Every Ricky Gervais TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best

Derek gets a hard time from critics, but it is much warmer and more accessible than many of Gervais’s other shows. It also manages to carefully balance the tone of drama and comedy, with neither compromising the other.

Derek finds time to tackle some deep themes, such as death, but does so in a significantly less heavy handed manner than in After Life. By approaching such topics through Derek’s child-like view of the world, the cynical edge that accompanies many of Gervais’s other shows is also mostly absent here.

Derek is easily one of the most over-looked Ricky Gervais shows and it’s a shame, as by itself, when not compared to his other more influential comedies, it’s a charming, funny and at times heartbreaking sitcom that is better than its reputation would have you believe.​