Extras: The Complete First Series

When Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant announced they would be working on a new show in the aftermath of The Office’s success hopes were naturally high. There were also doubts that whatever they came up with couldn’t possibly match the quality of The Office, and it would have to be pretty special just to avoid conjuring up words like “one-trick pony”. But Gervais and Merchant were on the ball long before anyone actually realised; when Extras first aired in the UK during August the change in format was instantly noticed. No longer do we have a faux-documentary chronicling the lives of average folk working in an average office environment, but instead a situational comedy. Rather than go for cheap shots and gimmicky one liners it grounds itself in realism and succeeds in presenting people who go through all of the daily crap that we, the viewer do. Extras is one of the most brutally honest shows in a long time, so let’s get behind the reasons why.


The series follows best friends, Andy (Ricky Gervais) and Maggie (Ashley Jenson) who work as extras. Their job is poorly paid, but they cling on in the hopes that one day they’ll make it big. They’re already at the age where most people think they should give up, but nothing seems to stand in the way of their aspirations.

Extras isn’t a glamorous show in the slightest. For the most part it’s quite depressing aesthetically, but then that would be the point in providing our lead characters with an environment that reflects their current situation. Likewise Andy and Maggie are normal struggling people who refuse to give up on their dreams, even if it means that others laugh at them and feel that they should get back to the “real world”. It’s because of this that the viewer finds affinity with them; we can pity them, laugh with them or cheer them on and wish them every bit of success. Much like The Office then the creators inject a slew of naturally human characteristics, with which to develop their characters over time. Everyone has flaws, this is stressed; Andy has constant self doubt, insisting that he’s an actor yet always wondering what the hell he’s doing parading himself in front of those who are exactly like him. He’s also very manipulative and will reach new lows if it means getting a line or two in a film. Maggie is insecure and often shallow without even realising it, she also suffers from “foot in mouth“ syndrome. She’s always on the lookout for men but when she finds one they’re never good enough, to make matters worse she tries to entrap (much like Andy would) them by pretending to be someone that she‘s not. Andy’s agent, Darren (Stephen Merchant) is, to be fair, rubbish. He never gets Andy a job and yet he expects dividends. Then there’s Shaun Pye’s recurring role as Greg - Andy’s rival as it were in the world of extras, which creates some good bouts of jealously and mocking. But we soon realise that when time moves on we’ve all known people like them and at some point in our lives we have experienced the very same things.

I would say that Extras ultimately succeeds by hitting its marks every time due to being a relevant study on human behaviour. It’s far more observant and astute than most comedy series these days and what’s more it never forces itself upon us. That’s the real key here; it’s subtle and yet we get it. We can laugh at all of the hopelessly embarrassing situations that Andy and Maggie face, it’s funny because they’re true. Extras isn’t afraid to tackle taboo subjects, but rather than taking the easy route and getting crude for the sake of it, it tells us what people really think about certain issues. There are three key examples here: The first looks at black and white relations and asks us where we would draw the line when it comes to this issue. You don’t have to be a racist to suddenly find yourself feeling awkward in a situation. What happens if you make a comment that is taken the wrong way? Do you then try to justify yourself, make excuses? What if you’ve already inadvertently crossed the line and now you find yourself struggling to dig yourself out of a hole? A couple of episodes get right to the heart of this matter, but more painfully in Maggie’s case we’re constantly wincing or laughing because she just doesn’t know when to shut up; the Golly Wog scene is priceless. The second example is in relation to how disabled people are treated in the world. You can try to be as nice as possible to someone suffering from cerebral palsy or any number of disabilities, but at some point you’ve found yourself uncertain as to how you would handle the situation. It’s awkward, let’s be honest. Conversations aren’t always a highlight, and it‘s here that Extras becomes a far sharper piece of work. It’s blunt yet to the point, but it’s funny because we also get the opinions of those affected. The series could be considered cruel in many ways; an example coming from the mouth of Andy when he tries to explain to Francesca (Francesca Martinez) that death won’t change her problems, or that upon first seeing her he thought she was pissed. Finally there’s the age old homosexual commentary and it’s absolutely spot on. For those of us who don’t understand what it is to be gay we naturally have questions at some point as to why certain homosexuals act in the way that they do. As Andy says: “He’s too gay, he’s a cliché of a gay. I don’t care how much arse sex he has, but why does he have to be that camp? Screaming and clapping.” Truer words were never said, it’s a mystery alright but again it reinforces the idea of how a large majority of our society thinks. It doesn’t mean we’re homophobic or racist, probably just a bit ignorant.


