Another instance of a brilliant writer getting a free pass despite putting together one of the weakest shows in HBO's history is comic writer and Ricky Gervais associate Stephen Merchant. Merchant is responsible for much of the best comedy of the last 15 years (The Office, Extras) and is absolutely deserving of the praise heaped on him. His HBO show Hello Ladies, which he wrote and starred in, is somewhat less deserving of admiration. It feels a bit like Merchant "selling out", actually. Where his previous work has relied on subtle awkwardness, making the audience cringe along with the characters onscreen, Hello Ladies' awkward humour is about as subtle as swinging a screaming chainsaw at the audience and demanding they feel uncomfortable. It revolves around Merchant, a stereotypically nerdy Brit, trying to get a girlfriend in the USA. Of course, he's a bit gawky and bit weird, so he fails repeatedly. Hilarity ensues. As far as clichéd comedy goes, it doesn't get much more generic than this. It's like Adam Sandler doing observational comedy. It didn't fare particularly well commercially, but for some reason it seems to have gained a strong reputation since its cancelation. This is in spite of the fact that the only awkward moment generated by Hello Ladies was the one when Merchant asked HBO if they'd be green-lighting more episodes.
