British Comedy Guide

Derek - Series 1 Page 9

Quote: Sal Paradise @ February 7 2013, 7:45 PM GMT

It seems like he is just shoehorning in buckets of mawkish sentimentality and sad piano music because all he really wants to do is play a gurning half-retarded man and he knows he could never get away with that if he made it a straight comedy.

That.

With regards to the "sad piano music" - I believe that's been stuck on because it's a standard documentary tool. If we're to believe that what we're watching is a documentary, piano music would play at these parts. It's no different to a proper documentary doing the same thing, it's just that we're all wise to it now. If Derek wasn't a mockumentary, and was a straightforward sitcom (or comedy-drama), you'd all have a point. The documentary format does give a little bit of license for this music to be played.

I believe.

Maybe he should've just shot a documentary then?

Quote: shaggy292 @ February 7 2013, 8:26 PM GMT

With regards to the "sad piano music" - I believe that's been stuck on because it's a standard documentary tool. If we're to believe that what we're watching is a documentary, piano music would play at these parts. It's no different to a proper documentary doing the same thing, it's just that we're all wise to it now. If Derek wasn't a mockumentary, and was a straightforward sitcom (or comedy-drama), you'd all have a point. The documentary format does give a little bit of license for this music to be played.

I believe.

So that underlines how awfully written Derek is, that the soundtrack is so obvious and jarring. In any proper documentary, and decent spoof documentary, you don't notice it.

Quote: Aaron @ February 7 2013, 11:12 PM GMT

So that underlines how awfully written Derek is, that the soundtrack is so obvious and jarring. In any proper documentary, and decent spoof documentary, you don't notice it.

Maybe it's all a very clever meta-spoof about spoof documentaries?

Quote: Jinky @ February 6 2013, 11:00 PM GMT

Girl: I'm a shoplifiting chav that has nothing to live for.

Old woman: I like your nails.

Girl: I now have the respect I always wanted and will live my life to the full.

Shockingly bad. Gervais ought to have sent this episode to the Sitcomission and asked for some feedback.

Laughing out loud

She was a jarringly bad stereotype.
I did think it was a good episode overall though as the elderly residents were brought into it this week, seeing them get down at the party was funny and the ending was moving, the old black and white films nearly gave me the wet eye too.
Maybe I'm not cynical enough.

Quote: Shandonbelle @ February 8 2013, 12:28 PM GMT

gave me the wet eye too.

Sounds wrong or very right! :D

:D
It doesn't happen very often so I make the most of it.

Ricky Gervais pretending to be a learning disabled man throwing up and being comforted; whilst an old man wet himself and a tramp had a dump next to him?

I am increasingly thinking I must have a heart of stone.

Quote: Shandonbelle @ February 8 2013, 12:32 PM GMT

:D
It doesn't happen very often so I make the moist of it.

Angie!

Quote: sootyj @ February 8 2013, 12:35 PM GMT

Ricky Gervais pretending to be a learning disabled man throwing up and being comforted; whilst an old man wet himself and a tramp had a dump next to him?

Laughing out loud

Quote: Lee @ February 8 2013, 12:36 PM GMT

Angie!

:D

Quote: sootyj @ February 8 2013, 12:35 PM GMT

Ricky Gervais pretending to be a learning disabled man

Next you will be telling me it's wrong for an L.D man to play someone without a L.D. Or a black man to play a white woman. Or a white woman to play a white woman.

Seriously, if the part was played by a real learning disabled man, then we'd be having another debate.

Quote: Lee @ February 8 2013, 12:38 PM GMT

Next you will be telling me it's wrong for an L.D man to play someone without a L.D. Or a black man to play a white woman. Or a white woman to play a white woman.

Image
Quote: Shandonbelle @ February 8 2013, 12:41 PM GMT

Seriously, if the part was played by a real learning disabled man, then we'd be having another debate.

How would that go?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 8 2013, 12:41 PM GMT
Image

That was my reference.

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