Extras: Season Two DVD

There are few things more annoying than a person who claims that he was a fan of [insert popular cultural item] before it became popular. For example: As most people probably know, Family Guy didn't become the go-to television show for 95% of college students in America until it was released on DVD, after the series had been cancelled. Family Guy was at its most popular during the three years it was off the air, from February 2002 to May 2005 (at which point FOX brought the show back, which was kind of unbelievable "” Family Guy's resurrection was due almost entirely to a staggering number of college kids lazily watching several episodes in a row when they were either hung-over, stoned, or drunk). I suppose you had to be there, but it's hard to overstate how universally loved Family Guy was in 2003 and 2004 among people my age: I literally didn't know anyone who wasn't at least somewhat of a fan.

Of course, there were drawbacks: A subculture of certain people who had watched the show from its very beginning (January 1999) started to act patronizingly towards those who had been introduced to Family Guy more recently through the DVDs; they projected a weird sense of Family Guy-related superiority that was, by any objective standard, idiotic. I'm not sure exactly why these kids felt this way, but I do remember that this minor phenomenon involved a lot of mumbling and eye-rolling, and frequent, sarcastic use of the phrase "That's cool, I guess." Needless to say, there's no place for that kind of anti-social pretentiousness in decent society. Given that this is my official stance, I'm going to preemptively label myself a hypocrite for my opinions regarding The Office, to be discussed in the next paragraph.

I haven't seen more than a few episodes of the American version of The Office, so I don't know how qualified I am to actually "discuss" it. I do know that it's loved by both reviewers and the American public, which is very difficult to pull off with a non-cable network comedy. Even so, it feels like I'm hiding something if I reference The Office without also referencing The Office "” the original, long since completed British series. For reasons I think I can explain, the American version feels fake to me, and the fact that it even exists seems a little strange. I mean, it's ostensibly the same show as the British version: The character types, major plot arcs, themes, and even title are all identical. The specific dialogue is obviously different, but the ideas are the same. I'm not disputing the American version's quality, but it's not entirely difficult to produce quality television when a brilliant template has been laid

out beforehand (and when Steve Carell is involved). The American series couldn't exist without Ricky Gervais, star and co-creator of the British series, but most diehard fans of the U.S. version couldn't pick him out of a line-up. If Gervais walked around Los Angeles for a day, he'd sign roughly 400 fewer autographs than Turtle from Entourage. Considering Gervais is the funniest man on television, that's ridiculous.

It's probably time to start talking about Extras, the second project by Ricky Gervais, given that I've just written 521 words without once using the word "Extras," and also given that Extras: Season Two is the DVD I'm theoretically supposed to be reviewing. Remember ten seconds ago, when I (sort of) ranted about the greatness of The Office? Extras is greater than The Office. Gervais plays Andy Millman, a 43 year-old struggling actor who has finally received his big break: When last we left Andy, at the conclusion of the Season One, he had cut a deal with the BBC to make When the Whistle Blows, a sitcom pilot based on Andy's experience working in a factory some years earlier. Season Two revolves around Andy's dealings with his newfound fame "” When the Whistle Blows becomes a solid commercial success, but a critical nightmare. Everyone involved in the creation of the show wants input, resulting in a compromised, generic sitcom filmed in front of a live studio audience; essentially, When the Whistle Blows is the opposite of Extras. In his social life, Andy continues to find himself in the same keenly embarrassing situations he always has, with the help of his bumbling agent (co-creator Stephen Merchant), and his bumbling best friend (Ashley Jensen). Andy's newfound celebrity also attracts the media to his every mistake.

Extras isn't a great show because of its interesting premise, although it helps. Extras is a great show because (A) it features a different celebrity guest star in every episode, typically in a way that subverts whatever image the audience has of whichever celebrity appears, typically in a way that's fucking hilarious, (B) it's the most dense, self-aware show on television, and (C) Gervais and Merchant are comedic geniuses. For all the big-name actors and funny concepts Extras puts forward, it would disappoint if the right people weren't pulling the strings (see: Entourage). I suppose you could say that Extras is in the right hands, but it would be more accurate to say that Extras couldn't possibly be in anyone else's hands. No one could make this show be funnier or more enjoyable than Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have made it. Not even Steve Carell.

Special Features:

Aside from the standard deleted scenes and outtakes sections, which are generally pretty good, there are a few longer features worth watching.

"Extras Backstage" is a fairly in-depth look into the logistics of the show, and is mostly Gervais and Merchant making fun of each other. "The Art of Corpsing" is a feature focused on "corpsing," or when a take is ruined by someone laughing, and "Taping Nigel: The Gimpening" is a documentary about how Gervais sometimes mummifies a set artist named Nigel in scotch tape. Solid all around.

DVD Grade: A
Features Grade: A-
Overall Grade: A