David Brent; life on the road.

[PaulB]

We've just come back from the pictures after seeing the David Brent film. What a treat this is! It is a work of art, and I am serious when I write that. My wife is as senior a manager it's possible to get in the NHS and her role is with disabled people and she was choking and screaming with shock and outrage at the mentality Ricky Gervais chose to give to David Brent. She so believed in the character we were watching that she was raising out of her seat on many occasions to go and make an official complaint about the person we were watching, most especially concerning his comments on disabled people! Now THAT is an accomplishment on Gervais's part to be applauded!

He's done a brilliant job on this. We all know the mess many TV comedies have made when they've tried to translate to the big screen - Morecambe and Wise being an awful example - but Gervais, IMHO, has done a fantastic job with this one. The audience were roaring with laughter and we could hear people were cringing around us so bollock-clenchingly awful were some of the comments he was going out with. I just know David Bowie would have absolutely loved this one!

 

[Drago]

Can't stand that Robbie Mayonnaise bloke.

 

[Hill Wimp]

David Bowie loved Ricky Gervais? I was right then, x2.

I love David Bowie and he liked that twaddle? Well that's shattered a few illusions.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

He's not for me in any of his comedy personas. Huge amount of time for him as himself for his stance on animal cruelty though.

 

[snorri]

He had much to do to climb out of the midden that was The Office, IMV.
Perhaps he has done it

 

[Roadrider48]

I personally thought "Derek" was a brilliant comedy.
Didn't much like The office though.

 

[MontyVeda]

That sort of sums up my problem with Gervais and Brent. Unless you understand and accept beforehand that it is comedy, it is just a documentary about a horrible person. Without that knowledge the humour wouldn't show.

First time I saw The Office I turned it off after five minutes wondering why a camera crew is giving that jumped up little wa*ker even the smallest amount of airtime... maybe if i'd stuck with it for another five minutes i might have twigged and avoided that embarrassing 'you do know it's a comedy' moment.

 

[Drago]

Apparently people used to write to the Beeb to complain about Alan Partridge thinking he was a real presenter...

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Apparently people used to write to the Beeb to complain about Alan Partridge thinking he was a real presenter...

Although Alan Partridge and the office were funny and very clever there was something so pathetic about the characters that they were often embarrassingly cringe making and hard to watch.

 

[stephec]

Although Alan Partridge and the office were funny and very clever there was something so pathetic about the characters that they were often embarrassingly cringe making and hard to watch.

I loved the Partridge stuff, and the one offs he did that included Gareth Cheeseman and the twins who escaped from prison to stage a quiz show.

Edit:The best thing about Alan Partridge though was that I had a boss at the time who was really into him.

Whenever he came over to give you some work all you had to do was steer the conversation round to the latest episode and bingo, ten minutes later you'd walk away scot free.

 

[Salty seadog]

That sort of sums up my problem with Gervais and Brent. Unless you understand and accept beforehand that it is comedy, it is just a documentary about a horrible person. Without that knowledge the humour wouldn't show.

True but is anyone likely to watch in that ignorance?

Edited to account for @MontyVeda

 

[Hill Wimp]

Yes, people take faux-documentaries seriously sometimes, but at least Coogan has some other talents to offer.

He was superb some years ago as Samuel Pepys in a series about him.

 

[Salty seadog]

To be fair I was in the car years ago when I turned the radio over to R4 to hear a phone in show with such absurd characters and opinions I could.t believe I was on the right station, compelling listening in a disbelieving way for about 5 minutes or so before the penny dropped and I have enjoyed Down the Line ever since.

 

[Haitch]

Thing is, Gervais really is like Brent.

But Brent has more self-awareness?

 

[stephec]

If I was MontyVeda I might take offence at that? Thing is, Gervais really is like Brent.

When you see him being himself on a chat show it does come across as if he doesn't have to act too much.

I've always thought that Gervais and Cogan are quite similar, both have written and performed some good stuff, but both come across as the kind of people you wouldn't want to go for a drink with.