i think the whole after life franchise takes us through the dark simple mind of ricky gervais where depression and atheism are simplified into one thing
true but I didn't mind that as much cos not everyone had access to XFM apart from ripped RUclips shows - I found the podcasts to be like watered down scripted versions of the XFM shows so I agree it lost it's charm when it was all regurgitated.
@@dddgtsd, luckily I heard the podcasts before I came across the XFM shows, so I was able to fully enjoy them. The only thing that stood out was that it was a little confusing as to where it all came from. It was this sudden "show" that seemed to come from nowhere, with content that the presenters spoke about as if it was something they were very familiar with. When I later stumbled upon the XFM shows on RUclips, it suddenly became clear. They sounded scripted and familiar because the guys were copying something they had already done successfully.
@@timothyspool1399 100% that, I got put on to the XFM shows on RUclips and it was a treasure cove of content. Karl in the early days before Gervais was prompting him too much and he was perhaps planning his bits - it was so good. Karl is still funny in the podcast but I could never get into them as they just felt like more polished versions of things they'd already done on the radio show - but fair play they wanted to make some more money and do a proper show to utilise Karl's brilliance.
yeah it's interesting, I wonder if Gervais admits it when alone with friends - all the new fans who love this show (middle aged American women with a dog in their profile pic) probably don't like The Office and love After Life. I doubt he cares as he's making absolute bank but he must know it's shit - surely!?
Even his standup stuff now just feels like he’s rewording every “haha trans women have cocks” joke as a way to pander to edgy teens and uneducated older people
crazy isn't it...the more you see After Life the more you think, was Merchant the one who brought the subtlety to it? Maybe also they stumbled across some fantastic actors at the right time Martin Freeman and Ralph Inesen for example. Weird though cos the things Merch has done since the Office were also a bit pants (few laughs) - I think maybe it was just the perfect duo at the perfect time, not everyone has more more than 1 or 2 great projects in them, some would stop but Ricky still believes his own hype and to his credit is making tons of money off it.
I think the first time i reaised how bad Ricky's work was getting was the Derek. I remember thinking it was ok but not great, then there was the scene where the guy asks Derek why he doesnt wish he was rich so he could do whatever he wants and he said he already does. (I'm massively paraphrasing) but as soon as that scene started i thought "oh this is just that old anecdote about the fisherman that gets wheeled out by public speakers." It was such an old joke and he'd clearly read it online or heard it somewhere and inserted it into the script, and it felt so lazy and I started to notice it everywhere in his work. I dont mind the recycled xfm stuff, but its deeper than that. He just reuses "clever" things hes heard elsewhere like a real life brent but without the irony.
the thing with Derek for me was Gervais playing Derek - it maybe would have been ok if someone else played the role - that was the first show where he really leant into doing the emotional stuff after some successful scenes in Extras, it just came across patronising and on the nose though. After Life took the biscuit with that nonsense though, awful dialogue and just utter crap.
It's unbelievably bad. It looks cheap, the characters are cringey and indescribably stupid, doing and saying things that are bordering on the absurd. Ricky completely plasters scenes in emotional music that is totally ott, his wife's mannerisms and total lack of emotions make her extremely unlikable in her seemingly infinite videos she made. Tony's paper job clearly pays well but seriously, how many people buy a paper with stories like "tramp posts letters in dog crap box" The whole thing looks like it was made by children apart from the incessant use of the C word. None of the side characters are worth caring about. The whole thing is a vehicle for Ricky to show off his wit and his atheism. The season 3 final was one of the most unbelievably cringey things I've watched. Best work? "Are you havin a laugh?!"
I cared more about the side characters than Ricky Gervais himself, Kev and the wannabe actor were better than Tony crying over videos of his dead wife all the time.
Nice to see XFM get a mention as well. So much of Ricky’s work now, both stand up and afterlife, contains material that’s was mentioned on XFM and/or the podcasts. I saw his new standup and I counted around 5 pieces of material I’d heard before on Xfm or the podcasts. That said, Steve’s standup uses some of that material too and even Extra’s had some of the same material. What’s more, quite a lot of the Ricky Gervais show podcast material had already been mentioned on Xfm.
