[TV] Ricky Gervais - After Life - Series 1 and 2

[DavidinSouthampton]

I'm assuming that it's another swearathon? It's always good to hear the C and F words used as comedic vehicles..barrel scraped again.

So you've not watched it?

I watched the first episode of the first series the other night with Mrs DiS. The one thing that mostly put me off was the language.

I don’t like Ricky Gervais anyway, but this was marginally better than most of the rubbish (in my view) he has put out. But his humour to me is cruel, nasty, unsympathetic and therefore unfunny.

 

[drew]

This 1000%.
Ricky’s character makes EVERYTHING about himself. The junior reporter, Sandy, is completely side-lined Because of this.
And the ‘will they won’t they’ with Ricky and The nurse is the same conversation over and over again. It doesn’t move on all series and then with the final line in the series she’s tuned into an even more pathetic doormat. Woman are generally portrayed badly in Afterlife. I’m not sure it needs a love story at all.

I get that people who have experienced real life grief (there are some on here) resonate with afterlife. It does portray the pain of grief in a powerful way.
But that doesn’t make it a good series, and certainly not a good comedy. The comedic ideas are generally crude.
and Filming some ‘local ‘ scenes in London. That is just shit.
I hope Ricky hasn’t run out of ideas.
He’s better than this.
I’d be interested to hear hear how some of the canny TV critics on here (there are several ) feel about series two on second viewing.

Women portrayed badly? There are just as many male characters portrayed badly.

 

[vegster]

I watched the first episode of the first series the other night with Mrs DiS. The one thing that mostly put me off was the language.

I don’t like Ricky Gervais anyway, but this was marginally better than most of the rubbish (in my view) he has put out. But his humour to me is cruel, nasty, unsympathetic and therefore unfunny.

You are right, from what I have seen a lot of his humour is sly, spiteful and unsympathetic. However, he keeps on presenting the Oscars and they seem to love him ripping in to the actors year after year.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

He says what most of us are thinking, if you dont like it then you're probably one of the people the rest of us are thinking about! [emoji16]

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[PTC Gull]

His stand up show from 2018 was funny.
https://youtu.be/XAwU3Lyn--U

 

[Fungus]

I watched the first episode of the first series the other night with Mrs DiS. The one thing that mostly put me off was the language.

I don’t like Ricky Gervais anyway, but this was marginally better than most of the rubbish (in my view) he has put out. But his humour to me is cruel, nasty, unsympathetic and therefore unfunny.

Yes, I know what you mean. In a way, though, that's almost a "starting point" for his character in After Life - his "journey" through anger and grief is towards a more caring, sympathetic person. Who still swears a lot.

Some of it is rather moving if you follow it through.

 

[bomber130]

I watched the first episode of the first series the other night with Mrs DiS. The one thing that mostly put me off was the language.

I don’t like Ricky Gervais anyway, but this was marginally better than most of the rubbish (in my view) he has put out. But his humour to me is cruel, nasty, unsympathetic and therefore unfunny.

Your really missing the point his character is grieving. Out of that grief comes anger and a hatred for the world. Which includes swearing at people. I don’t think the first series is supposed to be funny but gives an insight to someone who has lost someone close and the way it changes their philosophy on life and people.


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[DavidinSouthampton]

Yes, I know what you mean. In a way, though, that's almost a "starting point" for his character in After Life - his "journey" through anger and grief is towards a more caring, sympathetic person. Who still swears a lot.

Some of it is rather moving if you follow it through.

Your really missing the point his character is grieving. Out of that grief comes anger and a hatred for the world. Which includes swearing at people. I don’t think the first series is supposed to be funny but gives an insight to someone who has lost someone close and the way it changes their philosophy on life and people.


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Mrs DiS will be carrying on watching it, and I won't turn off completely...…………..

 

[bomber130]

Mrs DiS will be carrying on watching it, and I won't turn off completely...…………..

I was exactly like his character for 7 years. As said in a previous post had a meltdown last year. It’s really not fun feeling like that, being angry all the time.


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[Greg Bobkin]

Seems a bit strange reading about football fans complaining about people swearing... It doesn't bother me – they are just words.

I've not experienced grief on the level that Tony (RG's character has), but I can imagine it being like he describes/portrays. If you become so self-obsessed and think about yourself that much, then you would turn conversations around to yourself and continue to feel low/depressed/suicidal.

I get why people don't like it (or him) and I can see why people think it's not as good as the first one. But what I got from season two is the evolution of his character as he comes to terms with his own grief and how he learns to open up and appreciate a) what he has still got and b) develop empathy to other people who might not be in the best place. I thought there was a lot more character development outside of the core newsroom cast, which added to the programme. The cynic in me believes that he's written it with a series 3 in mind. That might be the one that 'jumps the shark'...

