The Office v Extras
Are you ready to referee the ultimate sitcom showdown between "The Office" and "Extras"? We've got the play-by-play as these two comedic juggernauts, both brainchildren of Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, go head to head in our Sitcom World Cup quarterfinal. Witness the clash of cringe and nuance as we dissect "The Office's" unforgettable 'The Merger' episode as we catch the subtleties of character development, from Tim's career choices to David Brent's desperate quest for acceptance.
We also raise a toast to Les Dennis and his raw depiction of an actor's life in "Extras." His willingness to bear his soul in a vulnerable, down-on-his-luck portrayal brings a unique authenticity that's both heartbreaking and side-splitting. As we review Les's standout moments and the drama behind his Panto show, we can't help but marvel at the blend of real-life parallels and fictional hilarity. Join us for this comedic deep dive and cast your vote – will it be "The Office" or "Extras" progressing to the semi final of our Sitcom World Cup?
The Office v Extras
Are you ready to referee the ultimate sitcom showdown between "The Office" and "Extras"? We've got the play-by-play as these two comedic juggernauts, both brainchildren of Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, go head to head in our Sitcom World Cup quarterfinal. Witness the clash of cringe and nuance as we dissect "The Office's" unforgettable 'The Merger' episode as we catch the subtleties of character development, from Tim's career choices to David Brent's desperate quest for acceptance.
We also raise a toast to Les Dennis and his raw depiction of an actor's life in "Extras." His willingness to bear his soul in a vulnerable, down-on-his-luck portrayal brings a unique authenticity that's both heartbreaking and side-splitting. As we review Les's standout moments and the drama behind his Panto show, we can't help but marvel at the blend of real-life parallels and fictional hilarity. Join us for this comedic deep dive and cast your vote – will it be "The Office" or "Extras" progressing to the semi final of our Sitcom World Cup?
Living with Maidly. Living with Maidly living with Maidly.
Speaker 2:Maidly living with Maidly. Hello, welcome to Living with Maidly. This is part of our sitcom World Cup and we're into the third quarterfinal. My name is Andrew and I am joined by Lee Hamm. How's things? Good afternoon, sir. How the devil are you? I'm looking forward to the Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais derby. Today we've got Office the Office versus Extras. I'm going to be doing the Office, liam's going to be doing Extras. I think we both think Office is probably going to be doing the office, liam's going to be doing extras. I think we both think office is probably going to win this, but I don't know.
Speaker 3:We're not saying it necessarily should win, we just both probably think it will win.
Speaker 2:I think it probably will win. A lot of people don't like Gervais, but I don't know what they're going to do here Because it's two Gervaisers.
Speaker 3:I think there's more Gervais in the office than there is in extras yes, if you're an anti-givasa, that that might swing you towards extras, but it's a strong extras episode that I've gone for um yeah and you've picked out the, the office episode for us, which is where we're going to start.
Speaker 4:So yeah, let's get into it.
Speaker 2:Let's get into it. This is the uh series two, episode one. This is the merger episode of the office I play theme, so a bit of background that you need to know for this. In series one the cameras come to wernermark, which is a paper company in slough, to film what's like in a normal office. David brent is the manager and he sees this as his moment to become a celebrity. Constantly plays up for the cameras, just as him just embarrasses himself on a regular basis. But at the end of series one we find out there's going to be a merger between the Swindon and Slough branches of the company and you see that him, or the Slough manager, neil, who's going to be the boss of both Brent, actually wins the support of the board of directors, which he calls a landslide, doesn't he? I think it's 60% or something like that.
Speaker 3:7 to 4 or something like that.
Speaker 2:He's delighted, so he's set to be the boss. But he fails his medical due to high blood pressure. So Neil is given the job and that is how Series 1 ends. What I didn't realise about this Series 2, it's not that surprising, but it aired 11 months after Series 1 because the office nearly about this series too. Well, it's not that surprising, but it had 11 months after series one because the office nearly got cancelled. Um, they repeated it and more people watched the repeats and then the original shows. The original ron got very barely any viewers late night slot?
Speaker 2:I think wasn't it yeah, yeah, I think about 10 o'clock bbc too, but the dvd sales were good and um and the repeats were good as well, so that's the only reason he got a second series.
Speaker 3:I didn't know the gap was that big, to be honest, but just pick up on what you said there as well. So I don't know if you were going to come to this, but just for anybody who's not too familiar with the Office, david Brent was a successful manager, wasn't he? Before the camera crews came in.
Speaker 2:It was a bit later on.
Speaker 3:That backs this up, but okay, but yeah so so if you, if this is the first episode you're ever watching, you probably think he's. He's absolutely mad that this is a real life manager. But we've kind of just seen that he's viral through series one because the cameras are on him.
Speaker 2:He's kind of lost his edge almost yeah, yeah, yeah, and by this point he genuinely seemed, because, even though this was filmed 11 months after I, I looked into this and the merger is actually only two weeks after the last episode. So although the viewers had to wait a year in the canon, it's actually I didn't realise this. It's only two weeks, there's no break. It's not like this is the second series of the Office in the mockumentary world, if you get what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it almost just runs straight. If you're watching them, it just runs straight through. It could be one 12-part series, really, couldn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, which makes sense, because obviously in the Christmas specials Brent's more, they stitch me up and he doesn't in this. And I've always thought like, well, why didn't he think they stitched him up the first time? And I didn't realise it's all one long thing, oh yeah no, sorry, that's a great point, isn't it?
Speaker 3:yeah, I'll just repeat what you've said, but it's kind of just clicked in my mind that so the reason why he's become a bit more self-aware in the specials is because at this point it probably hasn't been aired while they're still filming it has it?
Speaker 2:yeah, so it's all being filmed, so it's not being aired.
Speaker 2:So the reason he's not really caught on. That he's a bit of a buffoon is because it's not being aired yet. Um, so this first episode the swindon branch moved to slough and Neil's going to be the boss of David. And just a word on Tim here.
Speaker 2:Tim is the everyman, uh, in the first series the most relatable character, I think, along with Dawn, and they're the only characters who seem to realize how ridiculous everything is around him. But if you remember, at the end of series one Tim got offered a new role. I think it's, is it? Senior sales rep. I think he's senior sales rep, yeah, um, and at the end, very end of series one, he starts talking like Brennan, he starts going about the whole pie and stuff like that to Dawn and he starts to try and take his job much more seriously.
Speaker 2:And this continues into this episode. He's not the prankster Tim, and in this particular episode he's a much more serious person. The first thing he does in this is tell Lee and Dawn that they shouldn't get caught behind the desk because it's an important day with the Swindon lock, uh, coming over. So we don't really get the best of tim in this episode, to be completely honest, because he's not doing his, his pranks and his and his wisecracks. But I don't know, do you think, do you like that development of the character?
Speaker 3:yeah, I don't know. Well, I don't know if you've got any research on this. I know we don't do deep dives, do we? We do a Wikipedia read. But did they have every intention of there being a Series 2, or could they have finished it after Series 1? Because they did take Tim's character down a different direction and then quickly swerve back towards where he was previously. So, yeah, I don't know, I don't like him as much in this sort of serious role, but I don't know, I don't like him as much in this sort of serious role, but I don't think you're supposed to.
Speaker 2:I think you're supposed to be happy when it goes back to being prankster Tim, but this particular episode is pretty much all about Brent. So Brent, straight away, is like, as you were saying, he's showing off at the very beginning and he shows it off to Neil later on as well that he ran the cover of an old Inside Paper magazine because he won UK manager of the year, manager of the month sorry, 18 months ago. And, like you say, this is interesting because he's a buffoon throughout. But, as you said, he obviously was a decent boss. He got manager of the month 18 months ago. He won manager of the year and the board voted for him above Neil, who, we'll soon find out, is a very capable manager himself. Yeah, yeah, I think it's a fair point.
Speaker 3:I think that, yeah, what's kind of interesting as well is that the merger. I think this is why you've picked a good episode. We see him a bit more fragile in this world because he's had the previous team with him for the probably those 18 months when he won the award.
Speaker 3:They know he's a good manager, they respect him, but now he's getting a new wave of people coming into the office yeah, that's great, this is all they see of him is this playing up to the camera madman, basically, and and as we'll find out, that respect hasn't kind of been earned from this team and, as I said, I think we've mentioned it before because I've said like it gets a bit crazier this series.
