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Ricky Gervais on series two - Radio Times, September 2006 |
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Ricky Gervais gives RT the inside story on the return of Extras.
The (New) Office
Work on series two of Extras started straight after
series one finished in August [2005]. I moved to new offices and, after decking it out, Stephen [Merchant, Gervais's co-writer and co-star] and I started chatting about plotlines, scenarios and characters.
Despite numerous trips to America, awards
ceremonies and the fact that I only work between
the hours of 11am and 3pm, by Christmas there
were a few yellow Post-it notes on the wall behind
my desk with phrases on them like "Bowie VIP
lounge", "Maggie in mud" and "BBC interfere".
Writing continued right up to the week of
filming, but we had first drafts by May and
so we started casting.
Casting Ouch
Casting can bring the highest highs and the
lowest lows. You can see hundreds of people who
shouldn't really call themselves actors. The flipside of this is that eventually
someone walks in and nails the part. They're
usually an unknown, who just needed the right
role. We love starting from scratch, we've always
done it and it brings an energy to the piece that
just using someone from three other comedies
wouldn't.
Perks of the Job
Filming started on Monday 5 June at 8.15am.
I don't know why we have to start so early.
Let's do 10 till 6. That way I could have stayed up
for Love Island. But on the other hand, I did get to write a song with David Bowie,
duet with [Coldplay's] Chris Martin,
humiliate heart-throb film stars and Knights of the
Realm, and work with some TV icons.
Blooming Nervous
[Working as an extra on a Hollywood romcom, Maggie] finds out what the "real" Orlando
Bloom is like. Orlando was fantastic. He said he was nervous about the
role. Nervous? Britain's leading pin-up actor, from
two of the biggest trilogies in history, nervous?
Kate Winslet said the same. As soon as I'd put
them off a few times for my own amusement, and
ruined a couple of takes by corpsing, the nerves
went. That's what a great director I am. Selfless.
Whistle Blower
The new series
sees Andy getting his big break and filming his new
sitcom When the Whistle Blows. He wanted it to be
credible and real, and for it to stand the test of time
and be a global hit. He wanted it to go on BBC2
and have no laugh track. No studio audience.
No dressing up, no catchphrases and no gratuitous
guest stars to boost ratings.
That's not exactly
how things turn out. Paul Shane pulls out of the
first episode, because he thinks it's too broad.
But not to worry: the BBC quickly recruits
a replacement. "Who?" asks Andy.
"Keith Chegwin," comes the reply.
Wow! I'm not going to give
away any more, but I will
say this: I think Cheggers is
probably the most excruciating
cameo we've done. One
scene holds the record for the most takes in either
series, because we just couldn't get through it
without laughing. I hope you do the same.
**
Read Ricky Gervais on Extras' guest stars - or take a look at our full Extras guide.
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