'The Times' Full Interview with Ricky Gervais from Saturday 19th April 2014: 'I've always been concerned with kindness. Just not in my comedy.'

'I've always been concerned with kindness. Just not in my comedy.'

He outraged America at the Golden Globes and his sitcom is as loathed as it is liked. That's fine with me, Ricky Gervais tells Stephanie Marsh

In a sombre Soho basement a selection of Britain's pop-cultural taste-makers settle into their seats, ready to assess season 2 of the confusing Ricky Gervais comedy vehicle Derek.
Before the lights dim, the head of Channel 4 comedy says a few words.
Gervais, he informs the assembled critics, "has a lot to say."(He doesn't say what.)
And there Derek/Gervais is, on the big screen, with the same greasy fronds stuck to his forehead, the same underbite, the same simple literal-mindedness that caused some people, when the first series originally aired, to describe it as "life-affirming".
Others claimed that, in Derek, the Berkshire-born comedian was poking fun at people with learning difficulties. (He'd also used the word "mong" on Twitter). Later, when he began to accessorise his Twitter feed with pictures of himself in the bath, the same people accused him of doing so while covertly pulling a "mong face".
How much do Gervais and David Brent--- the self-regarding middle manager he played in The Office---- resemble one another? Contemporary opinion holds that they're more or less the same person. It has become fashionable to say of the breakthrough Noughties mockumentary, "Ah, but that was mostly [co-writer] Stephen Merchant", now that Gervais has become such a big star. Arrogant, prideful, foe of fat people and the disabled? Or genius, comedic revolutionary and one of the most influential figures of our times?
There are a lot of people on the internet arguing about who Gervais is: has he had his teeth whitened and become "one of them"ie, American? (Gervais bought a home in New York several years ago with his partner Jane Fallon, though they live in London). Is he a "bully" who picks on his warm-up acts? Is he "mean"(see his baiting of Hollywood stars as host of the Golden Globes from 2010-2012)? Has he "gone too far" (See his atheist tweets)? Everyone agrees he's made a lot of money.
Two hours later, whoever the real Ricky Gervais might be, he sits before me, teeth an off-white colour, mood upbeat, joyous even "Tee-hee". "Haha!" He is full to bursting with screeching laughter and pugnacious opinion. At the age of 52, he's the boy at the front of the class with his hand up and the right answer, desperate to be picked by the teacher. He's the boy at the back of the class sniggering at the boy at the front. At the teacher. At the concept of school.
     I start with: "The head of Channel 4 comedy said you have something important to say. What is it?"
"You'll have to ask him. Um" Already Gervais is shaking with mirth. "I think everyone would agree I've got a lot to say. Er. Heee. Heee!" Giggling now, he splutters: "Some would say, Shut the f*** up, ypu've said enough!"
He's talked in the past about the theme of kindness in Derek. Perhaps he hopes that Derek will make people nicer.
"What's Derek for?" I ask.
"It's for my entertainment, and hopefully some other people's. What do you mean, 'What is it for?' It's a good question, though. Because, because, because." He explodes with happy laughter.
"That's great, actually, because when somebody makes a table you wouldn't say: 'What's it for?'. That's perfect! You say, 'Well it's a table.' Whereas if anyone asks what your programme's for----f*** knows! I mean, it's to watch! It's to laugh and make you live longer."
Gervais has stopped giggling. He's suddenly utterly sober. "Um. I worry. It's a very highfalutin stance to take as someone writing TV comedy to talk about your achievements like a doctor would. There's been no change of heart in my outlook. You do things that are studies."
The Office, he says, was about comedy; men as boys and women as adults. "How you're body-snatched by trivia and if someone doesn't let you borrow their pen you think, how trivial, but in three weeks you won't let them borrow your pen to get them back. About how arbitrary a job is, how you're thrown together. The bigger themes were, mid-life crisis, fame, TV itself. Boy meets girl. Making a difference. But that doesn't answer the question, what's it for? What it was for was to give me money and awards. Hee-hee!"He corrects himself sternly: "That's not true."
   Besides "genius", the word most often used to describe him is "mean". "Do I think I was mean at the Golden Globes? No. And relative to what? What's 'mean'? Mean is telling a child they'll go to hell if they're gay. Right? Me having a go at the poster for Sex and the City being over airbrushed, that's not mean. That's pointing out what everyone saw. I mean, 'mean'? I've always been concerned with kindness. I just didn't put it into my comedy."
   Thinking back on it, the oddest thing about the Golden Globes "situation", he says, "was that they didn't realise it would be a roast".  But what did they expect? 
"There are many comedians who will turn down the chance to do what they want in front of 200 million people. So I made a decision: do I pander to the 200 egos in the room or the 200 million people watching at home? No contest. Having said that, I don't think I was particularly cruel. Everything I did was considered. Plus I think you've got to be able to say to someone's face what you'd say behind their back."
  Phillip Berk, the former president of the Globes, recently revealed that a "major Hollywood star" complained to him personally about Gervais's "roasting".
 "I know who he was!" Gervais volunteers proudly.
