British Comedy Guide

Derek - Pilot Page 11

Quote: zooo @ April 16 2012, 10:10 AM BST

Ha. But no one gets on their high horse about it do they? They just accept he was portraying someone a bit simplistic and childlike. But no, it's Gervais so he must be doing something evil... Yawn.

Very much this. Mind you, Micheal Crawford didn't star in Some Mothers shortly after using the word "mong" with gay abandon. >_<

But I watched Derek again last night and I'm totally convinced it's not a piss-take. It also puts to bed the theory that Gervais can't do character acting and can only play himself.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 16 2012, 10:24 AM BST

But I watched Derek again last night and I'm totally convinced it's not a piss-take. It also puts to bed the theory that Gervais can't do character acting and can only play himself.

I agree.
That's why I wish he's resisted the 'mockumentary' approach - too easy to label it as the same old same old.

It's a piss take with some rather lumpen drama bolted on by I suspect a rather nervous script editor.

And Michael Crawford played a foolish character, there seemed to be no attempt to pathologise his behaviour. In the way Ricky adds on all of those over the top gurns and head flicks.

Except for the episode where he sees a psychiatrist and even then that was a pretty funny piss take.

Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2012, 10:28 AM BST

It's a piss take with some rather lumpen drama bolted on by I suspect a rather nervous script editor.

No, Gervais will have done exactly what he wanted, rather than someone forcing 'drama' on him. 'Derek' will have turned out how he intended.

He's been waiting a long time for this, maybe 10 years.

I prefer to live in a shiny, pretend world where editors and broadcasters have standards.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 16 2012, 10:24 AM BST

It also puts to bed the theory that Gervais can't do character acting and can only play himself.

Ba-what?!

Me running around the playground as a 12 year old shouting 'I'm Joey Deacon!' was more convincing then RG's portrayal of a mental.

The only thing lacking from his performance was the phrase 'milky-milky'.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 16 2012, 10:24 AM BST

using the word "mong" with gay abandon.

Homophobe.

http://www.londoncomedywriters.com/blog/Dr_Sardonicus/derek/

my mate Sardo's review as ever a miserable bugger.

All this episode did was add to my theory that the character Karl Pilkington is a character - not a real person.

Quote: DeathbyMonkey @ April 16 2012, 2:11 PM BST

All this episode did was add to my theory that the character Karl Pilkington is a character - not a real person.

He was playing himself.

I wish all these clowns who think Karl is a character would take the time out to listen to the early XFM recordings.

But no, I expect they'd rather maintain a blinkered ignorant approach than actually do a bit of research.

Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2012, 10:28 AM BST

It's a piss take with some rather lumpen drama bolted on by I suspect a rather nervous script editor.

Ricky edits other people's scripts. Do you really think he'd let someone else do his?

Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2012, 1:01 PM BST

http://www.londoncomedywriters.com/blog/Dr_Sardonicus/derek/

my mate Sardo's review as ever a miserable bugger.

Your mate can't spell Ricky's name right.

Quote: Dr Sanchez @ April 16 2012, 3:08 PM BST

He was playing himself.

I wish all these clowns who think Karl is a character would take the time out to listen to the early XFM recordings.

But no, I expect they'd rather maintain a blinkered ignorant approach than actually do a bit of research.

Quite agree.

Quote: Dr Sanchez @ April 16 2012, 3:08 PM BST

I wish all these clowns who think Karl is a character would take the time out to listen to the early XFM recordings.

The problem is that it doesn't add up. How can someone with no qualifications or experience just move to London and get a job producing radio shows for a very well known broadcaster?

RG just like Jonathan Ross and Danny Baker before him was very well versed in the American model of doing comedy. Listen to any US 'shock jocks' and they frequently rope in their producers to be the butt of the jokes.

I need more proof then Ricky saying 'he's real'.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ April 16 2012, 3:27 PM BST

I need more proof then Ricky saying 'he's real'.

Then do what Sanchez just suggested! Listen to the 10+ year old XFM shows.

Or if that's too much effort, believe us, who have listened to Karl for more than 10 years, and don't assume we are braindead morons.

Quote: Dr Sanchez @ April 16 2012, 3:08 PM BST

He was playing himself.

I wish all these clowns who think Karl is a character would take the time out to listen to the early XFM recordings.

But no, I expect they'd rather maintain a blinkered ignorant approach than actually do a bit of research.

Yes... because I haven't listened to the back catalog of XFM AND all the Ricky Gervais Podcasts...And because I haven't observed that Karl gets more ridiculous as the series goes on, or that the team become far more fractious in the later series or even noticed that in Ricky's live stand up sets he hasn't plagarised stuff Karl said in the podcasts... Oh wait! I have. Karl isn't a real person (at least in the podcast he's a character).

Perhaps Sanchez you should double check if someone HAS listened to the back catalog of work before you assume they're a "clown".

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