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You wouldn’t believe the trouble we had trying to think of a sitcom beginning with F. There is literally nothing out there. So while you anxiously wait to see which ‘beginning-with-f’ sitcom we managed to salvage from the archives, let’s have a dose of self-satisfaction with Ricky Gervais.
“Peter Jackson comes from New Zealand, says to me ‘Sir Ian, I want you to be Gandalf the Wizard’, and I say to him ‘You are aware that I am not really a wizard’”
When it launched, Extras had the unenviable task of living up to the might of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s previous smash The Office. Although, admittedly, The Office does have the edge, it cannot be denied that Extras is an absolute corker of a sitcom.
Extras is probably most remembered for its sheer number of major guest stars. Each appearance is nothing short of inspired, with my personal favourite being Kate Winslet who, in a startling premonition of real-life, is appearing in a Holocaust film in the hope of getting an Oscar. While Gervais and Merchant could have easily got carried away with the guests, they, essentially, made them nothing more than extras, always ensuring that they weren’t the only source of comedy. Despite rarely causing belly laughs, Extras is undeniably hilarious, with the writers, once again, showing their knack for creating the most excruciating scenes. And while Gervais is basically playing a toned down, likeable David Brent, Extras is by no means in the shadow of its sister show, and it stands as tall as Mr Merchant himself.
Synopsis: The essentially simple story follows struggling extras Andy Millman (Gervais) and his closest/ only friend Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen). Andy is desperate to become a ‘proper’ actor, but gets little support from his hopeless agent Darren Lamb (the brilliant Merchant), and when he does get on the road to fame and glory, he finds it’s not what he expected…
Favourite character: Maggie
I confess I had fallen in love with her by the time I got to episode 3. She’s dimmer than a 40-watt bulb, and her knack for putting her foot in things leads to some horrendously painful scenes. Jensen truly has a gift for comic timing, and her facial expressions are a joy to behold: you can almost hear the cogs whirring…
Favourite episode: ‘Chris Martin’
I do love the heart-breaking feature-length special, but my absolute favourite is ‘Chris Martin’, in which Andy, Maggie and Darren go to the BAFTAs, cause a fight between Richard Briers and a ray-doll, and get busted for drugs with Ronnie Corbett (supplied by Moira Stuart, of course).
Best moment (adult humour):
See also: Episodes
“A satisfied customer. We should have him stuffed.”
Let’s cut to the chase: Fawlty Towers is The Greatest Sitcom of All Time. The end. The only thing wrong with it is that it’s difficult to say anything about it that hasn’t been said 10 million times before. Everyone knows the characters and the best bits, and even titbits of trivia about the show have become general knowledge. But when a show is as analysed and as talked about as Fawlty Towers, it’s easy to forget just how good it is. Every episode is just stuffed with every kind of humour there is: witty, endlessly quotable dialogue; effective, uncontrived use of catchphrases; delightful visual gags; and completely unforgettable slapstick. And it’s all incredibly annoying; some scenes do cause me to grind my teeth, with one involving a fire alarm, no, burglar alarm… oh, whatever it is, springing to mind.
Moreover, the much touted brilliance of the regular cast are complimented by the finest class of guest stars, from Bernard Cribbins’ challenging hotel inspector cum spoon-seller, to Joan Sanderson as the auditorily-impaired Mrs Richards. So go on, rediscover what all the fuss is about (if you haven’t ever watched it before, then… well, I don’t really know what to say to you), but you must remember: “Don’t mention the war.”
Synopsis: Seriously, you don’t know?
Best character: Again, let’s cut to the chase: Manuel.
Saying anything else would be like saying Ringo was the best Beatle. Caricature that he is (Manuel, not Ringo), he steals every scene he’s in thanks to Andrew Sachs’ faultless performance. And did you know he’s from Barcelona?
Best episode: ‘Communication Problems’
Now, here, at least, I can differ from the standard choice of ‘The Germans’. While that episode is fantastic, the best episode, for me, is ‘Communication Problems’. It’s an episode made up of memorable scene after memorable scene, with no time to catch your breath in-between. Highlights include Polly trying to work out the name of a horse from Basil’s frantic miming (literally) behind his wife’s back, and the final ‘showdown’ scene in the lobby is Fawlty Towers at its unbearable best.
Best moment:
See also: Father Ted
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