GERVAIS AND DAVID KVETCH WITH CONVICTION FOR HBO.Byline: David Kronke Television Critic TRUE STORY: A filmmaker had to hire homeless people to fill out the scores of extras needed for an elaborate sequence requiring two weeks of shooting under a blazing sun. When even the homeless decided they had better ways to spend their time, more extras were recruited, given the same costumes - and caught body lice from the clothing. Being an extra on a film set is demeaning de·mean 1 tr.v. de·meaned, de·mean·ing, de·means To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner: demeaned themselves well in class. , tedious work, but it's the life that Andy (Ricky Gervais) and Maggie (Ashley Jensen) have chosen for themselves in ``Extras,'' HBO's new comedy from Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of the original ``The Office.'' Andy spends his days leaning awkwardly into shots to ensure he gets in the movie and vainly attempting to wheedle whee·dle v. whee·dled, whee·dling, whee·dles v.tr. 1. To persuade or attempt to persuade by flattery or guile; cajole. 2. speaking parts. His inept agent (Merchant) expends more energy trying to convince his client to chuck it in than he does trying to find him acting work. Maggie is constantly prowling prowl v. prowled, prowl·ing, prowls v.tr. To roam through stealthily, as in search of prey or plunder: prowled the alleys of the city after dark. v.intr. for boyfriends and might succeed if she never opened her mouth. But open it she does, and far too often what comes out is usually as stupid and/or as insensitive as anyone has had the bad luck to hear. As is de rigueur in productions about the entertainment industry, real stars play themselves behaving abominably. Tonight, Kate Winslet cheerily admits she has taken the role in a cheesy cheesy (che´ze) caseous. Holocaust drama because she's hellbent to win an Oscar. Next week, Ben Stiller appears as the reprehensibly self-important director of a genocide drama. Gervais' genius is for placing his characters in wincingly humiliating situations. Tonight, when a woman he fancies asks him to join her for an evening with friends, he throws on a suit more appropriate for John Travolta in ``Saturday Night Fever'' than a gathering of pious Catholics - which, in fact, it is. Whereupon he helplessly digs himself into a blasphemous blas·phe·mous adj. Impiously irreverent. [Middle English blasfemous, from Late Latin blasph hole than no one feels any compunction to help him out of. As Andy and Maggie alienate everyone in sight (including Samuel L. Jackson “Samuel Jackson” redirects here. For the senator from Indiana, see Samuel D. Jackson. Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning actor. in a future episode), ``Extras'' can certainly be amusing. Fans, however, of HBO's other comedies - ``Entourage,'' ``The Comeback'' - may find its targets awfully familiar. It's preceded by the fifth-season premiere of Larry David's scabrous scab·rous adj. 1. Having or covered with scales or small projections and rough to the touch. See Synonyms at rough. 2. Difficult to handle; knotty: a scabrous situation. 3. ``Curb Your Enthusiasm.'' In the past, HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy sold the show on David's scandalously self-centered behavior; now the network seems to be softening him up. The tag line this season is, ``Deep inside, you know you're him.'' That's HBO's take, but David is still out to shock and awe Shock and awe, technically known as rapid dominance, is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming decisive force, dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and spectacular displays of power to paralyze an adversary's perception of the battlefield and as many as he can. Next week, for example, he uses his gentile father-in-law's souvenir nail from ``The Passion of the Christ'' to affix affix v. 1) to attach something to real estate in a permanent way, including planting trees and shrubs, constructing a building, or adding to existing improvements. a mezuzah to the front of his house. Larry can never be satisfied - tonight, he frets when a deli names a sandwich after him because he can't stand the delicacy (``I would've taken tuna, even with the mercury''). And he always does the wrong thing for the right reason, or vice versa. Episode three's plot line involving a bra moves away from its predictability. Nonetheless, David's oft-juvenile kvetching can be intoxicating in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. : Deep inside, you may not be him, but you just might really enjoy watching him squirm. David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke(at)dailynews.com EXTRAS - Three and one half stars What: Ricky Gervais (``The Office'') returns with a possibly more pathetic character, an aspiring actor relegated to background work in bad movies. Where: HBO. When: 10:30 tonight, with additional play dates through the week. In a nutshell: Often hilarious, though the show-biz milieu has become awfully familiar. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM - Three stars What: Larry David alternately kvetches and offends for your amusement. Where: HBO. When: 10 tonight with additional play dates through the week. In a nutshell: Deep inside, you'll enjoy watching him suffer. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Kate Winslet plays herself, taking a role in a Holocaust drama in which Ricky Gervais' character is a bit player in ``Extras.'' (2) Larry David isn't happy when a deli names a sandwich after him on tonight's season premiere of ``Curb Your Enthusiasm.'' |
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