Back in 2002, a friend of mine nudged me in the direction of a small radio station called XFM. He strenuously urged that I listen to a Saturday show with comedy writers Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant and a strange, unknown entity. 'This will be your newest addiction' I was promised.
Ricky often mused that the radio show was probably the worst show on the air. With ridiculous competitions with crap prizes and idle rants about monkeys and freaks gave a general impression of a few friends simply messing around with a microphone. For anyone else, this would probably be difficult to enjoy and ultimately short lived. However, Ricky had a wild card. His name is Karl Pilkington.
The joy with Karl is his unique and misguided interpretation on life. This wide-eyed naivety that pushes boundaries through ignorance allows us to laugh guilt free at many of life's taboos. Often he strikes a deep and meaningful point before severely (and hilariously) misinterpreting it. For years Steve and Ricky poked the proverbial stick at their manchunian friend, each time striking a comedy goldmine.
And as the radio shows and subsequent podcasts peaked and flourished, team Gervais decided to open our peripherals to the perplexing mind of Pilkington. Cue - The Ricky Gervais Show.
As a huge fan of the original material, I was at first sceptical of the animated format. I thought it would restrict my own imagination as to Karls thoughts, almost spelling them out for me. Ultimately, I simply couldn't rationalise where the extra laughs would come from.
And then I saw episode one. As soon as I saw the cartoon Pilkington in Hannah Barbera style, I immediately laughed harder than I thought possible. His gaunt, glazed expression and perfectly round head were arguably better than the real thing. Added to that the constant digressions, brilliantly playing out the banter and conversations between the three of them. In between Steve's self deprecating anecdotes and Ricky's infectious laugh, Karl would set the scene time and time again; reflecting on his own adolescence, freaks, monkeys, the gays and many other areas of fascination, all supported by some of the funniest animation i've had the pleasure of seeing.
Now Ricky himself needs no introduction. Since the groundbreaking BBC comedy 'The Office', Ricky has time and time raised the bar in television programming. With the successful American adaptation, his (even better) comedy series 'Extras', fantastically risqué live stand-up (including the memorable Golden Globes performance) and regular movie work, he is now a household name; and rightly so. I even dare wax lyrical in declaring him the best comedian of our time. And with this newest instalment, along with the critically acclaimed travel documentary 'An Idiot Abroad', such a reputation can only be validated.
All in all, the animation has taken nothing away from the original format, and has added so, so much. If you have had the chance to listen to the older podcasts or even the XFM radio shows and yet not seen this, I would strenuously urge to to. If not, even better.
The Ricky Gervais Show (on HBO in the US and Channel 4 in the UK) will stimulate more laughter than you thought possible. As my friend once told me - 'This will be your newest addiction'.
********** (10/10)
Ricky often mused that the radio show was probably the worst show on the air. With ridiculous competitions with crap prizes and idle rants about monkeys and freaks gave a general impression of a few friends simply messing around with a microphone. For anyone else, this would probably be difficult to enjoy and ultimately short lived. However, Ricky had a wild card. His name is Karl Pilkington.
The joy with Karl is his unique and misguided interpretation on life. This wide-eyed naivety that pushes boundaries through ignorance allows us to laugh guilt free at many of life's taboos. Often he strikes a deep and meaningful point before severely (and hilariously) misinterpreting it. For years Steve and Ricky poked the proverbial stick at their manchunian friend, each time striking a comedy goldmine.
And as the radio shows and subsequent podcasts peaked and flourished, team Gervais decided to open our peripherals to the perplexing mind of Pilkington. Cue - The Ricky Gervais Show.
As a huge fan of the original material, I was at first sceptical of the animated format. I thought it would restrict my own imagination as to Karls thoughts, almost spelling them out for me. Ultimately, I simply couldn't rationalise where the extra laughs would come from.
And then I saw episode one. As soon as I saw the cartoon Pilkington in Hannah Barbera style, I immediately laughed harder than I thought possible. His gaunt, glazed expression and perfectly round head were arguably better than the real thing. Added to that the constant digressions, brilliantly playing out the banter and conversations between the three of them. In between Steve's self deprecating anecdotes and Ricky's infectious laugh, Karl would set the scene time and time again; reflecting on his own adolescence, freaks, monkeys, the gays and many other areas of fascination, all supported by some of the funniest animation i've had the pleasure of seeing.
Now Ricky himself needs no introduction. Since the groundbreaking BBC comedy 'The Office', Ricky has time and time raised the bar in television programming. With the successful American adaptation, his (even better) comedy series 'Extras', fantastically risqué live stand-up (including the memorable Golden Globes performance) and regular movie work, he is now a household name; and rightly so. I even dare wax lyrical in declaring him the best comedian of our time. And with this newest instalment, along with the critically acclaimed travel documentary 'An Idiot Abroad', such a reputation can only be validated.
All in all, the animation has taken nothing away from the original format, and has added so, so much. If you have had the chance to listen to the older podcasts or even the XFM radio shows and yet not seen this, I would strenuously urge to to. If not, even better.
The Ricky Gervais Show (on HBO in the US and Channel 4 in the UK) will stimulate more laughter than you thought possible. As my friend once told me - 'This will be your newest addiction'.
********** (10/10)