Derek

[BillBrasky]

Just a reminder that this is on TV tonight in the UK, so look for torrents of it starting tomorrow.

From the UK Comedy Guide:

Derek is a bittersweet one-off comedy drama about a group of outsiders living on society's margins.

Derek Noakes (Ricky Gervais) is a tender, innocent man whose love for his job and the people he cares for shines through. He's 49, adores animals, Rolf Harris, Jesus, "Deal or No Deal", "Million Pound Drop" and "Britain's Got Talent" - but his main hobby is autograph hunting.

He works in a retirement home with his mate and landlord, Dougie (Karl Pilkington, in his debut acting role). Derek cares deeply for old people because they're kind and funny and tell him stories about the olden days.

Hannah (Kerry Godliman) is a care worker at the home and is Derek's best friend. She's smart, witty and hard-working, but unlucky in love, and like Derek, always puts other people first.



I didn't realize this was just going to be a one-shot deal. I knew they had made a pilot, but I thought it was going to be a 6-episode series. I guess if it does well enough it might become a series later down the line.

[nathansmart]

Anyone watch this yet? I want to watch it once more with my wife (my kid was distracting me a tiny bit) but I think I liked it. It was really more a charming little drama than a comedy. It would be interesting to see where Gervais would take this if it was expanded. Would it have the same sad stuff in it every episode? Or was he trying to hit that note harder since it was kind of a one-off.

[beewcar]

K. Dilkington is a natural. I believed his performance way more than Gervais'.

[nathansmart]

yeah, I agree with that

[Victor]

Watched it. It was enjoyable, but really, there was no need for the mock doc aspect AT ALL. Gervais was way too mannered in his performance, tone down the face twitches and silly walk, why did he feel the need to play it that way at all? Also, there was barely any story.

Having said that, there is definite potential, and I would watch more. Pilkington was ace, and the woman too. Apparently the channel are very happy with the reaction, so a series may appear at some point.

[BillBrasky]

Yeah, this wasn't as offensive as I thought it'd be, given press articles about Gervais's performance, but it was also much more of a drama with a few comedic moments than a laugh-out-loud comedy. It was much better than Life's Too Short though.

[beewcar]

In Gervais' mind, British television really likes to make documentaries about very mundane things.

[nathansmart]

Yeah, I wonder how Brits feel about the moc-doc? They have so many more documentaries over there - is the form just as played out as we think it is since it doesn't hit us the same way? Anyone want over there want to respond? Victor?

[Victor]

I think we're still okay with the mock-doc, if used well. There haven't really been all that many, since The Office ten years ago. Not that I can think of, anyway. Obviously there's Derek and Lifes Too Short, and there's 'Twenty Twelve' on at the moment, a moc-doc sitcom about the UK Olympic planning committee (which is pretty dull). The real problem is that none of the shows have used the form in an interesting or new way; and some, such as Derek, actively did not need to be moc-doc at all. We haven't really been over-saturated with mock-docs as producers and channel's over here think it's generally old hat, more so than actual viewers.

[BillBrasky]

[GeorgeTirebiter]

Wow that was really tough to watch. I recently lost my mother and the final part of Derek hit a little too close to home.

[nathansmart]

Yeah, I wonder what this is categorized as? It's not really a sitcom or a drama or even a dramedy or whatever bullcrap thing.

And, sorry about your mom...

[dorothy mantooth]

Wow. I was not prepared for that. But I loved it. Ricky Gervais confounds me.

[Fritz Zwicky]

Just judging from the trailers I've watched: has Gervais gone full retard?

[nathansmart]

So according to Ricky's blog he's already halfway through writing the first six episodes so I guess this is a go. They was he was talking in the blog it sounded like this was always going to be a series.

[Kelsow]

I watched it tonight and found it better than I thought I would. It was very touching and well acted.
I would have liked to have seen more of Mr. Dilkington. Hopefully there will be more of Karl in upcoming shows.

#BeMoreLikeDerek

[junesongprovider]

I was surprised at how much I liked it. I didn't know Ricky Gervais could do touching drama.

And the people complaining about his "offensive" performance are retards. Derek's a weirdo and not particularly bright, but nothing of the show or his acting is at all mean spirited. And if anything, he's a little autistic, not retarded. And at the end of the day that wouldn't really matter either. That's just who that person is. The character certainly isn't defined by his quirks. The last five minutes show us who he is.

[nathansmart]

I agree, sort of?

[junesongprovider]

I will admit I went into it trying to prove Ricky Gervais isn't acting like a retard to get cheap laughs. Some of the stuff does get a little broad and borderline troublesome, but I think the important part is the tone, and it isn't one of malice.

[junesongprovider]

I just think people jump on the "RETARD!? HOW DARE YOU" bandwagon way too easily.