Extras: The Complete Series Review

Extras: The Complete Series — 

Extras is a wickedly funny series created by Ricky Gervais (who plays the hapless protagonist Andy Millman) and Stephen Merchant (who plays Andy's ineffectual agent), the geniuses behind The Office. If you're a fan of the US version of that show, but have never seen the UK original, I urge you to check it out. I also highly recommend this series, which is less of an ensemble piece, and more of a show-biz satire.

In Season One of Extras, Andy is working as an extra (hence the title), or "background artist," as he prefers to call it, while trying to get his break as an actor. He is joined by his dim-witted friend Maggie (Ashely Jensen, brilliant), who suffers the indignities of extra work along with him. One of the series trademarks is the devastating cameos by name actors, who portray unflattering versions of themselves. My favorite of these is Kate Winslet, who is hilarious in her turn, which finds her playing a nun in a holocaust drama, of which she callously remarks, "We get it. It was grim. Move on." She also says that the best way to win an Oscar is by "playing a mental."

Just as The Office used Mike D'Abo's "Handbags and Gladrags" to convey the mood of that series, Extras employs Cat Stevens's "Tea for the Tillerman" over the end credits to similiar effect.

In Season Two, Andy gets his big break, as the BBC picks up his sitcom When the Whistle Blows. Unfortunately, he is forced to compromise his artistic integrirty by dumbing down the script, adopting a catchphrase ("Are you having a larf? Are you having a larf?"), and donning a funny wig and glasses. Although the critics universally pan the show, it gets 6 million viewers, and Andy is trapped in a prison of his own design.

Among the guest stars in this season are Orlando Bloom, Daniel Radcliffe, and David Bowie, who contributes a devastating off-the-cuff musical number about Andy ("Fat little man who sold his soul/Fat little man who sold his dream...National joke...No one's bloody laughing") that is bitterly hilarious. The humor of discomfort is in full effect here, and Gervais is the master.

The series finale is a feature-length episode which finds Andy in the third season of his awful sitcom, fame having turned him into a total prick. His comeuppance is brilliantly rendered, and without giving too much away, he ends up as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, sharing a house with other pop culture has-beens. It is funny and touching finish to the series. Andy's rant about fame, celebrity, and the gutter press is brilliant.

While some people groused that the finale was originally only available as part of this set, forcing them to buy the first two seasons again, it has since been released as a separate disc. Extras is a worthy successor to The Office, and a must-see for anybody who enjoys humor that doesn't rely on bodily functions (OK, there is some of that here, but not too much), or for that matter, stupid catchphrases.

Available on DVD from HBO Home Entertainment, separately or in this deluxe edition (which I highly recommend).