Speaker 2:But it makes sense because he's getting more and more desperate as he's going on. So he does more mad things like saying that this is the first time he's ever doubted, as we'll get onto. Before that, everyone's just taken. I mean, obviously people take the piss out of him a bit, like especially Finchie, but he doesn't really get any backlash, does he in the first series.
Speaker 3:No, he's credible as a manager. I think you can see him sliding down a slope, but he still carries some authority. People still need to do what he says. These people come in, they respect Neil, they see Neil as their boss, and this kind of lunatic prancing about for the cameras is now supposed to be their superior. I can see how that's a struggle. I'm sure you've got some clips that back this up. The only thing I don't get is why and it's this thing that Gervais seems to do, and he did it in Life on the Road where why do you just dislike him so much so immediately? I would find him hilarious if I moved into this office.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll get to that I mean the first thing's first. The first time I meet Neil, you could tell Brent is already under the surface, not happy that he's second fiddle all of a sudden. This is Neil, Neil Godwin that he's second fiddle all of a sudden.
Speaker 5:This is Neil Neil Godwin. Hi, neil is Jennifer's replacement. He's sort of overseeing David's boss, just a tiny a little bit above me. I'm the UK manager.
Speaker 4:I was sort of David's equivalent in Swindon and doing the same kind of job as him. Obviously, my branch closed and now my staff are coming here, so I'm essentially David's boss.
Speaker 5:Looking after is the wrong term to use, because we're both good to meet you, though we haven't met before, have we? Yeah, switch conference oh God, I was a little bit drunk Most of the week, as I remember. Doesn't sound like me, does it Don?
Speaker 2:I've always liked. Obviously, when you're analysing this, as we all do, now, you look into it more. Why does he say it? Like you're like a vampire. I was a little bit drunk. It's ridiculous.
Speaker 3:I think I've always thought that's a reference to something, but never know what it is. It seems to ring a bell with me that a little bit. Yeah, I've got a feeling that is a kind of impression of something. It's like a Russian.
Speaker 2:Transylvanian sort of thing. So straight in. Anyway, he's not happy about Neil. There's a bit where the Swindon lot arrive and Neil's kissing all the women, just like you know the cheek, you know background. He's like, ooh yeah, you know kisses everyone Means less. It's like when he's like does the ooh bit sweet innit, but I prefer a flan. He's always in the background, like straight away. He's not. Neil's come in and, to be fair, neil, in that first scene he said well, I am David's boss, obviously setting ground rules straight away.
Speaker 3:Do you know what I mean? That's not Neil being out of order, is it? No, regardless of how they got to this position, he has come in as Neil's boss, as David's boss, and as much as he wants to kind of keep this grumbling and shrugging in the background, that is the dynamic now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he says that later on, later on the series where he says look, I'm quite embarrassed, is the situation? Get used to it? I do think brent, when neil has a go with him, could easily turn around and say you are only my manager because of the technicality. I am the better man for the job, which he never does, in fairness to him and credit to him.
Speaker 3:But again, I think in that situation he, neil, would say yeah, but but but that technicality is that technically you're not fit to manage people. So unfortunately I've got a manager. Uh, you know it's well, that's. He would be doing that most times.
Speaker 2:Anyway, Brent's doing a speech for the Swindon lot arriving. He's so excited he's going to go and do a speech later. It's just a little speech from a new set of people.
Speaker 3:He's like a child and he's so excited to be doing this because he sees this is basically, it's a stand-up set he wants to do brilliant, um.
Speaker 2:And so he's talking to gareth and tim about how he's uh, he's doing a speech later and gareth gareth offers him this joke.
Speaker 5:Oh no, heckling I've got a joke you can use. Well, you don't?
Speaker 4:usually do jokes. We're gone. All right, it's christmas dinner, royal family having a christmas dinner. Camilla parker poles goes. Okay, we'll play 20 questions. I'll think of something. You have to ask me questions and guess what it is. So what she's thinking is a black man's cock.
Speaker 5:Truska Miller.
Speaker 4:Not racist, is it no? So Prince Philip goes. Is it big in the bread bin? She goes. Yeah, prince Charles goes. Is it something I can put in my mouth? She goes. Yeah, queen goes. Is it a black man's cock?
Speaker 5:She's guessed it from those clues. Great way, she's guessed it from those clues. Oh god, that's the sort of stuff I write. You didn't write it, you just told it there's a brilliant bit here where he goes.
Speaker 2:It's not racist, is it? Tim does his amazing Tim face at the camera. That little thing where he just darts his head looking straight at the camera. But I love, like at the end of that where he goes. You know, that sort of stuff I write he's never written a joke in his life.
Speaker 2:Even these jokes he says later on aren't his jokes, no. So he comes to the speech and I've got to play a few clips from this, because this is almost like the centrepiece of the episode Before we get to the speech. I've got to play this because it comes back later. This is a talking head of Bremen talking about how he's not intimidated by talking to large groups of people.
Speaker 5:Some people are intimidated when talking to large numbers of people in an entertaining way Not me. I've had experience. So at one of the commentary conferences some of us put on a little review. I was the main thing and I did impressions of the conference coordinator, eric Hitchmo, and he talks like this and he always says one thing he says I don't agree with that in the workplace. That's just awesome and I did them as famous people Like the conference would go, ladies and gentlemen, lieutenant Columbo and I'd come out in a Mac and I'd go. Yeah, one final thing my wife loves you, but I don't agree with that in the workplace.
Speaker 5:I don't agree with that in the workplace. That's great. No, I did it with some Basil Forty, I think I mentioned it once, but I got away with it and I don't agree with that in the workplace and they were cracking up and he loved it because it was nothing vicious. You know, some comedians would have picked another stuff. You know, been more nasty, like he's got a little withered hand, like Jeremy Beadle. I didn't mention it.
Speaker 2:No need. So Neil starts, he does a small speech and it goes down. Well, this is a little bit unrealistic in a way. Neil's jokes are good and you would laugh at him because they're very cheeky. Like he says something like I'm not a man who likes fast cars and nice women, sexy women or whatever. So it's a good job I moved to Slough. Do you know what I mean? But it's a good job of move to slough. You get. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 3:but it's going down well, yeah, I think I think that you're right there. There is an inconsistency, though, because the jokes that they both tell are not a million miles apart. I think, though, the difference kind of where it's well written is neil is giving a professional office speech. Yeah, brent is trying to do a comedy set in an office. It's like he's auditioning for an open mic night. He's far too excitable. His body language is all over the place his deliveries are awful.
Speaker 2:I'll play the very thought Neil ends with this joke which sets David up. It's a nice little ending for him. It's a bit risky, I suppose. It all goes downhill from here, basically. But there will be perks for him. It's a bit risky, I suppose, but and this it all goes downhill from here, basically but there will be perks for him.
Speaker 5:I'm sure he's looking forward to having a whole new group of men underneath him. Anyway, here's the man at the top of the pile, david Brent, you know who was saying there about me being at the top of the pile of men saying I'm gay. Right, I'm not gay.
Speaker 3:In fact, I can honestly say I've never come over a little queer yeah, I mean you send that as a clip quite often like as a yeah, it kind of. It works in so many situations seemingly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, straight off the bat, you know it works in so many situations seemingly yeah, straight off the bat, you know it's a bad start, but then it comes up with cheesy jokes like there's a brilliant. This is what's fantastic about the Office, which I would talk to. Someone who doesn't really like it watched the first four or five episodes, not really getting into it and travelling, who we know is a massive fan of it and can quote it offhand. Brilliant at just coming out with lines from it. He said it wasn't until the second time that he got it, and I think this is why the office is so good, because it does every time you watch it, certainly the first five, six, seven, maybe ten times. There's little bits and there's bits in this that I've not noticed before. Um, and this is one of them where he goes? I've always worked in in the paper industry, haven't I? Yeah, yeah, like he's not a comedian, why is he going?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah yeah, like nodding to him yeah nodding to him yeah, I've always worked in the paper industry. Yeah, and he goes. Yeah, my parents owned a paper shop until it blew away and no one like laughs. It is a crap joke.
Speaker 3:Neil would get think because of the deliverer and because he's not sort of burst on stage with never come over a little queer. Yeah, it's a brilliant start. He's kind of lost him from the start, aren't?
Speaker 2:they like they're already not sure where to go with him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, but you're right, I think the same joke.