Couldn’t agree more. Nailed it really. The weird thing is, does it matter? Like, everyone seems to love it. As bad as the show is, most people don’t seem to realise how awful it is. It’s odd.
i find it a bit weird and cult-like! attacks and insults seem to follow when criticising afterlife. i do not understand the constant praise, and now there’s to be a season 3? i’m stunned how awful the majority of people’s taste is.
@R Tim I think in this case it's justified to call it awful. It's the most negative "comedy" I've ever seen. Would've been funny if it had any element of realism to it, like the office. But it's just dreadful for no reason and it's justifiably a disappointment to realize that the masses somehow relate to the main character.
@@thegirlinquestion People have been pretty horrible when I've brought up my disliking for After Life. I had a couple people tell me I just don't understand it because I've "never experienced grief" (I have). Gervais fans in general are cultists who will tell you you're "woke" and a "snowflake" for daring to criticise his "punching down" brand of humour which he doesn't even bother to disguise as satire.
This is great. I knew there was loads of recycled stuff (as seems to be Ricky’s pastiche nowadays) but to see it all laid out was great. Seems like he’s just happy to cash in and dribble out uninspiring shit to a dull audience rather than do anything original or exciting.
This video was just cathartic as hell! Yes yes yes a million times yes. The show is fucking awful I am dumbfounded by how many people got sucked into thinking it was any good!
no one I know with good taste in TV liked it, pretty much all of my mates who love Ricky for The Office/Extras/XFM hated this - I think most the fans of this show were people who were late to the Ricky party and probably wouldn't even enjoy The Office (sacrilege)
I'm a Ricky Gervais fan myself, but it's all so true about how this series went. A way to summarise succintly is that the show could have been a lot deeper than it actually was, given the premise of it in particular dealing with grief and inter relationships with other people in his life. But there were a lot of cheap jokes and punchlines compared to the very well done social observations of The Office, plus then Gervais' character was vulnerable, he didn't come out on top until the situation finally deserved it, this is not how Gervais now seems to write Tony.
With the using his friends thing, I think that Gervais sees how genuine comedians in the US often use their friends from SNL in all their movies, so he wants to try to emulate that as it makes him feel more successful.
“I’m glad there’s no more” 😂 you cursed it mate! Seriously though, great review. Spot on in every sense. I also am so baffled by its popularity and often think maybe I’ve just become very cynical, so it’s nice to watch these things and realise I’m not the only one who sees how bad After Life is in almost every single way possible
I don't think it's really fair to say that anecdotes he told on XFM or the podcast really count as sort of reusing jokes. He's just applying them to his 'proper' work, i.e. TV scripts. Like on XFM, Steve mentioned he always thought it would be really embarrassing to be caught wanking to a nudey pen, and lo and behold, his character had that experience in Extras. Or like when he said he bought a TV that was too big for his flat, and it was so big and bright "David Dickinson's tan almost took me eyeballs out!" - another anecdote / line used on Extras, first said on XFM years before. I remember reading somewhere that Steve said he used to worry before XFM shows about having amusing stories to tell and would even potter around London in the morning hoping something quirky would happen to him so he could relay it on the show later on. I don't think that's a problem - he was a budding comedy writer who knows that having a good story and a good line to go with it in advance is a good recipe for, you know... being funny. So I do think your criticism of Ricky there is a bit silly for much the same reason. Being funny is being funny, whether that comes about spontaneously or because you've got something planned ahead of a convo. That said, I do agree that the quality of their work post Extras really did dip quite dramatically. I'm not a fan of Afterlife for many of the same reasons. Ricky needs to remind himself what subtlety is... which is probably something easier to achieve with Steve in the writing room with him, so he's not left alone with this massive ego, hastily writing overly emotive rants and thinking it counts as 'dialogue'.
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good you're looking at it from a mega fan's perspective. As far as I know Afterlife was a big hit on Netflix, it likely received millions and millions of views. The percentage of those people who would have known he made an obscure reference to an anecdote he told on a tin pot radio station almost 20 years ago is probably not even 5 percent of the people who saw the show. So I really dont think it's that egregious. The egregious stuff is almost every other aspect of the show lol
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good lol I just think this is a daft perspective. He used that line originally as a throwaway comment literally decades before. Focusing on that as an example as if it's some sin is just asinine imo
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good Haha 'cretin' -- are you incapable of having a conversation about a TV show without insulting someone? Poor diddums. If anyone needs to get a grip, I think it's you buddy. Besides, your point is still extremely lame. Your obsession with the idea of maintaining the comedic purity of an off-the-cuff, throwaway anecdote from almost two decades ago is just bizarre. This must be what it's like to meet those "superfans"...
