Andy Millman is an actor with ambition and a script. Reduced to working as an extra with a useless agent, Andy's attempts to boost his career invariably end in failure and embarrassment.
Andy Millman is an actor with ambition and a script. Reduced to working as an extra with a useless agent, Andy's attempts to boost his career invariably end in failure and embarrassment.
British actor Richard Briers, who enjoyed a prolific TV career in his home country, died Sunday, BBC News reports. He was 79. Briers' agent told the BBC that he died "peacefully" at his home in London. He had been battling a serious lung condition for several years. In interviews, Briers blamed years of smoking for...
Ricky Gervais may have enjoyed being the "most feared man in Hollywood" when he notoriously offended many as a the host of the Golden Globes, but he insists that his new sitcom Derek, set in a nursing home, is "sweeter" than his usual fare. Derek, an original series to premiere on Netflix sometime this year, won't target the elderly with Gervais' sardonic wit. The show's humor doesn't lie in mocking them, but rather in taking jabs at the callous outside world and its marginalization of the elderly. It's certainly not an obvious topic for humor, but Gervais hopes that viewers will give the show a chance. "I think there's risk of people not watching it because of assumptions that it was cruel," he said at Netflix's winter TV previews on Wednesday. "There's risk that they don't get it. Or that they get it and don't like it. ... I haven't felt this excited and proud of a project since The Office. That's the truth of it."
Where would TV be without The Simpsons? Thankfully, it will still be a while before we'll ever have to find out. With no end in sight, Fox's landmark animated hit celebrates "the most meaningless milestone of all!" — their words — with Sunday's 500th episode (8/7c), a remarkable run by anyone's measure. Even if you've been taking this show for granted the last few years, or possibly decade, you don't want to miss — though you might want to record — the dazzling opening sequence, a kaleidoscopic montage showing the Simpsons' evolution from no-def to Hi-Def, with more couch gags than the eye and brain can process.
Ricky Gervais is hoping to bring another television series to life — or rather, the Afterlife. The creator of The Office has joined forces with Clyde Phillips, previously the showrunner on Dexter, to write a pilot about...
HBO has picked up its third Ricky Gervais series, Life's Too Short, to air in 2012, the cable network announced Wednesday. Check out photos of Ricky Gervais Described as a cross between the original version of The Office and Gervais' critically acclaimed Hollywood comedy series Extras, Life's Too Short is a faux documentary following...
Christmas in Washington (Friday, 8/7c, TNT) It's the most wonderful time of the year — for musical holiday specials, at the very least. Mariah Carey, who kicked the TV week off with an ABC Christmas special on Monday, is part of the all-star lineup of this concert extravaganza, taped last weekend at the gorgeous National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Ellen DeGeneres hosts, and joining Carey onstage are ...
As if Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant don't have enough fun at the expense of co-star Karl Pilkington on The Ricky Gervais Show, the duo are taking their teasing to the next step for their new show. An Idiot Abroad will showcase Pilkington traveling...
We're thrilled that Ricky Gervais is resurrecting his bloody genius HBO series Extras for a one-shot finale this week, but we can't help feeling dejected. Soon, Extras will be gone for good. Here's what we'll miss most. (The Extras series finale airs Sunday, Dec. 16, at 9 pm/ET on HBO.) Extras features TV's most delightfully dysfunctional duoThat would be Gervais' serious-actor wannabe Andy Mill­man and his idiotic agent, Darren Lamb (Gervais' col­laborator, Steven Merchant). In creating the duo's mad­dening attempts at commu­nication, Gervais harkened back to comedy's legendary mismatched duo Laurel and Hardy. "They nailed it," Gervais says simply. It showcases TV's sweet­est relationship "People know that she's vulnerable, because she's a bit stupid," Gervais says of Andy's best friend, Maggie (Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen). Particularly refreshing is the absence of will
Nip/Tuck's fifth-season premiere on Tuesday reeled in 4.3 million total viewers — down a bit from last year's debut but still way better than its finale (3.8 mil).... HBO has announced that "The Extra Special Series Finale" of Extras will air Dec. 16. To mark the occasion, Clive Owen, David Tennant, Gordon Ramsay and George Michael will all be making cameos. What, no Mitovich? His vodcast proves he's camera-ready, people.... USA's third annual Monk holiday special will air on Dec. 7. "Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa" will pave the way for Psych's first yuletide outing, "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy," to be broadcast right afterwards.... Showtime is launching The L Word's fifth season on Jan. 6. Yet they refuse to give us two episodes of Dexter per week. Bastards. — Ben Katner
July 10th is a day many of you have been waiting for, not because there's a set you're dying to buy, but because it's a slow release day. That's right, July 10th is the slowest day you'll find for a very, very long time.Beauty and the Beast, one of the top shows on TVShowsOnDVD.com, has its second season released, and this time there are extras! Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman provide video introductions on select episodes. It doesn't sound like much, but at least it's something.We also see the third season release of Hustle, a BBC series about a group of con men (and woman). It's a great series, though the DVDs aren't as good as BBC's MI-5 (both shows are produced by Kudos). It's still one of my favorites, though the short seasons drive me crazy, but only because I like it so much.My "pick of the week" award goes to another British series, Extras from HBO Home Video. Ricky Gervais isn't quite as brilliant as he was in The Office, but the show is delightfully funny, and the DVD set c...
