After Life

Ricky Gervais is, take your pick, ever reinventive (a la Madonna, Lady Gaga, the royals) or ever mutating (the worst kind of spirally viruses, the royals). A year ago, in Tony Johnson, subject of his latest drama, After Life, he combined aspects of past characters: The Office's gloriously unself-aware Brent; the more savvy Andy Millman in Extras; the saccharine platitudes that sat so ill in Derek alongside gags about mental health or other disabilities. After Life was a surprising runaway hit on Netflix, for an arguably slight comedy about a very singular, small-town man's depression after the loss of his wife, and how an angry man learned to be kind again.

I happen to like Gervais. Many don't. I relish his takes on some complex aspects of life - freedom of speech, organised religion, disorganised religion of the variety that tends to revere big lumps of rock or small ones of crystal, people who describe themselves as "people people". I like his loyalty to actors, although with such talents as Kerry Godliman and Ashley Jensen around it's surely not hard. And Gervais, bless, has done it again - same local paper, staffed by the soft of brain and low of self-esteem, same gallery of township grotesques, same lonely flat occupied by lovely dog Brandy and many long nights of the soul, pills to hand and large glass of red and videos of his late Lisa.

And I think I see what he's trying to do with the formula. To show how every single one of life's travails, when it angers one inordinately, can be surmounted, no matter one's grief, by a half-sigh of tolerance, of kindness - as long as the sugar is intercut with Gervais showing how mean he, and life, can be.

Part of the problem with this six-part second series is the scatological glee with which he hugs these acid segments. So it's not enough to have a cartoonishly unempathetic therapist; Paul Kaye has to make Chris Finch (The Office's rampant misogynist) look achingly woke. Not enough to have am-dram spoiled by a fat kid farting - he has to soil himself on stage. And, no matter that the arc of this second series is ultimately rewarding, hugely if quietly aided by the likes of Penelope Wilton and Diana Morgan - I'm just not sure whether this second journey is worth the lack of laughs it takes to get there. Because it is, indeed, just less funny. And if the message is the only thing, never mind the laughs crude or otherwise, I'm not sure whether it's worth the saying.

After Life series 2, Netflix review

Ricky Gervais's study of bereavement continues.

Ricky Gervais receiving 'so many letters' from widowers

TV and film star Ricky, 58, says that his Netflix show, where he plays a suicidal widower grieving for his wife, has really resonated with viewers as it returns for second series.

After Life Series 2 is 'even better'

Chuckling while you cry, you'll relate to so much of what Tony says about life; in particular, life after love.

Review: After Life season two, Netflix

There is certainly a lot going on in series two. This series overview barely scratches the surface and there are some crucial details we haven't revealed. Does it surpass the first series? I'm not sure. That made such an impact it was always going to be hard to beat. But there is no doubt that this sequel will grab you from the very start and keep you grabbed until the very end.

After Life Series 2 review

Given he's known for brutally direct stand-up, it's little surprise that Ricky Gervais doesn't do subtext.

After Life cast reveal Ricky Gervais's pranks on set

Netflix's After Life cast have revealed how Ricky Gervais would sabotage them with major mischief on the set of season two.

I talk to Tony Way

Earlier this week I caught up with Tony to discuss the reaction to series one, working on Lenny's backstory with Ricky Gervais and why a certain love scene between his character and June took more than one take...

I talk to Jo Hartley

I caught up with Jo Hartley earlier this week to discuss her strong reaction to watching the series, what it's like being back and having more to do and why a certain love scene between her character and Lenny took more than one take...

After Life season 2 review

This series is constantly looking for easy solutions - whether it's not bothering to film 'village' scenes outside of London or using swearing where good jokes ought to be.