Speaker 2:Neil might have got laughed for yeah, yeah, yeah um, and he says like, because I'm not used to public squeaking, because I piss, pronounce it a lot of my worms. I'm'm going to ask you now, if your boss stood up and started doing this your new boss what would you think?
Speaker 3:I would love it, and I would know it was two Ronnies as well, which would kind of make me think more of him. But yeah, if I got a new manager who behaved like this, I would be sat in hysterics and I would think this is going to be great, like he's mad, but this is going to be brilliant working here. They look in kind of horror, don't they?
Speaker 2:They just sort of freeze If you look at it, it's quite well done, but the people in the last series, like Tim or whatever, they're just going ooh, that's not really work when the Swindon lot are genuinely going what the fucking hell is this man doing? And it gets worse because they're not laughing and he starts getting angry with them like someone's phone goes off because, yep, that's one of the reasons you're not laughing. If you're not concentrating, think how badly this is going. It's just a speech to some staff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he ends up criticising them. Yeah, it's mad.
Speaker 2:Yeah for not laughing. So he gets angry with them and the stuff that he said about Eric Hitchmo. He thinks right, I'll win him back by that. So he says this Don't mention the war.
Speaker 4:I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it. I don't agree with that in the workplace.
Speaker 5:I don't agree with that. In the workplace, do you not know who Eric Hitchmo is? Who's been to the commentary conference, right? So do you not know Eric Hitchmo? Yeah, but I didn't know he talked like that he talks exactly like that, Don't he? Gareth?
Speaker 4:I prefer the stuff you do about his little hand. I don't do stuff about his little hand.
Speaker 3:You do the wanking club. What was absolutely brilliant about this is he's gone into panic mode. He's clearly had some laughs for this routine, but nobody in this room, I think. He says who knows him? And like one or two people put their arm up. He people put their arm up. He's doing an impression of somebody that nobody knows. He's so desperate.
Speaker 2:I think it's two people who put it. Who knows, harry Kitchmore? I?
Speaker 4:do, but I didn't know. He talks exactly like that.
Speaker 2:Nobody talks exactly like that. I don't agree with that at the workplace. So he's getting even more angry and desperate and this is how he ends this speech. Bear in mind, this is their first introduction to my friend.
Speaker 5:Has everyone heard of Harry Enfield? Has everyone heard of Harry Enfield? Yes, right Then. Okay, then, who's this? I do not believe you wanted to do that, only me. You wanted to do that, only me.
Speaker 3:Oh, come on even at the time, ari Enfield was not on TV for about 15 years the way he holds his expression at the end, when he's staring, the camera zooms in on him he sort of puts his head forward as if, come on, I'm doing it, that character, I'm pretty sure we're about 1992.
Speaker 2:So we're about 10 years before this came out and it's not a relevant. It's like I don't know. It'd be like you now doing a speech and going I'm the only gay in the village, or something like that A, and they only get in the village, or something like that little britain or something ridiculous. So no one laughs, he slumps into his chair and looks absolutely devastated. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, like we said, this is the first episode where bren begins to doubt himself and it goes through the series because already this, this swind mob, as he calls them, don't respect him, don't think he's funny, think he's a bit of an oddball. And it seems to me that's the first time anyone's ever said to him you're not funny.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I don't know if I don't know, thinking back to Series 1, I think people sort of laughed along with him and just allowed him to think he was the funniest man in the room. I don't think anyone was ever bursting into laughter at him, but I think, yeah, he's never kind of been shot down like this, has he? Like they're not even sort of politely laughing, they just look confused.
Speaker 2:Now I've heard Gervais in an interview say David Brent would be his perfect boss, because you go for one drink and four with him, laugh at his jokes and you're probably going to get an easy ride. Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah, whereas it feels like the Swindon branch, because probably they've been managed by a more professional person are definitely harder working, aren't they? I think Trudy says this, like we're used to working much harder.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think it's a weird dynamic, but again, I don't know how much of that is. Did he always have a fairly laid-back office that actually delivered quite good stats? And figures, but actually did it in quite a good way, or is it? Is it just that the camera crew came in and has completely changed? Was he more like neil before the cameras were there?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's an interesting one. I really do. I've been watching this and I'm trying to analyze it a little bit more. I've started thinking a lot more about it, the office and it's. It's really I don't know. There's lots of things that you shouldn't have to know in a sitcom, obviously, but it is. It is deeper than a lot of other sitcoms. There's no doubt about that. Um, so, after this has been a spread pot on for everyone, all the staff are getting to know each other. Brent's still absolutely devastated by what's happened with his speech, so he approaches some of the swindon guys and tells them the joke that gareth said to him earlier he's obviously this desperate now is even like Nick and Gareth's jokes. But as he gets to the punchline I'm going to play a clip. But as he gets to the punchline, oliver the office black guy, as he calls him, david Brenton walks up to him. So we get this horrible exchange.
Speaker 5:Royal family. Yeah, christmas day had lunch sitting down. Camilla goes, let's play a game. Let's play 20 questions. I'll think of something, and you've got to guess what I'm thinking of. And what she's thinking of is a black man's cock. So Charles goes. Is it bigger than a breadwin? She goes. Yes, philip goes. Could I put it in my mouth? She goes yes, so the Queen goes. Is it a black? Hiya? Sorry, were you telling a joke? No, that was it. What did the Queen say? Didn Are you telling?
Speaker 1:a joke. No, that was it. What did the Queen say, Didn't?
Speaker 5:Oh, come on.
Speaker 4:Alan.
Speaker 5:What was the joke.
Speaker 4:It's about the royal family playing 20 questions. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5:It's not the black man's cock, one is it? It might be, but I don't. It's bad, isn't it? No, it's all right, it's funny. Harmless, well done. I Homeless, well done.
Speaker 3:I mean, this is kind of what the office this is. This is the moment when I get why people Don't like the office, because they do. They're very good at these Kind of awkward moments when you think, oh god, yeah. He's got a feel for Brent in this moment, because he's he just can't hide it and he's Ah.
Speaker 2:Ah, the best bit is one of the swimming guys goes. So what were the pumps? Like? He just shrugs I don't know, it's so shit, thinking on his feet you know, like I don't know. But then straight after that, the next scene. This is the most sitcom I think the Office gets, because we get a scene where it's him for some Gareth having to explain to Jennifer who's the boss of the whole company, and Neil why he's been telling racist jokes, because someone's reported him for telling that joke and he's made to repeat the joke to them. They're brilliant at this because they're both giggling like little children as he's repeating it and he goes and he's heard it before.
Speaker 2:Jennifer says you can see why people find it offensive. But Brent says it's a compliment, if anything, obviously doing the stereotype about black men having big penises. But Gareth says he has magazines at home that show it's not a myth about black men's cocks being that big. Do you know what I mean? And she goes oh, could you. He goes well, I ain't got them now, but I can bring them in next week. And then Brent at the end, so childish, just goes. It was a joke, he told it me. But see, that's like a get-out for him.
Speaker 3:It is set up very deliberately like two naughty boys in their teacher's office the way that they start, the way it's filmed. They look so childish in this movie.
Speaker 2:Why is Gareth with him? Why has Gareth been brought in for this racist joke meeting? Has he brought in him with him? I don't know. Why is Gareth there?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know, Gareth's kind of sat sort of hunched up next to him chuckling along. It's crazy, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I love when he says the joke again and them two just look at each other Like what the fuck is this? And he's heard it before. So after that Bren is once again telling the Swindon lot that Jennifer needs to chill out and have some weed, and then he points to Oliver. The buddy goes you know, do, because of course you do. So. The next scene again.
Speaker 2:This is where it's a bit sitcom. Aye, it cuts to him again in the office because someone's reported him about advocating the use of drugs, because I was not advocating the use of drugs. So near the end of the episode now Tim goes back to how he was because I think he's been really serious all the way through this episode and dawn's tried to get him back on side and like said oh, should we wind gareth up because I'm not sure you know he's busy. Then there's a brilliant bit of acting and we've mentioned the acting performance of the christmas special where he sort of fobs her off again and then he looks at her. She looks really, really upset and it's as if Tim's thought what the fuck am I doing here? This is not me whatsoever. So he goes up, he does it quite well. He goes up to Dawn and says I've got a thing in my diary. It says 20 minutes of winding Gareth up with Dawn and she's so happy. Again, brilliant acting of Lucy Davis where she's oh, she's like, oh my god, he's back yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:No, you're right, I think it's not a funny moment, but it's a really well put together moment and yeah, there's loads of that in this. By the way, I mean some of some of Brent's expressions, some of his glimpses at camera. He's brilliant at capturing an expression. I mean, I can't remember what I wrote down early on, but there was one particular moment where he sort of shrugs in such a way that I think it's great. It really is like proper high-level acting. People say Gervais can't act. I think he can. I don't think he's done great in everything he's done, but he's brilliant in some of his body language, kind of acting, yeah we'll get on to extras.
