Extras is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
sitcomA situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television as one of its dominant narrative forms...
about
extrasAn extra, also called a background actor, is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
working on
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
sets and in
theatreTheatre is a branch of the performing arts. While any performance may be considered theatre, as a performing art, it focuses almost exclusively on live performers creating a self contained drama. A performance qualifies as dramatic by creating a representational illusion...
. The series was co-produced by the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by
Ricky GervaisRicky Dene Gervais is an English comedian and actor. Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator Stephen Merchant...
and
Stephen MerchantStephen James Merchant is a British Comedy Award-, BAFTA-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-award winning English writer, director, radio presenter, and comic actor...
, both of whom also star in it.
Extras charts the lives of Andy Millman, his friend Maggie Jacobs and Andy's substandard agent and part-time Carphone Warehouse employee Darren Lamb, as Millman rises to fame.
Extras has two series of six episodes each as well as a Christmas Special. The first episode aired in the UK on 21 July 2005 on
BBC Two
and on 25 September 2005 on HBO in the US. The second series premiered in the UK on BBC Two on 14 September 2006 and began airing in the US on HBO and in Australia on ABC on 14 February 2007. The Christmas Special aired on 27 December, 2007 on BBC Two and on 16 December 2007 on HBO. Both series are available on
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
in the UK and the US.
The series is filmed in a more traditional sitcom style than the
mockumentaryMockumentary or mock documentary is a genre of film and television, or a single work of the genre. Although a mockumentary may be one of the comedy genres, serious mockumentaries also exist. The mockumentary is presented as a documentary recording real life, but is actually fictional. It is a...
style used by Gervais and Merchant in their previous series
The OfficeThe Office is a British television comedy that first aired in the UK on BBC Two on 9 July 2001.Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough, Berkshire branch of the fictitious Wernham Hogg Paper Company...
. Each episode has at least one guest star; a television or film celebrity, who play what Gervais and Merchant have referred to as "twisted" versions of themselves; an exaggerated or inverted parody of their famous public personas.
Cast and characters
- Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian and actor. Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator Stephen Merchant...
as Andy Millman
- Ashley Jensen
Ashley Samantha Jensen is a BAFTA and Emmy Award nominated Scottish actress, best known for her roles in Extras and Ugly Betty....
as Maggie Jacobs
- Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant is a British Comedy Award-, BAFTA-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-award winning English writer, director, radio presenter, and comic actor...
as Darren Lamb (credited as "Agent")
- Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson is an English actor, singer, media personality and occasional presenter, best known for his former role as Barry Evans in soap opera EastEnders.- Career :Shaun attended Darrick Wood School in Bromley, Kent....
as Barry from EastEnders (himself)
- Shaun Pye
Shaun Pye is an English actor, comedian, writer, critic, television producer, editor and journalist, known for co-creating the animated sketch comedy Monkey Dust with the late Harry Thompson, and for his role as Greg Lindley-Jones on Ricky Gervais's sitcom Extras.-Career:A former comedy critic for...
as Greg Lindley-Jones
Series one
First series episode order
When the first series was first broadcast in the UK, the episode featuring
Ben StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
was broadcast first, followed by the
Ross KempRoss Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning English actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
and
Vinnie JonesVincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and ex-footballer, having represented Wales. He has capitalised on his tough man image as a footballer and is now known as an actor for his aggressive style and intimidating demeanour....
episode the following week. When the series was repeated over the Christmas holiday 2005, the episodes were returned to their intended order, with Ross Kemp first, followed by Stiller. The first series DVD, released in the UK on 31 October 2005, also preserves this same order, along with the
Extras script book.
When the first season is shown in
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
another order is used:
- Kate Winslet
- Ben Stiller
- Ross Kemp/Vinnie Jones
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Les Dennis
- Patrick Stewart
This episode order was maintained for the North American DVD release, issued on 9 January 2007.
