New HBO Series "Extras" Tickles Us Silly

Ricky Gervais is best known by US audiences for his ground-breaking BBC comedic series The Office. We've been watching his new situational comedic series, Extras, which premiered in the US on HBO a couple of weeks ago.

We've warmed to the show. It's clever, it's funny. As its name suggests, Extras is about a couple of British movie and TV extras -- actors who serve as background scenery. The program's story revolves around these extras' on-set attempts to advance their otherwise anemic acting careers in spite of the humiliations wrought on them by their lowly status in the movie and TV business.

Gervais has a way of brilliantly playing characters shackled with social insecurities and a stunted by a desperate need for protective pretense. Gervais's brilliance is in his subtlety. He rejects the overblown way of playing his characters and in doing so gives them credibility to which the audience can relate. Therein lies part of his cringing humor.

Extras is a solid, well-written and entertaining show, and Gervais's talent shines, but the show doesn't match the truly original and captivating TV comedy of The Office.

Essential Links

"Extras" BBC Homepage
"Extras" HBO Homepage
Official Ricky Gervais Web Site
IMDb Rick Gervais Biography/Filmography

Posted by Robsam at October 15, 2005 02:29 PM