Extras

Opening title

***Extras*** is a British sitcom about extras working in television, film, and theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO and was written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom starred in it. Extras follows the lives of Andy Millman (Gervais), his platonic friend Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen) and Andy's substandard agent and part-time retail employee Darren Lamb (Merchant) as Millman muddles through life as an anonymous "background performer" who eventually finds success as a B-level sitcom star.

*Extras* has two seasons of six episodes each as well as a Christmas Special. The first episode aired in the UK on 21 July 2005 on BBC Two and on 25 September 2005 on HBO in the US, with the first season running until 25 August in the UK and 6 November in the US. The second season premiered in the UK on BBC Two on 14 September 2006 and began airing in the US on HBO and in Australia on ABC on 14 February 2007. The Christmas Special aired on 27 December 2007 on BBC One and on 16 December 2007 on HBO. Both seasons are available on DVD and, at various times, through streaming services in the UK and the US.

The series is filmed in a more traditional sitcom style than the mockumentary style used by Gervais and Merchant in their previous series *The Office*. Each episode has at least one guest star: a television or film celebrity, who play what Gervais and Merchant have referred to as "twisted" versions of themselves; an exaggerated or inverted parody of their public personas. The show has been critically acclaimed, and has a Metacritic score of 81/100.

## Cast

### Main

* Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman
* Ashley Jensen as Maggie Jacobs
* Stephen Merchant as Darren Lamb
* Shaun Williamson as Barry (himself)

### Recurring

* Shaun Pye as Greg Lindley-Jones
* Gerard Kelly as Ian "Bunny" Bunton
* Martin Savage as Damon Beesley
* Guy Henry as Iain Morris
* Liza Tarbuck as herself (as Rita)
* Andrew Buckley as himself (as Gobbler)
* Jamie Chapman as himself (as Brains)
* Sarah Moyle as herself (as Kimberley)
* Sarah Preston as Make-up woman

### Special guests

#### Season 1

* Ben Stiller as himself
* Ross Kemp as himself
* Vinnie Jones as himself
* Kate Winslet as herself
* Les Dennis as himself
* Patrick Malahide as himself (as Minister)
* Samuel L. Jackson as himself
* Patrick Stewart as himself

#### Season 2

* Keith Chegwin as himself
* Orlando Bloom as himself
* Sophia Myles as herself (as Defence Lawyer)
* David Bowie as himself
* Daniel Radcliffe as himself
* Diana Rigg as herself
* Warwick Davis as himself
* Chris Martin as himself
* Ronnie Corbett as himself
* Stephen Fry as himself
* Richard Briers as himself
* Patricia Potter as herself (Andy's ex-girlfriend)
* Sir Ian McKellen as himself
* Robert Lindsay as himself
* Jonathan Ross as himself
* Robert de Niro as himself

#### Christmas Special

* Clive Owen as himself
* George Michael as himself
* Gordon Ramsay as himself
* David Tennant as himself
* Gareth Hale as himself
* Norman Pace as himself
* Lionel Blair as himself
* Dean Gaffney as himself
* June Sarpong as herself
* Lisa Scott-Lee as herself
* Chico Slimani as herself
* Vernon Kay as himself
* Jonathan Ross as himself

#### Special guest cancellations

Several actors were slated to appear in *Extras* but pulled out due to other commitments, or were otherwise pursued by the producers but declined. Below is a list of the known special guest cancellations.

* Jude Law (in what would become 'Patrick Stewart')
* Leonardo diCaprio (pursued after Jude Law pulled out)
* Madonna
* Brad Pitt
* Tom Cruise
* Keith Harris (disapproved of the script of 'Orlando Bloom', role was instead given to Keith Chegwin)

## Future seasons

Since the conclusion of *Extras* and the airing of its finale special in 2007, Ricky Gervais has denied the chance of continuing the series. Despite an abundance of celebrity interest in special guest starring in the series due to its immense popularity, Gervais believed that continuing the series would jeopardise the integrity of the show. On the *Graham Norton Show* in 2009, Gervais said he was content at the length of *Extras* – two seasons and a special – which matched that of his previous series *The Office*.

## Awards and nominations

Between 2005 and 2008, *Extras* garnered 25 award nominations and nine wins, including two Rose d'Ors, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, three British Comedy Awards, and a BANFF World Television Award.

***Bold** indicates award was won.*

 Golden Globe Award
 Primetime Emmy Award
* Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Patrick Stewart (2006)
* Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Kate Winslet (2006)
* Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (2006)
* **Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Ricky Gervais (2007)**
* Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Ian McKellen (2007)
* Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (2007)
* Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (2007)
* Outstanding Made for Television Movie – The Extra Special Series Finale (2008)
* Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie – Ricky Gervais (2008)
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie – Ashley Jensen (2008)
* Oustanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (2008)
 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
* Best Writer – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (2006)
* Best Situation Comedy (2006)
* Best Comedy Performance – Stephen Merchant (2007)
 British Comedy Awards
* **Best Television Comedy Newcomer – Ashley Jensen (2005)**
 BANFF World Television Awards

## References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1GKBH4\_pkM&ab\_channel=BBC

## External links

* *Extras* on Wikipedia
* *Extras* on IMDB