 And? "I'm not telling you. Because it's not fair, he'd be very embarrassed." He grins. "Are you upset that I'm not going to gossip? It was someone who thought that the general public is only there to praise them for all the good they've done."
   Did he say sorry? "I responded by saying. 'Sorry I've been invited back,'"
Gervais is quivering with amusement.
"Listen, everyone allowed to get their feelings hurt. No one wants to be the butt of the joke but I didn't say anything that was unfair or untrue. It was in the papers that Charlie Sheen got drunk. It was in the papers that Robert Downey Jr was arrested and went to the Betty Ford clinic. And I made a joke. Do you see?
  "People, when they justify their feelings being hurt, say it's objectively speaking, 'offensive' and it's not. Their feelings are personal. They merge the target of the joke with the subject of the joke. For example, Kim what's her name?" "Cattrall?" "Yeah. This is the joke I made: 'I'm surprised that the special effects award didn't go to whoever airbrushed that Sex and the City 2 poster.' Girls, we know how old you are. One of you was in an episode of Bonanza. She said it's ageist. I say it's the opposite. I'm saying, 'Why do you have to go for that paradigm of beauty that you have to be 25 years old and a leading lady? What's up with being 50? What's wrong with it? I'm pointing out something they tried to hide, and made a joke about it."
 "What's the most offensive thing that's ever been said about you?" I ask.
"The only thing that offends me is lies. Opinion dressed as opinion isn't offensive at all. If someone says: 'He's the least funny person, he never makes me laugh, I'll punch his face, he disgusts me' --- that's fine. If they say: 'I saw him eating foie gras in The Ivy...'" continues Gervais, savagely. "F***ing liar! You F***ing liar: you never did. That offends me."
  We turn to the "mong" debate. Gervais apologised for "mong" but insists he never used the word with it's original meaning--- a slang term for people with Down's syndrome. He says that Derek is not a parody--he loves the character. The whole series is an ode to his extended family, most of whom work in the care sector.
  "But for me to complain about criticism is like a fisherman complaining about waves." Early on in his career, "the first time a bad review came I thought, 'Doesn't matter, that's fine. Money still there? Yep. Awards still there? Yep. Whatever.' You've got to assume as many people dislike you as like you, rationally and irrationally. They're going to confuse you with your show. Derek is going to be a victim of any reputation. The other side of the coin is, because of my success, I'm going to get anything made that I want. So it's all good."
  "Don't you think the fact that some people hate you has been good for your career?" I ask.
"I don't know. Maybe,"
"Isn't being disliked part of the tension that keeps people interested?"
"There's this lovely Aesop fable," he says. "A mosquito decided to apologise to the Ox for annoying it and the Ox said: 'I didn't even know you were there'."
"I think you provoke people," I suggest. 
"Do I?" He challenges me to come up with some example but then interrupts himself: "Intelligent discussion sometimes frightens people. If you're confrontational and you cut to the chase, some people are taken aback by it."
 "I still think it's important for your career that there are people out there who hate you," I say.
"It's not that it's important, it's inevitable. It probably has helped me in the sense that it drives you to be even more sort of honest or to fight or answer back--I think that's very important. Freedom of speech is just about our greatest gift. For me, the point of any art, even if it's as lowly as TV comedy, is to make a connection. And for me the size of the connection is probably more important than anything else---as long as you're being honest. I am aware that I polarise. I'm aware that the emotions are extreme in both directions." 
There's a little silence. He returns to the subject solemnly. "To answer your question--yes. I do. Yes. I've just realised that I cherish that. The fact that my comedy or my Twitter polarises to the extreme. Yes. That's good. Because I think that means that you're doing something right."
 He thinks it's important that he's not like his characters in real life. But if people are going to confuse him with David Brent or Derek, "I don't give a f*** if you know the real me or not."
  Gervais is angrily remonstrating now. "People who do 'Big Brother': I just want to show the world my other side! F*** 'em! Keep your other side to you and your family. They don't deserve your other side. Who the f***! He exclaims, veering up the octaves to a falsetto: "Why do you care what some f***ing drongo, sitting at home, angry about their gout, thinks about your 'other side'? You're a millionaire. F***ing man up. You know?"
  A short, considered silence. "It's funny because I used to get people to play twisted versions of themselves in Extras and I wondered why they did it, and now I know why. Because it's like an exorcism. And you want to make it worse for yourself because you think: 'If I really act the prat now, people will think, 'Well, he can't be like that in real life'--so you make it more and more extreme. You hope that the general public know that you're not really like that."
  Are people who don't get his jokes stupid? "No. What I mean is, you shouldn't panic. You shouldn't go, 'Oh, I didn't write the joke right,' You've got to do it for yourself." For the moment, he's back to his joyful, happy self: "I look at it in a very Darwinian way: I'm going to do what I enjoy exactly as I want and hope that there's a place for it in the world. And at the moment there seems to be."
Derek begins on Wednesday 23rd April on Channel 4 at 10pm.

