ways to go. Hopefully Gervais and Merchant will explore the private lives of Maggie and Andy more as they did with the characters of "The Office" in the second series. Right now it seems as if everything those two brilliant guys touch turns to gold and I hope this streak of luck continues for a while.

In love with Maggie. I wanted to bash anyone who hurt her feelings. Jensen plays this character with such vulnerability and respect.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant is the peerless comedy-duo whose brilliant eye for comedy and drama surprised and shocked the world a few years ago with the Award-winning The Office, who later transformed itself into one of TV-comedy-history's most memorable and successful series. This is their Difficult Second Album, and its such a fantastic volume two of their already stunning career. Gervais takes the role as Andy Millman, a pretty straight-forward everyday man whose situation finds him seeking for more to life as he and his friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) both work as extras, or supporting artists if you like, and Merchant takes a supporting character as Darren Lamb, his literally useless agent.

Extras is such a fantastic show in every aspect, and the transaction between comedy and drama is purely class, the way you'll find the celebrity-parts (oh, it's just Patrick Stewart, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, David Bowie and Robert De Niro to mention some) egoism and embarrassing self-awareness adds realism to it, and it's sort of every fan's nightmare to see their favorite actor/actress act themselves into embarrassing situations. 'Extras' is something very few artists can pull off, it's a follow-up that adds depth to something already brilliant by not only making the funny bits even more subtle and the gags even more layered, but adding emotional resonance with outstanding pace. 'Extras' can't really be compared with the Office, it's worth more in its own right and it's downright one of the most incredible shows of all time.