Extras - The Special [DVD]

You could say that I had high hopes when buying the blu ray version of Extras-The Special, as I'd previously sold my dvd copy upon hearing about its release. I wasn't disappointed in doing so.

The film was placed into the player and I was greeted with a wonderful high-def menu of Ricky wrapped in christmas lights (the same image used on the american DVD release I believe) a sternly looking Ricky illuminating seemingly in time to the now famous theme song of Cat Stephens- Tea for Tillerman.

It's really difficult to fault the story in any way, as usual Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant deliver line after line of comedic originality that's what's so sought after from the two. It's important also to note that they wrote and directed the film too.

The story follows Andy (Ricky Gervais) as he yearns for a genuine route to becoming a successful actor though is again and again plundered through the mundane routine of cheesy catchphrases and cheap and easy television that attracts in his eyes, the wrong type of followers. Stupid people. Garnering little respect and much humiliation to himself.

Though the story focuses mainly on Andy, other characters play major roles; we are treated to the quirky shenanigans of Andy's agent, Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant) and his affectionately unintelligent assistant Barry (Shaun Williamson) who provide a lot of the more slapstick jokes throughout the story (note: the jacket incident in which Darren's struggling to get his head out of the jacket with little help from Barry who's just making matters worse by pulling more.)

The film is not entirely about the comedy as Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jenson) plays the more sombre roles (downgrading apartments,working undesirable jobs, general depression, more tension in her friendship with Andy, etc) which creates more of a well rounded drama like aspect to the film encouraging the viewer to take it a little more seriously. Quite a moving scene was Rickys tearful performance towards the end, his final breakdown so to speak. It was a wonderful insight into the dynamics of his character and lends much more credibility to himself as an actor and shows what he's really capable of in terms of performance.

Of course, like any other Extras episode, we are treated to the usual celebrity appearances. A few that stick out in mind are Gordon Ramsey (the verbal assault between himself and Andy was truly phenomenal!) and George Michael, who's seen in the gay area of the park smoking a spliff and finishing his kebab before chucking into the park bin. Gervais and Merchant's marvellous idea of celebrities playing into their own stereotypes always earns a good laugh.

It's blu ray transformation is remarkable. The 1080p HD quality is definitely noticeable and is what makes the whole purchase seem so necessary. The Extra features are of course, bountiful in true Gervais tradition featuring:

Commentary with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

Extras: Your questions answered

The real Extras with Karl Pilkington

Deleted Big Brother scenes

and outtakes

It's disappointing that there's no new features that's exclusive to the blu ray.

Any fan of Gervais and Merchant will appreciate this latest addition into their collection. Recommended.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have really outdone themselves here...having never really been a fan of The Office I took very warmly to the concept of Extras. Both Seasons 1 & 2 charted Andy Millmans rise to fame brilliantly and this Special is the icing on the cake.

The shows strives for two things. Firstly, to entertain and to be funny, to poke fun at the celebrities we all know and kove but then also it strives to show us how these celebrity lifestyles we envision as being so picture perfect can lose their way. Andy has reached this point. His show is popular with millions tuning in to see it and yet he still feels that he should be seeking critical acclaim. He therefore fires his useless Agent (Merchant) and sets about burning the bridges he laid out with the BBC.

However it's not just Andy who's on a slippery slope. His friend Maggie (Jensen) struggles with Andy's new found resentment of his fame as she herself has to struggle with her own life.

Although the show has plenty of genuinely funny moments, it's this portrayal of the way fame can change a person that makes this show make it the masterpiece it is.

The DVD also features some great special features with Outtakes (always great, Gervais' laugh cracks me up every time), a featurette on the "Real Extras", Deleted Scenes and a great bit where Ricky and Stephen answer questions sent in from the viewers.

Closer to a full length movie than another episode of a highly successful TV series, "Extras - The Special" is a funny, superbly acted and, in the end, genuinely thought provoking exploration of what TV fame is all about.

As in the two preceding series Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Ashley Jensen and the wonderful "Barry" are a brilliantly effective comic combination but, unlike many other "specials" which simply re-tread what's gone before, they take their roles and their stories to much deeper levels that provide real insights into how the successes & failures of what's served up on our TVs each night impact on those involved. Bitingly critical of the whole celebrity bandwagon and, probably, closer to the truth than we'd like to believe, the trick - which they pull-off wholly successfully - is to make us laugh at its excesses while making us question the sanity of what's going on in a business where "fame" has become an end in itself, where people will do anything to get it & keep it, and where broken dreams litter the floor.

And, as in the previous episodes but in this case even more pointedly, the celebrities they wheel in for their cameo turns seem oblivious to the self-parody of their roles - witness Lionel Blair's and George Michael's appearances which beg the question whether they're so desperate to get exposure in a high ratings show such as "Extras" that they're prepared to allow themselves to be degraded in this manner... which, of course, is exactly the point that Gervais & Merchant are making.

Black comedy doesn't get any better than this and, in addition to being a superb way to end an already excellent series, "The Special" is, on its own, a highly effective and very funny insight into people's aspirations & motivations in a very strange world that, thankfully or not, most of us will never experience.