(Article copied from The Times in it's entireity.)

Ricky Gervais' full interview with Notebook Magazine in the Sunday Mirror 13/04/14

Ricky Gervais is channelling his inner Louie Spence, high-kicking for our photographer on repeat, until he gets just the right shot. He finds the whole thing hilarious- that infamous laugh, the one with no build up, form nowhere to peeing his pants hysteria in nought to five seconds, coming out over and over. "It's all getting worryingly Lionel Blair, isn't it?" he says.

A lot of things have been said about Ricky Gervais and the biggest misconception is probably one of arrogance. Actually he's rather normal considering his ludicrous levels of success. Sure, he's got 'people' fluttering around him, but he likes to do things himself (he even pays his own phone bills).

And though he must have met thousands of fawning folks, he remembers us from years back when we last met him. Famous people always say that, but they are almost always lying, whereas Ricky remembers actual details of what we talked about and all sorts. He's also a bit unexpectedly serious at times, though there's always a funny moment lurking just seconds away. 

There's no need to list his CV, we'd be here until Christmas, so we'll go for the edited highlights.

First there was The Office, then Extras when Hollywood knocked on the door, hosting the Golden Globes and co-writing and guest starring in The Simpsons. Then there was An Idiot Abroad, Life's Too Short and movie roles, now there's Muppets Most Wanted and his pet project Derek, about to start it's second series.

Not bad for a failed pop star from Reading, the 'laziest, least ambitious person in the world' who didn't get a job until he was 28......

'You've been famous for a good while now, and in the last few years you've become really famous. Is it a nightmare sometimes?'

I dreaded being famous before I was famous, and for the first half of being famous, but now I realise it's OK. People's opinions don't matter. I don't just have a thick skin, i actually quite like it when I get grief from people. This morning a postman from Hull tweeted me saying he was disappointed I did the Muppet movie and I was like. "Really mate?! I'm having a laugh And they paid me". Why do they think they can ruin my day? I love every day. It would only upset me if it was lies. If someone said I had illegal dog fights in my basement I'd sue them. If they say "He's the least funny person on the planet", it's an opinion.

'What's the weirdest thing that's been written about you?'

Someone said I had a boxing ring in my house which was quite weird, and because I have steel shutters around my house that come down when I'm away, they said I spend my evenings sat in a 3,000 square foot safe in the dark...

