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







Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,246
What I dislike the most about Ricky Gervais is that they always insist on showing the outtakes. You're sat there, tears streaming down your face, then up pop the outtakes where he's doing his utmost to make his co-actors dissolve into fits of giggles. Bursts the bubble somewhat. It's sort of like you somehow expect, say, New Order to exist in a perpetual fog of gloom and doom. Then they do an interview and the magic is popped. They're just normal everyday Mancs. They say you should never meet your heroes. Probably you should never see or hear them offstage either. And extending that a bit, Adele shouldn't be heard ONSTAGE between songs either

And... RELAX! :smokin:
 


Napper

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
23,887
Sussex
What I dislike the most about Ricky Gervais is that they always insist on showing the outtakes. You're sat there, tears streaming down your face, then up pop the outtakes where he's doing his utmost to make his co-actors dissolve into fits of giggles. Bursts the bubble somewhat. It's sort of like you somehow expect, say, New Order to exist in a perpetual fog of gloom and doom. Then they do an interview and the magic is popped. They're just normal everyday Mancs. They say you should never meet your heroes. Probably you should never see or hear them offstage either. And extending that a bit, Adele shouldn't be heard ONSTAGE between songs either

And... RELAX! :smokin:

but you would never ever get to see this beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpJpzCBJPVc
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,859
Brighton
Thought it was ok, liked series 1 better but overall the worst 6 part Gervais has done imo.

Life's Too Short wins that prize for me. You could just FEEL Gervais behind the camera, almost desperate to run on at every point. Warwick Davis basically doing an impression of David Brent.

Although special mention for the scenes with Les Dennis, Cheggers and Barry, which were superb and full of comic pathos.
 








Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,655
I can't help but think After Life would benefit from Stephen Merchant being involved to help round out the characters. I'm not sure a third series of After Life is a good idea, I think it feels a little bit completed after the second. Who is left to kill off for him to mourn? His love interest?!
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,859
Brighton
I can't help but think *insert every show Gervais has done since they last worked together* would benefit from Stephen Merchant being involved to help round out the characters.

Corrected :thumbsup:

I can only assume it was Merchant that brought the subtlety, nuance, and clever writing, which have mostly been absent since.
 




Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,655
Corrected :thumbsup:

I can only assume it was Merchant that brought the subtlety, nuance, and clever writing, which have mostly been absent since.

I'm inclined to agree. If you've listened to the radio show and their podcasts, I think Steve brings balance to Ricky's chaos. You need both and The Office and Extras are so magnificent because you have the heart Ricky wants put in, but you also have the subtle intelligence in the writing that Steve brings. Ricky's characters are largely one dimensional in my opinion and any depth to the performance comes from the actors rather than the script, with a few notable exceptions to be fair. I'm not saying they're badly written, but I think the characters are definitely weaker for the lack of Steve Merchant.

All that said, the Postman Pat character is absolutely genius in After Life. I wonder what came first, the idea for the character or the decision to cast Hove Promenade parkrun regular Joe Wilkinson.
 












Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
14,859
Gervias on Laverne today, 6 Music.

Good interview, Series 3 on Netflix this Friday.

Sod the Palace game, I'm watching this classic.

Is it available from 00.01 on Friday? If so, I'm tempted to go early with it. Loved the first two and have high hopes for this one, too.
 






The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
24,540
West is BEST
Clunky, clumsy, mawkish and overwrought. One of the most unrealistic depictions of grief I’ve ever seen. Garbage.
 




Arthur

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
8,577
Buxted Harbour
I loved the first series. Series 2, I found relentlessly depressing and left me feeling very deflated. There’s no doubt it’s excellently written and produced but I found it a bit over the top.
Still, better than most of the hog wash Netflix put out.

Clunky, clumsy, mawkish and overwrought. One of the most unrealistic depictions of grief I’ve ever seen. Garbage.

That escalated errrmmmm very slowly.
 








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