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

[Palacefinder General]

From my post..... "I'm assuming that it's another swearathon? " you're quick on the uptake aren't you ?

vegster what happened to you, you used to be such a mild mannered little minx, and now you make even me look slightly less psychotic by comparison. Thoughts?

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

First series was quite good.
Strip away the relentless emotive use of music and grief, and the second series is exposed as a mess.
And a lazy mess.
So many plot lines started but not developed.
Also, Some scenes were clearly filmed in London but passed off as the rural town in the plot.
And some of the dialogue...jeez. again, just lazy.
Clearly, even Ricky couldn’t quite be arsed.
After Life doesn’t really deserve your love, as it relies on one cheap and cliched trick after another to win the viewer over.
I’m surprised so many people like it to be honest, especially series two. Which was sh*te.

An IMO is really needed in your post, imo of cause

 

[DJ NOBO]

An IMO is really needed in your post, imo of cause

Stuck one in for ya!

 

[vegster]

vegster what happened to you, you used to be such a mild mannered little minx, and now you make even me look slightly less psychotic by comparison. Thoughts?

I'm hardly a cyclepath, I'm quite meek really... Especially when compared to some other posters who seem far worse but immune from criticism.

 

[drew]

Finished the second series just now and agree with most that it is an extremely good watch.

As someone else said, Gervais is your typical marmite character but for me I enjoy pretty much everything he's done, The Office, Extras etc and even his stand up. Only the big screen has he not really been up to scratch.

 

[Fungus]

From my post..... "I'm assuming that it's another swearathon? " you're quick on the uptake aren't you ?

And yet you say "barrel scraped again", as if you have.

 

[Questions]

vegster what happened to you, you used to be such a mild mannered little minx, and now you make even me look slightly less psychotic by comparison. Thoughts?

Oh trust me PG..... I know him well in the real world..... he has an evil streak.

 

[MattBackHome]

I gave up during the first series. Thought it was bang average.

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[vegster]

And yet you say "barrel scraped again", as if you have.

I saw a couple of the first series, I had hopes that it might have improved, a bit like the jump between series one and two of Blackadder. I struggle with Gervais at the best of times but if he is as funny a comedy genius as some people say, eventually, he has to come up with something I find funny.

 

[Palacefinder General]

Oh trust me PG..... I know him well in the real world..... he has an evil streak.

 

[Mancgull]

I loved both series.

 

[MTSeagulls]

I think it's a great series, but a tough watch for us as we lost our beautiful German Shepherd last year.

I know what you mean. I lost both my parents, got divorced and have been estranged from my kids in the last few years.
Hardly a day goes by when I still get upset by my father's death and it was just over two years ago.
It was a tough watch especially the second series but I am persisting.

 

[Klaas]

After Life doesn’t really deserve your love, as it relies on one cheap and cliched trick after another to win the viewer over.

Haven't watched this yet but reading your post I thought this quote summed up Extras for me. I enjoyed it at first but got bored of what I felt were the same jokes over and over.

 

[bomber130]

If anyone can relate themselves to his character in the first series I sincerely empathise with them. I lost my Mum seven years ago and suffered depression throughout that time. Finally had a melt down last year spent 11 months sick from work and was dismissed on medical inefficiency last November. Finally managed to turn come to terms with my loss in the new year and can certainly say I’m in the up. I cried through every episode due to relating to the grief Ricky was showing and was behaving exactly the same as his character. Maybe watching this programme helped me in some way. Haven’t watched series two yet but I’m sure I will. Stay safe everyone.


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[Greg Bobkin]

I loved both series.

This. Great TV.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I found myself watching the whole of series 1 over a couple of days.
It's ok, but I am getting a little bit tired of Gervais's acting performances.
He writes brilliant support characters and gets brilliant performers in those roles.
But the central character is always some aspect of Gervais, and to be frank... He's becoming very boring.

However, i also binge-watched both series of Flowers on Sunday.
Now that is very dark indeed., but superbly written and performed.

 

[m@goo]

First series was quite good.
Strip away the relentless emotive use of music and grief, and the second series is exposed as a mess IMO.
And a lazy mess.
So many plot lines started but not developed.
Also, Some scenes were clearly filmed in London but passed off as the rural town in the plot.
And some of the dialogue...jeez. again, just lazy.
Clearly, even Ricky couldn’t quite be arsed.
After Life doesn’t really deserve your love, as it relies on one cheap and cliched trick after another to win the viewer over.
I’m surprised so many people like it to be honest, especially series two. Which was sh*te.

Everybody's been raving about it but I couldn't quite put my finger on why I don't really like it, the second series that is. The first series was something different and emotive on a new, human level. I was unsure how he could follow it up as it would surely be more of the same and I was right.

Why ask friends to go for a coffee as a kind gesture but then immediately turn the topic of conversation around to yourself? Ok mate, we get it. It's ****ing hard losing the only person you love more than anything in the world but there's only so much material in that.

The comedy is pretty funny but that feels more like a series of sketches than a story.

 

[BrightonLoyal]

Both series are magnificent TV and a must watch IMHO

 

[Giraffe]

Its a tough but brilliant watch, and actually the series 2 release is very well timed. A great series about what really matters.

Difficult to get through without a tear in the eye, but that's what Gervais does best. Can be brilliantly funny but thought provoking, without preaching.

The man is a genius.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Everybody's been raving about it but I couldn't quite put my finger on why I don't really like it, the second series that is. The first series was something different and emotive on a new, human level. I was unsure how he could follow it up as it would surely be more of the same and I was right.

Why ask friends to go for a coffee as a kind gesture but then immediately turn the topic of conversation around to yourself? Ok mate, we get it. It's ****ing hard losing the only person you love more than anything in the world but there's only so much material in that.

The comedy is pretty funny but that feels more like a series of sketches than a story.

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.