'Can you do anything without being recognised?'

I went to see a title fight with Joe Calzaghe at Madison Square Garden in New York. I went to the loo and this guy is like, 'Hey mate, can I have a picture?' Arm straight round me, doing a selfie while I'm in the middle of a wee. I didn't even have a chance to say, "Can we leave it a minute mate?"

There's a lot of testosterone at those things, you don't want to say no. All I could think was, 'How wide angled was that lens?" "What did he get in?"

'How've you "kept it real"? There must be some diva moments......

I can do what I want and I turn down 90% of the jobs I'm offered, so that makes me spoilt. But I feel sorry for people who become famous young because it's all over by the time they're 25 and they've probably done things they're going to regret for the rest of their lives. For me, everything was already in place, I had a stable relationship, friends. There is hard work, but I can't count it as work when my dad got up at 5am every day and carried bricks around. How can I complain?

It must be terrifying doing things like hosting the Golden Globes.

I don't get nervous, it's nice to be the most feared man in Hollywood. It's like the spider thing, actors are much more scared of me than I am of them.

Tell us about The Muppets. How did they compare to working with humans?

They're real. I don't think of them as being operated by anyone. I still miss them, they're my little mates. I want to go into a restaurant and be like "Ah, there's Constantine, can I join you mate?" He soon became my favourite Muppet, he's so angry and bitter and rude. I wanted to keep hugging them all and rub their pot bellies, and I kept scratching their heads thinking they's like it. It's a man's hand!

'What about when they're, you know, not working?'

I don't look at them, I can't. I'm like "Where've you been?" and they're like "In a box in New Jersey"...

What's David Brent up to?

Everything's got slightly worse, he's not even a manager any more, he's a rep, he's 50 and still trying to be a pop star in a shiny suit. There's even more desperation. I thought it'd be funny to do a documentary of Brent on tour-he thinks it's like Scorsese doing the Rolling Stones but really it's a "Where are they now?" show, like something from ITV2. They'll find out he's cashed his pension in to make his album. I might do another series, it won't be The Office, though, because you've got to move on.

What's on your bucket list? There can't be much left?

Have a house that looks out onto my own animal sanctuary. Buy a bit of Surrey and get lots of three legged dogs and blind donkeys. Wake up, open the windows and hear a Disney song start, it'll be all "Zippedee-doo-da" and "Hey Mr Squirrel, here's a nut".

What's the most extravagant thing you've ever bought? 

Works of art. Expensive guitars. Erm, a swimming pool. Inside. A virtual golf course in the basement. A gym. But that's health isn't it? Everyone's got a gym in their house haven't they?

That's embarassing. This has gone terribly wrong hasn't it? I was a man of the people for the first five minutes. Yeah, I've got a private jet in my house that takes off from my swimming pool, flies over the golf course and leads into the kitchen. Oh dear, I should be like, "Oh, an old cardigan from a jumble sale".

Describe yourself in three words.

I'd like to say funny! Honest. I'm alright. the character Derek is me before the world made me cynical. i have the same values deep down. I am annoying though.

What would your partner Jane say is the most irritating thing about you?

She hates me sneezing loudly. And she says "What did I say?" and I say "What?" I'm preoccupied a lot. But she's the same as me. We just watch crap telly and take the mickey out of our cat.

What will be written on your tombstone?

He had a laugh. Or 'Out of Office'. That'll be the newspaper headline when I die, won't it?

The low-down on Derek.....

Derek, your sitcom about the residents of a care home is back soon. This show seems super-close to your heart....
I didn't think you could do a sitcom like that, and then I thought, "Why not?' My mum, sister, sister-in-law and now their kids are all carers, so I've got 30 years of anecdotes. I've always written about what I know-Gareth from The Office is a boy I went to school with, which is why he acts like a 14 year old. Tim is based on an unhappy wisecracker from my first job and Brent is a Frankenstein of people. There's a bit of Brent in all of us- we all want to be loved and think we're important.

Does it bug you that people call Derek controversial?
I think they haven't watched it yet. They're just assuming it's going to be cruel.

