I have a definite bias; I loathe Ricky Gervais. However, I do appreciate most of his work; The Office deserves it's incredible success, the XFM podcasts are hilarious, and Life's Too Short was saved by Warwick Davis' masterful leap into slapstick. Karl Pilkington makes an excellent addition to his foray of 'losers' who he so willingly casts out for our amusement.
Derek is a homely attempt to portray life in an old folk's home in Britain in the usual mockumentary style; classed as a 'comedy drama', there is little of the latter and even less of the former. Gervais' continuous attempts to cast himself in a key role have been his downfall with 'Derek'; Those of us that know his work well recognise Derek's jarring underbite and manner of speaking as Gervais' usual go-to affectations when mocking people for idiocy. Is Derek then a mockery, or a portrayal?
In watching the pilot, I couldn't help but feel a layer of cynicism and gloating that is so commonly present in his other work. This teamed with the overkill of Ludovico Einaudi made the entire show feel disingenuine. Had Gervais cast one of his motley crue of British stars, or even toned down the speech impediment, I feel Derek could have redeemed itself.
Derek is a homely attempt to portray life in an old folk's home in Britain in the usual mockumentary style; classed as a 'comedy drama', there is little of the latter and even less of the former. Gervais' continuous attempts to cast himself in a key role have been his downfall with 'Derek'; Those of us that know his work well recognise Derek's jarring underbite and manner of speaking as Gervais' usual go-to affectations when mocking people for idiocy. Is Derek then a mockery, or a portrayal?
In watching the pilot, I couldn't help but feel a layer of cynicism and gloating that is so commonly present in his other work. This teamed with the overkill of Ludovico Einaudi made the entire show feel disingenuine. Had Gervais cast one of his motley crue of British stars, or even toned down the speech impediment, I feel Derek could have redeemed itself.