Quote: Leevil @ July 3 2009, 1:38 PM BSTBarry Cryer - the man who has apparently worked with everyone, ever.
Oh, have you not worked with him yet, Leevil? He was round my house only the other week, offering encouraging advice on new material (in-between washing the windows - he does a lovely job).
Quote: Leevil @ July 3 2009, 1:32 AM BSTI missed you GT.
Don't worry Lee, I'll never leave (you)
No one bit on my comment about projected self-hate, but it's obviously true. There's even a big clue in the article when Gervais said he 'started late' - ie late thirties! I guess his love of American success over British success is explained by that too - it's remote and 'other' to him because he's British.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 3 2009, 9:24 AM BSTBut how did he show him up? By being difficult? What did he prove by doing that? If you think it made him look like a bad interviewer, then, well, he's not really Parkinson, is he? It just seems like a terrible shame he had to act that way.
I think by questioning the movites behind Gervais's "cringe-comedy" and where the laughs are actually stemming from, i.e not from a very nice place.
What Ricky done said on his blog, in response.
Well, I said that, at the moment, my favourite comedy is coming out of America, if that counts as "slamming".
Here are some things I like that are British at the moment...
TV Burp
Peep ShowHere are some things I have liked in the past...
Monty Python
Cook and Moore
Fawlty Towers
Ripping Yarns
Reginald Perrin
Rising Damp
Porridge
Blackadder
Fry and Laurie
Harry Enfield
The Day Today
Brass Eye
Father Ted
Big TrainHere are some things I like that are American at the moment...
The Office
30 Rock
Entourage
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Simpsons
South Park
Family Guy
Dexter (it's funny in parts)Here are some American things I have liked in the past...
Laurel and Hardy (half English)
Marx Brothers
Woody Allen
Bilko
Mash
Rhoda
Taxi
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
Cheers
Seinfeld
Rosanne
Larry Sanders
Police Squad
It's Garry Shandling
Arrested Development
Saturday Night LiveI'm sure I've forgotten some, but that's a quick list that comes to mind. Please don't be offended by my personal taste.
I also prefer Cheddar to Brie. Have I gone too far? Me and my big mouth.
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 3 2009, 1:37 PM BSTFair play to someone like Barry Cryer, who never seems to tire of new possibilities and personalities in comedy.
And he's got lovely white hair.
Quote: chipolata @ July 3 2009, 9:56 AM BSTI don't think he was a cock. I just don't think he was as overawed by gervais as so many other people who talk to him are. Such as Christopher Guest.
I don't think Guest was overawed at all. At least I didn't get that impression.
Why would any of these people be in awe/over-awed in the presence of Gervais?
In real life he seems to act like an exciteable, immature, slightly retarded puppy.
So even if a person was in awe of him, they soon wouldn't be.
(Although, I know that's not what you meant Tim.)
I don't want to name drop, but I met Ricky back in 2007. He was very nice, respectful, charming and funny, obviously. (As is Steve Merchant by the way).
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 4 2009, 12:06 PM BSTWhy would any of these people be in awe/over-awed in the presence of Gervais?
I don't think people are in awe of him, but if they are it's probably because he co-created, co-wrote, co-directed and starred in one of the finest examples of comedy the world has ever seen, The Office.
Quote: Jacob Loves Comedy @ July 4 2009, 2:48 PM BSTI don't want to name drop, but I met Ricky back in 2007, in person he is very nice, respectful, charming and funny, obviously.
But to his friends, he is how I described him above. 
(At least judging from what I've seen of him with Karl Pilkington, Robin Ince, and his editor bloke)
Just reading the stir about Ricky Gervais's plans to make a sitcom about a mentally-ill bloke. Here's an early incarnation of the character "Derek"...I must say I don't quite know what to make of it. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKSDFU-YZX4
Quote: Lee Henman @ November 13 2011, 1:32 PM GMTJust reading the stir about Ricky Gervais's plans to make a sitcom about a mentally-ill bloke. Here's an early incarnation of the character "Derek"...I must say I don't quite know what to make of it. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKSDFU-YZX4
Stewart Lee is not a fan:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/13/stewart-lee-comedy-offensive-gervais
It's not very funny and I know alot of people who will be offended.
You can make perfectly decent comedies with learning disabled actors, Ricky preteding to be learning disabled.
Is just a bit crapulent.
Quote: Lee Henman @ November 13 2011, 1:32 PM GMTJust reading the stir about Ricky Gervais's plans to make a sitcom about a mentally-ill bloke. Here's an early incarnation of the character "Derek"...I must say I don't quite know what to make of it. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKSDFU-YZX4
Did you laugh?
Quote: sootyj @ November 13 2011, 1:55 PM GMTIt's not very funny and I know alot of people who will be offended.
You can make perfectly decent comedies with learning disabled actors, Ricky preteding to be learning disabled.
Is just a bit crapulent.
He put this character in a podcast a while back. It was balls then, it's balls now.