You're known for cracking up and corpsing on set.....
What makes me corpse most is Kev chatting up the old women. There was a scene with Kev telling Derek what he does to Janice in the caravan. Every time he said "I like to back her in, I leave the business end near the door because if she was to reverse in I wouldn't have a chance". I literally couldn't get through it, so it's not in the show.

David Brent and The Foregone Conclusion London 2013

It was a 'Foregone Conclusion' that this was going to be an amazing night out for anyone lucky enough to attend. Excuse the bad pun, I have been waiting for sometime to use this. 

I am of course talking about Ricky Gervais bringing back his fictional character best known from 'The Office'; the Brentmeister General himself, Mr. David Brent and his band 'Foregone Conclusion' for a couple of SOLD OUT work in progress gigs at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

Ticket touts who had contributed to this gig selling out in less than a minute caused an air of controversy to surround these gigs as true fans didn't manage to get tickets which were being sold on at extortionate prices. Thankfully, Ricky and his A-Team (management) got many of these overpriced tickets taken down and urged fans not to buy them.
I was fortunate enough to get a ticket for the very first gig and here are my (biased of course!) thoughts on the entire experience, without spoiling too much for those yet to see it:

Arriving at the Bloomsbury Theatre, I could see why Ricky chose it; it's a lovely little venue with an amazing view of the stage from wherever you're sitting, there are literally no 'shitty seats'; imagine that being said in a 'Brent-esque' way; 'The Bloomsbury Theatre: We don't give shitty seats!'
I also think he chose it because he performed a couple of sold out stand up shows there in the past and it is located close to and owned by UCL; where he studied and later worked so it is probably a venue close to his heart.

Sitting in the upper circle, the view of the stage was excellent and the atmosphere was amazing. It was so nice to anticipate the start of the show with a theatre full to the brim with excited fans, as cliche as it may seem, we were like one big diverse family.

The lights went down and to my surprise a bespectacled Doc Brown in 'golfing gear' as he put it (Ben Smith) appeared on stage; having never seen him in anything apart from The 'Equality Street' music video alongside David Brent and in an episode of Derek; I didn't know what to expect...but as soon as he started talking he had me in fits of laughter. He has a unique style of comedic rapping using clever lyrics and I'll definitely be going to his shows in the future. After the gig, I looked him up on YouTube and found this amazing 'Proper Tea' rap:

Next, the one and only Ewen Macintosh, who 'The Office' fans will recognise as 'Big Keith' came on stage to an overwhelming roar of applause from the audience with one excited fan shouting 'Peak Practice', of course referring to Keith's line 'I like Peak Practice'.
He was only on for a brief moment, holding up a piece of paper to introduce David Brent and the band, but he made it a moment of comedy gold by eating a scotch egg as he left the stage.

Then, the moment we had all been waiting for, Ricky Gervais appeared on stage; in a white dress shirt, baggy navy blue jeans, a waistcoat, bolo tie, ill fitting sunglasses and an earring to complete his 'rock n' roll' look. The moment he touched his earring and said 'fashion innit', the audience knew that 'Brent' was on stage. His band also sifted onto the stage in the background and 'Brent' briefly introduced them, but only cared to mention the new guitarist who he said was 'Mammogram's' nephew, 'Stu Monkford'; and of course he had to mention that he had not raped anyone, so far...

He started with the songs from his 'Learn Guitar' YouTube series such as 'Life on The Road' and 'Ooh La La' with the audience and myself finding ourselves clapping along. Doc Brown also came back on stage as rapper 'Dom Johnson' to perform 'Equality Street', 'Lonely Cowboy' and 'Ain't no Trouble'. The comedic chemistry and banter between Doc Brown and Ricky Gervais was brilliant.

'Brent' and 'Johnson' singing 'Equality Street'

When Ricky wasn't singing he was mouthing the lyrics and dancing along playing 'air guitar' which was funny and slightly adorable.
He also had his signature can of 'Fosters' on stage (those who have seen his stand-up and golden globes presenting will know that he always has a drink whilst performing live) which he would sip during guitar solos.