Totally agree. It's harsh to argue a discussion live on a radio show 20 years ago about a personal experience which eventually made it into a written piece of work is an example of recycling material. I'm almost sure Ricky doesn't even remember talking about it back then. The actual recycled material however, as well as most of the rest of the show, really is indefensible.
I really like this video (and its sequels) and it's just so sad that Ricky Gervais came round to your door and got you for criticising Afterlife, along with Dankyjabo and Rory
This is certainly one of those shows that you either love with all your heart (me lmao) or despise and want to burn in a garbage pile with Inhumans and the live action Cowboy Bebop
Absolutely nailed it. People can have opinions, but you can’t argue that jokes and characters are recycled (Brian is the same as Kev from Derek, the psychiatrist is literally just a more crass Chris Finch) and that the writing is lazy. Keep making videos!
he's way too arrogant to get a writing partner or team these days but he could definitely do with it. I think his ideas are decent but he needs someone to tell him what works and what needs to go. I think casting someone other than himself could also be an interesting turn of events but I think he would just direct them to act exactly like him so it would probably be a waste of time
I'm going down rabbit hole of watching all 3 of your reviews... I'd also add that (as you state) in real life this is how Rocky feels. It's all documented in the XFM shows his annoyance towards sounds, IN FACT Steve makes this point expressively in S4 of XFM
agreed. self aggrandizing rubbish- Ricky's power fantasy, unconstrained by Merchants talent, in which he's allowed to write himself owning everybody in arguments to his hearts content. Rickys character is never genuinely challenged, never made to look foolish or stupid- it's Rickys ego run rampant
I give it a go but I think Ricky had lost me at Derek/Life's Too Short. After Life is worse than both of them, I don't know if he was pandering to his new found 'Dog in the profile pic' American fans but it is the most hand holdy patronising TV show I've ever seen. I can't believe the same man who wrote (albeit with Merch) one of the most brilliantly subtle and realistic comedies ever also wrote the script for this show. Every character is overly explained in their dialogue, it's like a sixth form media student made it.
Hello Ladies only got 1 Series. Seriously wtf is going on in the world. Derek and this are utter drivel. Gervais is unfortunately deteriorating into alcoholism - as proven by the constant repetition of stories, lack of self awareness and laziness in every aspect. Bring back Steve ffs.
Very well argued thoughts; your series two video is even better. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned (in either vids) a character point that was my bone of contention. Are we expected to believe that, ‘the Therapist’ (Paul Kaye) is a paid professional, harboured within the field of mental health? Not only do I not believe that someone that’s as big a twat as he, would EVER practice a vocation that’s expectant of empathy, compassion and an invested interest in patient well being, BUT I also don’t believe he’d be allowed to ethically! The governing body of the counselling field, works from a sort of ethical and practical well-being manifesto, which would ditch a prick like him IMMEDIATELY! He’s funny though of course, because he says exactly the things a therapist shouldn’t. Bet he took ages to think up...
Interesting, I just started watching this show and I also enjoyed it. But I noticed a lot about how inconsistent and quick paced it was. Kind of all over the place really. At first I just figured that Ricky would buff it all out and it would start making sense, with even a little character development being ok with me but it just hasn't happened at all with anyone's character except for the guy who takes photos getting in a stable relationship. I don't really mind all of the recycled content as someone who didn't listen to his radio shows and hadn't seen The Extras or The Office either. It is nice to have a modern day mix on those older jokes as a darker comedy but this show just doesn't go in depth at all. I still enjoy the humor of it, but after seeing some clips of The Extras or The office, I will definitely just go watch those and probably have a better time with it. I don't think that Ricky tackled the whole mental health struggle very well and it is such a shame as the scenarios that these characters were put in could have had a real impact but instead they were very forced and rushed to the point, usually just being resolved by the end of a 30 minute episode. I don't need 8 seasons of character development, but if you are going to write a show about a man trying to find a worth in life after such a tragic event, there SHOULD be some sort of progression but it's like a dark and cheesy sitcom that actually makes you dislike the main character Tony.
The 3rd season finale was so cringe-worthingly sappy that I was glad it was over. He keeps crying over videos of his dead wife EVERY EPISODE. The comedy scenes are admittedly hilarious, but characters tend to randomly break out into tears over trivial reasons. It's just embarrassing, unrealistic and weird. Ricky himself and other characters all talk like their doing a speech at a wedding (nobody in real life talks like this!) Everybody is so self-serious and pretentious. He's gotten so far out of touch with reality, yet he still wants to act like "he's just like us" expect only celebrities act this way. It feels like cry pron, constantly trying to make you cry or be emotional and upset, thought provoking at every corner. Other movies and TV shows get a emotional response out of me in the end, because the characters are NORMAL, they only *subtly* get angry or upset and cry or rage when they hit boiling point (usually at the ending) when everyone cries all the time, there is no emotional climax!
The HAL9000 didn't have a sense of humour either. Sad to be real and have nothing nice to say at all about Tony, a fictitious character who had nothing nice to say at all. Tony's partner died of cancer, which caused him to behave out of character. What's your excuse Hal?🙂
If you don't understand After Life, go out into the world and come back at least in your 50s when life has kicked you all over. Then you'll recognise every single character and every single look.
@@woutertron “Mawkish” Great word and really hits the nail on the head. I’m the same, old enough to recognise mawkish and self indulgent when I see it!!
So you don't like the show. Fine. But to spend time putting a video together to show why you don't like a show is, well, mental. If you don't like something, don't watch it. Why would anyone give a shit what you think. And I love all the critics who begin by saying, "I'm a big fan ... " And some of your comparisons of copied material are just lame. How about just don't watch it. And give me a link to your brilliant show...would love to check that out. And put a little emotion or personality into your fucking voice. You must be wonderful to sit down and have a meal with.
It’s definitely not mental to criticise something in this way. It’s a deeply flawed and self-indulgent show, and it’s worthwhile to go through and point out where and why that is.
So you don't like the review. Fine. But to spend time putting a comment together to show why you don't like the review is, well, mental. If you don't like something, don't watch it. Why would anyone give a shit what you think. You must be wonderful to sit down and have a meal with.
Wishing for the death of all of humanity seems to be common among people who like to argue that belief in God is worthless. If the belief in God did nothing but protect someone from the Satanic wish for the death of everyone, then it is worthy.
If Ricky’s career had played out in reverse I don’t think he would lasted long enough to have made The Office.
He certainly wouldn't have been in any movies.
i think the whole after life franchise takes us through the dark simple mind of ricky gervais where depression and atheism are simplified into one thing
He's done you there, Ricky
Done ya and he's not even here
Steve would always call him Rick
Play a record
Are ya havin a laugh?! 😅
The bit about the 93 year old woman getting mugged and being “scarred for life” is also recycled from his Politics stand up special.
And it was Karl that originally said it.
It's so true about the repeating things. Most of what is spoken about in "the podcasts" comes directly from their XFM show, almost word for word.
true but I didn't mind that as much cos not everyone had access to XFM apart from ripped RUclips shows - I found the podcasts to be like watered down scripted versions of the XFM shows so I agree it lost it's charm when it was all regurgitated.
@@dddgtsd, luckily I heard the podcasts before I came across the XFM shows, so I was able to fully enjoy them. The only thing that stood out was that it was a little confusing as to where it all came from. It was this sudden "show" that seemed to come from nowhere, with content that the presenters spoke about as if it was something they were very familiar with.
When I later stumbled upon the XFM shows on RUclips, it suddenly became clear. They sounded scripted and familiar because the guys were copying something they had already done successfully.
@@timothyspool1399 100% that, I got put on to the XFM shows on RUclips and it was a treasure cove of content. Karl in the early days before Gervais was prompting him too much and he was perhaps planning his bits - it was so good. Karl is still funny in the podcast but I could never get into them as they just felt like more polished versions of things they'd already done on the radio show - but fair play they wanted to make some more money and do a proper show to utilise Karl's brilliance.
Of all the things that made The Office great, this show had none of them. Absolutely atrociously bad.
yeah it's interesting, I wonder if Gervais admits it when alone with friends - all the new fans who love this show (middle aged American women with a dog in their profile pic) probably don't like The Office and love After Life. I doubt he cares as he's making absolute bank but he must know it's shit - surely!?
ricky gervais isn't funny without stephen merchant...
Even his standup stuff now just feels like he’s rewording every “haha trans women have cocks” joke as a way to pander to edgy teens and uneducated older people
crazy isn't it...the more you see After Life the more you think, was Merchant the one who brought the subtlety to it? Maybe also they stumbled across some fantastic actors at the right time Martin Freeman and Ralph Inesen for example. Weird though cos the things Merch has done since the Office were also a bit pants (few laughs) - I think maybe it was just the perfect duo at the perfect time, not everyone has more more than 1 or 2 great projects in them, some would stop but Ricky still believes his own hype and to his credit is making tons of money off it.
I think the first time i reaised how bad Ricky's work was getting was the Derek. I remember thinking it was ok but not great, then there was the scene where the guy asks Derek why he doesnt wish he was rich so he could do whatever he wants and he said he already does. (I'm massively paraphrasing) but as soon as that scene started i thought "oh this is just that old anecdote about the fisherman that gets wheeled out by public speakers." It was such an old joke and he'd clearly read it online or heard it somewhere and inserted it into the script, and it felt so lazy and I started to notice it everywhere in his work. I dont mind the recycled xfm stuff, but its deeper than that. He just reuses "clever" things hes heard elsewhere like a real life brent but without the irony.
the thing with Derek for me was Gervais playing Derek - it maybe would have been ok if someone else played the role - that was the first show where he really leant into doing the emotional stuff after some successful scenes in Extras, it just came across patronising and on the nose though. After Life took the biscuit with that nonsense though, awful dialogue and just utter crap.
It's unbelievably bad. It looks cheap, the characters are cringey and indescribably stupid, doing and saying things that are bordering on the absurd. Ricky completely plasters scenes in emotional music that is totally ott, his wife's mannerisms and total lack of emotions make her extremely unlikable in her seemingly infinite videos she made.
Tony's paper job clearly pays well but seriously, how many people buy a paper with stories like "tramp posts letters in dog crap box"
The whole thing looks like it was made by children apart from the incessant use of the C word.
None of the side characters are worth caring about.
The whole thing is a vehicle for Ricky to show off his wit and his atheism.
The season 3 final was one of the most unbelievably cringey things I've watched. Best work? "Are you havin a laugh?!"
AMEN! 🙌
I cared more about the side characters than Ricky Gervais himself, Kev and the wannabe actor were better than Tony crying over videos of his dead wife all the time.
It’s like Netflix gave Ricky Gervais a budget and he used it film all the pretend arguments he wins in his head.
Oooh he’s ‘avin a go
lots of this narcissism shows up already in extras
Nice to see XFM get a mention as well. So much of Ricky’s work now, both stand up and afterlife, contains material that’s was mentioned on XFM and/or the podcasts. I saw his new standup and I counted around 5 pieces of material I’d heard before on Xfm or the podcasts. That said, Steve’s standup uses some of that material too and even Extra’s had some of the same material. What’s more, quite a lot of the Ricky Gervais show podcast material had already been mentioned on Xfm.
Couldn’t agree more. Nailed it really. The weird thing is, does it matter? Like, everyone seems to love it. As bad as the show is, most people don’t seem to realise how awful it is. It’s odd.
i find it a bit weird and cult-like! attacks and insults seem to follow when criticising afterlife. i do not understand the constant praise, and now there’s to be a season 3? i’m stunned how awful the majority of people’s taste is.
And these are the same people that would proudly say how shit Mrs Browns Boys and Big Bang Theory are to show they have superior taste
@R Tim I think in this case it's justified to call it awful. It's the most negative "comedy" I've ever seen. Would've been funny if it had any element of realism to it, like the office. But it's just dreadful for no reason and it's justifiably a disappointment to realize that the masses somehow relate to the main character.
@@thegirlinquestion People have been pretty horrible when I've brought up my disliking for After Life. I had a couple people tell me I just don't understand it because I've "never experienced grief" (I have). Gervais fans in general are cultists who will tell you you're "woke" and a "snowflake" for daring to criticise his "punching down" brand of humour which he doesn't even bother to disguise as satire.
@@SLW93 this 100%. i’ve been told similar and that i don’t have any sense of humour because i’m a woman. great fan base you have gervais!
This is great. I knew there was loads of recycled stuff (as seems to be Ricky’s pastiche nowadays) but to see it all laid out was great. Seems like he’s just happy to cash in and dribble out uninspiring shit to a dull audience rather than do anything original or exciting.
This video was just cathartic as hell! Yes yes yes a million times yes. The show is fucking awful I am dumbfounded by how many people got sucked into thinking it was any good!
no one I know with good taste in TV liked it, pretty much all of my mates who love Ricky for The Office/Extras/XFM hated this - I think most the fans of this show were people who were late to the Ricky party and probably wouldn't even enjoy The Office (sacrilege)
So well put. I no longer have to articulate why I think this show is so bad, I'll just forward this video!
Even the old woman scarred for life bit is from his stand up
"the plot, or the lack thereof"
I'm a Ricky Gervais fan myself, but it's all so true about how this series went. A way to summarise succintly is that the show could have been a lot deeper than it actually was, given the premise of it in particular dealing with grief and inter relationships with other people in his life. But there were a lot of cheap jokes and punchlines compared to the very well done social observations of The Office, plus then Gervais' character was vulnerable, he didn't come out on top until the situation finally deserved it, this is not how Gervais now seems to write Tony.
With the using his friends thing, I think that Gervais sees how genuine comedians in the US often use their friends from SNL in all their movies, so he wants to try to emulate that as it makes him feel more successful.
LOL. It's true that Ricky Gervais is a very bad actor. He can only really play one character, and he struggles to maintain that.
Liking this because I actively dislike this show, and ricky has lost it. But not watching it for the same reason.
“I’m glad there’s no more” 😂 you cursed it mate! Seriously though, great review. Spot on in every sense. I also am so baffled by its popularity and often think maybe I’ve just become very cynical, so it’s nice to watch these things and realise I’m not the only one who sees how bad After Life is in almost every single way possible
I don't think it's really fair to say that anecdotes he told on XFM or the podcast really count as sort of reusing jokes. He's just applying them to his 'proper' work, i.e. TV scripts. Like on XFM, Steve mentioned he always thought it would be really embarrassing to be caught wanking to a nudey pen, and lo and behold, his character had that experience in Extras. Or like when he said he bought a TV that was too big for his flat, and it was so big and bright "David Dickinson's tan almost took me eyeballs out!" - another anecdote / line used on Extras, first said on XFM years before.
I remember reading somewhere that Steve said he used to worry before XFM shows about having amusing stories to tell and would even potter around London in the morning hoping something quirky would happen to him so he could relay it on the show later on. I don't think that's a problem - he was a budding comedy writer who knows that having a good story and a good line to go with it in advance is a good recipe for, you know... being funny. So I do think your criticism of Ricky there is a bit silly for much the same reason. Being funny is being funny, whether that comes about spontaneously or because you've got something planned ahead of a convo.
That said, I do agree that the quality of their work post Extras really did dip quite dramatically. I'm not a fan of Afterlife for many of the same reasons. Ricky needs to remind himself what subtlety is... which is probably something easier to achieve with Steve in the writing room with him, so he's not left alone with this massive ego, hastily writing overly emotive rants and thinking it counts as 'dialogue'.
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good you're looking at it from a mega fan's perspective. As far as I know Afterlife was a big hit on Netflix, it likely received millions and millions of views. The percentage of those people who would have known he made an obscure reference to an anecdote he told on a tin pot radio station almost 20 years ago is probably not even 5 percent of the people who saw the show. So I really dont think it's that egregious. The egregious stuff is almost every other aspect of the show lol
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good lol I just think this is a daft perspective. He used that line originally as a throwaway comment literally decades before. Focusing on that as an example as if it's some sin is just asinine imo
@Ice Hockey is Pretty Pretty Good Haha 'cretin' -- are you incapable of having a conversation about a TV show without insulting someone? Poor diddums. If anyone needs to get a grip, I think it's you buddy.
Besides, your point is still extremely lame. Your obsession with the idea of maintaining the comedic purity of an off-the-cuff, throwaway anecdote from almost two decades ago is just bizarre. This must be what it's like to meet those "superfans"...
Totally agree. It's harsh to argue a discussion live on a radio show 20 years ago about a personal experience which eventually made it into a written piece of work is an example of recycling material. I'm almost sure Ricky doesn't even remember talking about it back then. The actual recycled material however, as well as most of the rest of the show, really is indefensible.
I really like this video (and its sequels) and it's just so sad that Ricky Gervais came round to your door and got you for criticising Afterlife, along with Dankyjabo and Rory
This is certainly one of those shows that you either love with all your heart (me lmao) or despise and want to burn in a garbage pile with Inhumans and the live action Cowboy Bebop
What do you love about it, the comedy or the emotional stuff?
Absolutely nailed it. People can have opinions, but you can’t argue that jokes and characters are recycled (Brian is the same as Kev from Derek, the psychiatrist is literally just a more crass Chris Finch) and that the writing is lazy. Keep making videos!
Exactly! How can nobody see the psychiatrist is a rebranded finchy.
he's way too arrogant to get a writing partner or team these days but he could definitely do with it. I think his ideas are decent but he needs someone to tell him what works and what needs to go. I think casting someone other than himself could also be an interesting turn of events but I think he would just direct them to act exactly like him so it would probably be a waste of time
I'm going down rabbit hole of watching all 3 of your reviews... I'd also add that (as you state) in real life this is how Rocky feels. It's all documented in the XFM shows his annoyance towards sounds, IN FACT Steve makes this point expressively in S4 of XFM
agreed. self aggrandizing rubbish- Ricky's power fantasy, unconstrained by Merchants talent, in which he's allowed to write himself owning everybody in arguments to his hearts content. Rickys character is never genuinely challenged, never made to look foolish or stupid- it's Rickys ego run rampant
Clearly Stephen Merchant is the world's greatest script editor.
Very articulate, considered and well researched. Great review.
I think it's pretty clear that you like Ricky Gervais WHEN he's with Stephen Merchant
I give it a go but I think Ricky had lost me at Derek/Life's Too Short. After Life is worse than both of them, I don't know if he was pandering to his new found 'Dog in the profile pic' American fans but it is the most hand holdy patronising TV show I've ever seen. I can't believe the same man who wrote (albeit with Merch) one of the most brilliantly subtle and realistic comedies ever also wrote the script for this show. Every character is overly explained in their dialogue, it's like a sixth form media student made it.
Fucking nailed it 💪 couldn’t have put it better myself. I like you am a huge Ricky fan, it seems the Ricky fans are the ones that hate it 🤷🏻♂️
Excellent review. Absolutely nailed how bad this show is. Well done.
Looking forward to the season 2 episode
He's lazy.
Fully agree with everything you said mate.
Hello Ladies only got 1 Series. Seriously wtf is going on in the world. Derek and this are utter drivel. Gervais is unfortunately deteriorating into alcoholism - as proven by the constant repetition of stories, lack of self awareness and laziness in every aspect. Bring back Steve ffs.
Good review.
Very well argued thoughts; your series two video is even better. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned (in either vids) a character point that was my bone of contention. Are we expected to believe that, ‘the Therapist’ (Paul Kaye) is a paid professional, harboured within the field of mental health? Not only do I not believe that someone that’s as big a twat as he, would EVER practice a vocation that’s expectant of empathy, compassion and an invested interest in patient well being, BUT I also don’t believe he’d be allowed to ethically!
The governing body of the counselling field, works from a sort of ethical and practical well-being manifesto, which would ditch a prick like him IMMEDIATELY! He’s funny though of course, because he says exactly the things a therapist shouldn’t. Bet he took ages to think up...
