Damn, forgot to record it, even though I'd written it down! Should be getting a repeat soon I hope?
Derek - Pilot Page 7
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Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 13 2012, 9:07 AM BSTExactly.
I read the above post and, to be honest, it didn't do much for me.
But when I read it a second time with some SAD PIANO MUSIC in the background, I was moved to tears.
Quote: Jinky @ April 13 2012, 9:39 AM BSTI read the above post and, to be honest, it didn't do much for me.
But when I read it a second time with some SAD PIANO MUSIC in the background, I was moved to tears.
Apologies for agreeing with Lee on that point, won't happen again!
I doubt I'll be saying anything which hasn't already been said, but I thought it was too heavy-handed. Great, thick brush strokes left nothing to subtlety. The dialogue and the soundtrack told us absolutely everything, and then everything again in case we might have missed it. It was the polar opposite of what Gervais and Merchant won praise for in The Office. It looked like a television programme. It wasn't funny or affecting. They had 35 minutes and that wasn't long enough for Joan and Derek's relationship to be built up into anything significant enough to destroy, in my opinion. We'd barely seen her and Derek together. I didn't care. Is that the sound of a piano, though? Well, I guess this bit must be sad.
Hannah was nice. But even she was irritating because of the script. "This job has taken over my life." "Joan's died. I am worried about telling Derek." Were these just written on 'motivation' cards when Gervais was drafting the script, and they accidentally slipped into the final version? I didn't like Gervais as Derek. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was just watching him muck about. I hope he focuses more on writing in the future.
Karl Pilkington actually turned out a decent performance considering he's never acted before (is that right?).
It was better than Life's Too Short, I'll admit that much.
Quote: Phil Gwilliam @ April 13 2012, 9:01 AM BSTA more apt comparison I think would be Peter Kay's "Leonard" The oldest paperboy in Bolton.
A very similar character and one off dramedy.
I knew it reminded me of something! I'd forgotten Peter Kay used to be quite good.
I liked Derek. It was a bit heavy handed, the sad piano music sounded like it was lifted from the 'This is England' TV series and Gervais did a bit too much gurning for the character to seem real. But it was good natured and sad and funny for the right reasons (more warm smile than laugh out loud which is fine). Kerry Godliman was great. Even Karl was good. Clearly the part was written to suit his real life personna so any acting criticism regarding this seems a little redundant.
I don't think there was enough time to develop the residents as characters in 35 minutes. I would hope in a full series this would be developed further.
This was a pilot, so I think they have licence to make some tweaks (like toning down some of Derek's mannerisms) before it goes to a full series.
I'm looking forward to it.
It was nice (if somewhat surprising after Life's Too Short) to see Gervais steer clear of the cheap disability gags. I'd watch it again if they made a series, particularly for the Karl and Dawn characters.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ April 12 2012, 11:48 PM BSTNothing'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.
That's a bit harsh but I can see Derek in a treehouse with Robin Williams.
Just watched it, better than I thought it would be but I'm not sure what it is? If it's a comedy where are the laughs?
Perhaps it doesn't need to be defined.
To echo lots of other people, don't understand why they bothered with the mockumentary style, it didn't seem to add anything.
I think some people were watching it in the hope Ricky and Karl would be tipping old people out of their chairs and taking the piss out of "simple" people.
I agree that the documentary style and look to camera bits are slightly worn out by now but I don't think they detracted too much from what was a solid pilot.
Now it's time for Merchant to go solo...
I've just realised that Ricky Gervais' career kind of mirrors Chris Morris' and that he 's kind of trying to fill the void that Morris left on TV/be the next Chris Morris.
Both started off on the radio where they wreaked havoc and played on air pranks and wind ups, then they both did groundbreaking BBC sitcoms that really broke the mould - The Day Today and The Office (Gervais surely must have taken something away from this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguQFPnPIYc) and both have made the move to Channel 4 with darker, more controversial shows - Brass Eye and Jam from Morris (even Nathan Barley was edgey - containing quite a few c-words and lines about sleeping with a 13 year old girl etc.) and now we have Derek from Gervais.
Also, both have recently made thier directorial film debuts - Four Lions (2010) and The Invention of Lying (2009) (followed by Cemetery Junction (2010)).
Quote: Dr Sanchez @ April 13 2012, 12:57 PM BSTI think some people were watching it in the hope Ricky and Karl would be tipping old people out of their chairs and taking the piss out of "simple" people.
If only. Man, that would have been some funny shit.
BTW, if you press the Red button when watching Derek, subtitles appear that tell you how to feel at any given moment.
1.9million watched at 10pm. 25 per cent up on the slot average.
Good news for a possible series.
This post is off-topic
Quote: johnny smith @ April 13 2012, 1:00 PM BST...and both have made the move to Channel 4 with darker, more controversial shows...
Gervais' television career actually began on Channel 4 back in the late nineties.
I know but I was really just talking about the more sitcommy/narrative-driven shows they did. Plus BBC 2's The Office made Ricky Gervais a visually recognisable TV performer - just like what BBC 2's The Day Today did for Chris Morris.