'Brent' and 'Mammogram's' nephew 'Stu Monkford'

At times, when Ricky was singing using the microphone and doing hand gestures, and especially during the 'factually correct' song 'Slough', I saw a bit of 'Derek Noakes' seeping in and I was reminded of this scene in 'Derek' when he was performing his 'Ventriquocist' act with Poppy the Rabbit:

Derek and Poppy: Photo courtesy of Channel 4 and Netflix

Our ears were treated  to an exclusive new song called 'Lady Gypsy' a musical tale of his first love; which was typical 'Brent' and hilarious as well as catchy. 

My personal favourite songs from the gig were 'Slough', 'Equality Street', 'Lady Gypsy' and 'Ain't no Trouble' and I loved the added 'magic' and sounds that the band brought to the whole experience. The song 'Ain't no Trouble' was in my opinion especially improved by the 'tropical sounds' (Racial!).

Watching these songs on YouTube from David Brent's fortnightly 'Learn Guitar' Lessons, I felt like I had known these songs forever and knew all the words, because however ridiculous the lyrics may seem, they are so damn catchy.
After performing all of the songs from the 'Learn Guitar' YouTube series bar one, 'You're why I breathe', he left the stage with Doc Brown to a roar of applause; but being familiar with his stand up I knew that he always comes back on stage for a second time. He didn't disappoint, and came back to perform 'The Serpent who guards the gates of Hell' and my all time favourite 'Freelove Freeway' which we were first exposed to in 'The Office'. 
He finally bowed to the audience and left the stage to an eardrum bursting round of applause and a well deserved standing ovation from all of us.  

FINAL THOUGHTS
Ricky performing as David Brent with a live band has proven what we already knew; that he is a versatile guy and a born performer. He is a unique article, the machine made one and was switched off forever.
I was sad for him that his singing career wasn't successful the first time round with his eighties group 'Seona Dancing' but am happy for him that he is fulfilling his dreams of a music career so many years on; whether that be for fun or otherwise.

My only suggestions for improvement, if any, is that there should've been more trademark 'David Brent' banter, a bit of audience interaction and a longer show. I would've also wanted to see Ricky playing the guitar himself, but he is forgiven on this occasion because of his '50 year old shoulder'....

My only regret is not hanging about after the show on the off chance of meeting Ricky and tell him face to face that his show was 'fucking amazing!'

If Ricky wants David Brent to be less successful then he is going to have to work a lot harder because, at the moment, he is more talented than many serious modern musicians. I hope all Ricky fans get to eventually see this gig as it is a fun experience.
All in all, a surreal, fun experience with catchy and ironically well-written songs which left my ears buzzing and wanting more; I urge Ricky to bring on the world tour and the album release; but what do I know?! I'm just a sad fan!

Exclusive Q&A with Derek producer Charlie Hanson

 

Most fans of Ricky Gervais and his work so far will know who Mr. Charlie Hanson is; as he is a long time collaborator with Ricky Gervais. For those who are not familiar with Charlie's work, here is a brief introduction.

 

Charlie is a critically acclaimed British Director and Producer, whose award winning work spans over two decades, and he shows no signs of slowing down. He has a history of working on diverse projects and in 2003 he produced his first feature film 'A way of Life', which went on to win 12 international awards, including 4 Welsh BAFTA's. 

During his early career, he was involved in 'No Problem!' (1983), the first Black made sitcom for British TV (broadcast on Channel 4). Charlie later went on to produce notable shows such as 'Desmond's' 'Birds of a Feather','Chef!,'Sketch Show' and 'Harry Hill'.



Photo courtesy of Charlie Hanson



Desmond's sitcom set in a Black barber shop in Peckham (1989-1994)

His collaborations with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, are producing 'Extras', 'Cemetery Junction' and 'Life's Too Short.' Now he is Producer on Ricky's heartwarming new comedy drama 'Derek'.

I put these questions to Mr.Hanson which he kindly answered.

Q: Derek will be the first show that you've produced that will be shown to a large global audience in one go on Netflix, how do you feel about this?

A: Both curious and excited. Particularly as the audience will have access to all episodes in one go. The impact of twitter and other social media also means we can expect a pretty instant response from some quarters. I'm looking forward to it!