The ace up Extras‘ sleeve is undoubtedly the way in which it illustrates the public perception of celebrity. Each episode features an appearance from a household name. Starting with Ross Kemp we have a guy who has long been portraying hard man figures on television. It’s now got to a point where people naturally assume that he’s a tough bastard, so what better way to portray him than to have him living up to that perception in real life? It’s an absolute blast too, watching Kemp go from being a big talker to a pathetic man, after Vinnie Jones confronts him about his hardness. Ben Stiller makes it into episode 2 and plays up to the egotistical Hollywood actor; in fact he gets very close to making the viewer actually hate and pity him, and indeed wonder just what he’s really like. In Kate Winslet’s turn we find her working on a film set during the Holocaust, but the only reason she is doing it is so she can win an Oscar - naturally because anyone who stars in a film about the Holocaust or plays a disabled person is in the running for a win. Les Dennis graces episode 4. At first we wonder what the hell he’s doing there, but Dennis is superb playing a self-ridiculing man who only found salvation in life through Melinda Messenger’s tits. Sam Jackson has a small role in episode 5, while Patrick Stewart ends the series on a high note as a lesbian obsessed thespian who relies on Star Trek jokes. One of the most wonderful additions however is Shaun Williamson as “Barry from Eastenders”. It’s kind of sad and pathetic to see him working for Andy’s agent (the highest paid work he‘s getting is changing light bulbs), while the agent constantly refers to him as Barry because that’s all he’s known for. Kudos then to everyone participating for allowing themselves to be treated in such a manner, and in turn getting some real belters in terms of dialogue.

In the end Extras is just superbly played all round. The chemistry between Gervais and Jenson is perhaps the best we’ve seen this year from any series. Their friendship is tested numerous times and even threatens to fall apart in the final episode. They’re uplifting, sometimes sad creations who have earned the adoration of many people, no doubt.


Episodes

Ross Kemp
Andy is working as an extra on a period drama, starring Ross Kemp. When he engages Kemp in some conversation he finds that the actor constantly touts himself as a hard guy, just like the characters he plays on screen, but with extra SAS training and martial arts skills. However Kemp makes the mistake of telling Andy that he could have Vinnie Jones in a fight. When word gets around Jones soon comes looking for trouble.

Ben Stiller
Andy and Maggie are working on a film based upon the Balkan’s War. Ben Stiller is helming the project, based upon the real life story of a man named Goran (Boris Boskovic), whose wife tragically died. Andy soon approaches Goran and asks him if he can get him a line in the film, after buttering him up with a £15 Top Shop voucher. When the time comes for Andy to act his part he bites off more than he can chew when he asks Goran to up his line count, which in turn infuriates the egotistical Stiller.

Kate Winslet
Whilst working as extras on the set of a film about World War II, Andy and Maggie meet its star, Kate Winslet. Maggie has been in a three week relationship with the props guy (one of her longest to date) and tells Andy that he’s into talking dirty on the phone. Kate overhears her and tries to give her a few pointers. Elsewhere Andy finds himself becoming attracted to an actress whose sister suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

Les Dennis
When Christopher Biggins is too busy to star in panto this year, Andy is offered the role of Genie in Les Dennis’s upcoming play of Aladdin. He soon befriends Dennis and is introduced to his young fiancé, Simone (Nicky Ladanowski). While Dennis is away Andy spies Simone cheating on him with another man backstage, but he wonders if he should tell his new friend or not. With Dennis on the verge of a breakdown despite convincing himself of a great comeback, Andy’s decisions could prove nightmarish. Meanwhile Maggie is reacquainted with her old school friend, Lizzie (Rebecca Gethings) who invites her to her 29th birthday party. But Lizzie’s father, Bunny (Gerard Kelly) is a tad overruling of his daughter, not to mention gay.

Samuel L. Jackson
When a middle-aged bald extra playing a police officer gets Andy a line in Jackson’s latest film he asks Andy to repay his kindness by taking him out for a meal. Andy begrudgingly agrees to, even though he can’t stand the guy. In the meantime, Maggie is chasing after a handsome black actor, but finds herself spewing out the wrong words, convincing herself that he thinks she’s a racist.

