HBO Delivers Another Hit With 'Extras'
Ricky Gervais, creator of the original British series The Office, is back with the second season of his latest series, Extras (Sundays 10 p.m. on HBO). Gervais is joined by the marvelous supporting cast of Andy Jenson (Ugly Betty) as his best-friend Maggie, Stephen Merchant (Co-creator) as his clueless agent, Darren Lamb and various celebrity guests.
The first season followed Gervais' character Andy and his life as an extra. From the verbal abuse piled upon him by big name stars to his futile attempts to become a real actor, Andy went through the humiliating journey of being little more than scene dressing.
The second season begins as Andy stumbles upon the opportunity of a lifetime, earning his own show on The BBC titled 'When the Whistle Blows'. The honeymoon is short lived, however, as success proves to be no easier for the tormented star.
Much to his dismay, pressure from the studio forces Andy to compromise his artistic vision in order to attract a broader audience. When the show receives terrific ratings but a dreadful critical response Andy is horrified to learn that his big chance has earned him little respect as an actor. To make matters worse, Andy is thrust into a spotlight he is ill-equipped to handle, discovering that life as a celebrity is not at all suited to his personality.
Andy’s professional triumph also does little to improve his personal failures as Extras provides side-splitting scenes of the same cringe inducing awkwardness that’s become a trademark of Gervais’ work. Benefiting from an amazing group of guest appearances, which include Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McKellen, Robert De Niro, David Bowie and many more; Extras thrives in its portrayal of the struggle and humiliation that face up and coming actors.
The cameos themselves delight as each of the stars portray themselves in a horribly unflattering light. In the first episode, an extremely vein version of Orlando Bloom spends his time reminding everyone on the set how good looking he is. When Maggie suggests that she is far more enamored with Johnny Depp, Bloom unleashes a torrent of insults upon his Pirates co-star, at one point going so far as to finding a magazine naming himself the best looking actor in Hollywood.
Two weeks later, in the best episode of the season, Daniel Radcliffe is fabulous in his portrayal of a very un-Harry Potter-like persona. Now 18 years old, Radcliffe attempts to prove his masculinity, hitting on Maggie, at one point unwrapping a condom and debating whether it's big enough.
However great the appeal of the cameos, Andy and Maggie remain the cogs that make Extras go. Maggie’s kind and dimwitted nature is the perfect compliment to Andy’s callous and self centered personality. Andy’s schemes are consistently foiled by Maggie’s lack of common sense, resulting in the painfully embarrassing situations that make up the bulk of the show.
As Maggie bungles his personal life, Darren, Andy’s lazy and incompetent agent does equal damage to his career. Given increased screen time in season two, Darren’s inept handling of Andy’s professional life is priceless. Merchant’s performance is absolutely fantastic, making Darren a bonafide threat to steal every scene.
Extras' truly brilliant quality is that in much the same way you squirm at their horrifying behavior (ala Seinfeld), you grow attached, even sympathetic as the characters prove themselves immoral and selfish. That Andy remains lovable, despite he telling a mother to keep her child quiet in a restaurant, only to learn the child has Down syndrome, speaks to the fine line the actors navigate with ease.
In a day and age where only NBC seems willing to abandon the formulaic sitcom, HBO provides yet another breath of fresh air. A far cry from the standard fare of laugh tracks and happy endings, for audiences in want of solid writing, brilliant performances and painful comedy, Extras is without peer.
Keywords: HBO, Extras, Ricky Gervais, The Office