Speaker 2:There's some great moments from him in extras. It's a very similar role, not gonna lie.
Speaker 2:But you know, some of the comedic acting. There's a fantastic version. We start when he's talking about eric kitchmer in that first scene. Uh, the first time he mentions him, it does the voice. He's laughing to himself because that's great. That's great to himself, that's great, um. So basically dawn and tim are back friends again. Tim's become the old Tim, which is good for the series going forward. As all this is going on, brent's in the background looking so devastated about his speech. He's obviously been practising it a day before and it's just gone so badly for him. So this is again so awkward. He walks out into the office and makes like another speech to the staff about how they've gone on the wrong foot with him and he's just a chilled out entertainer and he says who's complained about the joke? And we get this OK two of you.
Speaker 5:Good Right. Why did you think you'd go to Jennifer but not me?
Speaker 2:Because I don't know you and I didn't like the kind of joke you were telling Wow, and I don't know you and I didn't like the kind of joke you were telling and I don't think somebody in your position should be laughing at black people.
Speaker 5:It's funny that any two of you thought that out of everyone. But you know I didn't like it either. Right proves my point, swindon, you're new. You don't know me. I'm not new and I find it quite offensive right?
Speaker 4:well, he didn't.
Speaker 3:But what's he got to do with?
Speaker 5:it. If he doesn't mind us laughing at him, what harm's been done.
Speaker 2:So he starts there's a brilliant bit here which you can't play because it's again physical acting and he starts talking about melting pots, doesn't he? Because what I'm saying is we're all one big pot. Then he goes, so there's your racist, and he winks, and there were swaggers back to his office, obviously thinking he's put the record straight. He's made more of a dick of himself, like he's had a go at Trudy, a new starter for reporting him. It's just so funny. He winks, he's so bad, so so bad.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love that bit in there. By the way, I didn't know until he played that clip. We say to ourselves in a friendship group quite a lot, yeah, most sensible thing you've said all day. I didn't know it was only sensible thing you've said all day. But that's a brilliant line. Not only sensible thing.
Speaker 3:Just something as well. Just to go back to because I think it's really well written. I think you've passed this moment in it, but the bit where, so, so from the new group there's a new girl comes into and I love the bit where some of the guys in the office are talking to her I don't know if it's Tim or Tim and Keith, I can't remember who's around and they're clearly trying to find out if she's single, without asking if she's single. I think that's so well written, that scene, and Gareth kind of butts in and just says, basically, just bluntly, have you got a boyfriend? And everybody looks so awkward and just turns away. It's so well written, that little bit.
Speaker 2:It's brilliant because Big Keith comes in. He only gets very small scenes, big Keith and I've not mentioned because you've went through every you know it takes ages every scene where he goes. If you won't mind, moving aside Tim I'm thinking I'm going to make a move and starts doing like thrusting actions, like but right, dancing together and Lee, who's Dawn's boyfriend, comes in and throws Tim against the wall. This is probably one of the most cringey scenes in it. It's not in a cringey sense of oh God, why has he said that, but Tim's reaction it's really good again, really good acting again You're embarrassed on his behalf, aren't you?
Speaker 2:It's horrible. It's horrible, yeah, so that's how it ends. So I think that sets it up for the series that, unlike in the first series, lee is sort of getting wind of how close Tim and Dawn are.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, and obviously I don't know if you mentioned it at the start, did you? But Tim had asked Dawn out at the end of the last episode of the first series because he thought she'd split up with Lee, but actually she hadn't, so that is kind of awkward anyway, no, but he gets away from it.
Speaker 2:He asks her out at the end of this series. I know what you mean, but what he does in that other one Is that the last episode?
Speaker 3:or is it the second to last episode?
Speaker 2:That's the second. There's two different episodes where he asks her out. Because that's where everyone always takes the piss out of me. I'm not going to ask her out again. You're not going to ask her out. I could ask her out again. No, because at the end he actually asks her out at the end of this series and she says no. In the first one I was amazed Because he says at the end I asked her out as a soldier to cry on. Because then Lee goes what a soldier Are you bent? You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So that's the yeah so he sort of has asked her out, but he hasn't. It's the end of this series where you know it's so embarrassing. I feel so sorry for him. He's a nice guy, tim. As we get on in the Christmas special, bit of a dickhead really, but you know you do feel sorry.
Speaker 3:It's like, I suppose, the genuine start of where we get to in the Christmas special that we did on one of our Christmas episodes this is, you know, they clearly kind of like each other and there's something there, but almost this episode is probably the first part of where we get to in the Christmas special.
Speaker 2:I suppose I don't want to go too deep, but do you think Tim starts trying to become that manager role you know in this episode and the last one? Because he knows in his head he's not going to get with Dawn. So what's the point?
Speaker 3:you may as well concentrate on his career maybe, but then I think when he sees her sad, I think this is kind of yeah, maybe we're overthinking it, but I think this is Tim thinking. Actually, do you know what? It's more important to me that she's happy than it is that I'm trying to chase, being a manager, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Like I say, yeah, I think that then feeds ultimately into the Christmas special. So if it was written with that in mind, knowing where it was going to end up, then yes, it's great, and if it wasn't, then it still works very well.
Speaker 2:So well. So that's the episode, that's the office and it is up against what liam's gonna lead us through the other, rick and gervais and merchant. Well, they've done three. I think that's too short and that's it. With a big three series that they did, but these two office and extras are renowned as being their the best work, and this is extras bring tea for the till's stake for the sun Wine for the woman who made the rain come.
Speaker 4:Seagulls sing your hearts away, as wild sinners sing the children play.
Speaker 2:Oh Lord, how they play and play For that happy day.
Speaker 3:So extra, as we mentioned before, fantastic theme tune from Cat Stevens. I'll go into some detail but I don't know if it'll get through or not. There will be more detail and criticism if it does get through. Extras is about Andy Millman, who's an aspiring actor and played by Ricky Gervais. He only gets the bit parts, walk-on roles, background jobs, I think he calls them, which is why it's called Extras. He's basically an extra. That's kind of how he's making his career when we meet him. It's a 2005 BBC Two show co-produced by BBC and HBO, which I didn't know HBO was involved in. I read this, but I suppose they get Hollywood names in it as we go on.
Speaker 3:So his agent you might know this, but I realised in doing my research his agent, played by Steve Merchant, is an absolutely fantastic character. I don't know if he's ever called by his name it presumably is but I didn't know his name until I did the research, darren.
Speaker 4:Lamb.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I wouldn't have got that. I wouldn't have got that. I don't know if I've read that, though, or if it's ever mentioned. He always just says my agent, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3:He doesn't actually say his name, so yeah, I never like, because Barry comes in a lot, doesn't he? I never kind of think of him saying, alright, darren, he just comes in alright.
Speaker 2:what's going on, Barry? This is the Les Dennis episode.
Speaker 3:actually, I know we should say it's the Les Dennis episode yeah, it's Series 1, episode 4, if you want to pause now and watch it. The main characters, like I say, sean Williamson unfortunately is not in this one, but the main characters who are are Andy Millman, his agent, played by Merchant, and Maggie Jacobs, who is played by Ashley Jensen Bit of background kind of on the show as a whole, because you don't really need any story necessarily to get up to this point. As I mentioned, he's trying to break into the acting world. Each episode involves him interacting with a kind of major celebrity in some way and they sort of send themselves up, they're laughing at themselves. We've already had Kate Winslet in the first episode, ben Stiller, ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones, and this is number four with Les Dennis. We do after this get Patrick Stewart, orlando Bloom, david Bowie, ratcliffe, chris Martin, sir Ian McKellen and Jonathan Ross.