Q: As a Producer was it your job to find cast members for Derek? Kerry Godliman, Karl Pilkington and David Earl have previously worked with Ricky, but where and how did you discover the talented Holli Dempsey who plays young Vicky?

A: As Producer my role is to surround Ricky with the best talent, behind and in front of the camera. He wrote Dougie for Karl Pilkington, and Kevin for David Earl. We had both worked with Kerry A. Godliman on Extras and Life's Too Short, but she came in for a meeting to discuss the part and read. She was offered it straight away. But we work with a casting director too. Tracey Gillham is terrific at bringing new talent to our attention, and when Holli Dempsey first auditioned we knew immediately she was the one for Vicky. She had Ricky laughing, as only he can, at some of her ad libs. And when he turned to Katie, our Associate Producer and said "write that down!", even Holli must have known she had nailed it. But as a true professional, she didn't show it. She is a terrific actress and will go on to great things.

Left: Holli Dempsey as Vicky with Comedian/Rapper Doc Brown
who makes a guest appearance in Derek (Photo courtesy of @HolliDee)

Q: What was your favourite part of filming Derek? 

A: Meeting and getting to know some of the older actors. They had amazing stories to tell. Also seeing how Ricky inhabited the role of Derek, and played him with such affection.

Q: Did any scenes make you emotional? 

A: The pilot episode when Derek spoke about his love for Joan had me crying on set and in the edit. As did the passing of Lizzie (played by Kay Noone) , and the scenes with Derek's dad.

Actress Kay Noone who plays Lizzie in Derek

Q: You have worked with Ricky Gervais since 'Extras', what do you enjoy most about working with him?

A: His energy and work ethic is amazing. I have never had to wait for a script. Whatever he promises he delivers. He knows what he wants, so we don't waste any time shooting unnecessary scenes. He, like me, wants to enjoy his work, so we have surrounded ourselves with a terrific crew who are great at their jobs and love their work. It sounds a cliche, but it is like a big happy family reunion every time we regroup to start a new series.

Q: What is your favourite Gervais collaboration to date?

A: I loved the challenge and variety of Extras, with different guest stars and situations each episode. But it has to be Derek, as Ricky loves the character so much. It has been a great experience working on a show that has the capacity to make people laugh and cry.

Ricky Gervais as Derek (photo courtesy of Channel 4)

Q: When can we expect to see Derek back on our screens in the UK?

A: Spring 2014

Q: What other projects are you currently working on?

A: I am developing feature film scripts with Sarah Solemani (Him and Her) and Steve Oram (Sightseers).

A huge thanks to Mr. Charlie Hanson for taking the time to answer these questions. 

You can follow @charlietantrum on Twitter to keep up to date with his latest projects.

All 7 episodes of Derek (including the pilot) and 'making of' documentary, will be premiering on Netflix in the US, Canada, Brazil, Latin America and the Nordics on September 12th 2013.

Here is the Official Netflix promotional trailer for Derek:

And here is an 'Introduction to Derek':

At the time of publishing this post, Derek has started airing in Australia on ABC1 every Thursday night at 10pm, and the reaction to it is very positive.

Yes TV (Israeli TV station) have also bought Derek but an air date is yet to be announced. For viewers in the UK who have not yet seen Derek, you can watch it on 4OD, the Channel 4 catch up service by registering online here. 

The DVD and Blu-ray of Derek Series 1 with deleted scenes and out-takes is also available to Pre-order and will be released on 11th November 2013. Pre-Order from Amazon here.
For more information on Derek follow @Derektvshow and @belikederek on Twitter. 

You can also visit tadpolehitler.com which is a dedicated Derek fan site.

Thanks for reading.

©ZA 2013 www.gervaisaholics.com (@Gervaisaholics)

Extras Posteritty signed print Competition Winners!

