The Ricky Gervias show is back
Originally starting as an audio show starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant with Karl Pilkington as a producer, the show grew from strength to strength and Karl became just as vital as a presenter as a producer. The show managed to break the Guinness World Record for most downloaded podcast in 2007 and was then adapted into an animated Program and put to us, in our own living rooms, in 2010. So how does series 3 match up.
The structure of the show hasn’t changed in the slightest, but then ‘why fix something that ain’t broke’. Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant team up and quiz Karl on his views on life. The dynamic between the three hasn’t changed since last series and the three work well together, to create the childish and highly entertaining banter.
If everybody likes what you are did, then you aren’t doing the right thing
As every other industry develops, so does comedy and with sarcasm, banter and a stiff upper lip at the centre. This mixture of components is so evident in the Ricky Gervais Show, that it is no wonder it has had so much success.
The first episode in the new series starts by Karl being read a complaints letter, by a woman commenting that Karl is uneducated. She continues expresses her opinion by stating “What she heard is a waste of airtime“. To which Karl replies “You have to like your critics. If everybody likes what you are did, then you aren’t doing the right thing.”
Quite rightly so as well, as the humour is based on ideas, that have a thought process to them (albeit one not everybody can understand). The brilliance of the show is how that idea is developed and put into comical speech, with Gervais and Merchant, mocking Karl to encourage an entertaining tone.
Karl’s film idea, is interesting, fair enough it could use some work on the plot, but the way it is put to the audience and how it is progressed is genius and thoroughly entertaining, with Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant working together as a prod. The settings used in the animation make it all that more watchable as Karl’s animation self, remains to be likened to that of a baboon with all his head scratching and frowning.
The only thing that spoilt this first episode for me, was the continuous interruptions about tea and biscuits after a short visit by the tea lady. However even that had comedy value to it to some level, as Karl was getting increasingly annoyed at the interruptions to his interesting idea for a movie.
The first episode is available on 4oD with future episode being aired at 11:30 pm on E4.
FemaleFirst, Emma Chaplin