Finally, what I WOULD say is that Mrs B is one of the biggest TV critics I know – there isn't much she doesn't pick holes in – and she thinks it's the best thing she's ever seen. Absolutely loved it. But that's the beauty of TV (and music, film, design, art, etc, etc) – it's not good or bad, it just caters to different tastes.

 

[bomber130]

Seems a bit strange reading about football fans complaining about people swearing... It doesn't bother me – they are just words.

I've not experienced grief on the level that Tony (RG's character has), but I can imagine it being like he describes/portrays. If you become so self-obsessed and think about yourself that much, then you would turn conversations around to yourself and continue to feel low/depressed/suicidal.

I get why people don't like it (or him) and I can see why people think it's not as good as the first one. But what I got from season two is the evolution of his character as he comes to terms with his own grief and how he learns to open up and appreciate a) what he has still got and b) develop empathy to other people who might not be in the best place. I thought there was a lot more character development outside of the core newsroom cast, which added to the programme. The cynic in me believes that he's written it with a series 3 in mind. That might be the one that 'jumps the shark'...

Finally, what I WOULD say is that Mrs B is one of the biggest TV critics I know – there isn't much she doesn't pick holes in – and she thinks it's the best thing she's ever seen. Absolutely loved it. But that's the beauty of TV (and music, film, design, art, etc, etc) – it's not good or bad, it just caters to different tastes.

Best post yet


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[Wrong-Direction]

Seems a bit strange reading about football fans complaining about people swearing... It doesn't bother me – they are just words.

I've not experienced grief on the level that Tony (RG's character has), but I can imagine it being like he describes/portrays. If you become so self-obsessed and think about yourself that much, then you would turn conversations around to yourself and continue to feel low/depressed/suicidal.

I get why people don't like it (or him) and I can see why people think it's not as good as the first one. But what I got from season two is the evolution of his character as he comes to terms with his own grief and how he learns to open up and appreciate a) what he has still got and b) develop empathy to other people who might not be in the best place. I thought there was a lot more character development outside of the core newsroom cast, which added to the programme. The cynic in me believes that he's written it with a series 3 in mind. That might be the one that 'jumps the shark'...

Finally, what I WOULD say is that Mrs B is one of the biggest TV critics I know – there isn't much she doesn't pick holes in – and she thinks it's the best thing she's ever seen. Absolutely loved it. But that's the beauty of TV (and music, film, design, art, etc, etc) – it's not good or bad, it just caters to different tastes.

RG said in an interview it's based on the different stages on grief

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[SeagullDubai]

Thought afterlife series one was good with funny moments. Series 2 overdid the depression.


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[m@goo]

Oh and one other thing. He's basically used the show as a vehicle to get his own opinions and points across. Several characters are there just so he can tell us his thoughts on religion, the paranormal, astrology. All of which he's covered in his stand up work. It's all very self indulgent and contrived. I think the reason it's done so well is because he's tapped into a state of mind that so many of us have been through but has rarely been portrayed on screen in this depth.

I can't bring myself to bother with the last couple of episodes.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Best post yet


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Cheers and sorry to read of your struggles over the past seven years. Hope you continue to move in the right direction

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Oh and one other thing. He's basically used the show as a vehicle to get his own opinions and points across. Several characters are there just so he can tell us his thoughts on religion, the paranormal, astrology. All of which he's covered in his stand up work. It's all very self indulgent and contrived. I think the reason it's done so well is because he's tapped into a state of mind that so many of us have been through but has rarely been portrayed on screen in this depth.

I can't bring myself to bother with the last couple of episodes.

I hate to say it, but Episodes 5 and 6 are by far the best episodes in Series 2

 

[Notters]

Apparently the fat kid is based on James Corden, I thought it was.

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Oh there's elements of James Corden AS WELL as Ricky Gervais? You're really making me want to watch it.

 

[Is it PotG?]

https://www.nme.com/blogs/tv-blogs/after-life-season-three-ricky-gervais-everything-we-know-so-far-2651017

All set for Series 3.

 

[drew]

Oh and one other thing. He's basically used the show as a vehicle to get his own opinions and points across. Several characters are there just so he can tell us his thoughts on religion, the paranormal, astrology. All of which he's covered in his stand up work. It's all very self indulgent and contrived. I think the reason it's done so well is because he's tapped into a state of mind that so many of us have been through but has rarely been portrayed on screen in this depth.

I can't bring myself to bother with the last couple of episodes.

How unusual that a writer of a comedy/show would include his own opinions on things!

 

[227 BHA]

How unusual that a writer of a comedy/show would include his own opinions on things!

Exactly! What did he expect I wonder?