Speaker 2:I remember just before you start, by the way I remember before this came out listening to an interview with Ricky Gervais and they were going through all the massive stars They've got Patrick Stewart, orlando Bloom and he said, honestly, the best episode is the Les Dennis one and everyone went what You've got all these? He goes, honestly, that Les Dennis one is fantastic. It's spot on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it probably is the best episode, I think I think so anyway.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I, I think so anyway, I mean again just about the story as a whole, just I suppose, because I've got a feeling this one might go out so just want to kind of cover the story. So he's written a sitcom when the Whistle Blows and we're following him on his journey as he tries to break into acting but also tries to get this sitcom made. He ends up kind of getting exactly what he wants, but it's majorly rewritten by the BBC. They bring in silly catchphrases, silly costumes, really obvious joke. Lisa Tarbuck is in it. She's brilliant, lisa Tarbuck, and it's a commercial success. But all the critics hate it. So he's kind of got what he wanted but they've dumbed it down so much that he's getting no respect. He ends up going on Big Brother and apologising to Maggie.
Speaker 2:That's the last episode, isn't it, where he goes on Big Brother and sort of says the entire two series is just him chasing fame. And then he sort of gets fame and he realises it's all been for nothing.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So that, yeah, exactly, that's a good summary summary and it kind of ends with him seemingly turning his back on this world. But in this particular episode, which is great, I mean people say it's Brent playing Brent. Well, probably should be Gervais playing Gervais, shouldn't it Brent playing Brent? That's how tight he has to be. It is, you know, similarities are undeniable. And I think Gervais himself says, yes, I'm using the same body and the same vocal chords. But this does feel like it's more real acting. It's less improv, mad and actual, real-day acting, real-life acting. First scene we get so Andy Millman goes in to talk to his agent. He's not getting any work. I'll play the clip. So his agent has got lots of work for him, apparently.
Speaker 5:Before I get up and walk out of here, possibly forever have you got anything for me at all? Loads of stuff. Do you fancy Panto and Guildford with Les Dennis? No, what that's it? Yeah, you said there was loads of stuff. I thought you'd go with that one.
Speaker 2:I love this. He's brilliant in it. Darren, he's not in this much, unfortunately, but he is brilliant in it. What I found about this scene is why is this moment, as you say, this is before when the whistle blows or when the wind blows, I, at this moment, as you say, this is before when the Whistle Blows or when the Wind Blows, I'm getting lucky.
Speaker 3:He says that he gets mixed up. His agent gets mixed up.
Speaker 2:One thing he calls it Wind in the Willows Wind in the Willows His sitcom Wind in the Willows. Before that sitcom's been on air, why is he turning his nose up?
Speaker 3:and doing a panto with Les Dennis. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what I think. He just thinks he should be doing more serious acting. He's an arrogant man.
Speaker 2:I don't think he's a very he's not a horrible character, but he's a very arrogant man. Andy Millman, where he he sort of believes that he should be just catapulted into, like a a Hollywood film playing a really serious role.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and he's quite kind of sarky and clever, with everyone necessarily always playing the game very well. I think there are moments when he doesn't do himself any favours, but ultimately in this episode there's nothing else available for him, so he ends up agreeing to do the role with Les Dennis. Next scene we see him. He's going into the theatre, he's going to meet Les Dennis, and who we later find out? Bunny Jenkins.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know his second name, but Bunny, who's like the director of the. Oh sorry Bunting, Do you know why?
Speaker 3:Oh.
Speaker 4:Bunting.
Speaker 3:As I'm reading it out. I just got an email from somebody called Jenkins, so I said that yeah, it's Bunny Bunting. Bunny Bunting, we're not formally introduced to him at this point, but what we are given is a bit where Les Dennis and Bunny start chatting to each other about other people who could have got the role but weren't available. This is all in front of Andy. His agent then sort of offers up that he could probably still get Barry from EastEnders to do it if they want a big name.
Speaker 2:It's brilliant Because Milliman's going no, because I've got the role, yeah, I've got it.
Speaker 3:And he phones him, doesn't he? As he stood next to him, he says, no, I've got him on the phone now, uh, and andy basically says well, actually I get a fee for this and you've already taken your 12 and a half percent.
Speaker 3:So he kind of says, oh, no, sorry, sorry, barry, no, that's not b, sorry, b uh. They said, which I mean obviously, like you're allowed artistic license. But they sort of say, oh, john o'connell couldn't have the role because he went on celebrity fat club and he's now too thin for the role of the genie. But I mean, gervais is not huge in this, is he For all the fat jokes?
Speaker 2:Well, at the very beginning of this episode, darren says to him he goes. Maybe you should go to the gym. You might get more work there instead of this blob in front of me.
Speaker 3:I mean he's not huge. But anyway, I love the line as well where, as Dennis says to Bunny what happened with Biggins and he says, oh, he couldn't do it, he goes. Well, chris Biggins was busy.
Speaker 4:Wow yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, fantastic. We then cut to a scene. I think this is really well done, this scene. It's a montage of them all kind of getting into it. So they're acting, they're dancing, they're learning lines. The song's playing which is, uh well, uh, whoa, whoa, whoa, it's magic. I don't know what song that is. I didn't look it up, but it looks to me like that. Even if they shot all that in one hour and kept changing costumes, it looks very authentic. You could see, to me it looks like gervais. It has seems to have spent a couple of months with them learning this. And then it makes more sense when there's a bit of camaraderie later between Les Dennis and Andy Millman, because I think they have spent some time together. It's only a half an hour episode, but that one time really sold to me that their relationship is believable.
Speaker 3:We then go to uh, so there's so many bits in this where les dennis is absolutely phenomenal and he's self-deprecating, self-critical, down on himself, humor, um, and this is him where he comes to talk to andy, who kind of almost doesn't want to be in this position, but he says I've never told anyone this, but but anyway, here's the clip.
Speaker 1:I've never really told anybody this before. Okay, I even considered suicide, yeah, actually thinking I'm gonna end it all. I'm thinking I'll do it here. Live on telly that'll show up. And as I was thinking about it, melinda Messenger came in. Lovely girl, she was chatting away, took your mind off it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I was looking at her tits, lovely, and I was thinking come on, les, look at them. Life is worth living after all. I mean, I'd seen them loads of times, you know, in the papers and on the telly, but when you're face to face with them, live you go. Yeah, well done, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's so good. This I mean brilliant, brilliant acting. This from Les Dennis, by the way, throw out here. Obviously, before this I only knew he was a game show host, and now obviously we've covered Les Dennis after showing another episode, but I didn't really know. He's brilliant, brilliant at playing this sort of oh, everything's against me. It's like I feel so sorry for him there against me. It's like I feel so sorry for him. There's a line which sums him up on Life's Too Short. I think it is where he said you know, I see the body of a man, but the eyes of a child. That's what he's like. On this he's fantastic.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he is brilliant because I think some of the celebrities do it better than others. Some kind of almost overdo it a bit. I think he gets it perfect. I think this is a believable version of Les Dennis, despite the fact that it's clearly not it's clearly a written version of him, but this could be him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's great. Do you think people need to know anything about Les Dennis' history to get this, or do you think it just works on its own as a? I'm not advising anyone to go and watch the entire.
Speaker 3:I think it's stronger if you know the background of Les Dennis. So I think you're right. It's a good point. I think it still works.
Speaker 2:I still think it would be a great episode, because we grew up with him sort of being at the top of the tree like a bit like I'm trying to think who it is. Now he's top of the tree now. He was at Paddy McGinnis in the game show world Like hosting loads of stuff, the main man on our TV, and then I suppose you know, and then he just obviously all the stuff came out with him Amanda Oldham, neil Morrissey, and then it just, and then he faded and when we get him here, as this was filmed, he was probably at the lowest level of his career. He's come back up again now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I think you're right, though. I suppose that's a really good point about how good this episode is, because some of the other episodes only work because it's a certain celebrity. But I think if Les Dennis was played by an unknown actor, it's still written in such a way that this would work. You don't need to know that that's Les. It's funnier if you do, and if you know him as Les Dennis, it's great. But I think it's a really good point. I don't think it needs to be Les in that role. It could be anyone.
Speaker 2:Did you know Les Dennis had actually had a bit to the script, to this?
Speaker 3:No, but the one thing that I kind of remember hearing him saying is how on board with it he was and how he basically said to him don't be afraid to write or put anything in there. And then he absolutely kind of embraced it and said, yeah, let's be really kind of, let's get stuck into it and be really kind of quite brutal, almost.
