After Life

I've just started watching this with Ricky Gervais (no, he isn't here with me on the sofa). I am loving it so far and I'm only ten minutes in. Some people don't get his humour, but, if you do, this looks set to be a great series. Early days, as I say...only on the first episode, but he's getting a lot right, here, that other comedians, turned sitcom writers do not.

I have always cringed when some comedians write sitcoms and try to push scenarios they would use in a set on to the screen...and it doesn't flow like a story...it just keeps bombarding me with bursts of set-ups and punchlines that feel disjointed.

This series, however, uses Ricky's humour in a very down to earth, reserved way...and pulls in observational comedy in a style I really like.

Ricky's character, Tony, has just lost his wife, Lisa, to cancer and the opening scene alerts us to that before anything else. He now lives alone with his beautiful dog and it's clear he's a little behind with a few day-to-day tasks. He works at a local newspaper, for his brother-in-law (his late wife's brother) and has just been assigned a new assistant, Sandy, played by Mandeep Dhillon...she was in Life on the Road too, as well as other comedies you'll recognise her from.

Early on, we see Tony talking to his psychiatrist, played by Paul Kaye...and he is one of my absolute favourite comedy actors. Having recently finished watching him as Howell the mad wizard in Zapped, I'm so pleased to be getting my brand new fix in After Life.

I'm about to press play to continue watching. Just thought I'd write a bit here to let people know the series is now on Netflix and I'm loving it so far. Enjoy!

I've just watched Episode One and I give it a thumbs-up!

I've now watched Episode Two and it's beautiful - absolutely beautiful.

I'd give Ricky a BAFTA for that episode alone.

He's had a few misfires in his career but - Christ! - when he gets it right, he really gets it right!

It's enjoyable but it isn't anything different to what he often churns out.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th March 2019, 3:22 PM

I've now watched Episode Two and it's beautiful - absolutely beautiful.

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Wow! I was just about to come back to this thread to say how I feel about the whole series (having stayed in sketching all day and bingeing this) and my description of the series as a whole was going to be 'beautiful'. So, thanks for that, Rood, I think so too.

Early on in the series, when he says the line, "Happy birthday," my heart melted. Also, the entire scene in the cafe with the fish fingers and that final moment. Oh my lardy arse...I loved it!

Every character has their place and purpose in Tony's life and...well...so much to grin about, here...and...just like the most amazingly violent sneeze I could possibly emit from my lungs...I want another one right now!

"You dirty ff....you definitely have bowel cancer"

I've just watched all six episodes of the series and it's possibly the best thing I've ever seen on TV.

I say "possibly" because it's impossible to come up with a definitive definition (see what I did there?) of "good" (and hence "best") when describing TV shows.

What I will say is that I absolutely loved it and that I laughed out loud more often during the series than I have ever done while watching all the TV programmes that I've watched since the day I was born - and I mean all those TV shows combined.

Please don't think that I was rolling around, helpless with laughter, from the start to the finish of every episode: it was nothing at all like that. I probably laughed out loud two or three times during each episode and that is a hell of a lot for me. I've always been a tremendous fan of comedy in all its forms, but I very rarely laugh out loud at anything while I'm watching it on my own.

I know Ricky Gervais isn't everybody's cup of tea and I know this programme won't be everybody's cup of tea. Comedy is subjective (as we're always saying) and I know for a fact that a number of perfectly reasonable, intelligent people are going to come along to this thread and say they're not overly impressed by it. So be it, that's (after) life.

In the past, Ricky has produced some excellent stuff and some decidedly mediocre stuff but with After Life, he has (for me, anyway) knocked it out of the park!

The above review is, of course, only concerned with the funny stuff - all of which comes from character (usually Ricky's character, Tony). The good news for viewers is, however, that there is so much more than funny stuff to be enjoyed. After Life is also charming and oh so touching in ways not normally associated with Ricky Gervais.

