Extras is a BBC-HBO co-production (it has already had its six-episode run in
the UK), and its slightly schizophrenic shtick bears the marks of this two-headed
venture. Gervais and collaborator Stephen Merchant (who, after a brief cameo
in The Office, finally gets a real part here, as Andy's hilariously incompetent
agent) continue to explore the comedy of humiliation they perfected with that
earlier show, but the setting belies their newfound celebrity: Each episode takes
place on a different film set, and one of the show's main gimmicks is watching
big-name stars poke fun at themselves — Kate Winslet turns out to be a
nasty phone sex expert, Ben Stiller exposes a childish obsession with his own
box office, the actor Ross Kemp (a bigger name in the UK, having appeared in
EastEnders and Ultimate Force) reveals himself to be a wimp desperately pretending
to be a tough guy, and so on and so forth.
   
The results are certainly entertaining, but a pageant of celebrities goofing
with their image is an entirely different animal than the more unassuming, slow-burn
humor at which Gervais and Merchant excel. For example, a scene where Andy and
Kate Winslet get chewed out by an ordinary set worker whose sexual peculiarities
have just been outed rings rather false; Winslet's celebrity never comes
into play, as if the scene were written for someone else. One gets the nagging
notion that this is a case of celebs lining up to do the latest Ricky Gervais
show, like one of those weaker Simpsons episodes whose only raison d'etre
is to bag a big-name guest voice. (Let's hope Extras never subjects us
to a completely gratuitous Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.)
   
Likewise, one misses the streamlined effectiveness of The Office, where almost
every exchange seemed to build on the uncomfortable silences of the previous
one. The humor in Extras is a lot more modular, like a series of jokes that could
easily change order with little difference. The setting constantly changes, and
a new set of relationships emerges with each episode — but the tenor of the
jokes stays pretty much even. There's a free-flowing, sketch comedy looseness
to this kind of structure, and maybe that contributes to the lighter tone. Don't
look for the kind of subtle characterizations and the repressed romance subplots
of the previous show. Extras is basically a series of gags.
   
Thankfully, those gags are still pretty damn funny, which is what it all comes
down to. Despite some disappointment for those of us waiting for Gervais to develop his brand of humor further with this latest outing, Extras
is still better than most other TV comedies out there. Gervais and newcomer Jensen
definitely have a strange kind of chemistry going — each complements the
other's awkwardness. Jensen gives Maggie a slightly dim, yet quietly winsome
quality that is quite captivating; her mousy modesty matches Andy's ambitious
shamelessness. And who's to say some more complicated relationships might
not emerge as this show progresses? (There's a second series coming soon
in England, so prepare for the long haul.) Expectations properly lowered, there
are plenty of good reasons to look forward to Extras. Ricky Gervais lite is a
lot better than no Ricky Gervais at all.