Speaker 2:I've got his autobiography, les Dennis. It really is a good read and he is having a bad time here in real life. When this came up and he was really wary because obviously Gervais and Merchant sort of the cool kids on the block, weren't they? At this point? You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Like the new, oh, they don't matter, yeah, they. Yeah, they'd been sacked from radio one and they were doing kind of quite a risky xfm show and then they'd come off the back of the office that they'd self-directed, they kind of wouldn't have anyone else's input into, and success.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, you're right, probably quite a risky move for dennis, I think and in his autobiography he said to them go as low as you possibly can think of. You know what I mean, or something along those lines. Um, and he, he told us he tells a story, uh, where in his book that he genuinely did phone the tabloid. But when amanda alder split up, they got back together for a bit after the the whole thing had died down and he, he phoned the tabloids up to say I'm going to be in this place at a certain time with amanda, can you get a picture of me? And he laughs at himself in the book about this. That's how desperate he was at that time to sort of show that you were back on track. That feeds into the next. Yeah, this is obviously the next scene.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so yeah, he phones heat magazine and he's phoning their sort of community. Uh, what do you?
Speaker 2:call it like used to be the hotline, isn't it the celebrity hotline gossip?
Speaker 3:celebrity spotted in public or whatever. And he basically says, look, I've just seen the comedian, impressionist and actor Les Dennis on New Bond Street and I love the response from the guy that he found who says, no, I wouldn't have thought he'd be able to afford to shop there, would he? He says, well, it was because I just saw him. I'm telling you he spent, so put that down, put that in, slams phone down, slams phone down. And then so obviously Andy comes in to see him. But there's just a very fleeting moment where he's kind of got his head in his hands on the desk as they walk in.
Speaker 2:This whole scene is brilliant, by the way, because they come in and he's really chatty. He brings Maggie in to meet him, like he played with Ashley Jensen. He obviously brings a bit and he's really like talkative. Then he's again fantastic acting, whereas a split second he looks at his cards, doesn't he?
Speaker 3:yeah, well, actually I want to play that clip because it is brilliant stories I could tell you.
Speaker 1:It's where it all started for me, up and down the country, great to Great. To be back, things have changed a bit mind. There was a time when I wouldn't have had to share a dressing room. Back in the day, I'd have had two dressing rooms if I'd wanted One for me, one for all the cards and flowers from all the well-wishers and little presents and things they sent me. Don't need a whole dressing room for those three, do you?
Speaker 2:No, brilliant when Maggie goes? No, no, you don't. You know, yeah, it's a really good show.
Speaker 3:Then he's like sort of you don't need to wrestle him with three cars, it's pretty so like this darkness is always there and he kind of has his moments where he's everything's great, but it's there all the time again, great acting. They make their excuses and go. We see a scene now of Bunny. Again, he's working with the dancers and we find out that one of the dancers is his daughter, and they kind of have a really weird dynamic, don't they? They're like yeah, I mean, andy and Maggie are sat in a crowd watching. He's clearly written as a gay character, I mean, there's a. There's a kind of a bit of a pose that later on. But Maggie's really confused, can't understand how he's got a kid if he's gay. And there's some sort of Andy Warhol joke in there is it, it's Oscar Wilde was gay and he had two kids.
Speaker 2:He couldn't have his, got two kids and he goes. I will not. I'm going to have to stop hanging around with you. Yeah, was Andy Warhol even gay? I don't think so. I could be wrong, I'm not sure. Oscar Wilde, famously.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oscar Wilde? Yeah, certainly. I just wonder what made me think of Andy Warhol, I don't know. So as Maggie realises that she went to school with Lizzie, who's Bunny's daughter, and as Lizzie walks past them sat in the crowd, she recognises her, they have a little chat and they burst into this really embarrassing song that I'm going to play now.
Speaker 4:Already started your luncheon. Otis, it's a banana.
Speaker 3:Food, glorious food, hard sausage and mustard.
Speaker 2:While we're in the mood, cold jelly and custard no, no, no, no Custard.
Speaker 1:Custard no, come on.
Speaker 2:Custard Custard, custard Custard.
Speaker 5:No, don't worry about it.
Speaker 2:No, come on, custard, custard.
Speaker 3:Custard there.
Speaker 2:See it, custard, custard there. See, it's something that's doing. It's doing correctly. Moustache, it's horrible. Eh, he is horrible. Bunner on this. He's sort of no no, I'm going to get it later on and I've seen this guy play a gangster in Brookside.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, of course, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and he's really fucking threatening in that?
Speaker 3:Do you know what? Yeah, I couldn't place where I knew him from. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I don't know if I, I don't know, he seems really sinister in this as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah he does. He's kind of quite intimidating, almost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's very camp, but he's Even though he's really camp and sort of like, hey, and dancing and singing, he's very condescending. There's something in his eyes the anger in his eyes.
Speaker 3:There's an XFM where they get a poster done Gervais Merchant and Carl Pilkington and Gervais says Jonathan Ross phoned him up to say that he looks like a predatory gay. I think that's kind of what he's playing, almost Bunny. I don't know if that's acceptable for us to say that, but he's playing quite a kind of intimidating gay man.
Speaker 4:He's got a weird relationship with his daughter.
Speaker 3:But he plays him fantastically. And now you've said that about the Brookside gangster. Yeah, it's even more sort of great that he can play those two different roles. Awkward scene Andy Millman walks out onto the stage in the pantomime and he sees Les Dennis' girlfriend that we've been introduced to, and she's with another man. She was with another man, With another man, james Blunt.
Speaker 2:I'd say Just before that as well. She's only 26,. I think she's really really young. She's a really nice-looking girl. Les is in his 50s here and it's obviously a play on what happened in real life with him and Amanda Holden.
Speaker 3:Yeah, although this is written after what happened with him and Amanda Holden, so this is not a kind of rewritten version of that. This is to say, it's happening again to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. It's obviously a play on what's happened. It's like oh my God, I mean, do you want to play that scene? In fact, he sums it up brilliantly. That's coming up, isn't it? That's now because he's caught him snogging out.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, sorry yeah, yeah, he comes with a paper. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, I've got a clip to play there, yeah.
Speaker 5:What have you got in your?
Speaker 1:little bag. Oh, it's a local paper. Don't want to blow my own, not with my back, but there's a little article in here, hi darling, listen to this Family Fortune's loser, les Dennis, is on the comeback trail thanks to a starring role in Aladdin. Things are looking up for Les 50, who recently announced his engagement to beautiful fiancée Simone Lewis 26. With an age gap of a quarter of a century, dennis is clearly punching above his weight again, but insists they are very much in love. Marriage my funnest Do you want to get some lunch?
Speaker 3:darling. So obviously he's sort of really full of himself. He's got this young girlfriend. He's asked her to go for dinner with him. She can't, she's busy. He's in the background and he's sort of saying, oh yeah, yeah, because he knows what she's up to, he gives her 50 quid. I love his life, that seems a lot for dinner. But yeah, then he just feels sorry for Les. So Les asks him to go for dinner and he says well, no, I can't, I've already eaten. And Les looks so sad and he says do you know what?
Speaker 3:I'll just come with you and have a coffee. And then he gives him a big hug.
Speaker 2:What I love about this is when he hugs him. Les Dennis is smiling. He's that sort of like down on his I don't know down on himself. It's nice having a hug.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is. It's sort of so sad, even though it's he's naive to it at this moment, but he's still kind of just happy to receive his hug, isn't he? We watched the Panto, so obviously we're getting ready now for the opening night and we see the crowd filling up in the theatre. Les Dennis comes out of the shower with a towel wrapped around him. He's sharing his dressing room with Andy. He starts talking to him about his girlfriend Simone, and he's sort of saying how he doesn't think they can make it work.
Speaker 3:And Gervais sort of thinks, ah great, he kind of knows what I know. Not Gervais sort of thinks, ah great, he kind of knows what I know. But not gervais keep saying I do same as milman. Yeah, milman kind of thinks how brilliant, he knows what I know, but actually doesn't. He's just almost thinking look, she's too young for me, I don't know if I can sort of put through all this. And and he kind of sort of persuades Milman that maybe it's not the right thing to be in this relationship. And he jumped straight on it and says by the way, whilst this conversation is going on, there's bits where he's sort of completely naked, drying himself in front of Gervais. He's again doing some great acting. He's trying not to look. So he's sort of looking at some costume on the wall going oh, look at that I. So he's sort of looking at some costume on the wall going oh, look at that I wonder where they get these buttons made.
