Quote: Captain Carex @ April 6 2012, 1:53 PM BSTHow long does it take to turn an idea into a script and pilot? Would 5 months cover it?
You read the bit about how he came up with Derek 12 years ago, right...?
Derek - Pilot Page 4
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http://nickyclark.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/ricky-gervais-talks-about-derek-karl.html
Interesting article about Derek written by an ex-offended-by-Ricky disabled rights woman.
Quote: zooo @ April 6 2012, 3:49 PM BSTYou read the bit about how he came up with Derek 12 years ago, right...?
So what did we think of this? Sadly I was kind of "meh"
I kind of enjoyed it, though I didn't laugh much; all the funniest bits were in the trailers. Nice ending. I think, if there was to be more, he should increase the amount of story, and maybe tone down the shuffles and gurns.
Bitter-sweet comedy?
It's just RG, as usual, mocking those more 'special' than him.
Combing your hair forward and lettng your bottom lip hang is just feeding the stereotype of those less fortunate.
It's not comedy - it's taking he piss.
The Office was funny - Ricky Gervais is not.
Quote: CCVodka @ April 12 2012, 10:40 PM BSTThe Office was funny - Ricky Gervais is not.
He co-wrote, created the character of Brent, and starred in it; so at the very least he was funny for a bit, even if you dislike him now.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 12 2012, 10:37 PM BSTI think, if there was to be more, he should increase the amount of story, and maybe tone down the shuffles and gurns.
I'd go along with that. Ricky Gervais was mugging it a bit but it was a very likeable pilot.
This kind of bitter sweet comedy is hard to pull off but fair play to Gervais for taking a different direction, rather than Brent in a care home. Hope he concentrates on this instead of Life's Too Short.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 12 2012, 10:37 PM BSTI kind of enjoyed it, though I didn't laugh much; all the funniest bits were in the trailers. Nice ending. I think, if there was to be more, he should increase the amount of story, and maybe tone down the shuffles and gurns.
If I want to laugh at someone with a neurological disorder sitting in pudding.
I'll sit in a pudding myself and film it.
Quote: CCVodka @ April 12 2012, 10:40 PM BSTBitter-sweet comedy?
It's just RG, as usual, mocking those more 'special' than him.
Combing your hair forward and lettng your bottom lip hang is just feeding the stereo-type of those less fortunate.
It's not comedy - it's taking he piss.
The Office was funny - Ricky Gervais is not.
First post...
Please make it your last 
I thought it was good although a tad heavy on grief. I suppose they were trying to ram as much emotion into the pilot as possible. A full series wouldn't go amiss.
Wasn't entirely certain exactly what I was supposed to be laughing at. Pathos in comedy works when there is some comedy.
I only caught the last 15 minutes so hard to say but going as well by interviews I've seen beforehand in the lead up to it, I'd give it a chance. It's hard to watch an actor act 'disabled' without there being a certain amount of reservation but I think he did a good job in handling the character. Here and there when he looked to the camera I saw flashes of Brent, hard not to when The office was such a success.
I like the idea of the care home setting, it's new and brave even, I think the comedy will come through more as it goes along and we get to know the characters, the tone is bitter sweet so it's got to develop in a quiet kind of way, I don't see it being brash and laugh a minute. It reminded me a little of Phoenix Nights in tone, what with having a disabled main character and having that realness to it.
I thought this was trurly amazing, I hated Life's Too Short and Extras was okay, but I thought just this one episode really hit my funny bone and my emotional chord. It was pure gold and can't wait for the series (which will certainly happen). I just hope maybe Stephen Merchant could do a show by himself now.
Unfortunately, I found this an exercise in manufactured cynical heart string pulling depression. Nothing's worse then a comic who wants to be seen as a 'serious' actor and all I was thinking all the way through this was that RG wants to be Robin Williams - and for some reason, the whole 'full retard' speech from Tropic Thunder was playing through my mind.
We all know Gervais does mockumentary very, very well but I don't think it was a necessary format to tell the story. It's also disappointing that Gervais has let the genie out of the bottle with Karl Pilkington and that the illusion of him being some bumbling misguided fool was just an elaborate hoax.
Like a lot of comedy drama, it fell between two stools and the overly sentimental underpinnings would have Spielberg vomitting in saccarine disgust.
I feel like I've been touched against my will.