Yes folks, they've done it again.  those crazy americans have muscled into UK telly shows to remind us how much more famous they are...

well not exactly.  last year, Ricky Gervais (the guy who did that series as the boss of an office - not Craig Charles) provided us with another "almost like reality TV" sitcom, in which he plays a television/film "extra", an aspiring actor whose agent is not capable of getting him any speaking parts, only a person who is in the background of any given scene.

each episode involves a different job, sometimes film or television and in one show he gets to play the genie in the children's pantomime, "Alladin".  the story involves his on and off set antics with other extras (including his scottish friend Maggie) and with the big stars of each production.

various famous british stars, such as Patrick Stewart, Kate Winslet, Ross Kemp, Vinnie Jones and Les Dennis (ok, only british people will know who Les Dennis and Ross Kemp are!) appear in the show, but there is also an episode with Ben Stiller and one with Samuel L Jackson.

if you have the chance to see this series then please do, it's fantastic!  seeing Patrick Stewart as an old pervert is just hilarious and the levels of embarrassment they achieve is even better than Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents.

what's it called?  it's just called "Extras"

(which might be confusing on the DVD menu....)

here's the official BBC description:

After the international success of The Office the pressure was on for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to come up with a successful successor. Wonderfully, they succeeded. Extras was another naturalistic show that mined the theatre of embarrassment for its laughs. When established screen stars of every level began to mention that they would love to guest star in any of Gervais's shows the pair hit upon the idea of putting these stars into a new creation as twisted caricatures of their real selves, involved in plausible but cliched versions of typical productions. Extras, then, had great guest casts. Actor-director Ben Stiller portrayed himself as a money-obsessed control freak; Ross Kemp came across as a boastful hard-man whose brash front concealed a streak of cowardice; Kate Winslet sported a fine line in surreal sexual innuendo; Les Dennis essayed a warts-and-all tabloid version of his real self; Samuel Jackson flaunted a humourless coldness; and Patrick Stewart revealed an unlikely obsession with female nudity. All these guests proved to be great sports but, while their appearances added a frisson to the show, it was the characters of Andy and Maggie that provided its heart and soul. Their friendship seemed genuine, and although the audience may have wished them to get together, the platonic nature of the relationship seemed to strengthen the premise. As with The Office there was an authentic sentimentality beneath the surface cruelty.

[source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/e/extras_999051213.shtml ]

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It's hilarious!! If you were a fan of The Office, you'll love Extras!!

There are a couple of really funny epis but my favorite is the one where Ricky's character is playing Aladdin a theater show! Brilliant!

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