Speaker 2:He's flicking a light, isn't?
Speaker 3:he going weird oh, switch, what does that do? Yeah, but yeah, he ends up telling him. He says look, I've seen her with one of the I can't remember what you call them the sort of stagehand, is it? Yeah, and straight away and again, it's fantastic acting. Lois Dennis looks absolutely crushed. His face, god, it just goes to devastation. He slumps down in his seat in his little naked body.
Speaker 2:He's completely naked by this point. He's just like this. I want to look at it now.
Speaker 3:Someone sort of comes to knock on the door to tell him it's time to go out and he's just sat naked in his chair. I love how Millman says to him cover yourself up, les.
Speaker 2:His face. He's like shocked and stunned and so sad.
Speaker 3:He's just there with nothing on. Well, one thing actually I wanted to get your opinion on is I don't know if you're going to go for this, but obviously we've got a vote coming up for the four quarter finals. Can we sneak in an extra vote for saddest expression, this or Ant McPartlin in that famous picture?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll put that in. Yeah, I'll put that on.
Speaker 3:If you're coming to vote for the episodes, make sure you vote on the last one, which is the saddest expression ever. It's brilliant, yeah. So obviously we've got to go out and do a show now, but Les has just had some absolutely devastating news. Sorry, by the way, I've kind of put this bit in the wrong order, but just previous to that. So Maggie and Lizzie met up again and Lizzie invited maggie back to her birthday party it's her 29th birthday party and actually they go to see her dad to check. It's okay, and he's sort of panicking don't come in, don't come in.
Speaker 3:And then a young chap leaves the room. Yeah, yeah, there's certainly an implication. It's some kind of sort of prostitute, like remember that character? Because he's stolen his watch. And she says oh, this is not the first time that's happened, has it? Didn't some other boy steal your wallet, or something like that? And he says yep, yep, yep, but don't tell your mum about it, she'd only worry. So that's another part of the story we need to be aware of. So now we're on stage. It's great, and I'm going to play the clip. I don't know how well it'll work as an audio clip if you haven't seen it, but Gervais is delivering these really sort of camp punchlines, but the noises he's making quite quietly after him as he sort of holds these camp poses is absolutely hilarious. I'm hoping you'll be able to pick up on them in the clip. I'll try and make sure it's a good quality clip.
Speaker 5:Who are you? Well, I'll be anyone you want me to be, but you can call me gen.
Speaker 1:Aladdin, don't we all Honestly, I'm crying.
Speaker 2:I'm watching this as you're speaking, the episode with the sound off His expression. Why is he so tanned and everything?
Speaker 3:It's ridiculous. It's brilliantly overacted from Gervais. I bet he absolutely loved doing this. There were so many moments where he burst out laughing and I bet it took him days to film this.
Speaker 2:But yeah, somebody's like noises after he's done it, when he's sort of holding his pose it's brilliant because Les Dennis, by this point he's doing his role, he's sort of being professional. But as Gervais comes in and starts doing that, this is where Les' face again drops to complete sadness, as he starts processing that he's being cheap.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's being professional in the first bit, but as the genie's come out doing this kind of nonsense he's stopped to think. And you're right. Yeah, it's great acting again and his face sort of crumbles in on itself again. And I'll play a clip, because I love this bit where he's kind of having a bit of a go at the audience.
Speaker 1:What's the point, though? Eh, they don't care. Look at them, you lot, enjoying yourselves. Yeah well, tell your faces, and maybe some of your friends as well. Get them along. The empty seats aren't laughing much, are it? You bloody? Get on with it, ignorant.
Speaker 2:I love this because the audience is Maggie and a load of children.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Young kids, yeah yeah. Yeah yeah, it's brilliant. And he's yeah, he's kind of lost it. And then there's a fantastic line here. I'm not going to play the clip, because I've just played a clip, but I love how Gervais is kind of trying to get on with the show and he says, right, come on, let's do it. Where do you want to go back to? And he says, how about 1992?
Speaker 2:It's horrible, though it's a funny line, but the way he delivers it. Look, we keep praising Les Dennis in this because it is one of the best comedy performances, because it's like a comedy, it's like a tragic comedy. It really is like, I don't know, like a tragic clown, because he says and you laugh at the line, but as he walks off you think fucking hell.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's horrible. But then again, like you, kind of think, oh God, but. And then he says do some more of that queer shit and then let's get on with it another, oh yeah um, we cut now to maggie.
Speaker 3:She's at the party for this 29 year old girl. There's about seven or eight sort of 80 year olds in the room. They're really old people. It's really awkward, this sort of poor girl. Clearly her dad's just forcing her down a certain route. I mean he's crazy in a way because he's clearly sort of trying to make her a star. But she's not seven or eight, she's 29 and she's it's well played and the actor who plays her another tragedy going on alongside Les. Really.
Speaker 2:It's really sad that I mean that is a sad story. It's like a bloke living his dreams through his daughter to the point where she's got no friends.
Speaker 3:But yeah, but she's not even seemingly having, really limited success it's not like she's a star of a sort of broadway show, is it? She's a dancer in a panto with les dennis. Don't slag it off we go to andy and les uh. Andy and les dennis have gone for a pint and brilliant clip and it's uh. You probably know of this because I've seen it a lot of times, even if it's not in the episode, but his delivery is fantastic. I'm just going to play a clip.
Speaker 1:We asked 100 people will Les Dennis ever hang on to a bird? Our survey said pfft. We asked 100 people do you want to go out tonight and watch Les Dennis in panto? Our survey said.
Speaker 2:It's brilliant If anyone gets the opportunity check out the outtakes. It goes on for ages. There's Gervais, he's absolutely pissing himself.
Speaker 3:And Andy Millman says to Les Dennis, look, you're supposed to be a comedian, aren't you? You've not made a joke in years. Why don't you do some jokes? And there's a fantastic bit of dialogue where, for anyone who knows anything about those Dennis, he says what's the impression you used to do? Go on, do the impression. He goes well, I don't know which one you mean, I used to do loads of impressions because you know which one. He's made this. Yeah, it's right away. He knows the one Cause I. And then he does he does his impression.
Speaker 5:It, he's not persuaded at all.
Speaker 1:yeah, I don't really know.
Speaker 3:And again it's another sort of really tragic bit because they've written this. But he sort of says to Andy Millman, surely that's not all I'm known for, is it A couple of game shows and doing an impression of I don't really know? And Gervais kind of goes well, he says I did loads of stuff, les Dennis Laugh, the File, the Russ Abbott Show. And Gervais kind of goes well, he says I did loads of stuff, Les Dennis Laugh, to File the Russ Abbott show. And Gervais is sort of playing us the at Millman, it's being us, the audience kind of almost thinking yeah we kind of vaguely remember those things.
Speaker 2:Well, he says, were you in that I?
Speaker 3:mean, I don't remember Les Dennis' Laugh-The-Files before we went back to it, but Laugh-The-Shell whatever it is, but I do remember him being in Rustabler.
Speaker 2:How many?
Speaker 3:Laugh-Files have there been for that?
Speaker 1:I've probably got to. Yeah, I know, but they're laughing at anything. No victory in making a bunch of gay fellas laugh. They're laughing at anything. Look at that, graham Norton. He's all right, isn't he? Is he Is this funny, is it? Oh, look at this website about cocks and fannies. Oh, jackie Collins, what lovely tits Do you like? A cock up your ass? Ooh, is that funny? It's quite funny when you do it, but keep it down a little bit because we're in a pub. What is that?
Speaker 2:Again. Look at the outtakes of this. It's another one where Jules is absolutely freezing.
Speaker 3:But he really goes for it, doesn't he? Yeah, lies in this moment. He's brilliant.
Speaker 3:He's brilliant when he goes is yeah, we're back with Maggie and she's going upstairs to visit Lizzie. In a bedroom she's a dad screaming at her for not wearing the right dress and that she's causing loads of problems, and Maggie, seemingly in this moment, kind of unlocks Pandora's box. She asks her about her life. Has she got any friends? Seems quite sad and it just starts a sort of a moment within Lizzie. So she's fine, she gets dressed up. Really funny. They come out, her and her dad come out from behind like a glitter curtain to do a show. They do Making your Mind Up. They do, grease they do. Is Mickey Mind Up the books for his one where he sort of rips his skirt off her?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he rips his skirt off. It's horrible because obviously it's his dad. It's like tickling her breast and stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's a bit where he's sort of miming groping her breast. It's really uncomfortable, it's really weird, and right at the end of the song I'll play the clip of what goes wrong, what Goes Wrong? So obviously it's a minor thing. She's gone in with the high note early. He's absolutely furious and I suppose you can kind of see the gangster in him in this.
