Only ever seen his stand up on tv (fame and politics) both were really good and really intelligent, I can't wait for the new show on Sky One with Karl Pilkington.
I don't think he's remotely funny. Remember him from the 11 o'clock show - he was crap on that. I've tried watching his standup - never once even tittered at it. Extras was pony. The only thing he's ever been any good in was The Office - and even that, whilst awesome, wasn't exactly 'funny'. Just one of those comedians I don't 'get'
I caught him live at the Apollo, thought it was quality. Stewart Francis as a warm up was excellent too, although I'd heard a lot of the jokes before. I still think Animals is his best though. Gervais is the type of comedian who splits opinions, some love him some hate him.
Also Gervais' last joke about the five year old was absolutely class, still laughing
[cite]Posted By: GNelson[/cite]I caught him live at the Apollo, thought it was quality. Stewart Francis as a warm up was excellent too, although I'd heard a lot of the jokes before. I still think Animals is his best though. Gervais is the type of comedian who splits opinions, some love him some hate him.
Also Gervais' last joke about the five year old was absolutely class, still laughing
I wouldn't say I 'hate' him. I just don't think he's funny. Actually, that's probably worse for a comedian.
Yeah the last joke was really good. He is a smug, sarcastic, rude, inappropriate twat but that's why I think he is great. He is also really honest. Being fat isn't a disease lol
Can't stand him. He was funny in The Office and Animals, but everything he's done since then has been the same. In all the films he's been in and the episode of The Simpsons it seems like he's doing David Brent all over again.
Podcasts and Extras were brilliant. Went and saw his Fame show at the Albert Hall as I've always found his stand up funny but to me it's not proper stand up. He has no interaction with the crowd, and was basically reciting a script. A hilarious script, don't get me wrong, but if I'm seeing a comedian I'd appreciate a bit of improv, audience banter etc.
Imagine I'll pick his Science DVD up on boxing day in the sales but can't say I regret not seeing him. For the same price of his tickets I can pop down to the Comedy Store after work and grab a couple of pints watching 4-5 comedians.
[cite]Posted By: allez les addicks[/cite]Podcasts and Extras were brilliant. Went and saw his Fame show at the Albert Hall as I've always found his stand up funny but to me it's not proper stand up. He has no interaction with the crowd, and was basically reciting a script. A hilarious script, don't get me wrong, but if I'm seeing a comedian I'd appreciate a bit of improv, audience banter etc.
Imagine I'll pick his Science DVD up on boxing day in the sales but can't say I regret not seeing him. For the same price of his tickets I can pop down to the Comedy Store after work and grab a couple of pints watching 4-5 comedians.
I agree with this, off to see Dara O'Briain this week and one of the main things I like about his act is the audience interaction and the fact every show will be a little different. With Gervais he is very funny but for me there is no difference in watching him live or on DVD.
Really liked The Office and Extras but some of the films Gervais has done have been very average including the invention of lying.
yeah guess that would explain it as Gervais tv stuff with Steven Merchant has been excellent and Idiot abroad looks good, also like the look of Cemetary Junction.
I can't decide whether he's a genius i don't always get or he's very average at best. I loved the Office, but that wasn't solely about him, it was the interplay with the other characters that was great. As for on his own, i'm not sure i enjoy him. The truth is, to me he comes across as someone that has a huge ego and takes himself very seriously. He makes me feel that he thinks he is the most important person in the room, always....and that anything he does is fantastic. That said i find him amusing but confusing. Better than some other stand-up comics.
I went into a pub the other night and they had Roy Chubby Brown on the huge screen tv for all the pub to watch. I really thought his humour was long gone, but then i was in a rough part of Rotherham. It was like the Queen Vic inside with locals that talked about enjoying a punch up, or jumping a randomer in the street.....and that was a group of women talking! I didn't know whether to be scared or intrigued!!
I can't decide whether he's a genius i don't always get or he's very average at best. I loved the Office, but that wasn't solely about him, it was the interplay with the other characters that was great. As for on his own, i'm not sure i enjoy him. The truth is, to me he comes across as someone that has a huge ego and takes himself very seriously. He makes me feel that he thinks he is the most important person in the room, always....and that anything he does is fantastic. That said i find him amusing but confusing. Better than some other stand-up comics.
I went into a pub the other night and they had Roy Chubby Brown on the huge screen tv for all the pub to watch. I really thought his humour was long gone, but then i was in a rough part of Rotherham. It was like the Queen Vic inside with locals that talked about enjoying a punch up, or jumping a randomer in the street.....and that was a group of women talking! I didn't know whether to be scared or intrigued!!
Don't forget that Gervais conceived and co-wrote The Office - and that includes all the nuances, interplay and embarrassing pauses between the characters. That, I think, was his towering achievement. Do you remember that well before The Office earned him fame he had a short slot on the 11 O'Clock Show, hosted by Ian Lee and Daisy Donovan, in which he assumed the persona of a bigot from Reading?
I remember him from the 11 o clock show. Thought he was shit then, and haven't changed my opinion of him much since - though The Office was brilliant, I enjoyed it mostly because of Tim and Gareth's performances.
The 11 o'clock show also had Ricky Grover on it as Bulla. Now THAT was funny.
I remember him from the 11 o clock show. Thought he was shit then, and haven't changed my opinion of him much since - though The Office was brilliant, I enjoyed it mostly because of Tim and Gareth's performances.