One could argue that After Life isn't actually a comedy at all but then, if it isn't a comedy, why is it so bloody funny?

The answer, almost certainly, is that it mirrors the bitch we call life and, in life, we often have to laugh to stop ourselves from crying - and then sometimes we cry anyway.

I too watched all six episodes over the weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed throughout. Probably the best thing Gervais has done, even if it did feel a little over-preachy in the final episode.

All of the cast were amazing - but I do have to mention Ashley Jensen, who really tickled me, and the brilliant performance from Roisin Conaty as Daphne. We've seen her character done umpteen times before, but never with such reality and humanity.

You tubby little ginger c**t.

It's the sequel to Derrick.
Same actors, nearly same lines.
I expected Brian Gittins to start talking dirty sex.... And where's Karl Pilkington?

I did like the sex worker and his dad's carer - but then again I like those two actors.
I don't think it's rubbish, I enjoyed quite a few bits.
Maybe he could write something and not always have himself and his pals in it.

Based on the glowing reviews I've read here I've just signed up to Netflix so I can watch After Life. I wasn't sure if my USB dongle internet broadband connection would be good enough as it can pause sometimes with YouTube videos while buffering but I just watched the first 3 minutes of Episode 1 and it didn't freeze once. The dongle is on the green light which means it's only running on 3G instead of 4G which is the blue light. Why didn't I join up sooner and what are the chances I'm going to stay up until 4am and will be falling asleep at work tomorrow?

I'm going to have to save all six episodes of After Life to binge watch on Friday.

Quote: Aaron @ 11th March 2019, 11:28 AM

Probably the best thing Gervais has done, even if it did feel a little over-preachy in the final episode.

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I think it became a little cheesy towards the end, but that's the charm of it, I think...and it meant Tony managed to tie up a lot of loose ends and let us, as viewers, feel completely sated by the end of it all. Not sure anyone who watches this won't be relieved to be able to sigh, "Ahh...yeah," and nod contentedly when the last scenes are played out.

I'm not sure it would be the same without Ricky and his regulars...and I don't think I would have clicked on it at all without having seen a picture of him and his dog, Brandy, flashed up on the Netflix home screen to promote it. I was quite relieved to see them all back again. AND they called his graveyard friend, played by Penelope Wilton, Anne. I know her character in Ever Decreasing Circles was Ann, without an E, but I don't care, I really smiled when she introduced herself.

Many writers/actors appear in their own stuff and include regular cast members. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...ya know?

There was only one outstanding moment for me and that was when he took heroin and laid down on his wife's lap.
I did find that touching.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 12th March 2019, 12:13 PM

There was only one outstanding moment for me and that was when he took heroin and laid down on his wife's lap.
I did find that touching.

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Sometimes, a comedian tells a little story and then comes out with an absolutely stunning line that you were never-in-a-million-years expecting and it just blows you away.

That's what Ricky did with the above scene - except that it wasn't comedy, it was tragedy.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 11th March 2019, 6:39 PM

It's the sequel to Derrick.
Same actors, nearly same lines.
I expected Brian Gittins to start talking dirty sex.... And where's Karl Pilkington?

I did like the sex worker and his dad's carer - but then again I like those two actors.
I don't think it's rubbish, I enjoyed quite a few bits.
Maybe he could write something and not always have himself and his pals in it.

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It's a completely different show to Derek and it may have like two or three of the same actors (which is what so many writers do) but they play different very different people. I don't see what you mean by the same lines but I'd like to see a few examples. Karl Pilkington isn't in it because it's not Derek and if he was in it you'd probably complain that there's even more mutual actors in it. And what's wrong with him writing shows for him and good actors that he likes? He brought in a bunch of new actors it's not like he's not giving others a chance.

I love this.
He distilled the best of his work and made something really worthwhile.
None of the clumsiness of 'Derek' or the vanity of 'Extras' (though I did love that - especially the big Brother Episode).