Extras - Xmas Special 2007 - The Final Episode

 

Summary

Originally Broadcast: (US) December 16, 2007; (UK) December 27, 2007.

 

Guest Stars: Lionel Blair, Dean Gaffney, Hale & Pace, George Michael, Clive Owen, Gordon Ramsay, Lisa Scott-Lee, Chico Slimani, June Sarpong, Vernon Kay, and David Tennant

 

After three series of When the Whistle Blows Andy is more famous than ever. He can get a table at the exclusive Ivy Restaurant without booking, and he's moved to a posh new flat on Hampstead Heath as well. But it's arch-nemesis Greg who's got the career — and agent — Andy wants. With a new blockbuster film opening to rave reviews, Greg's portrayal of Percy Shelley alongside Clive Owen's Byron has earned him a firm place on the A-list. Fortunately, Greg's agent offers to represent Andy as well, which means Andy can finally hand Darren Lamb his walking papers - or at least leave a message to that effect. With a proper agent on board, Andy abruptly quits his sitcom in order to free himself up for better offers.

 

Andy is so caught up with new agent Tre Cooper's plan to get Andy to the top of the B-list as soon as possible that he completely fails to notice things aren't going nearly as well for Maggie. Though Tre secures her a small part in Clive Owen's new film, she decides to call it quits on being an extra after Owen and the director come up with a bit of staging that involves Owen flinging manure in Maggie's face. With no experience in any other line of work, Maggie has to resort to being a cleaner to pay the rent, which she can no longer afford and so is forced to move from her flat to a dingy little efficiency. Since Andy now phones only when he needs her to help him with some scheme or other, Maggie is left entirely to her own devices. Nearly destitute and thoroughly despondent, she pops in at Darren's new (and former) employer, the Carphone Warehouse, to see if he can offer her a place alongside former Eastenders co-stars Shaun Williamson and Dean Gaffney, who have also resorted to working there.

 

Meanwhile, Andy's decision to walk away from his sitcom has backfired. New agent Tre won't return his calls, so Andy is forced to accept acting gigs that he sneered at only a few months ago (specifically, roles on Doctor Who and Hotel Babylon) just to keep himself in the public eye. Andy finally manages to track down his agent. Tre tells Andy that he can have either "fame and fortune" or "credibility and respect" — but not both together — Andy chooses fame and fortune and begs Tre to pull whatever strings necessary to get Andy back on telly.

 

Andy finds that the strings Tre has offered to pull land him in the latest cast of Celebrity Big Brother, but Andy has no idea who anybody else is (apart from Lionel Blair). He quickly realises that rather than bolster his career, what he's actually done by appearing on a show where everyone is so desperate for fame that they voluntarily "hand in their dignity at the door" is just the opposite. After making an impassioned speech to this effect on camera, at the same time using the opportunity to make a heartfelt and tearful apology to Maggie, who is watching at home, Andy walks off the show.

 

Ironically, Andy's Big Brother speech gives him exactly the kind of attention and respect he's always wanted. Though he finds himself suddenly a media darling, with his agent fielding calls from the likes of Elton John and the Beckhams, Andy decides that the only place he really wants to be is anywhere Maggie wants to go. The two drive off down the motorway happily reunited.

 

Did anyone else watch it?

 

 

My Review:

 

Anyone who thought Ricky Gervais would be a one trick pony after The Office, has been completely proved wrong.

That was quite possibly the greatest 80 minutes of television I have sat through this century.

 

The entire episode was the perfect deconstruction of the Western world's obsession with celebrity culture, with Andy Millman's career going into a sharp decline after ending his lowest common denominator catchphrase a plenty comedy show, taking on one hilarious comedy cameo in Dr Who along the way, climaxing in the ultimate career humiliation Celebrity Big Brother (ironically and hilariously with a far better selection of housemates than the real thing), before delivering (what we surely be regarded in the near future) one of the greatest comedy speeches in the history of British TV, before quite literally walking out the back door of the Big Brother house at the end to be reunited with his long suffering (stunningly appropriate use of Kate Bush's brilliant This Woman's Work in some of the darkest scenes) best friend Maggie.

 

10/10

What an absoultly excelent episode of one of the most genuinely funny comedies of the last 10 years. :wub:

 

The only DVD I asked for this year was Extras seires 1 & 2 and I was realy excited about tonights episode, and it didn't dissapoint. Gervais and Maggie's clips together are some of the most funny, clever and witty scenes on TV, still as funny today as the was in the first episode. I never stoped laughing all the way through it, an excelent piece of comedy, written by 2 of the best comedy writters of the last 5 years. Pure excelence.

 

10/10

Movie audition scene

 

George Michael Hampstead Heath Scene

 

Clive Owen prostitute scene

 

Car Phone warehouse scene

 

Dr Who scene

Gordon Ramsey scene

 

Celebrity Big Brother scenes Pt 1

 

Celebrity Big Brother scenes Pt 2

It was hilarious. Major love for Lionel Blair haha. I'm well buying a boxset or whatever it is now.

Was amazing, esp the Big Brother scenes. :lol:

I only caught the Big Brother scenes and they were amazing! :lol:

 

Plus it had June Saprong in which made it automatically brilliant obviously :P

 

I will watch the other sketches sometime soon!

Spot-on observations, top notch acting, incredible script, wonderful use of music and a fitting end to a wonderful series. Shame he didn't get it on with Maggie, though :mellow:

 

George Michael proves he has a wicked sense of self deprecating humour (why can't the UK press realise this, too?), as does Lionel Blair. And Gervais's Big brother speech was toe-curlingly spot-on - he managed to condense the whole sorry life of a celebrity in the 2000s in one withering, desperate and totally on-the-mark scene. One helluva script.

 

One gripe though - why on earth was it shown in America almost two whole weeks before it was shown in Gervais's homeland? :(

This was fantastic. I cringed at myself during his last speech, as I laugh at some failed x factor auditionees, but he's right, it is putting up people to be mocked like they did in victorian mental asylums.

I dont think I'll find future failed auditionees so funny, Ill have much more sympathy now I think.

 

The whole celeb culture thing was spot on and it's driven by the public. Whilst they buy the mags and watch the shows it will continue and if we,the public lay down with the devil then we only have ourselves to blame for the results. imho.

I sometimes ask myself if it's worth watching all those reality shows just to have the occasional nugget of gold amongst all the desperation to be famous whatever the cost and means.

 

Very few tv programs make me sit up and think seriously , Extras last night was one of them.

 

Edited December 28, 200717 yr by Olympus

well i taped it to view tonight.... im looking foreward to it after these excellant reviews! :)

almost made me cry

Andy Millman seems a bit like Ricky gervais in real life.

 

Steven merchant is the best ever my favourite comedian.

 

George Micheal scene was the best, 'he is doing Catherine Tate Show... Over there in the bushes'

Easily the best piece of TV all year.

Wow, considering how this got quite a slating on IMDB (for not being 'funny' enough), I'm glad to see the love for the show here. I thought it was a great special and couldn't agree more with the speech at the end.

Love the Clive Owen scene.........f*** OFF I'M CLIVE OWEN.......THAT'S MENTAL :lol: :lol: