The Ricky Gervais Show (2001-2009)Let’s do this, step by step.
Before Ricky Gervais became Britain’s and later on, the world’s comedy darling, with his show “The Office”, he used to work on a weekly radio show on a radio station called XFM, with his writing partner Stephen Merchant. To those that don’t know, and I’m guessing it is a lot of people, Stephen Merchant is as significant to the success of “The Office” and “Extras” as Ricky Gervais, as he has been involved in the writing and making of both shows. But he does not have the exposure that Gervais has, so he is less known.
Anyway, the comedy duos were laid off by XFM when there was a change of management due to some financial difficulties from the station. This was back in the late 90s.
After the success of “The Office”, Ricky Gervais goes back to the station. I am not sure exactly the reason for his return, as he did not NEED to be on a radio station, much less a less popular one such as XFM, when he could have easily gone on to bigger stations if he needed radio exposure. But if I had to guess, I think it is because he enjoyed it and feels like XFM helped with his breaking into comedy. Starting from 2001, Gervais and Merchant do the radio show again. The show started from September, and was able to locate the shows from November onwards.
Nothing great. It IS enjoyable, but more like if it happened to be on the radio and you would listen to it, but nothing to actively look for. Gervais and Merchant chat with each other between playing records, and they have “features” and I put them in quotes because it is things like, “A Song for the Lovers” and “A Song for the Ladies”, which were basically songs related to that. Although, Ricky did have a film review feature where he basically reviewed every movie a 9 out of 10 and stopped it when he said he run out of movies he liked and no point reviewing movies that he gave less than 8.
Okay, so all that is amusing, but the REAL reason that I listened to all the shows and podcasts up until NOW had not yet started. The two comedians were given a producer by the station, and producer here also needs to be put in quotes, because it was basically just a staff member from the station that was hired to help with pushing the buttons and such.
"People moan about drugs being tested on animals. I sort of think it depends innit. If the drug's aspirin and the monkey's got a headache, is it tight?"This person was Karl Pilkington.
“Why didn't evolution make a giraffe good at carpentry so it could build a ladder?”Now Karl worked in XFM for years and he was a sound editor. He was a quiet guy that kept to himself but as the shows went on, Ricky and Stephen talk to him on the show every now and then. But Ricky noticed something in Karl. Now Ricky might not be the funniest comedian ever, but he is probably the smartest person at KNOWING comedy. He seems to have noticed that Karl had a great potential for comedy, and starts pulling him around. Around early 2002, Karl becomes more prominent in the radio show, and that’s were the show goes from good to fucking genius.
"I came up with a good idea....see through skin"It is difficult to describe Karl. Most important of all, one has to realize that Karl is Karl, he does not try to be funny or act like a comedian on air, he just acts normal, another word that needs to be put in quotations. Karl sometimes says incredibly stupid things, but at the same time, he thinks in his own special way, asking strange questions that people don’t think about. He is fascinated by freaks and trivia, believes every urban legend, complains a lot, does not like people, and is unintentionally extremely funny.
"It's just easier to put stuff off once we've got this calendar, whereas if we didnt have a date you'd have to do everythin' straight away"The team is now perfect. Ricky makes fun of Karl, asking questions that make Karl say something that makes Ricky laugh. A lot. And Ricky is clearly enjoying himself, because his laugh is very infectious. Merchant is more of the straight man, keeping things more in control, but at the same time, he has the most brilliant anecdotes, and his comic delivery is perfect. Merchant is probably the most intentionally funny guy out of the three, with Ricky just having fun, and Karl being himself.
“The Elephant Man would never have gotten up and gone, ‘Oh, God. Look at me hair today.’”The three make radio shows with XFM until 2005. From them on they leave XFM and go on to make their own podcasts, with the podcasts being entered in The Guinness Book of Records for the most downloaded podcasts ever. Finally, in 2009, they do a series of one-off episodes called “The Ricky Gervais Guide to…”
"They say it all started out with a big bang. But, what I wonder is, was it a big bang or did it just seem big because there wasn't anything else drown it out at the time?"To me, the whole show, from early 2002 when Karl enters the picture, is the funniest thing I have ever heard. I am not the sort of person to laugh out loud at shows, radio or visual, even if I am enjoying it, but these shows are an exception. I listened to them in the car and they would constantly make me burst out in laughter.
"I was walking past a sex shop an' that. One, it was open early which I never understood, it was about eight o'clock in the morning. Who needs butt plugs then?"The podcasts are more popular than the radio shows, but I would advise anyone that is slightly interested to start with the 2002 radio shows. It is just much better to get exposed to Karl, the way Ricky and Stephen are. Carefully, and not knowing what they are in store for, and constantly entertained by him.
"Jellyfish are 97% water or something, so how much are they doing? Just give them another 3% and make them water. It's more useful."5/5
