Derek - Ricky Gervais - Channel 4 - 10 pm tonight

[El Presidente]

Ricky Gervais playing a retarded autograph hunter.

Are there any other types of autograph hunter?

 

[Gonzo]

Found it cringeworthy - painful viewing. Shame as I loved The Office and Extras.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Are there any other types of autograph hunter?

I'd watch a programme about an autograph hunter hunter who catches his prey, beheads and nails the bonce of the part-mad sycophant into his gallery of the captured. Also in there would be the head of Hunter from the Gladiators for his general cuntishness.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

borrowing snippets of the soundtrack to This is England 86

I also noticed this. I think they were trying to make it 'moving' but I had no emotional attachment to the characters (such as in TIE or maybe even something like Scrubs) so it really didn't work.

 

[00snook]

Enjoyed Derek a lot.

Touching and subtle.

Plus KP is in it and the more the works sees of him the better.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I think he is a bit of a marmite. Works hard and doesn't ever get dropped, but splits opinion since he did really well at first, but hasn't been as strong since. Oh hang on, is this the Ashley Barnes thread?

 

[Racek]

Karl Pilkington has not done too bad has he! Dont think he is a much of an idiot as he makes out to be. Successful radio producer for many years, girlfreind is a sports journalist now hes an actor.

 

[Tory Boy]

Enjoyed it, but f*** knows why.

TB

 

[Notters]

Massive Gervais fan here and liked Pilkington long before he hit the limelight from an extra on Gervais' Politics DVD.

I have a HMV voucher (only £5) and was looking the other day - I can get both series of an idiot abroad for £15 - Would people say it's worth getting?

Thanks

DVD you say?

 

[Surrey_Albion]

I watched it and was pleasantly surprised. Against all expectations there was some really nicely observed and subtle comedy moments and it was, as mentioned above, very touching.

Yep I wasnt sure if I would like but glad I watched it and it left me wanting to see the next one straight away

 

[keaton]

Ricky Gervais playing a retarded autograph hunter. The premise has already landed him with some stick even before it is show. Anyone watching it ?

How do you know he was retarded then US?

 

[Simster]

Gentle comedy, amusing at times and I liked the obsession with the youtube hamster. But I fell asleep before it was half way through. I think that summed it up for me.

If it gets a series it's not going to be laugh-out-loud funny, and I wouldn't stay in to watch it. But equally, if I was in and the wife was really keen to watch it, then I'd happily watch it with her.

 

[Hampden Park]

load of shite.

 

[Rastamouse84]

I thought it was decent. Especially Pilkington.

So it was just a one off??

 

[Beach Hut]

Has potential in my view

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I like Gervais, LOVED the Office and appreciated Extras... but I have a nasty feeling this is going to be horribly cringeworthy & rubbish.

The Office is legendary, but compare Gervais to someone like Rowan Atkinson as a comedy actor. Gervais has so far only successfully played versions of himself, whereas Atkinson is convincing & hilarious in every role he has ever played. I think this Derek character will be too far detached from Ricky Gervais the person and be an absolute flop.

Gonna tune in, really hope I'm proved wrong

Atkinson has more talent in one of his toenails than Gervais will ever have. Gervais is totally cringeworthy talentless turd

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

Atkinson has more talent in one of his toenails than Gervais will ever have. Gervais is totally cringeworthy talentless turd

You presumably didn't watch this then?

I've always been ambivilent about Gervais and certainly thought his capabilities were in a very limited field - and had made a little go an extremely long way.

However, Derek really surprised me - partly because I couldn't see how the LA living multimillionaire comic with celeb friends could bring any truth to a subtle and sensitive observational comedy about a care home and its workers and residents - but he did.

Fair play to him.

However, any comparison to Atkinson is pretty pointless - different styles in different eras. Atkinson is a comedy acting legend - but again could be labelled as operating in a pretty specific and limited range.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Not sure if its supposed to be a thoroughbred comedy really it had its funny moments but also very deep meaningful moments. Quite strange really !!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Considering the Guardian and Telegraph were having a posh-off about the subject matter a whole day before us mere mortals were allowed to see it I found it immensely disappointing. Neither controversial nor funny. Just 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Shame as I loved The Office and Extras.

 

[Triggaaar]

Is this meant to be comedy??

I was having this discussion with my better half. We weren't quite sure what it was supposed to be. It wasn't very funny, it was sweet, but sweet isn't a genre. No one wants to watch something just because it's sweet, it wasn't a real life documentary.

You presumably didn't watch this then?

I've always been ambivilent about Gervais and certainly thought his capabilities were in a very limited field - and had made a little go an extremely long way.

However, Derek really surprised me - partly because I couldn't see how the LA living multimillionaire comic with celeb friends could bring any truth to a subtle and sensitive observational comedy about a care home and its workers and residents - but he did.

So you thought that was evidence that Ricky is a comedy actor at Atkinson's level? Ricky can write, and I never had him down as some out of touch celebrity, so having some awareness of life in a residential home is no surprise to me. But although his character was different, it always seemed like David Brent was trying to pop out.