The 11 o'clock show also had Ricky Grover on it as Bulla. Now THAT was funny.
Yes, Bulla was very good: mad on steroids, wearing a stocking-mask, head-butting a punch-bag in his prison cell, and riffing about Camilla Parker-Bowles actually being "a geezer I know, a safe-cracker from Catford". Great stuff.
I caught him live at the Apollo, thought it was quality. Stewart Francis as a warm up was excellent too, although I'd heard a lot of the jokes before. I still think Animals is his best though. Gervais is the type of comedian who splits opinions, some love him some hate him.
Also Gervais' last joke about the five year old was absolutely class, still laughing
I wouldn't say I 'hate' him. I just don't think he's funny. Actually, that's probably worse for a comedian.
I like him, but groan whenever I see Micky Flanagan or John Bishop - I suppose it all depends on your sense of humour. If you are going to say the Office was brilliant though, you can't ignore him and say it was down to the actors. When you look at The Office, Extras and Life's too short, they are similar and that is the type of comedy he does best and I love.
Whether you like him or not you can't deny his success in comedy writing, and It usually goes deeper then just laughs and touches on other emotional aspects.
The truth is he is a bit up himself, but with the success he's had, and having it later on in his life, the average person would probably behave in a similar kind of way. (Maybe)
I find things like the office and extras comforting viewing. They cheer you up and have a certain kind of perspective about them. Life's too short was a slightly poor version of extras and didn't really have much about it, like he was doing him and his mate Warwick a favour.
Derek, what he wrote by himself is really good. Didn't get it at first but when you do, you realise it's more of a nice drama then comedy. It speaks for the elderly and pulls at the heart strings.
Yes Derek is very clever and touching. I think it isn't for the masses though. My view is that he is up himself because he thinks it is funny to be so.
I thought Life's too short had some fantastic sketches - the washing machine was brilliant, the wedding speech, the condoms in the supermarket, the party and being locked in the loo - comedy genius and for me the best of the bunch.
I also think bringing brent back was a mistake. Other then Gervais making an extra wod of cash on forgone conclusion ticket sales.
The illusion of brent was that you don't know the man behind him, it made him more believable. Gervais' success in films, acting, in the states, has made him too famous to bring a character like brent back into the spotlight.
Yes Derek is very clever and touching. I think it isn't for the masses though. My view is that he is up himself because he thinks it is funny to be so.
I thought Life's too short had some fantastic sketches - the washing machine was brilliant, the wedding speech, the condoms in the supermarket, the party and being locked in the loo - comedy genius and for me the best of the bunch.
Thought the accountant guy was funny. The Christmas special was decent too, to be honest I can't really remember it....other than at the time thinking it was a bit weak. Funny in patches.
If you haven't seen Life's too short, watch the sketch I have posted above - It is full of set pieces like that. What Gervais has totally cracked is the mock documentary - I'm glad he keeps making them. Another great moment is when they ask Barry (Shaun Willimason) for a quote for the office. Look for the gems in that series and it has more than any other IMO:-
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However, love the podcasts and looking forward to An Idiot Abroad. Preview show was very funny.
Also Gervais' last joke about the five year old was absolutely class, still laughing
Imagine I'll pick his Science DVD up on boxing day in the sales but can't say I regret not seeing him. For the same price of his tickets I can pop down to the Comedy Store after work and grab a couple of pints watching 4-5 comedians.
I agree with this, off to see Dara O'Briain this week and one of the main things I like about his act is the audience interaction and the fact every show will be a little different. With Gervais he is very funny but for me there is no difference in watching him live or on DVD.
Really liked The Office and Extras but some of the films Gervais has done have been very average including the invention of lying.
Only seen that and Ghost Town but they were both awful. Don't know if that's because he had no creative control over them though...
I went into a pub the other night and they had Roy Chubby Brown on the huge screen tv for all the pub to watch. I really thought his humour was long gone, but then i was in a rough part of Rotherham. It was like the Queen Vic inside with locals that talked about enjoying a punch up, or jumping a randomer in the street.....and that was a group of women talking! I didn't know whether to be scared or intrigued!!
The 11 o'clock show also had Ricky Grover on it as Bulla. Now THAT was funny.
KENNNAYY!!!
Agree and the fake laugh drives me mad.
John Bishop same, talking about his kids now......
Might happen to Kevin Bridges too if he's not careful.
The truth is he is a bit up himself, but with the success he's had, and having it later on in his life, the average person would probably behave in a similar kind of way. (Maybe)
I find things like the office and extras comforting viewing. They cheer you up and have a certain kind of perspective about them. Life's too short was a slightly poor version of extras and didn't really have much about it, like he was doing him and his mate Warwick a favour.
Derek, what he wrote by himself is really good. Didn't get it at first but when you do, you realise it's more of a nice drama then comedy. It speaks for the elderly and pulls at the heart strings.
I thought Life's too short had some fantastic sketches - the washing machine was brilliant, the wedding speech, the condoms in the supermarket, the party and being locked in the loo - comedy genius and for me the best of the bunch.
The illusion of brent was that you don't know the man behind him, it made him more believable. Gervais' success in films, acting, in the states, has made him too famous to bring a character like brent back into the spotlight.
Gervais is a quality. Not so much his stand up but the TV stuff and podcasts are excellent.
Love Merchant as well.