Patrick Stewart
Andy and Maggie meet Patrick Stewart on the set of The Tempest. After Stewart has finished filming for the day Andy pays him a visit in his trailer. He learns of Stewart’s plans to make a film about a man who can control world events but uses his power to make women’s clothes fall off. Stewart offers to show Andy’s own sitcom script to the BBC, on the provision that it might feature naked lesbian women. A few days later Andy’s agent informs him that the BBC would like to discuss the script with him, with the possibility of developing a pilot. Sure enough his script is accepted and he’s asked to work with consultant, Damon (Martin Savage). When Maggie comes to visit him at the BBC, Andy tells her that Damon is “too gay” and it’s making him uncomfortable. When she leaves, Maggie asks Damon to tone down his gayness, which upsets him to the point that he doesn’t feel like he should work with Andy. Andy’s script and pilot now hangs in the balance, which could compromise his friendship with Maggie for good.


The DVD

Universal has done a great job of releasing Extras onto a fine two-disc edition. The only thing I’m curious about here is the order of episodes. In the UK the Ben Stiller episode was the first to air, whereas for this release we get Ross Kemp. It makes little difference to be perfectly honest, and I’m going to presume that these are presented in production order.

A/V

Presented in an anamorphically enhanced ratio of 1.85:1 Extras is very pleasing on the eye. Unlike its TV appearance though this features some aliasing and Edge Enhancement. Otherwise the image is sharp, with solid colours and good contrast and brightness levels.

The sound is typical of a TV comedy production. Dialogue is most importantly crystal clear and the soundtrack, which features a few songs, comes across very well.

Extras

The following extra features can be found on disc two and like the episodes come complete with optional English subtitles.

Outtakes (19:29)
This is a very funny collection of bloopers, featuring all the guest stars fluffing their lines, along with Gervais and company. Gervais’s sudden outburst of laughter may prove to be a bit much for some viewers but there are some genuinely hilarious moments here.

Deleted Scenes
There are seven deleted scenes. The first takes place in the department store during episode one; featuring Andy’s opinions on Gordon Ramsey. The second is from episode 2 and contains a joke which Maggie fails to understand, before she questions it and calls Andy for help, putting her foot in it once more. Next up is a scene from episode 3, when Andy is sitting in on a Catholic meeting and is prompted to sing a little reggae ditty. A scene between Andy and his agent comes next, which is taken from episode 4 and is very brief; followed by one from episode 5 that sees Andy question a waiter about his late order. Another cut scene from episode 5 has Andy trying to apologise to Dullard but ends up trying to escape from him. The final scene is from episode 6, where Andy’s agent tries to have Barry from Eastenders appear in Andy’s new sitcom, after promising him the gig.

Finding Leo (9:50)
With Jude Law having pulled out of episode 6, Gervais must search for a new actor to take over. He mentions wanting Leonardo Di Caprio, so sets off to make the phone calls from his hotel room.

Taping Nigel (7:58)
Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais introduce this short piece which includes several bits of footage that Gervais captured of his editor - every time he ran off with a camcorder. There’s some very funny if not juvenile moments here, including Gervais putting his editor in a make shift robot uniform and creating a gimp mask made of sellotape for him.

The Difficult Second Album (21:08)
Gervais and Merchant introduce the final extra which looks at making Extras after the incredibly popular The Office.They talk about approaching the guest stars and the ideas behind creating their twisted variants, as well as the experiences working with them. There’s some behind the scenes footage and funny moments, including a plug of their office pencil case and office ring binder. Gervais goes into a little detail about fleshing out his character, as well as voicing his distaste for dressing up in panto. Ashley Jenson gets a mention, when they talk about casting before it finishes up with some larks.


Overall

Extras further proves that Gervais and Merchant really are comedy gold spinners. At the same time it’s one of those shows where you can say “Why didn’t I think of that?” They’ve taken everything that we’ve ever thought about these given issues at some point and worked them into a brilliant series. Series two isn’t far away; where it goes from here is anyone’s guess but here’s looking forward to it.

In the meantime it’ll be interesting to see how well the series performs overseas. Being a collaborative effort between the BBC and HBO has meant that it’s been able to open itself up for more possibilities. However some episodes and jokes may go way over the heads of an overseas audience, particularly where Ross Kemp and Les Dennis are concerned. Nevertheless it has a universal appeal, which should ensure that it strikes a chord with many viewers.