Series two
Christmas Special: Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Gervais stated that he could not see himself doing a third series, as he and Merchant believed that more episodes would dilute the quality. They have often cited that
Fawlty TowersFawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Although only twelve episodes were produced the programme has had a lasting and powerful legacy....
only ran for two series, and this was also the reason given for ending
The OfficeThe Office is a British television comedy that first aired in the UK on BBC Two on 9 July 2001.Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough, Berkshire branch of the fictitious Wernham Hogg Paper Company...
after two series. However, after the second series had finished, Gervais was quoted in the
Mirror as saying that there was "some mileage in it" and suggested there could be a third series,. In December 2006, Gervais announced that Governor
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
was on his wishlist to appear in "another series", but then denied it a month later. Gervais had also mentioned
Bruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor and producer. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard...
,
Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. During his career he has won multiple awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, and
Dick Van DykeRichard Wayne “Dick” Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades...
as possibilities for the third series. At the
Live 8Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
concert it was reported that Madonna had asked to appear in the series, and in a separate interview
Will FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, actor, voice actor and writer. Ferrell first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films A Night at the Roxbury, Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Kicking & Screaming, Talladega Nights,...
revealed his desire to join the show if Gervais asked him. Gervais had also reportedly been keen for Robert De Niro to appear again, after having only a small role in the last episode of the second series.
On September 15, before his stand-up performance of Fame at the Hammersmith Apollo, a trailer for the special was shown. It showed clips of
Clive OwenClive Owen is an English actor and has been working for nearly two and a half decades. He won a Golden Globe, BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for his appearance in the 2004 film, Closer.- Early life :...
,
David TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in the theatre, Tennant is best known for his roles in Doctor Who as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, in Casanova as the title character, and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
(in costume as the
Tenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who replaced Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in the 2005 series finale, "The Parting of...
, whom he plays in
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
),
Lionel BlairLionel Blair is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter.Lionel Blair is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum...
,
Lisa Scott-LeeLisa Scott-Lee is a Welsh singer-songwriter and graduate of the Italia Conti Academy stage school, who is best known for her five years with Steps.-Steps :...
,
Hale and PaceHale & Pace are an English comedy duo who have starred in several TV sketch series.- Early career :Gareth Hale and Norman Pace met at a teacher-training college in Eltham, South-East London, and roomed together. They discovered much in common, particularly humour, and began playing clubs in a...
,
Gordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE, is a Scottish-born British chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded a total of 16 Michelin Stars, and in 2001 became one of only three chefs in the United Kingdom to hold three Michelin stars at one time...
,
George MichaelGeorgios Kyriacos Panayiotou , best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning, English singer-songwriter, who has had a career as frontman of the duo Wham! as well as a soul-influenced, solo pop musician...
and
Barry from EastEndersShaun Williamson is an English actor, singer, media personality and occasional presenter, best known for his former role as Barry Evans in soap opera EastEnders.- Career :Shaun attended Darrick Wood School in Bromley, Kent....
. The trailer shows a selection of scenes from the special, including Andy helping George Michael avoid
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
on
Hampstead HeathHampstead Heath is London's largest ancient parkland, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay The Heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient...
, scenes from a Christmas special of Andy's television series
When the Whistle Blows, and Andy with his head in his hands in the
Big BrotherBig Brother is a reality television series broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Channel 4 and E4, and on S4C in Wales. Internationally, it is broadcast on the Polish network TVN. It is part of the Big Brother franchise first developed in the Netherlands, and is currently the second...
house while other celebrities perform a dance routine. There is also a cameo appearance by
Karl PilkingtonKarl Pilkington is a Sony Award-winning English radio producer, podcaster and author, best known for producing and co-presenting The Ricky Gervais Show on London radio station Xfm from 2001 to 2005 and later in the form of podcasts...
as an autograph hunter who shuns Millman when he is at a low point in his career.
It aired in the United States on December 16, 2007 and on the UK December 27, 2007. It aired on Australia's cable channel
UKTVUKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Virgin Media Television. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.UKTV's channels are available...
on Christmas Day 2008. It is yet to be aired on free to air TV in Australia. The episode's soundtrack features the songs "
This Woman's Work"This Woman's Work" is a song written and performed by the British singer Kate Bush. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of the American film She's Having a Baby...
" by
Kate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of England's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years. Bush was signed by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by...
, "
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" is a song originally performed, written and released by British group The Smiths, featured on the compilation albums Louder Than Bombs and Hatful of Hollow...
