It all started here…
Ricky Gervais has shared his old notebook and the early scribbles that would one day lead to The Office.
You know The Office, it’s the show that catapulted Gervais to major stardom and is widely regarded as one of the best comedies of all time.
There’s also that American remake which some people spend all of their free time watching over and over again on Netflix.
While plenty of fans of The Office were captivated by the budding workplace romance and general ‘will they, won’t they’ situation brewing between Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis), the heart of the show is office manager David Brent (Gervais).
Brent would describe himself as a ‘friend first, boss second, probably entertainer third’, while others would have more choice descriptions for the character.
Yeah, that’s David Brent alright (BBC)
One of the best ways to sum up David Brent comes from the pen of Gervais himself, who recently posted a page from an old notebook he told social media he found while ‘unpacking the new house’.
Gervais has previously described David Brent as ‘like a Frankenstein of all the people I’d met in my adult life’, but in this 30-year-old notebook is a description which the comedian and actor said was ‘what I assume is the earliest mention of a character that would become David Brent’.
The character, mentioned in the notebook as ‘the boss’, is described thusly: “35-year-old middle manager, always trying to impress younger staff by being ‘cool’ & PC.”
Yeah, that sounds a lot like David Brent.
As well as calling Brent ‘like a Frankenstein’, Gervais had also said the man was ‘was just a guy who wanted to be loved’.
When I was unpacking in the new house I found an old notebook from 1994 with what I assume is the earliest mention of a character that would become David Brent.
As much as The Office provided plenty of opportunities to laugh at Brent, it still hurt like hell to see him begging not to be made redundant.
This little glimpse into the earliest idea for Brent prompted Ben Stiller (yes, that one) replied to say that ‘comedy was never the same’ after this point, which Gervais said was ‘too kind’.
Some fans of The Office were a bit surprised to learn the first words that would grow into David Brent were written 30 frigging years ago, but it’s been over 20 years since the show was actually on.
If you want to feel old, that glorious Christmas special that wrapped things up was shown at the end of 2003.
Others said that the description of Brent was ‘a simple idea’ but it ‘led to something so impactful’, and plenty more followed Ben Stiller’s lead in saying how much The Office had impacted comedies that followed.
As for what’s in Gervais’ notebooks these days, the comedian said that it was mostly ideas for his stand-up.Featured Image Credit: BBC / Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Topics: Ricky Gervais, The Office, TV and Film
Joe Harker
Advert
Advert
Advert
Published 13:43 14 Dec 2024 GMT
Ricky Gervais made brutal joke towards Johnny Depp that even he admitted he ‘felt bad about’
The comedian poked fun at the actor and Angelina Jolie in his opening monologue at the 2011 Golden Globes
No one is safe from Ricky Gervais’ sharp wit, but you’re really putting yourself in the firing line if you attend an award show he’s hosting.
Just ask Johnny Depp, who got absolutely roasted by the British comedian in front of his Hollywood pals at the 2011 Golden Globes.
Take a look at this:
Ricky Gervais’ Johnny Depp joke
CBS
0 seconds of 1 minute, 20 secondsVolume 90%
As we all know, Gervais doesn’t hold back when he’s given a mic, a podium and a license to poke fun at famous faces for the purpose of entertainment.
Controversial doesn’t cut it when it comes to describing his presenting style, but no one can deny that the After Life actor can certainly hold the attention of a crowd.
Which is probably why he was invited back to host the Golden Globes five times – in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020 – even if some celebs were left squirming in their seats as a result.
During his second stint as the ringmaster at the prestigious awards ceremony, Gervais’ opening monologue was brimming with savage barbs directed at some of the world‘s most prominent stars.
Despite each eyebrow-raising joke being welcomed by gasps of shock from the audience, there was only one wisecrack which Gervais admitted he actually felt bad about saying.
Gervais said he ‘felt bad’ about cracking a joke at Depp’s expense (Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
The 63-year-old decided to tease Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie about their lacklustre performances in the 2010 film, The Tourist.
Gervais told the star-studded audience: “It was a big year for 3D movies – Toy Story, Despicable Me, Tron.
“It seems like everything this year was three-dimensional…except the characters in The Tourist.”
While the audience chuckled, he went on: “I feel bad about that joke.
“I’ll tell you why, because I’m jumping on the bandwagon. I haven’t even seen The Tourist…Who has?”
A double blow for Depp. Savage.
But Gervais wasn’t done there.
The actor and the comedian pictured at the Golden Globes together in 2012 (Paul Drinkwater/NBC via Getty Images)
The comedian continued: “It must be good, because it’s nominated – so shut up!
“And I’d like to quash this ridiculous rumour going around that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so the Hollywood Foreign Press could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.
“That is rubbish! That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes.”
Depp seemed to take the ribbing on the chin and was seen smiling when the camera panned to him, clearly aware that revenge is a dish best served cold.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 61, got his own back on Gervais while appearing on his BBC series Life’s Too Short a few months later.
Take a look at Depp’s retort here:Play
The tongue-in-cheek segment saw Depp, Gervais, Warwick Davis and Stephen Merchant sit down together to chat about the entertainment industry.
But Depp was being blatantly hostile towards the comedian, so Gervais decided to ask him had he done anything to upset him.
Comedically, the actor then replied: “What do you mean? Like trashing me in front of 200 million people at the Golden Globes?
“I actually got together with a few pals after the awards, and we wrote some jokes about you.
“I want you to know this, and I want you to carry this with you for the rest of your days: No one makes fun of Tim Allen on my watch, and gets away with it.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a perfect example of how to take a joke.Featured Image Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Topics: Ricky Gervais, Johnny Depp, Celebrity, Golden Globes, Film
Olivia Burke
Advert
Advert
Advert
Published 10:57 26 Dec 2023 GMT
Ricky Gervais makes brutal James Corden joke in Netflix Christmas Day special
The comedian’s Netflix special was released on Christmas Day.
