Another tearjerker of a comedy from Ricky Gervais, Derek is in many ways a companion piece to After Life (I experienced them in reverse order). I'm never too sure what to think about Gervais playing someone ostensibly on the spectrum - maybe because I can spot him peering out at times - except that it's done so affectionately. And in any case, Derek is a catalyst for kindness, his own engendering that of people around him, and it's less about his story, in a way, than it is about the rest of the nursing home staff (and cringy hanger-on). Kerry Godliman (who will play Gervais' adorable dead wife in After Life) is particularly well served. I loved Karl Pilkington as the cynical response to Derek in Series 1 and wish he'd stayed on. Shot as a faux-documentary like The Office, structured around two series and a special, Derek is another beautiful evocation of what makes life worth living, and as with After Life, I had some great extended laughs, but spent much of my time cathartically sobbing.
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Of course this was good. I don't even know why I doubted it would be for a second.Siskoid
Another tearjerker of a comedy from Ricky Gervais, Derek is in many ways a companion piece to After Life (I experienced them in reverse order). I'm never too sure what to think about Gervais playing someone ostensibly on the spectrum - maybe because I can spot him peering out at times - except that it's done so affectionately. And in any case, Derek is a catalyst for kindness, his own engendering that of people around him, and it's less about his story, in a way, than it is about the rest of the nursing home staff (and cringy hanger-on). Kerry Godliman (who will play Gervais' adorable dead wife in After Life) is particularly well served. I loved Karl Pilkington as the cynical response to Derek in Series 1 and wish he'd stayed on. Shot as a faux-documentary like The Office, structured around two series and a special, Derek is another beautiful evocation of what makes life worth living, and as with After Life, I had some great extended laughs, but spent much of my time cathartically sobbing.Earring72
Funny drama becomes a bit repettive near the end but still a lot of heart and dark humortoopsy
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