" by
The SmithsThe Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and "
Angels We Have Heard On High"Angels We Have Heard on High" is a Christmas carol.The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes...
" arranged by
Sufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on the Asthmatic Kitty label, a label he formed with his stepfather, beginning with the 2000 release A Sun Came...
.
No chance of another one-off special
On October 23, 2008, Ricky Gervais stated the following on his blog:
"Steve must have seen the thing in the press about me thinking about doing another Extras Special. He's in LA at the moment but the story that went out across America was that, although I would consider it, I thought Steve would take some convincing. Well I got an email today from him saying he's up for it. I started work on it immediately. Does anyone know Al Pacino?"
On January 3, 2009, Ricky Gervais stated:
"People have been talking about a special- as much as we would like for there to be one, it's most likely there's no chance whatsoever"
Ricky further confirmed there not being any more Extras saying "It's simply that Extras is no more."
US and UK version differences
There were some subtle changes between the UK and US versions, with references to the names of British celebrities often being changed to American celebrities for the US edition. A scene featuring UK TV presenter
Moira StuartMoira Clare Ruby Stuart OBE is a British journalist who was the first African-Caribbean female newsreader on British television. She presented many television news, and radio programmes for the BBC, but she is now pursuing other projects.-Early career:Stuart began working with the BBC in the 1970s...
in episode 2.4 was completely excised from the US version, replaced instead with a song by
Chris MartinChristopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English singer-songwriter and instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the band Coldplay. He is the husband of Hollywood actress Gwenyth Paltrow, with whom he has fathered two children.-Early life:Chris Martin was born...
- a scene that was featured as a deleted scene on the DVD releases.
Changes in the Christmas special saw the talking '
Jade GoodyJade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction.In...
' doll replaced by a talking 'Kramer' doll. (Both dolls parodied incidents where each celebrity said things publicly that were generally seen as racist.) Furthermore, the t-shirt in the studio audience depicting Victoria Wood and Asda is replaced in the US version by a t-shirt depicting Sigourney Weaver and DirectTV. A scene with
George MichaelGeorgios Kyriacos Panayiotou , best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning, English singer-songwriter, who has had a career as frontman of the duo Wham! as well as a soul-influenced, solo pop musician...
was also truncated to remove references to UK celebrities
Richard & JudyRichard & Judy is a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
and
Catherine TateCatherine Tate, born 12 May 1968 as Catherine Ford, is an English actress, writer and comedienne. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
. A scene set in the Carphone Warehouse was also edited to remove jokes referring to the long running BBC soap opera
EastEndersEastEnders is a long-running, popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985...
.
When the Whistle Blows
When the Whistle Blows is the show-within-a-show sitcom in
Extras created, co-written by and starring Andy Millman. It was first mentioned in episode "1.3", as a script that Millman had written and given to his agent who neglected to read it. The script was turned into a sitcom on BBC1 in the first series finale, after Millman gave the script to Patrick Stewart. Excerpts from the sitcom are featured in the second series, and many of the
Extras plotlines have revolved around Millman's experiences with the show.
When the Whistle Blows is set in a
WiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south of Preston, west-northwest of Manchester, and east-northeast of Liverpool. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre...
factory canteen. The humour is broad and lowbrow in the manner of many catchphrase-based sitcoms. The main catchphrase of the show "Are you 'avin' a laugh?" is spoken by Millman. The show is unpopular with reviewers but popular with the public. It did receive a BAFTA nomination, though Millman suspected it was there simply to make up the numbers, and in the end it lost heavily to an unspecified programme by
Stephen FryStephen John Fry is a British actor, writer, comedian, author, television presenter and film director. With Hugh Laurie, as the comedy double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and the duo also played the title roles in Jeeves and Wooster...
.
Millman is deeply unhappy with the show, feeling that too many people have interfered with his original ideas in the hunt for ratings. It appears that Millman originally set out to do a comedy similar to
The OfficeThe Office is a British television comedy that first aired in the UK on BBC Two on 9 July 2001.Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough, Berkshire branch of the fictitious Wernham Hogg Paper Company...