Firstly, thank you so much for the large response that this competition generated and well done to all who entered, all entries were fun to read. The main man himself was sent all the entries to judge and this is what he had to say:

"From the thousands of entries one scene kept coming up over and over again. I decided to pick the winner from this most cited group. I chose the following entry because it simply summed up the platonic friendship of two average "screw ups."  Thanks to everyone who entered. I really enjoyed reading them and I'm sorry that there can only be one overall winner. Cheers."- Ricky Gervais

The Winning Entry

Winner of this awesome main prize is @milapantovich

"My favorite (as cliché as it might be) is the final scene between Andy and Maggie -- their very realistic platonic friendship turned out to be one of television's most memorable love stories. The scene may seem a bit sad, with Andy's dream of fame finally an empty reality, but it brings such hopeful longing for the future. Reunited, they drive away giggling and happy. Gervais' ability to infuse biting satirical comedy with a deep soulful humanity, always allowing redemption, is the reason why I love his work so much. If these two screw-up's can start over, anyone can. The brief design of the moment makes you miss the characters deeply the moment the credits roll, something I never take for granted in today's general need for the overdone "Big Finish." I adore the final scene." (@milapantovich)

"The second most popular scene was the David Bowie song. I chose this entry because they guessed that I probably couldn't believe my luck in getting to co write a song with my musical hero." - Ricky Gervais

The Runner Up

"David Bowie singing ‘Little Fat Man’, simply for the fact that it is such a unique and hilarious piece of television. I’m such an avid fan of both RG and Bowie, being able to enjoy a moment like that is not something that every TV show can offer. I can only imagine the joy that Ricky Gervais must have experienced in writing that scene and knowing that David Bowie will soon be singing a song that he had written about him, albeit a song about being fat. The scene is such an awkward moment for him, at the height of his fame and unhappy that those around him are so close to him still (It wasn’t the best place to have the VIP area cordoned off halfway through a sitting area, I suppose). Truly a hilarious scene and I thank you for it."(@_RPS.)

Winner of this brilliant Runner Up prize is @_RPS

WELL DONE TO BOTH @milapantovich and @_RPS and thank you again to all that entered, a massive thanks to Ricky for taking the time to judge the entries and for Posteritty for donating these brilliant prizes.

'Learn Guitar With David Brent' Full episodes from Ricky's Youtube Channel

After the success of David Brent's comeback after 10 years and 'Equality Street', Ricky Gervais decided to do a series of 'Learn guitar with David Brent' tutorials exclusively for YouTube.

They have been a huge success so far with the first video, 'Life on the Road' reaching over 1 million views already.

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 1 'LIFE ON THE ROAD'

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 2 'OOH LA LA'

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 3 'SPACEMAN CAME DOWN'

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 4 'FREELOVE FREEWAY'

(FEATURING THE 'TWAT' CHORD)

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 5 'AINT NO TROUBLE' Featuring Comedian and Rapper Doc Brown (Dom Johnson from 'Equality Street')

Most politically incorrect and hilarious episode ever!

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 6 'SLOUGH'

LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT: EPISODE 7 'LONELY COWBOY' Featuring Comedian and Rapper Doc Brown (Dom Johnson)

COMPETITION TIME!

WIN A MINIMAL ART 'EXTRAS' PRINT SIGNED BY RICKY GERVAIS

COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

HOW TO ENTER

WRITE IN 150 WORDS OR LESS THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION:

"What is your favourite scene from 'Extras' and why?" 

Send your entry in word/email/pages format to gervaisaholics@gmail.com and if you're on twitter, remember to include your @username.

Winners will be announced soon after the closing date and Ricky Gervais himself will be kindly judging entries.

THE MAIN PRIZE UP FOR GRABS!

 A minimal print of the cast of Extras signed by Ricky Gervais

THE RUNNER UP PRIZE

A Ray Stokes minimal print signed by Ricky Gervais

Both beautiful prizes have been kindly donated by Posteritty, a local company who specialise in minimal art prints, visit their online shop by clicking the link on this site.

RULES

One entry per person. Closing date and time 11.59pm, 31st July 2013. 

Open to entrants from all over, as long as you have a postal address.

The judge's decision is final and the word limit is strict, if any entries are deemed unsuitable or over the word limit they will sadly be rejected. By entering the competition, you are agreeing to have your name and entry published on this blog and announced on Twitter if you win.

Good Luck!