IT'S NO `OFFICE,' BUT THESE `EXTRAS' AREN'T SLACKERS.Byline: - David Kronke When, at the end of season one of ``Extras,'' Andy Millman Andy Millman is a fictional actor and a character from the BBC/HBO co-production Extras. He is played by Ricky Gervais. Millman's dream to become an actor – he left his steady day job at Natwest in Wokingham in order to pursue it - is endlessly frustrated by the fact (Ricky Gervais) actually managed to sell an idea for a TV comedy, we all knew it was only a matter of time before his show would be compromised into lowest-common-denominator garbage. And sure enough, by the end of the new season, Andy will wish he never had a dream to pursue in the first place. In the first season, Andy and his hapless pal Maggie (Ashley Jensen, who can also be seen on ``Ugly Betty'') whiled away endless hours as ``background'' on the sets of what looked to be extraordinarily awful movies, while stars such as Ben Stiller and Patrick Stewart engaged in all manner of appalling behavior. This year, Maggie's still plugging away cluelessly, getting hit on by egotists such as Orlando Bloom and Daniel Radcliffe, while Andy helplessly watches his workplace comedy ``When the Whistle Blows'' transformed into junk worse than ``According to Jim According to Jim is an American situation comedy television series originally broadcast by ABC. The show premiered with little publicity in October 2001, following the surprise hit comedy My Wife and Kids. .'' Despite excoriating reviews, the show becomes something of a hit, which allows tabloids and celebrity gossips 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 target to Andy's back. While ``Extras'' has its moments, it's not nearly as excruciatingly brilliant as Gervais' breakthrough hit, ``The Office.'' As opposed to that series, Gervais' character here is often the sanest guy in the room, which doesn't mean he's exempt from all manner of withering humiliations. Episode two finds Andy in a series of exquisite set pieces, coping with his newfound fame and going pub-crawling with his pals, where David Bowie embarrasses him by improvising a song about a ``pathetic little fat man/he's so depressed at being useless/fatso takes his own life/he blows out his stupid brains.'' Gervais' Andy is far less manic than was his David Brent. The funniest performance here comes from Gervais' writing and directing partner Stephen Merchant, who plays his preternaturally pre·ter·nat·u·ral adj. 1. Out of or being beyond the normal course of nature; differing from the natural. 2. Surpassing the normal or usual; extraordinary: clueless clue·less adj. Lacking understanding or knowledge. clueless Adjective Slang helpless or stupid Adj. 1. agent. There's no situation so dire that Andy's agent can't make things exponentially worse. Though satirical show-biz exposes are a dime a dozen these days, ``Extras'' emphasizes its snappy dialogue and amusingly cringe-inducing moments over its industry-insider snickers
Snickers is a sweet bar made by Mars, Incorporated. . EXTRAS - Three stars What: Ricky Gervais' beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. showbiz wannabe flirts with stardom in season two of the comedy about movie extras. Where: HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy . When: 10 tonight. In a nutshell: Funny, but not nearly as excruciatingly brilliant as Gervais' ``The Office.'' |
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