Speaker 3:It's funny because he's got a chain around his neck and a really tight top, really tight top, like leather trousers, and they've not even kind of left the room or gone behind the curtain. He's saying to her in full view of everyone I remember it's her birthday as well like you've really let yourself down there. You've not prepared.
Speaker 2:And I just hope you're absolutely embarrassed as I am playing to six or a family of maggie yeah to six old people, maggie, and they're doing three and he's he's dancing and singing.
Speaker 3:He's not great either. It's not like he's a sort of peak performer no um. So she snaps back and says maybe maggie was right. Uh, where's my friends? What you know? Kind of just sort of realizes things she's probably always known but never really questioned, and again we see the absolute horribleness of him. So it kicks her out and she kicks, my kicks, maggie out.
Speaker 3:This is a moment where you're crying out for maggie to say shut the fuck up, you're horrible little twat. You've you've bullied your daughter for years. And she sort of just quite politely gets up and says oh, do you mind if I take a sandwich with me? And he says maybe you should have thought of that before. You ruined my daughter's life. And I think it's awful, you know he's ruined her life and she's kind of opened the door to reality but that's the last we see of her.
Speaker 2:We never see her in the series again. We don't know what's happening to her.
Speaker 3:And it's a weird inclusion in the episode. I don't think it's bad in any way, I just think it's Do you think it's Obviously.
Speaker 2:Les Dennis has been really successful and he's sad, and she's not successful and she's sad. Is it something? You know what I mean? Sort of parallels between?
Speaker 3:yeah, I don't know if it's purely, they just needed a side story and this fit, or if there, if there is a deliberate sort of you know there. At least les has had the highs, even if he's had the lows it's brilliant, actually because it cuts from that, doesn't?
Speaker 2:it's a les again in the pub, so depressed again yeah, and it's another.
Speaker 3:I've got to play it again. Apologies, it's clip heavy. I've got to play it again. Apologies, it's clip heavy. I've got to play it. It's a great line.
Speaker 1:When the laughter stops, when the audience departs, when the makeup has been removed, what is left of the clown? Nothing but an empty costume. I should have listened to that Do you know who said that.
Speaker 5:Jean-Paul Sartre.
Speaker 1:Bobby Davro Davro's stuck me aside. He said beware, les, you won't always be riding high. But I wasn't even listening. I was too busy telling him some of the funny answers we get on Family Fortunes.
Speaker 2:I love it. His face again, his little sad face as he's saying it. By this point, millman's got his head. He's just looking at his watch, he wants to go and stuff. He's just like moaning and moaning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love his funny answers bit there where I'm not going to play that bit but obviously he says he wasn't listening to Bobby Davro's advice because he was too busy telling him funny examples of family fortunes answers. And then he reads some out to Gervais and again, really well, he reads some out to Millman sorry, good acting from Gervais there, because he kind of he knows them all previously. He's obviously told him loads of times and he knows them word for word and he also knows the follow-up that he says He'll say why would anyone else have known a cardigan were red? And he says it alongside him.
Speaker 3:Yeah it's great. Millman basically says to him look, she's been looking at you all night over there, why don't you get with her? And he says, no, I don't want to do that. Is that what you think I'm about? Like my confidence needs me to spend a night with a pissed-up slapper. And we cut straight away to a scene of you obviously can't see what's going on, but Les is in a bed with this woman that's been at the bar previously. We don't cut to Andy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very vigorous sex here, old lads. To be fair with that, he's thrusting away quite happily, isn't he?
Speaker 3:But then we're going to come back to that, by the way. But we go then to quite a sort of another slightly sort of sad scene in this. I'm not sure what we were going for.
Speaker 3:So Andy's at home on his own after being at the pub. Maggie, who's got back, she's not had any tea, she's got no food in. She phones up Andy and says you all right? And he says yeah, I'm all right. Have you eaten anything? He says no, not really. She says well, shall I come? And she kind of says yeah, all right.
Speaker 2:It's a bizarre scene. This, I thought this, I actually wrote this down there. I don't know if that would just if they just used that scene to cut away, to cut back to Les, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or are they implying that there's more to it than that they're just mates?
Speaker 2:But they're not because we know that. No, I know yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't quite understand that scene. I'm not. I don't know if she's just testing the waters as to whether they could be more than mates, and he shoots her down quite quick, but it doesn't seem awkward in that sense, does it?
Speaker 2:It just seems like it's just a bizarre scene. It's just like it's not funny, but I think you might be right.
Speaker 3:I think what it might be there for is purely so. We can then cut back to Les Dennis, who is continuing in his sexcapades and I've got to play the clip for this bit because it's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Is that good? Is that good? I don't really know what. If it's up there, I'll give you the money myself. Get off me.
Speaker 2:The first time I watched this I was fucking howling at this because I don't really know a bit of what's funny. Then, if it's up there, I'll give you the money myself.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that last bit is fantastic. I even like how kind of even in that, there's some sort of sadness in the way he says it it's absolutely brilliant. Yeah, says it, it's it's absolutely brilliant.
Speaker 4:and yeah, and that's it.
Speaker 3:That's literally where we cut straight to the, the title music at the end and and that's it. It's, it's done. We've seen les, there's, there's no progression. I mean, he's finished with this sort of girlfriend he had. He's having a one-night stand with this woman in a pub. We, I don't think the next next episode kind of goes anywhere near any of this or the next episode.
Speaker 2:This is interesting this because what's linear? So he's playing Les Dennis in the show with Andy Millman In Life's Too Short. He's playing this Les Dennis again with Sean Williamson and Barry.
Speaker 3:But Merchant and Gervais are Merchant and Gervais, that's a good point actually, yeah, yeah, I would say that that is a different world, isn't it?
Speaker 2:it's bizarre though it is a bit, it's a strange one that I think that because they, they are the same, barry's the same, uh, he's the same yeah, he's now coming across andy millman as gervais, isn't he? Yeah, but Andy Millman is Gervais in this. I think Last, too Short, would have probably worked better without. I don't think Gervais and Merchant needed to be in it and you could have all had it in the same world really yeah, although they have got some great scenes, I suppose you could have replaced them yeah, you've got Liam Ne and have a full one in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that's it. I think we've, you know, hopefully we've picked out two good episodes. I mean, one thing I'm getting from all this that I hope the listeners are is I've started getting back into some comedies that I've not seen for a long time, which has been great, so hopefully it's inspiring people to go and watch some of these things.
Speaker 2:Pull up Spare and Mom.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're only going to get one vote on this instance. I mean, you do every time, but you've got to decide which Divasive Merchant project you want to stay in there.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I think that Les Dennis episode is better than the merger episode. I don't know. I might be going too far there. I'm not sure I think I'm going to vote. Look Cars and.
Speaker 3:Tables. But even though like so, even though we're picking out what we think are good episodes, you're voting for the sitcoms.
Speaker 2:You're not voting for the episode.
Speaker 4:Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I'm intrigued. I think we're both expecting the Office to win. I don't know how comfortably it will if it does, or even if, who knows, people might, the modern audience might throw extras.
Speaker 2:What wins out of this? One goes on to play and final, final quarterfinal, which is Gavin and Stacey versus I'm Alan Partridge. The Gavin and Stacey episode. We're doing series two, episode one, I think, where they're having a meal. Did we decide on that, liam?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, we're going to stick with that one, yeah.
Speaker 2:And the other one is Watership Alan, which is series one, episode three of I'm Alan Partridge, where he upsets the farmers yeah, so that I'm sure will be really good.
Speaker 3:Hope you've enjoyed this one. The votes are not far away. Now it'll be after the quarterfinal, and again, remember to vote on the saddest person ever. Is it Les Dennis or is it Ant McPartlin? You decide right.
Speaker 2:Liam, thank you very much, until next time.
Speaker 3:Yeah cheers. If anyone wants to get in touch with us, send us anything. Find us on Twitter at livingwithmade1, or you can send us an email at livingwithmadelee at outlookcom.