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Attracting yet more star names, while wisely moving the narrative on, the second series of Extras really finds the show maturing nicely, and unsurprisingly, cleaned up more awards in the process.
That said, it remains a far more divisive programme than its forerunner, The Office. Written by, directed and featuring Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, its appeal is more concentrated and less broad, following Andy Millman on his progression from background artist to his own TV show. At times, for a programme frequently billed as a comedy, there's a melancholy tone, although that's not to say it doesn't deliver its fair share of laughs in the process.
Many of those laughs are oiled by the seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of big names who take part in the show. Extras's first season attracted the likes of Kate Winslet and Samuel L Jackson, but this time, the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Sir Ian McKellen and David Bowie are quick to join in. There's, er, Barry from EastEnders, too, who adds to the fun.
And fun is, ultimately, what Extras serves up, albeit laced with a depth and occasional bout on introspectiveness. As with the first season, it's Ashley Jensen who steals the show from underneath Extras' cavalcade of star names, with a terrific portrayal of Maggie Jacobs.
Yet this second series feels and is superior to the first, and already, its creators have announced that they're putting the brakes on the show, save for one final special to sign off with. And it'll be sad when it all ends. For while Extras takes a little time to get to love, it's likely to be held in similar regard to the aforementioned The Office in the years to come. --Jon Foster
Customer reviews (av rating: 4.0):
Rating: 4:
You havin' a laugh ? : "Extras" Series 2 is certainly up to the standards of the first series. However rather than have Ricky Gervais's character continuing as an extra, this series sees him starring as the lead actor in his very own BBC sitcom. Excerpts from this sitcom ,"When the Whistle Blows", are hilarious at times.Among the many celebrities featured in this series are David Bowie, Ian McKellern, Orlando Bloom and Robert De Niro. A lot of "Extras" is hit and miss at times , but the highlights were Keith Chegwin's appearance, the David Bowie episode where Millman gets insulted ,the episode where he offends a Mongol child and the one where he gets into a fight with a midget. Indeed quite a lot of the humour in "Extras" is derived from the mentally and physically afflicted , which can make for uncomfortable viewing at times. However it must be said that "Extras" Series 2 is constantly amusing and engaging throughout.
Rating: 4:
Mark O'Neill Review : Extras II is just plain and simply a fun, comedic series. I'm not sure why Mark O'Neill believes he has to review it with politically correct diatribe.
Rating: 5:
Funnier and cleverer than the Office : I thought that Gervais had reached a peak with the Office, but Extras is fantastic. Andy's charcter is far more complex that that of Brent. This programme makes you laugh one minute then cringe the next. Highly recommeded.
Rating: 5:
Extra! Take two! : Ricky Gervais actually managed to top himself with season one of "Extras," all about a struggling actor trying to catch a break.
Well, in the second season of "Extras," his character has finally gotten one. But obviously it's not smooth sailing for the stressed-out extras, who continue to stumble through odd jobs and exaggerated celebrities. It's full of hilarious spoofery of the entertainment biz, and is pretty much hysterical from start to finish.
In the opening episode, Andy (Gervais) has finally gotten his own sitcom, "When the Whistle Blows," and is over the moon. Problem is, the BBC decides to dumb it down and make him use funny costuming to achieve cheap laughs. As the season goes on, Andy struggles to keep "When the Whistle Blows" afloat and approved of, since the reviews are atrocious.
Meanwhile, Maggie (Ashley Jensen) has a tiny part in an absurd courtroom drama starring Orlando Bloom, and the arrogant Bloom starts pursuing her when she expresses a lack of interest. ("They're basically just doing it because you're famous." "Well, they're not just doing it because I'm famous -- no, it's my looks as well!"). When he's not making fun of Johnny Depp ("I've got scissors for hands!")
He and Maggie continue to tangle with a bunch of other celebs -- a sex-obsessed Daniel Radcliffe (who accidentally snaps a condom at Diana Rigg), Warwick Davis, a self-promoting Chris Martin, and Robert De Niro. He also gets mocked by David Bowie in a pub, and his sitcom is criticized by Stephen Fry. He even stars in a play directed by Ian McKellen, but neglects to notice that it's a gay romance with a man-man kiss.
It's sort of pleasant that Gervais didn't pound the "barely employed actor" thing to death after the first season of "Extras." Instead, he uses Andy's sitcom to open new storylines (and new disasters) for his increasingly embittered character, as he tries to straddle the fence between success and being a genuine actor.
Gervais continues to write wonderfully squirmy dialogue ("'TV bully kicks dwarf in face.'" "Accurate, but as you say there's no such thing as bad publicity") and horribly embarrassing situations. It's all filmed in a very natural style, except that now we have some looks inside Andy's sitcom, a sort of lowbrow, widely-watched comedy with a random celeb cameo.
Poor Andy has a rough time in this season, and so Gervais really brings out his frustration and dissatisfaction with the way his poor show has been mutilated. Not to mention his tendency to embarrass himself. And Jensen is wonderful as the sweet, flaky Maggue, while Stephen Merchant is great fun as Andy's inept agent.
But the best is the stuff uttered by the actors -- Radcliffe and Bloom are hysterical as clumsily woman-chasing, self-obsessed parodies of themselves, and it's hard not to adore them for it. Bowie's "pathetic little fat man/nobody's laughing" song is just hilarious. And McKellen steals the show, whether it's discussing his "method" ("How did I know what to say? They had my lines written down on a SCRIPT") or accidentally making it look like he and Andy had an intimate encounter.
"Extras: Season Two" is a solid follow-up to the outstanding first season, with our "extras" continuing to struggle in the surreal world of showbiz. Definitely worth seeing!
Rating: 3:
Too much chaff. : I just don't understand why Gervais and Merchant made this sitcom. While series one was not the best sitcom, and certainly not a patch on The Office, it was still worthwhile and still had a feeling of earnestness with some good sympathetic characters (...and Patrick Stewart).
Series two however, sees all interesting aspects from the previous series watered down to incomprehensible levels. Guest stars are crowbarred in (WHAT is David Bowie doing?), and all sense of reality or sympathy are totally lost. This is, quite wonderfully ironically, a series that pokes fun at shallow, catchprase based comedies while managing to be as 2D as the very thing it's trying to mock. I'm very disappointed with this series as I thought Gervais and Merchant had something a little more up their sleeves than the old 'then Andy/Maggie/Agent can say the wrong thing...reaction shot...stuttering...reaction shot...reaction shot...reaction shot...'.
I have given this three stars however, as there actually are one or two great lines/exchanges here (never with any of the guest stars however) - the kind of dialogue that made this pair's previous work so great. It's not worth sitting through all six series for 3 or 4 high points however, and this series never really needed to be made. It does feel like a cash in on their reputation.
They can do so much better - and next time, I really hope they do!
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Buy "Extras - Series 2 [2005]" now!