Extras: Series 2

By: The Dude

Director: Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Ashley Jensen, Orlando Bloom, Daniel Radcliffe, David Bowie, Robert DeNiro, Sir Ian McKellan

Rating: 4 out of 5

When The Dude learned that a second season of Ricky Gervais' hilarious How-To-Show-Off-Your-Famous-Friends show was comin’ out, my interest was pricked like the finger of a seamstress who momentarily gets distracted. And imagine how pleased I was when this also proved to be a rib-tickler, just like the last one.

Praise be to that funny man Gervais and his not as well-known sidekick with the googly eyes. Damn funny guys is what they are. Bizarre geniuses you might say. Respect.

Here they tell the story of Andy Millman – a wanna-be thespian who’ll stand in front of anyone pointing a camera if it’ll further advance his stalled career. In this series, he’s star of a sitcom he’s gone and penned, and has now become a tad famous. Hilarity ensues as all manner of weird and wacky adventures develop – all with that slightly unsettling pauses that Gervais has built his career on since the early days when he was still working in The Office.

What you have here is a glorious classic. I series way better than anything the wacky medicos of M.A.S.H could dish up, or Hogan's Heroes could craft, or even the little orphaned kids who were taken in by that rich dude in that show… you know the one. It had a toe-tappin' theme song and some lamo catchphrase. The maid went on to be in Facts of Life and the chubby-cheeked, catch phrase toutin’ kid went on to be a security guard at Frankston Plaza. Watchu talkin' 'bout Dude?

Anyway, buy this is what The Dude is talkin' 'bout.

Extras: Embarrassing as it may be, The Dude, nearly wet himself watching the Extras extras. The blooper reel and The Art of Corpsing come close to the title of Funniest Thing on the Disc. I’d suggest you buy the DVD just for the second disc – even if you don’t find the series funny.  

Verbatim:
Andy Millman: “Are you havin’ a laugh? Is he havin’ a laugh?”

In a word: Side-splitting