Rating: 
Ricky Gervais has been answering the constant question regarding Derek- “is it a drama or a comedy?”- with the response “it is what you think it is- what’s your life like, a drama with funny bits in it, or a comedy with dramatic bits?”. To me, so far the series seems to be a very sweet, beautifully realised little drama with the odd bit of humour- this is not some backhanded compliment, if anything it’s real praise.
Tonight’s opener isn’t earth-shatteringly amazing, but it shouldn’t be. Gervais has a job of introducing the uninitiated to this intimate little world he has created. Nothing much happens, and there aren’t any truly heart-wrenching moments that will make you cry, or jokes that will make you howl with laughter, but that is the point- real life isn’t like that.
Something that Gervais has done brilliantly here is create the two beating hearts of the show- Kerry Godliman’s Hannah and, surprisingly, Karl Pilkington’s Dougie. I’ll get to Godliman in a minute, but let’s focus on Pilkington for a moment. I am a massive fan of the podcasts, An Idiot Abroad and everything else that Karl’s done. But I imagined I’d be laughing because Karl was Karl, and it might take me out of the show. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Casting Karl was not some self-indulgent act by Gervais, but an inspired piece of casting. Karl couldn’t be more genuine, and his end speech towards the nasty little councilman threatening to shut down the home is perfectly pitched. Dougie is a genuine surprise, and I never once thought “Ha! It’s Karl Pilkington!”, instead I believed and invested in this character he is portraying. Kerry Godliman is the best thing about the show so far- I strongly believe Gervais is at his best as an actor with a woman to work off of, be it Ashley Jensen, Tea Leoni or Jennifer Garner, and once again my theory has been proven right. I want to see so much more of Hannah.
I don’t just want to gush- I am a huge fan of everything Ricky has produced, be it solo or with Stephen Merchant, Pilkington and Warwick Davis- so I have to pick out some little niggling things. In this episode at least, Derek is not particularly a driving force (until a wonderful little moment at the end which I won’t spoil for those of you who haven’t seen it, but let me just say that it addresses something all the critics have aimed at the character thus far), and really just spouts rubbish about sharks and whales. David Earl’s Kev made me chuckle a few times, but at the moment he seems a little one-dimensional, the comic pratfall.
But I understand that you can’t cram everything into half an hour, so I feel these little criticisms of mine will be extinguished, as we still have the rest of the series for Derek and Kev to have their moments and become more fleshed out and fully realised, which I know they will be.
In short, nothing is false in the show, or emotionally manipulative. There’s nothing mocking about it, and I like the tone that has been set- this isn’t going to be a laugh-a-minute, and it’s not going to be schmaltzy nonsense.
In my eyes, and this is just first impressions, Derek is perhaps the most accomplished thing Gervais has done so far by himself. If it continues in this vein, and we get to meet more of the residents and develop the stories a little more- I have a feeling that the arc of the home facing closure will rear its ugly head again- this is going to become much-loved. The episode was spent finding its feet, being utterly charming and engrossing, and I know it’s just going to get better and better over the next 5 weeks.
****
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19 Comments
I thought it was disbolical
I don’t know what that means- perhaps you meant diabolical?
it would be a good bet to assume that wouldn’t it?
i would of just taken it as diabolical and either replied in the way you were going to or just not replied at all.
up to you though of course,
Alright. Your opinion is invalid.
whys that mate?
Steve, the irony of you asking the writer to just “take is as diabolical” and “reply to it as diabolical” instead of mentioning the typo/miss-spelling, when Oscar Harding has produced an interesting, point-filled view of the first episode of Derek and all you can reply is that it was diabolical. To be fair, I don’t think you deserved a reply, whether about the type or not.
I really enjoyed Derek, and, without spoiling anything, there were a few lines in this first episode that I think were the best Ricky Gervais has ever written. I am referring to the same point you referred to without spoiling it, and I think with that interaction he went a long way to deter a lot of criticism this show, and character especially, has received.
I also think the casting of Karl as Dougie is very special. It’s obviously fell into Gervais’s lap to write the character with Karl in mind, but his delivery and mannerisms whilst acting are all there for Pilkington to receive praise of his own.
The last 10 minutes from the animals being brought through to Dougies outburst really set this show as a step above anything I think Gervais has done since The Office.
“I would of”…? Come on! English is not my first language and even I know that’s not right. I WOULD HAVE.
Good night.
Considered, intriguing & interesting review. I tend to agree with you too. Steve don’t get pissed off & sarcastic when someone points out your spelling errors.
I thought Oscar was pretty sarcastic. I was on my phone and spelt a word wrong, that is all. He replied as if i was insulting he’s writing or something, which as you can… i wasn’t!
You offered just 5 words in response to his expansive & justified review & the most important one was wrong. That was fine. Oscar’s reply was also fine. Might have been sarcastic (maybe not) but to be fair justified considering you made the mistake. I didn’t think he came across insulted or particularly defensive. Yet your response to his was completely over the top. You’re obviously not trying to be offensive as if I thought you were I wouldn’t bother replying. Anyway, that’s my perception of it. Also, you made an error replying to me – check before pressing send!
This seems a very level review when you compare it to so many others I have seen either completely tearing the show apart or losing the entire point amidst the mass of sickly compliments. I think you’ve pinpointed it exactly. ‘Derek’ is utterly charming and it made me feel good to watch it, what more is needed? I, too, was surprised by Karl Pilkington’s performance as Dougie and actually wanted to applaud as well at the end. Thank you, for a balanced, positive review that actually seems to see what makes this show so good, instead of letting it be over-shadowed by who wrote it (I am also a huge Gervais fan originating in the old Xfm days). I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series will bring and really, it’s just a bloody nice change to watch a show that doesn’t leave you with that strange, empty feeling. ‘Derek’ gives something to the viewer, something simple and sweet and I love it :)
Oooohh…erm..Steve..nobody cares? Really enjoyed Derek…certainly wasn’t ‘disbolical’
very good review, it’s clear you have fully understood the intentions of Gervais’ latest piece of art :) also looking forward to the coming weeks.
I can appreciate some of what Gervais is trying to accomplish with this approach, though he might have done his own show a disservice by casting himself in the lead. To be clear: The Office succeed–excelled–only because Gervais’ own persona was heavily invested in David Brent’s psychological architecture; we were sold, hook, line and sinker.
Not so with Derek Noakes, whose mannerisms, attitude and wisdoms–no matter how truthful–are delivered the same person we’ve all come to know through his stand-up routines, Twitter and interviews.
It is far more difficult to suspend our disbelief this time around.
It’s early, to be sure but, in my opinion, both the pilot and the first episode of “Derek” already play too heavily–and ham-handedly–on the heartstrings; the syrupy piano interludes are not constructive. We get that it’s an old age home and that a pall of inevitability hangs over the place, but viewers are smarter than this and don’t need to be brow-beaten with over-sentimentalized musical schmaltz.
Devotees like myself are expecting the kind of understated tragedy that made The Office so believable.
Karl was a fine choice.
I actually think that you hit the nail on the head with your agena-free observation there!!
Thanks for coming along, Steve. Now be on your way; hope it’s not too cold on your lonely, illiterate world.
Please rest assured that nothing you say will matter to anyone, ever.
Thanks again.
I can guarantee that i have a lot more in my life than yours Derek.
I’m lost, im not insulting anyone. I didn’t like the show, is that a problem?
Oscar replied as if i insulted he’s writing which i no way did, i just said that i didn’t like it.
You’ve now typed ‘he’s’ twice Steve rather than ‘his’, suggesting only a basic grasp of English. I’m beginning to think your original error wasn’t a typo.
Great review btw