TV Review | 'Extras'

Extra Who Found Fame Has Now Found the Exit



Ray Burmiston
In the finale of HBO’s “Extras,” from left, George Michael; Ricky Gervais, the star of the series; and Gerard Kelly.

By NEIL GENZLINGER
The New York Times
Published: December 14, 2007

Is that a Kramer doll, or is it really a gauntlet?

Early in the series finale of “Extras,” Sunday night on HBO, this reference-filled show drops in a “Seinfeld” reference: Ricky Gervais’s character, Andy, a minor television star, finds a doll based on him in a store display next to a doll of Kramer, the “Seinfeld” lummox. It’s an occasion for an easy dig at Michael Richards, who played Kramer and then flamed out in his “Seinfeld” afterlife, but perhaps it’s also a bit of braggadocio by Mr. Gervais: “I can do a better series finale than that forgettable ‘Seinfeld’ farewell.”

And he does. Not great, maybe, but a solid sign-off, and one that’s not afraid to let you know that the series is over. Mr. Gervais and his co-creator, Stephen Merchant, may get predictable and sentimental toward the end of this 80-minute special, but they balance the maudlin with one of the funniest scenes television has served up in a while.

It comes at the expense of Maggie (Ashley Jensen), Andy’s long-suffering sidekick, who has landed a part as an extra in a movie starring the real-life Clive Owen. The big star finds the little extra lacking in the looks department. With Maggie standing right there, he complains to the director, who tells him, “Clive, seriously, they sent me a truckload of absolute hogs, and this is the very best one.” That begins a devastating two and a half minutes that ought to win Ms. Jensen an Emmy for best use of facial flinches.

In September it was Mr. Gervais who won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of Andy. The show has been around only two seasons (the last new episode was in February), but it has had a clear arc, which is closed nicely here. Andy began the series as a lowly extra but managed to get himself his own sitcom. A putrid one, but still, fame is fame. Or is it?

In the finale Andy confronts what he has become and learns the obvious lessons about who he is and who his friends are. A cliché, or a parody of a cliché? With Mr. Gervais, of course, it’s hard to tell, but either way, this final installment has a satisfying feel.

EXTRAS

The Extra Special Series Finale

HBO, Sunday night at 9, Eastern and Pacific times; 8, Central time.

Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant; Charlie Hanson, producer; Jon Plowman, executive producer.

WITH: Ricky Gervais (Andy Millman), Stephen Merchant (Darren Lamb), Ashley Jensen (Maggie Jacobs), Shaun Williamson (Barry); and George Michael, Clive Owen, Gordon Ramsay, Jonathan Ross and David Tennant (as themselves).