, with true-to-life characters in a realistic work environment, without a studio audience or laughter track. The show has turned out to be the opposite of what he originally intended. The show is further debased by the unexplained guest appearance by
Chris MartinChristopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English singer-songwriter and instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the band Coldplay. He is the husband of Hollywood actress Gwenyth Paltrow, with whom he has fathered two children.-Early life:Chris Martin was born...
of
ColdplayColdplay are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1998. The group comprises Chris Martin , Jonny Buckland , Guy Berryman , and Will Champion .Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis...
, in episode 2.4, which bears no relation to the plot — this can be seen as something of a reflexive joke, i.e., a celebrity appearing on a show within a show, which features celebrities.
It has been suggested that the presence of studio audiences/
canned laughterA laugh track, laughter soundtrack, laughter track, LFN , canned laughter or a laughing audience is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into TV comedy shows and sitcoms...
, and the reliance on funny wigs, costumes and
catch phraseA catch phrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
s for humour is a comment on recent comedy hits such as
Little BritainLittle Britain is an award winning character-based comedy sketch show first appearing on BBC radio and then television. It was written by stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams...
. Many people that Millman sees at the recording of the pilot wear T-shirts displaying recent comedy catchphrases, such as "Wassup", "
It's Chico Time"It's Chico Time" is the first single by The X Factor contestant Chico. Chico performed the song on the show on 19 November 2005. It is the only time that a contestant has performed an original song in the live stages of the show...
", "I'm a lady!", "
Am I bovvered?The Catherine Tate Show is an award-winning British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate who stars in all of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
" and "
Garlic bread?Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, producer, director and actor. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions.-Early career:Kay was born in Farnworth near Bolton,...
". It should be noted that in the US version of that episode, the shots of the catchphrase t-shirts have been cut out of the show, presumably because American audiences would not understand the references. However, some of the reviews that the show gets refer to it as a "time warp comedy", and Millman's character talks about 1970s catchphrases such as Mr Humphreys' "I'm Free" (from
Are You Being Served?Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the men's and women's departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John Chapman...
) and
Frank SpencerFrank Spencer may refer to one of the following real or fictional persons*Frank Spencer , a ballroom dancer, partner and husband of Peggy Spencer, famous for the BBC's Come Dancing program...
's "Ooh Betty" (from
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice....
), suggest that it is also partly sending up 1970s British comedy. In Episode 2.5 at the beginning,
Germaine GreerGermaine Greer is an Australian-born writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
(playing herself) suggests that
When the Whistle Blows is "sub
Carry OnCarry On is a long-running series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
". Ricky Gervais himself has said that he doesn't dislike all "broad humour", but that rather it is about being "careful what you wish for".
Music
The closing title track is called "Tea for the Tillerman", which is written and performed by
Cat StevensYusuf Islam , best known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British musician. He is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and is the title track of his album
Tea for the TillermanTea for the Tillerman is an album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. This album, Stevens' second during 1970, includes many of Stevens' most well-known songs including "Where Do the Children Play?," "Hard Headed Woman," "Wild World," "Sad Lisa," "Into White" and "Father and Son." Four of the tracks...
. The fourth episode of the second series of the show features a cover of the song performed by
Chris MartinChristopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English singer-songwriter and instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the band Coldplay. He is the husband of Hollywood actress Gwenyth Paltrow, with whom he has fathered two children.-Early life:Chris Martin was born...
of
ColdplayColdplay are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1998. The group comprises Chris Martin , Jonny Buckland , Guy Berryman , and Will Champion .Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis...
.
The song in the Christmas Special highlighting Maggie's depression after she hits bottom and quits acting is "
This Woman's Work"This Woman's Work" is a song written and performed by the British singer Kate Bush. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of the American film She's Having a Baby...
" by
Kate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of England's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years. Bush was signed by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by...
. When Andy is having bad time at the fancy restaurant and leaves Maggie on her own,
The SmithsThe Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
song can be heard, "
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" is a song originally performed, written and released by British group The Smiths, featured on the compilation albums Louder Than Bombs and Hatful of Hollow...
".
