Every Ricky Gervais TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best

After Life is anything but subtle. It’s a study of grief, which becomes clear very quickly, as Tony, played by Gervais, tells us regularly just how much he is grieving, how sad he is, and throughout much of the first season, just how much he wants to kill himself.

Though it is an extremely committed performance by Gervais, and one that makes you feel this is his most personal work yet, it’s this on-the-nose approach that can make After Life at times rather grating. Where previous characters created by Gervais displayed their need, wants and feelings in a much more sub-textual manner, here it can feel spoon-fed at best and rammed down your throat at worst.

However, where After Life soars is when it’s leaning on comedy, and more specifically, Gervais’s familiar style of meandering irreverent humour. It’s just a shame that the conflicting tone never quite gels, as when it’s just aiming for laughs it’s some of Gervais’s best work in years. His response to being called a paedo by a schoolkid is case in point.