Following up from "The Office", Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have created another great show. "Extras" casts Gervais as Andy Millman, a supporting actor always having to be in the presence of temperamental movie stars (who play themselves). Eventually, Andy gets a role on a TV show as a dorky boss with a catchphrase.
The setup is much the same as "The Office": it's made to look cinema verite, while the characters get into embarrassing situations with each other. Granted, Andy Millman is a little different from David Brent: David had nothing to do and so he deliberately made inappropriate comments; Andy hopes to make it big, and often claims that he already has.
Probably the show's most impressive aspect is how the movie stars playing themselves portray themselves as pathetic individuals. For example, Kate Winslet stars in a movie about the Holocaust because she knows that people who star in movies about the Holocaust always win Oscars; Daniel Radcliffe, meanwhile, will do anything to get laid. Ben Stiller, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom also appear. Seriously, how many people would be willing to depict themselves on screen as worthless human beings? All in all, this is a great show. I hope that Ricky Gervais continues with this sort of work. A true masterpiece.
The setup is much the same as "The Office": it's made to look cinema verite, while the characters get into embarrassing situations with each other. Granted, Andy Millman is a little different from David Brent: David had nothing to do and so he deliberately made inappropriate comments; Andy hopes to make it big, and often claims that he already has.
Probably the show's most impressive aspect is how the movie stars playing themselves portray themselves as pathetic individuals. For example, Kate Winslet stars in a movie about the Holocaust because she knows that people who star in movies about the Holocaust always win Oscars; Daniel Radcliffe, meanwhile, will do anything to get laid. Ben Stiller, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom also appear. Seriously, how many people would be willing to depict themselves on screen as worthless human beings? All in all, this is a great show. I hope that Ricky Gervais continues with this sort of work. A true masterpiece.