Ricky Gervais’ comedy special landed on Netflix on Christmas Day, giving fans a bucket load of laughs while they nursed a food coma and supped a glass of Baileys.
The comedian, 62, didn’t put a smile on everyone’s face with the content of his new show Armageddon though.
Ricky Gervais Armageddon tour
Credit: Live Nation
0 seconds of 30 secondsVolume 90%
Before it was even released, a promo clip of his routine which included a controversial joke about terminally ill children and the Make-A-Wish Foundation sparked uproar.
Now viewers have had a chance to sit down and watch the funnyman do his thing, focus has fallen on Gervais‘ other jokes and who else he seemingly took a swipe at with his ‘taboo-busting’ comedy special about the end of humanity.
Fellow humorist James Corden ended up in the firing line – and as the punch line – in one of the After Life star’s elaborate wisecracks, and it’s not for the first time either.
The pair have taken aim at one another at lot over the years – but both insist it’s all a bit of fun – in their comedy sketches, such as when the Gavin and Stacey creator parodied Gervais’ infamous The Office character David Brent in 2009.
Armageddon might have just reignited this long-standing war of words though, as the 62-year-old took the opportunity to make the former The Late Late Show host the butt of his joke.
Matt Crockett/Netflix
In the Netflix comedy special, Gervais explained he had found a website where dog lovers who hate to see animals get hurt in films and TV shows can check whether anything of that nature goes down in what they plan to watch.
Gervais told the crowd: “People love their dog so much, they won’t even watch a fictional thing where a dog gets hurt. And I get that! There’s a website, it’s a real website, it’s called doesthedogdie.com.
“It was set up because people would watch a film or a programme with a dog in it and something would happen to the dog and they’d turn it off. It would ruin it for them, it would ruin their day.
“So this website was set up, you could go to it you could put in any film or TV show and ask, ‘Does the dog die?’
“Someone would answer you, ‘No’, or whatever. It’s become a thing for anyone’s phobias. Anything you don’t want to see in a film, you just look up the film and they answer your question, right? I looked up one film on here – Schindler’s List.“
If you don’t know, Liam Neeson starred in the Academy-Award winning film that told the real-life story of Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Gervais began to reel off a list of queries that had been left by people about the 1993 movie, saying: “First question: ‘Does a dog die?’ No. ‘Does a cat die?’ No. ‘Are any animals abused?’
“Someone answers, ‘There is a chicken that’s handled roughly but otherwise unharmed’.”
After littering a series of gags in his explanation of the bizarre site, Gervais pointed out that doesthedogdie.com was founded in 2010 and that the line of questioning has noticeably changed over the years.
He said: “The later questions start reflecting the times we live in now and they get more and more fragile and narcissistic. ‘Is there any fat jokes?’ Someone asks, ‘Is there hate speech?’ Yeah… suck it up buttercup.”
The comedian then added: “I asked one question myself on this… ‘Is James Corden in it?'”
The audience erupted into laughter, but I’m sure Corden might have had a bit of a different reaction if he tuned in to watch it yesterday – such as burying his head in a tub of Quality Street.Featured Image Credit: Netflix/CBS
Topics: Ricky Gervais, James Corden, Netflix, TV and Film, Celebrity
Olivia Burke
Advert
Advert
Advert
Published 14:56 2 Jan 2024 GMT
Ricky Gervais suggests he should co-host the Oscars alongside celebrity which would ‘cancel television’
Ricky Gervais has spotted another comedian he thinks would be the perfect co-host for him at the Oscars.
Netflix must think we all need a bit more laughter in our lives with the way it’s churning out comedy specials.
Ricky Gervais‘ Armageddon landed on the streaming platform on Christmas Day and another comedian is hot on his heels with his own show.
Although he doesn’t appear scared of the competition, it seems Gervais is well aware of the old saying – keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Ricky Gervais Armageddon tour
Credit: Live Nation
0 seconds of 30 secondsVolume 90%
That’s because the 62-year-old is seemingly looking to forge an alliance with his comic rival from across the pond who could roar past him on Netflix‘s rankings.
He suggested that him and Dave Chappelle – who has just dropped his ‘freewheeling and unfiltered stand-up comedy special’ The Dreamer on the streaming platform – should ‘host the Oscars together’.
Gervais has already got experience thanks to earning the illustrious presenting gig at The Golden Globes a handful of times – although it’s his jokes behind the podium in 2020 for his final hosting stint that everyone remembers.
Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
Likewise, Chappelle isn’t a hosting newbie either – as he can comfortably handle taking the reigns of the legendary US sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.
The 50-year-old has already released six comedy specials – but his seventh, The Dreamer, focuses on his journey to stardom.
Chappelle has previously sparked controversy due to his jokes directed at the LGBTQ+ community during his 2021 special The Closer.
And Gervais’ comedy special Armageddon received a similar reception due to one of his gags about terminally ill children – even prompting people to launch a petition to get Netflix to remove it from the hour-long show.
But the Derek star has shared his belief that he and Chappelle would be the perfect duo to present this year’s Oscars in March.
Sharing a screenshot of the Netflix rankings showing Armageddon at number one and The Dreamer in second place, Gervais wrote in a post on X: “We should host the Oscars together.”
X/Netflix
And some social media users were thrilled by the prospect, but others warned ‘they’d end up cancelling television’.
One person said: “Would be the highest television audience in history. Aliens in distant galaxies tuning in.”
Another wrote that they would ‘actually watch the Oscars if you did’.
A third added: “It would be the most watched but then they would have to close it down.”
And a fourth chimed in: “Oscars would go out with a bang. That would be the best TV ever.”