Comedy Lab

A very dry run, for The Office. The highest profile here is Ricky Gervais, which is the main one I watched, and am commenting on. I dipped into a couple of others, but found them too low quality- acting and script, that is. The filming was fine. There are apparently some better actors here, who have gone on to better things - this was originated in 1999.

Gervais co-wrote Golden Years, a fan letter to David Bowie, and the template for so much that followed. It's possible that The Office was the first 'cringe' comedy series, and Golden Years is a pilot (actually Major Tom does crop up, quite a bit...).

The Office setting is basically here - the boring day job, the long suffering, (and, in this version, sexually harassed), receptionist, and co-workers in various guises. The Extras series is hinted at, with a seedy agent for lookalike performers.

The main wannabe is of course a David Brent clone, complete with deluded pop career plans. You begin to feel embarrassment for him, as his aspirations are gradually crushed. Gervais does send himself up, and turned this short into several successful series. Although he remains an imaginative writer, one wonders if the wannabe pop star begging for attention is really at the heart of many of his comedies.