[TV] Fawlty Towers reboot.

[Seagull58]

Afterlife is absolutely terrible. Actually worse than Derek. Gervais' character wanders about being self obsessed and unpleasant whilst loads of straw men appear just to give the character opportunities to express the real Gervais's views on the world. Everyone around him is treated awfully, but keeps saying how lovely he is. We never see any evidence of this loveliness. At one point his character pretty much murders an addict and this action is never referenced again. As a drama it makes no sense. No characters have an inner world, nothing moves anywhere. There is no story. Just the same things repeated again and again every episode. The comedy moments are hacky and don't come naturally from character or situation. The only real laughs are from that weird edit where they superimposed Kerry Godliman's smiling face on a swimmer who is obviously not her. I hate watched it, unable to believe that something so trite had been made let alone been given awards.

I disagree. It was brilliant. Pathos and comedy.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

But its not overtly any of those! You can still tread on ice with those kind of jones, obviously, not with jokes like that throughout your whole set, but, with at least one or two wincers!

So, what sort of offence is acceptable, then?

 

[WATFORD zero]

Afterlife is absolutely terrible. Actually worse than Derek. Gervais' character wanders about being self obsessed and unpleasant whilst loads of straw men appear just to give the character opportunities to express the real Gervais's views on the world. Everyone around him is treated awfully, but keeps saying how lovely he is. We never see any evidence of this loveliness. At one point his character pretty much murders an addict and this action is never referenced again. As a drama it makes no sense. No characters have an inner world, nothing moves anywhere. There is no story. Just the same things repeated again and again every episode. The comedy moments are hacky and don't come naturally from character or situation. The only real laughs are from that weird edit where they superimposed Kerry Godliman's smiling face on a swimmer who is obviously not her. I hate watched it, unable to believe that something so trite had been made let alone been given awards.

Well I liked it

But I do think you should get off the fence and tell us what you really think

 

[BadFish]

"Old git baffled by the modern world" doesn't particularly hit my funny bone.

Pass.

It has been totally overdone on social media . . . Everyday . . . All day.

 

[The Clamp]

Afterlife is absolutely terrible. Actually worse than Derek. Gervais' character wanders about being self obsessed and unpleasant whilst loads of straw men appear just to give the character opportunities to express the real Gervais's views on the world. Everyone around him is treated awfully, but keeps saying how lovely he is. We never see any evidence of this loveliness. At one point his character pretty much murders an addict and this action is never referenced again. As a drama it makes no sense. No characters have an inner world, nothing moves anywhere. There is no story. Just the same things repeated again and again every episode. The comedy moments are hacky and don't come naturally from character or situation. The only real laughs are from that weird edit where they superimposed Kerry Godliman's smiling face on a swimmer who is obviously not her. I hate watched it, unable to believe that something so trite had been made let alone been given awards.

100% agree with all of the above. Terrible, mawkish, egocentric, mush.

 

[jcdenton08]

Afterlife is absolutely terrible. Actually worse than Derek. Gervais' character wanders about being self obsessed and unpleasant whilst loads of straw men appear just to give the character opportunities to express the real Gervais's views on the world. Everyone around him is treated awfully, but keeps saying how lovely he is. We never see any evidence of this loveliness. At one point his character pretty much murders an addict and this action is never referenced again. As a drama it makes no sense. No characters have an inner world, nothing moves anywhere. There is no story. Just the same things repeated again and again every episode. The comedy moments are hacky and don't come naturally from character or situation. The only real laughs are from that weird edit where they superimposed Kerry Godliman's smiling face on a swimmer who is obviously not her. I hate watched it, unable to believe that something so trite had been made let alone been given awards.

Strongly disagree with all of this. I found it funny, genuinely moving and well acted to boot.

I did enjoy Stewart Lee’s little whinge about it - one of the few funny parts of “Tornado”. But I suspect Lee really liked it too. Most of his gimmick is complaining about people he deems “inferior” getting critical acclaim. Gervais fits the bill on both counts.

I might actually go back and rewatch the whole of Afterlife again - wonderful.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

I'm aware of the circumstances. My comparison was based only on Lee's executors seeking a cash in on an inferior product because it had a ready made audience of millions who loved the superior one.

Fair enough, but this is supposedly Cleese himself wanting to release new material rather than it being produced without his consent.

I guess he could be being coerced into it all.

 

[Stato]

I did enjoy Stewart Lee’s little whinge about it - one of the few funny parts of “Tornado”. But I suspect Lee really liked it too. Most of his gimmick is complaining about people he deems “inferior” getting critical acclaim. Gervais fits the bill on both counts.

You're completely wrong on this one. Check out his out of stage character comments on Rob Brydon's podcast. Brydon asks him about denigrating other comedians on stage and he explains that some of it is to serve the arrogant stage persona, but he is very very clear about Afterlife. The whole part labelled 'Punching Up Punching Down' is interesting stuff. The comments about Gervais and his 'drama' are from 5:37. 'One of the worst things ever made by a human.'

 

[jcdenton08]

You're completely wrong on this one. Check out his out of stage character comments on Rob Brydon's podcast. Brydon asks him about denigrating other comedians on stage and he explains that some of it is to serve the arrogant stage persona, but he is very very clear about Afterlife. The whole part labelled 'Punching Up Punching Down' is interesting stuff. The comments about Gervais and his 'drama' are from 5:37. 'One of the worst things ever made by a human.'

Interesting, I like Stewart Lee more the less I know about him.

 

[Stato]

Interesting, I like Stewart Lee more the less I know about him.

I'm the opposite, but then, like him, I'm a lefty, Guardian reading snowflake.

 

[jcdenton08]

Indeed!

 

[BadFish]

I'm the opposite, but then, like him, I'm a lefty, Guardian reading snowflake.

I don't find him funny but I agree the f*** out of everything.

Another leftie like for Stewart here. Funny and clever

 

[JBizzle]

Ah yes, I thought this would eventually happen.

After Cleese went on the BBC, Sky News and ITV to talk about how the BBC, Sky News and ITV don't give platforms to old white men like him anymore, it was only a matter of time before this poor marginalised celebrity used his platform of silence to commission a TV show to go alongside his other TV show on GBeebies.

If only someone had just let him speak!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I'm the opposite, but then, like him, I'm a lefty, Guardian reading snowflake.

These days, if you say you don't like Stewart Lee, you get arrested and thrown in jail...