7 Ricky Gervais Comedy Classics Everyone Should Check out ...

Extras has to be my favorite Ricky Gervais comedy. It was made around the time he was sort of becoming ‘cool’, which meant he was able to rope in a few different stars. My personal favorite is when Kate Winslet is teaching his co-star Ashley Jensen how to engage in phone sex. That, and when Orlando Bloom plays himself, but with a massive ego.

Oh David Brent. I still haven’t watched the U.S. Office, because I am not sure I can handle it without the car crash that is David Brent. Here in Britain, we all know a David Brent. He is the guy everyone hates, but we don’t really have good enough justifications for doing so. The guy is a bit of a douche, but we can’t figure out why. He is Cringe, with a capital C. To me, this is Gervais’ best character creation.

Can I class Karl Pilkington as a comedy? I think I can. Karl Pilkington somehow got working for Gervais, and with no refinement whatsoever he is pure comedy gold. The man is so underwhelmed by life, I am amazed he’s still alive. Try watching An Idiot Abroad or The Moaning of Life.

The Ricky Gervais Show is where this whole fascination with Karl Pilkington came from. It went from being a sort of radio show to an animated series. During the series, Gervais pretty much draws his comedy from how ridiculous this Pilkington guy is. And there is plenty of Stephen Merchant in it too, which I adore.

Derek has been a little controversial, and some have accused Gervais of mocking disabled persons. I genuinely don’t think that was his aim, he’s a clever guy and doesn’t need to resort to that. His comedy is about general kindness, and how we sort of get forgotten towards the end of our lives. Derek has been a huge hit here, and it has been commissioned for a second series!

Just how amazing is this concept? Imagine a world where we just didn’t lie to each other. I am sort of glad that’s not the case really, because it would be carnage. Possibly. Anyway, Ricky Gervais in this comedy is the ONLY man who can lie. Such power!

Honestly, I am sort of amazed they let Ricky present this twice. His humour is quite sharp, and obviously not to everyone’s tastes. I thought it was the BAFTAs he presented, but I got that wrong. Ooops. Anyway, after poking fun at Charlie Sheen and various other celebs during his final Golden Globes hosting session, he was mysteriously removed for an hour. When he came back, he was less offensive! Genuinely, I think that is a bit of a shame, as he hasn’t hosted it since.

So as you can probably tell, I have a lot of love for Ricky Gervais. More than anything, it is the fact that he doesn’t relent. He understands the quirks of others’ characters, and uses them to develop great comedy. If you are a fan of Ricky Gervais comedies, which one do you love the most?