Awards
| Awarding Body/Event |
Awarded |
| Rose d'Or The Rose d'Or is a television award. It has been given annually in spring since 1961 at the Festival Rose d'Or. Since 2004, the festival has been held in Lucerne, Switzerland...
|
- 2006 Best Sitcom
- 2006 Best Sitcom Actress, Ashley Jensen
Ashley Samantha Jensen is a BAFTA and Emmy Award nominated Scottish actress, best known for her roles in Extras and Ugly Betty....
for Extras |
| Emmy Award The Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
s |
2007 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Ricky Gervais for Extras |
| Golden Globe |
2008 The 65th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2007, were scheduled to be presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 13, 2008...
Best Television Series - Best Comedy or Musical |
| BAFTA Awards |
2007 Best Comedy Performance, Ricky Gervais for Extras |
| British Comedy Award |
2005 Best Television Comedy Actress, Ashley Jensen for Extras
2005 Best Television Comedy Newcomer, Ashley Jensen for Extras
2006 Best Comedy Actor, Stephen Merchant for Extras |
| BANFF World Television Awards |
2006 Best Comedy Actress, Ashley Jensen for Extras |
Overall,
Extras has been received very well by critics in the UK. The show received 3 BAFTA Award nominations in 2006 including Best Comedy Performance for Ashley Jensen, Best Writer for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and Best Situation Comedy. In 2007, both Gervais and Merchant were nominated, separately, for Best Comedy Performance. Gervais ended up winning the award.
The show has also received high accolades in the US. In 2006, the show received four nominations for the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Ben Stiller and Patrick Stewart received nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and both lost to
Leslie JordanLeslie Allen Jordan is an American Emmy Award-winning actor and playwright.Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee and at a height of just 4 ft 11 in , Jordan has become an instantly recognizable face in film and television...
on
Will & GraceWill & Grace is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006. The show takes place in New York City and focuses on Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler, a straight Jewish woman who runs her own interior design firm...
. Kate Winslet received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and lost to
Cloris LeachmanCloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other female performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show...
for
Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American comedy television series created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
. Gervais and Merchant were also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode with Kate Winslet. They lost to
Greg GarciaGregory Thomas García , is an American television producer and teleplay writer. He was the creator/executive producer on the long-running sitcom Yes, Dear and the creator/executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning My Name Is Earl...
for writing the pilot episode of
My Name Is EarlMy Name Is Earl is an American comedy created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005 to May 14, 2009 in the United States. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Television.-Overview:...
. In 2007, the show received four nominations for the
59th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
. Gervais was nominated for and won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and
Ian McKellenSir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE , is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received a Tony Award and two Academy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Gervais and Merchant were also nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the episode with
Daniel RadcliffeDaniel Jacob Radcliffe is a British actor, best known for playing Harry Potter in the feature film series based on the popular book series....
and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for the episode with
Orlando BloomOrlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. Classically trained, he had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starting in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy of films, and subsequently established himself...
. Extras made the Top 10 list of Outstanding Comedy Series, but was not nominated in the Top 5.
Cancellations and replacements
According to a segment in the extras section of the Series 1 DVD,
Jude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
was scheduled to appear in one of the episodes, after meeting Gervais backstage on the
Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and bandleader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra,...
, but had to pull out due to film commitments. This resulted in Gervais and Merchant having to scramble to find a replacement actor at the last minute, with
Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer whose career rose with his role in the television sit-com Growing Pains....
being considered. A featurette on the first series DVD release, "Finding Leo", consists of late-night video camera footage (shot mostly by Merchant) chronicling Gervais' fruitless and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to contact DiCaprio's manager. Law was ultimately replaced by
Patrick StewartPatrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theatre for nearly fifty years, including performances as various characters in Shakespearean productions...
in the series 1 finale, although a poster for the Jude Law film
AlfieAlfie is a 2004 American-British film starring Jude Law as the title character. The movie is written, directed and produced by Charles Shyer.-Synopsis :...
appeared at the end. Other actors that did not appear in
Extras despite initial reports from Gervais include
MadonnaMadonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance...
,
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He has been cited as one of the world's most attractive men, a label that entices the media to report on his off-screen life...
, and
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
.
External links
- Extras at BBC Comedy
- Extras at HBO
- Extras at RickyGervais.com
- Extras at British TV Comedy
- Extras: Season 1 Reviews at Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Extras: Season 2 Reviews at Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale Reviews at Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Extras at Youtube