For some time I've been seeing comments here and elsewhere intimating that "Extras" was a decent comedy show, albeit not the stroke of genius that "The Office" was, that in any case deserved a chance, and all sorts of other trickles of faint praise. Since I was a great admirer of Gervais and Merchant's "Office" and not in a hurry to be let down in case that was a fluke, I didn't seek out the new series very rapidly. I recognized that a great deal of the success of the former series was based on Gervais' detailed caricature of Brent, and on the charm of the ensemble cast, which might be lost in a new setting. The new series hinted at hokeyness, with celebrity guest stars and the potentially thin premise of a scrabbling "background artist" trying to make good.
So, having just watched the first series, I was frankly bewildered to find that "Extras" was one of the best television comedies I've seen. It's funny, biting, touching, painful and likable in all the right measures. Gervais has created a subtler persona than his previous one: the essentially ordinary, honest-to-a-fault Andy Millman, facing his forty-third year with the quiet desperation of the perennial also-ran. Accompanied by his feather-brained best friend Maggie (nicely played by Ashley Jensen) and his insanely incompetent agent (Stephen Merchant proving himself as a performer as well as a writer), he navigates the choppy waters of show business with teeth bared. Brent's inane grin has transformed into the painfully aware grimace-smile of the borderline failure. Gervais has successfully softened his comic mannerisms without losing his edge, and it's paid off; "Extras" goes darker and deeper even as the situations grow more outsize and bizarre.
By creating one great, brief TV series, Gervais and Merchant could have been an unusually brilliant one-joke wonders. By creating two they establish themselves as genuine and formidable comic talents. "Extras" is not be missed.
So, having just watched the first series, I was frankly bewildered to find that "Extras" was one of the best television comedies I've seen. It's funny, biting, touching, painful and likable in all the right measures. Gervais has created a subtler persona than his previous one: the essentially ordinary, honest-to-a-fault Andy Millman, facing his forty-third year with the quiet desperation of the perennial also-ran. Accompanied by his feather-brained best friend Maggie (nicely played by Ashley Jensen) and his insanely incompetent agent (Stephen Merchant proving himself as a performer as well as a writer), he navigates the choppy waters of show business with teeth bared. Brent's inane grin has transformed into the painfully aware grimace-smile of the borderline failure. Gervais has successfully softened his comic mannerisms without losing his edge, and it's paid off; "Extras" goes darker and deeper even as the situations grow more outsize and bizarre.
By creating one great, brief TV series, Gervais and Merchant could have been an unusually brilliant one-joke wonders. By creating two they establish themselves as genuine and formidable comic talents. "Extras" is not be missed.
