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Extras - The Special [DVD]

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Director: Ricky Gervais
Actors: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Ashley Jensen, Liza Tarbuck, Shaun Williamson
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Category: DVD

List Price: ~~£21.99~~
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New (27) Used (5) from £2.35

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

21 reviews
Sales Rank: 1835

Format: PAL
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

EAN: 5050582574630
ASIN: B001E4W270

Release Date: November 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days

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Karlology

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown of celebrity. Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais) is back and more miserable than ever in this darker and devastatingly funny finale to the Emmy-winning series. Though his sitcom When the Whistle Blows rates six million viewers, he is, as ever, mindful of the critics' barbs and jealous of colleagues landing the prestige film roles he covets. "I'm not proud of having Britain's No. 1 catchphrase," he grouses (actually, he has sunk to No. 3, now trailing "You are the weakest link, goodbye"). Worse, he has become a right bastard, arrogantly treating crewmembers and his one true friend, Maggie (a heartbreaking Ashley Jensen), like dirt. Andy finally drops his clueless and incompetent agent (series co-creator Stephen Merchant) and quits the show. "Don't worry about me," he proclaims. "The phone won't stop ringing." p Unlike the finale of iThe Office/i, this super-duper-sized episode really has no loose ends to tie up. In Andy's humiliating comeuppance (he sinks to portraying an alien on iDr. Who/i and joins the desperate housemates on iCelebrity Big Brother/i), Gervais has the perfect vessel with which to rail against soul-sucking celebrity, degrading tabloid culture, and "the gutter press." As for Andy and Maggie, those longing for some kind of Tim/Dawn hookup may not get exactly what they want, but they will get what they need in the lovely final scenes. A-listers having a laugh at their own images have always been one of iExtras'/i special treats. The finale features jaw-dropping cameos by Clive Owen and George Michael, performing community service yet again. --iDonald Liebenson/i

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 21

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Every minute of this is comedy perfection September 19, 2008
Dr. George L. Sik (Epsom, Surrey)
21 out of 33 found this review helpful

With the usual dearth of decent laughs on the telly last Christmas, this one-off feature-length finale to Extras was more than a tonic, it was like the best Christmas dinner you've ever tasted - in comedy form. The stars must love Ricky Gervais's take on life, as they positively queue up to get skewered, much as in a previous era they secretly loved getting 'done' on Spitting Image. Gordon Ramsay, George Michael, Clive Owen, David Tennant...not to mention an old mate of Barry's from Eastenders days. No mercy is shown, but the fact that they can clearly laugh at themselves makes them all slightly better people in our book! br / br /The real venom, however, is reserved for Celebrity Big Brother, that cauldron of has-beens and wannabes willing to undergo any kind of himiliation in order to keep themselves in the headlines. I recall seeing a bit of the particular reality show which doutless inspired the character of the mother whose sole claim to fame is that her child had been killed in a street crime. One minute she is calling it a tragedy, the next everyone is singing and dancing to 'Tragedy'. Uncomfortably dark, perhaps, but desperately accurate in identifying how far 'reality' progamming has fallen - a long way from any genuine reality, for a start. You can feel the anger behind the comedy: this is satire at its most contemporary and most cutting. br / br /Don't get the idea that it's all savage, though. The friendships (and their occasional betrayal) come across as warm and genuine. Simple human values triumph over crass celebrity distortion in the end. br / br /This is excellent entertainment. Would it be crass to point out that The Ivy looks nothing like that?

5 out of 5 stars

Genius November 11, 2008
J. Deane (UK)
9 out of 15 found this review helpful

This is more than just a comedy. It has some uncomfortable truths in it about modern-day fame and celebrity; about how people are prepared to sell their souls to the devil for a slice of stardom. Dont get me wrong here, the comedy is brilliant. But at the same time it mourns the state of society when young people are left uncontrollable sobbing wrecks because they have nothing else in their lives than some dream about celebrity on the X Factor. This DVD is brilliance. It is comedy, but it takes a huge swipe at the greed and self-centredness of fame and celebrity while the true stars and heros are probably sitting next to you on your sofa

5 out of 5 stars

This guy is the cleaverest person on TV September 25, 2008
E. Winder (leafy suburb)
11 out of 19 found this review helpful

From the second this final episode starts you think you can see exactly what our Ricky is getting at, but half way through you realise this 'comedy' is so much more than jokes and humour. I doubt anyone has ever publically attempted such a blatent swipe at celebrity and media. The scene in the Big Brother House is probably the one of the most powerful pieces of modern commentary on the state of fame that has ever been made. If it doesnt so much as put a lump in your throat your a robot, and more over proves our own Gervais is much more than a stand up, writer, producer and broadcaster (irony there people) he is absolutely one of the best actors I have seen. br /Gervais was once asked by a reporter if he had any advice for people who want to be famous, and his contraversal reply was 'go and kill a prostitue' You would have to a few pence short not to understand what he ment by that, but this amazingly truthful and painful look at fame is exactly what he shows us in this episode. Im sorry, but if you dont get it (no pun intended) give up. br /

5 out of 5 stars

First Class Comedy September 5, 2008
W. Hayden (Portsmouth England)
6 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is one of the best TV shows I have ever seen. The writing is first class and the acting amazing- this has to be Ricky at his best. It's more of a mini movie than a TV show and brings 'Extras' to a brilliant end. The scene with Clive Owen has to be one of the funniest scenes ever written by Gervais and Merchant. I like many would like to see Extras continue, but can understand why Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have decided to draw the show to an end as every episode has been fault-less. It will go down in history as one of the all time great TV shows.

5 out of 5 stars

Great but they might be becoming what they condemn December 23, 2008
W. Hutchinson (Perth, Australia)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful

I am a great fan of the Gervais-Merchant team and their comedy with a message about us all and our obsession with celebrity. This programme finishes off the story of Andy Millman and his ego-centric and determined quest for fame and fortune (not integrity as it turns out - or does it?). I really like this finishing episode even if it is a bit more serious than the previous `Extras'. Merchant is really very good in this. br /However, I had two concerns when it had finished. One was the nagging feeling that rather than edifying us the writers were starting to `take the proverbial' out of the viewers. Of course, this is what they always do but this time I get the feeling that they might believe their own rhetoric about themselves a bit more than they should, and are actually becoming like those that they ridicule. The second point, related to the first, is the addition of mood music into the piece - not just the jingling Christmas music but romantic and sad mood music. Their comedy did not need a laughter track so why do the `dramatic' bits here need to reinforce the mood? It cheapens the production and might indicate their coming into the mainstream (moronic and predictable). It was probably the BBC offering them a lot of money to do this (which they [jokingly?] say in the extras on the DVD), but "you must use our sound effects people who are getting concerned that you have left them out so long". The effects are so obvious when you are not expecting them from this pair. So I hope art does not become reality with them but the indications are that they have run their course...such a pity. However, well worth a watch - I hope it is not the swan-song of their previous classy efforts. br / br / br / br /

Showing reviews 1-5 of 21

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