During Saturday's America's Most Wanted, the FBI's latest top-10 fugitive list will be revealed. Uh-oh. Sounds like I'm going to be writing another Lindsay Lohan update over the weekend.... On July 10, HBO Video is releasing the second season of Ricky Gervais' Extras with over 100 minutes of, well, extras. None of which makes me the least bit bitter all over again about the fate of The Comeback. OK, maybe a little.... 'Til Death's Brad Garrett has been tapped to emcee the Museum of Television & Radio's Fox special, TV's Funniest Moments, airing Friday. Kinda embarrassing, though, since I have a hunch he won't be introducing any clips from his own show. Today's News was written by Ben Katner.
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have elected not to do a third season of Extras, and instead will wrap up the HBO series with a "one-off" special, as they did before with the U.K. edition of The Office, says the Hollywood Reporter. Explaining that the idea to end the run was in its very early stages, a rep for the duo says no timetable is in place for the series ender, but that Gervais and Merchant "will, at some point, sit down... and write it." Oooh, I love how mysterious and exotic the TV-making process sounds!
Don't fret, James Gandolfini's knees are fine. (This time.) Evoking that Saturday Night Live bit where Sopranos cast members couldn't recall where they left off/who hated who, HBO now is promoting an April 2007 return for the crime drama — a month later than last expected. Per the New York Daily News, HBO will ramp up to the final season by encoring the last round, starting Jan. 15 — a day after new seasons of Rome and Extras debut.
Question: When will Americans get to see the second season of Extras?Answer: The new season starts Sunday, Jan. 14, and the celeb cameos are out of control in the first three episodes. In the premiere, Orlando Bloom tries to convince Maggie (Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen) that he's sexier than Johnny Depp. In the second, Andy (Ricky Gervais) gets into the VIP section of a club and bumps into David Bowie, who ad-libs a hilarious song about how Andy has sold his soul for sitcom stardom. And there's a scene in the third episode involving Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe, Dame Diana Rigg and a condom that must be seen to be believed. Oh, and in case anyone's worried the show will go PC, Andy insults a kid with Down's syndrome and kicks a dwarf. Ah, good times….
Question: What were your Top 10 favorite shows of 2005, and why?Answer: I thought you'd never ask, Jackie! 1. Battlestar Galactica: I haven't been this excited about a TV show since... ever. And if that makes me a sci-fi geek, so be it. (But please, no wedgies.)2. Deadwood: Can't understand what they're sayin' half the time, but I sure like how they're sayin' it.3. Lost: Season 2 not only exceeded my expectations, it upended them. 4. Grey's Anatomy: Makes me want to be a doctor, if only to hang out with these people. And have lots of sex.5. Veronica Mars: If this is what happens when UPN meddles with a show, I say keep those notes c
Best episode so far, I think. The guy trying to be Andy's friend was perfectly cast since you could see why one wouldn't want to be his pal, but couldn't help feeling sorry for him just the same. And even though Maggie's am-I-racist-or-not? crisis was done first on The Office, it was still damned funny, I thought, particularly the truly uncomfortable moment with the dolls. (Besides, Ricky Gervais can be forgiven for stealing from himself.) I'll tell you, between Curb and this, my cringe muscles are getting a serious workout on Sunday nights. And I don't mind a bit.
Question: Since Extras got picked up for a second season, does that mean Ricky Gervais is out of the running to take over as the Bluth's new head attorney on Arrested Development? And if so, who else is up for the role?Answer: Well, as my frienemy, Kristin, over at E! Online reported last week, Happy Days' Chachi Arcola will take the legal reins for one episode. But don't rule out Gervais just yet. Despite his busy schedule, I'm betting he gets Arrested at least once this season.