Really enjoyed this
Interesting, I just started watching this show and I also enjoyed it. But I noticed a lot about how inconsistent and quick paced it was. Kind of all over the place really. At first I just figured that Ricky would buff it all out and it would start making sense, with even a little character development being ok with me but it just hasn't happened at all with anyone's character except for the guy who takes photos getting in a stable relationship. I don't really mind all of the recycled content as someone who didn't listen to his radio shows and hadn't seen The Extras or The Office either. It is nice to have a modern day mix on those older jokes as a darker comedy but this show just doesn't go in depth at all. I still enjoy the humor of it, but after seeing some clips of The Extras or The office, I will definitely just go watch those and probably have a better time with it.
I don't think that Ricky tackled the whole mental health struggle very well and it is such a shame as the scenarios that these characters were put in could have had a real impact but instead they were very forced and rushed to the point, usually just being resolved by the end of a 30 minute episode. I don't need 8 seasons of character development, but if you are going to write a show about a man trying to find a worth in life after such a tragic event, there SHOULD be some sort of progression but it's like a dark and cheesy sitcom that actually makes you dislike the main character Tony.
Maybe a lanky one 😂😂
The 3rd season finale was so cringe-worthingly sappy that I was glad it was over.
He keeps crying over videos of his dead wife EVERY EPISODE. The comedy scenes are admittedly hilarious, but characters tend to randomly break out into tears over trivial reasons. It's just embarrassing, unrealistic and weird.
Ricky himself and other characters all talk like their doing a speech at a wedding (nobody in real life talks like this!) Everybody is so self-serious and pretentious.
He's gotten so far out of touch with reality, yet he still wants to act like "he's just like us" expect only celebrities act this way.
It feels like cry pron, constantly trying to make you cry or be emotional and upset, thought provoking at every corner.
Other movies and TV shows get a emotional response out of me in the end, because the characters are NORMAL, they only *subtly* get angry or upset and cry or rage when they hit boiling point (usually at the ending) when everyone cries all the time, there is no emotional climax!
Awful show. The whole lot. Just wholly unlikable in so many ways.
Maybe you should find a new job😂😂😂
Brilliant work
After Life is the laziest piece of recycled old rubbish I have ever wasted my time on
Can't stand the sentimental droopy clichè stuff Ricky makes now. Awful
Amen
I know this might seem stupid to you, but is ther any way you can change the thumbnail... please?
Bro, you need to get a decent micro. Cheers, mate!
The HAL9000 didn't have a sense of humour either. Sad to be real and have nothing nice to say at all about Tony, a fictitious character who had nothing nice to say at all. Tony's partner died of cancer, which caused him to behave out of character. What's your excuse Hal?🙂
His "excuse" is the possession of critical faculties.
bro really thought he cooked here
If you don't understand After Life, go out into the world and come back at least in your 50s when life has kicked you all over. Then you'll recognise every single character and every single look.
it's not a question of understanding, it's a question of doing those issues justice
Nonsense. It's *because* I have life experience that I know After Life to be self-indulgent and mawkish.
@@woutertron
“Mawkish”
Great word and really hits the nail on the head. I’m the same, old enough to recognise mawkish and self indulgent when I see it!!
Are you havin a laugh?! Is he havin a laugh!?
Wow, this is mean.
*on point
So you don't like the show. Fine. But to spend time putting a video together to show why you don't like a show is, well, mental. If you don't like something, don't watch it. Why would anyone give a shit what you think. And I love all the critics who begin by saying, "I'm a big fan ... " And some of your comparisons of copied material are just lame. How about just don't watch it. And give me a link to your brilliant show...would love to check that out. And put a little emotion or personality into your fucking voice. You must be wonderful to sit down and have a meal with.
Well let's see Terry's little program then. Sick of im
Log off Terry.
It’s definitely not mental to criticise something in this way. It’s a deeply flawed and self-indulgent show, and it’s worthwhile to go through and point out where and why that is.
@@travellingblade3015 Log off? He cannae log in. He Kenny log in. KL. Kenny Loggins.
So you don't like the review. Fine. But to spend time putting a comment together to show why you don't like the review is, well, mental. If you don't like something, don't watch it. Why would anyone give a shit what you think. You must be wonderful to sit down and have a meal with.
I absolutely loved season 1. I couldn't disagree with you more on most of these points
Wishing for the death of all of humanity seems to be common among people who like to argue that belief in God is worthless. If the belief in God did nothing but protect someone from the Satanic wish for the death of everyone, then it is worthy.
😍