Quote: nicholas keegan @ July 8, 2007, 3:49 PMI think The Office was good but for Extras they just nicked all the best ideas from Larry David and tried to make it more English.
For the Office he knicked all his ideas off Spinal Tap and the Larry Sanders Show. I agree with Zoo lets all agree that I am right, that is what Zoo said isn't it?
I say lets all agree that Gervais is Marmite. Which takes us back to the picnic idea. Will there be Marmite?
Will there be Ricky Gervias?
Quote: Walker @ July 8, 2007, 5:06 PMlets all agree that Gervais is Marmite.
Excellent
There will be both Gervais and marmite. For the picnic finale I will be combining the two and licking marmite from Gervais's naked body.
If only to punish you all.
I don't want to play anymore
Haven't read through all of this thread but I agree, as Paul Whitehouse said, Ricky Gervais is one trick pony...it's a bloody good trick mind.
The Office was great yes, but anyone who classes that as "original" does not know comedy and has no right to discuss any further. Especially when The Day Today team did the exact same thing called guess what "The Office" about following the lives of workers in an office. The 'documentary' style was not original either, Victoria Wood did them loads...and People Like Us which is superior to The Office also did them. The Office had great characters and plenty of laughs...but then Ricky proved with Extras that "the comedy of embarrasment" is the only comedy he knows.
Ignorant, racist, discrimnatory jokes masked by "irony". As the great Gary Shandling said to Gervais, "Why do you find those moments embarrasing?" and after a moment of awkwardness Gervais just said "Because it's funny"....way to answer Ricky. Why does he find those moments uncomfortable? I'm never uncomfortable around a black person or a disabled person. Also the total lack of depth to the characters in Extras is appalling, Maggie especially in the second series is reduced to a 'stupid sidekick' that just says things that get Andy into a mess. It was trying too hard to be Seinfeld/Larry Sanders/Curb, especially the whole 'getting a sitcom on tv' storyline. Extras was basically a way for Gervais to hang out with his "celebrity buddies".
Then his podcasts that he started charging for (who wants to hear him just plug his DVD's and then do that ridiculous laugh when his made up friend Karl Plinkington says something stupid?), his shitty books that he always plugs and don't get me started on his stand up that he can't even manage to do an hour of on stage.
What you've got to remember with Gervais is he's a failed pop-star, he was the worst thing on the 11 O'Clock show (and that's saying something) and then he suddenly returned has a comedy 'actor' in The Office which he wrote and struck gold with, fine...but it's obvious he's not a genius in anyway or a great comedian. And last night on Live Earth it was sickening hearing him first plug his new film with Chris Rock and then say "I don't usually do these sort of things you know (yeah just this one, and the Diana thing..oh and Live 8 last year)..but you know Christopher Guest asked me to, the Princes asked me last week"...yeah yeah, grow up.
I don't think he's a 'c**t' though, just overated and not that funny.
He makes me laugh, I think he's funny and as far as I'm concerned he does his job as a comedian/writer well.
Is he a twat? I don't think so, I've never heard anything that's offended me or I can consider "twatish".
Gervais isn't the best, but in my books, he's doing a bloody good job.
I'm shocked someone would title a thread with this. What is his great crime here? His track record speaks for itself as to whether he has talent. Saying he's a one trick pony when he's written sitcoms, books, stand-up and radio shows which have all succeeded, is ignorance of those particular arts. Questioning whether his stuff is funny or not is subjective but look at the ratings.
Then, saying that he's copied the spinal tap with the office is just stupid. Completely different characters and subjects - just cos its a mockumentary and cringe-humour. Yeah its that easy.
I loved the office, wasn't too hot on Extras and like the stand-up. But I certainly recognise his undoubted talent. To think some people here want to be writers and can't 'understand' one of the most successful talents around.
Quote: Martin Holmes @ July 8, 2007, 8:01 PMI don't think he's a 'c**t' though.
Which is really what we should be seeing. You don't have to like him, but people shouldn't go calling him a c**t. Because there is no proof, and i am guessing no one here knows him personally ... his security team makes sure of that probably.
The only reason people say he rips off Guest, Shandling and David is because he admits to being heavily influenced by them.
And to be honest Martin, reading your script sample, in the intro to it, it is clear to me, I even point it out *subtly* that you have been heavily influenced by Arrested Development. But I wouldn't accuse you of copying or stealing from it.
All writers, musicians, artists are influenced by someone, until they find their own style.
Even then, Leevil, they're still influenced, even when they have a style. No work is a work in isolation, everything borrows from the past BUT i guess the debate is how much 'conscious' borrowing occurs, which is a debate I'm just going to enjoy reading.
Quote: Leevil @ July 8, 2007, 10:44 PMThe only reason people say he rips off Guest, Shandling and David is because he admits to being heavily influenced by them.
And to be honest Martin, reading your script sample, in the intro to it, it is clear to me, I even point it out *subtly* that you have been heavily influenced by Arrested Development. But I wouldn't accuse you of copying or stealing from it.
All writers, musicians, artists are influenced by someone, until they find their own style.
True, but there is being influenced and then straight jacking other people's material. Extras Series 2 was Seinfeld Season 4.
And just because Ricky Gervais has done sitcoms, books, radio and stand-up doesn't mean he's versatile because apart from his books it's all the same humour, 'the comedy of embarrasment and uncomfortable situations', which is not original in itself.
I think Martin pretty much summed up my attitude towards Gervais in his post above. Although I'd probably have been a little harsher in my criticism, but yes, in essence agreed.