[BinCat]

Originally Posted by Viscount Byron

Lifes too Short was great at times but as somebody said it was poorly executed.

I wonder if Ricky decided to make ''Derek'' after the ''2 mongs don't make a right'' incident?

I remember seeing a Derek sketch he'd done quite a long time ago on Youtube, a good while before the whole mong thing.

[doom&gloom]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

That face he's constantly pulling looks like the 'Joey' impression children did when I was at school.

That in itself isn't a good sign. Not only for obvious reasons but also because it just doesn't look believable. It looks more like a Little Britain character.
Which might work if that's the type of cartoony show he's trying to make, but not if he's trying to do the reality fly on the wall style comedy that he usually does.

The trailer said "comedy drama" rather than comedy or sitcom.

This might be because it's not very funny.

[Sez_babe]

I might take a look at it...

[penelopesimpson]

I think the thread title 'Ricky Gervais New Comedy' makes a massive assumption that there was an old comedy.

[degsyhufc]

Originally Posted by Andy Birkenhead

How come this is on Channel 4, when everything else he has done has been shown on BBC2 ? (Apart from his stand-ups and An Idiot Abroad)

And his standup shows and Meet Ricky Gervais and The 11 O'Clock Show

[DubDub]

i'm a Ricky fan , so will watch to see if it's any good

[Gusto Brunt]

Gervais sticks his chin out quite a bit in the role he's playing. He has to do it constantly. Looks like his jaw and teeth are gonna hurt badly.

Of course he 'has to do this' because 'all idiots' have jaws that stick out and they have greasy hair combed forward...

[Nailz]

Radio Times seems to like it. I'll give it a look.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-...derek---review

[loddellbosh]

Originally Posted by BinCat

I remember seeing a Derek sketch he'd done quite a long time ago on Youtube, a good while before the whole mong thing.

There was a clip of 'Derek' from 1999 so it's a character he thought up a long time ago. The clip's been removed now though.

I'm looking forward to it.

[Gravitas]

Originally Posted by Treble

I'm really not a fan of Ricky Gervais, the only time I found him slightly amusing, was on the simpsons when he 'guest starred' on that.

That seems a bit "worrying". I'd love to hear more about you.

Is it a "class" thing? Gender? Age? Tell us more please.

[porkpie]

Derek could be great , if only for annoying the PC mob who think its impossible to show disability without making fun of it.

However , I'm dubious it will be any good . Lifes Too Short indicated that Gervais really has run out of ideas

[Gordie1]

Originally Posted by doom&gloom

The trailer said "comedy drama" rather than comedy or sitcom.

This might be because it's not very funny.

What like his other non sit-coms, you know like the office, extras, and lifes too short?

What about shows like pheonix nights, i would call that a comedy drama.

just because its called that isnt an indication in any way to how funny it way or may not be.

Hows about we wait until we have seen an episode before passing judgment, i know its a radical thought for DS, but...you know, it might work.

[iamsofired]

It all looks a bit exploitative/bad taste to me, big fan of extras and the office but will give this one a wide berth.

[porkpie]

Originally Posted by iamsofired

It all looks a bit exploitative/bad taste to me, big fan of extras and the office but will give this one a wide berth.

So you've already made a judgment and won't even watch to see if you're wrong?

Precisely the sort of reaction that Gervais ridicules

[Killary45]

When you have a comedy with the lead playing someone who has "learning disabilities" the laughs come by either laughing AT them, or WITH them. Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Stan in Laurel & Hardy were dopes and we laughed at the silly things they did, but they always also got a lot of laughs by out-smarting and frustrating their enemies.

Is Derek always going to be laughed at, or will he turn the tables? If it is just going to be us laughing at an idiot, then it will not be my sort of comedy.

[MrSuper]

Originally Posted by Killary45

Is Derek always going to be laughed at, or will he turn the tables? If it is just going to be us laughing at an idiot, then it will not be my sort of comedy.

It's not really a comedy. It's a comedy drama. So anyone expecting big laughs will be sorely disappointed. It's not that kind of show.

[porkpie]

Originally Posted by Killary45

Is Derek always going to be laughed at, or will he turn the tables? If it is just going to be us laughing at an idiot, then it will not be my sort of comedy.

That does not sound like the sort of thing Gervais would create nor what most tv channels would consider suitable for broadcast.
I've not seen any of it but the comments I saw in (I think) the Radio Times from someone who has seen it made it sound a long way from "laughing at a retard"

[doom&gloom]

Originally Posted by Gordie1

What like his other non sit-coms, you know like the office, extras, and lifes too short?

What about shows like pheonix nights, i would call that a comedy drama.
That
Hows about we wait until we have seen an episode before passing judgment, i know its a radical thought for DS, but...you know, it might work.

That's why I said "might" not be funny.

Interesting that you mentioned Phoenix Nights because it looks like he's aiming at something similar to the "Leonard" episode of That Peter Kay Thing, which is one of the best things Kay has ever done.

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by porkpie

So you've already made a judgment and won't even watch to see if you're wrong?

Precisely the sort of reaction that Gervais ridicules

But everybody does that. It's completely normal.
We see a bit about a programme and decide if we think we'll watch it or not.

If that's precisely the sort of reaction Gervais ridicules then that would be a ridiculous position to take.
People have to discriminate and make a judgement call about upcoming programmes due to air otherwise everybody would watch every single programme that appears on TV.

[QualityCereal]

It looks absolutely awful. It's hard to put Gervais at the Golden Globes, The Office and Extras in to the same circle as Life's Too Short and Derek.

It just looks really... bad. That expression he constantly pulls doesn't help either. It looks like Gervais acting like a mong, rather than... an actual television programme.

[Alrightmate]

I know what you mean about that expression on his face.

People have been saying that Derek will be a comedy drama and not a sitcom, and that's kind of the problem.
If this is a comedy drama as opposed to a sitcom then that 'ape brain' face he's pulling looks like it could be a problem.
If it's a sitcom then fine, you could probably get away with it, but if it's a comedy drama which is usually supposed to be a bit closer to reality I can't see how that stupid face he's pulling is going to work. I just can't imagine me taking him seriously as a real character if he's doing that.

I'll give it a go as I tend to like the things he has done so far in varying degrees.

[Chief_Wahoo]

I haven't seen any trailers or even heard about it,but I'll give anything to do with Ricky Gervais at least a couple of viewings.Life Is Short was certainly hit and miss,but I look forward to this show anyway.

[Gordie1]

Originally Posted by doom&gloom

That's why I said "might" not be funny.

Interesting that you mentioned Phoenix Nights because it looks like he's aiming at something similar to the "Leonard" episode of That Peter Kay Thing, which is one of the best things Kay has ever done.

I loved Leonard, I find a lot of Drama comedy o be funnier than a lot of situation comedy.

[penelopesimpson]

I saw the clip last night. Yawn. Nothing to do with being PC - couldn't give a hoot about that. It's just not funny, simply one comedian who hit lucky once indulging himself with more of the same.

[jackbell]

There's never been a career with such diminishing returns. He peaked with The Office and has been on the slide ever since. He'll end up doing reality shows on ITV2 eventually.