Extras (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The closing title track is 'Tea for the Tillerman' by Cat Stevens.
• The Christmas Special uses 'This Woman's Work' by Kate Bush to highlight Maggie's depression.

Plot

Andy Millman is an aspiring actor who works as an extra, which he calls being a 'background artist' to make the work seem more dignified. He is accompanied by his platonic best friend and fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs, who is well-meaning but ditzy, often missing social cues and lacking tact. Unlike Andy, Maggie has no aspirations beyond being an extra. Andy's agent, Darren Lamb, is incompetent, taking few steps to find work for Andy and sometimes discouraging potential employers.

Lamb is assisted by former soap opera star Shaun Williamson, who plays himself, and frequently suggests Williamson is better suited for roles offered to Andy. Fed up with being cut from scenes, Andy kisses up to celebrities and producers to gain screen time or a line of dialogue, but circumstances always prevent his advancement—either celebrities confess they have no power to help, or Andy offends them and is dismissed. In the season one conclusion, Andy gives his sitcom script to Patrick Stewart, who passes it to the BBC, leading to a meeting where the project is greenlit with Andy as the star.

Series Two focuses on Andy's frustrations with his sitcom, When the Whistle Blows, which is heavily rewritten by BBC producers into a lowbrow comedy relying on catchphrases, offensive stereotypes, and silly costumes. Though commercially successful with six million weekly viewers, it is panned by critics. Andy periodically gets chances in film and stage but ruins each opportunity by refusing direction or offending bigger stars.

When the Whistle Blows

Within the fictional universe of the sitcom Extras, When the Whistle Blows is a television series created, co-written, and headlined by Andy Millman. The concept first surfaces in the third episode of the first season, when Millman gives his script to his agent Darren, who repeatedly forgets its title, mixing it up with When the Wind Blows or The Wind in the Willows. After Millman hands the script to Patrick Stewart, the show becomes a real BBC One sitcom by the end of the first season.

Its second season features clips from the show, and much of the plot follows Millman’s experiences making it. The programme is set in a factory canteen in Wigan and relies on broad, lowbrow humour typical of catchphrase-driven comedies. Millman’s character delivers the main catchphrase, “Are you ‘avin’ a laugh?” Critics dislike it, but the public tunes in, earning the show a BAFTA nomination.

Millman believes the nomination is just filler, and the award goes to an unspecified Stephen Fry project. Millman is profoundly dissatisfied, convinced that too many people altered his original vision to chase ratings. He had initially wanted a realistic, character-driven comedy without a studio audience or canned laughter, similar to The Office. After forced compromises with BBC producers, the show devolves into lowest-common-denominator fare, where each character has a catchphrase repeated endlessly for six million viewers.

Matters worsen when Coldplay’s Chris Martin makes an inexplicable cameo in episode 2.4, a scene with no connection to the plot. Millman objects openly, even saying on camera, “Chris Martin, what are you doing in a factory in Wigan? It’s mental!”

Guest star cancellations and replacements

Jude Law was set to appear in an episode after running into Ricky Gervais backstage on the Late Show with David Letterman, but film commitments forced him to drop out. Gervais and Stephen Merchant scrambled for a replacement, aggressively pursuing Leonardo DiCaprio. The first series DVD includes a featurette called "Finding Leo," made up of late-night footage shot mostly by Merchant, showing Gervais' frantic but fruitless efforts to reach DiCaprio's people. Patrick Stewart ended up replacing Law in the series one finale, though a poster for Law's film Alfie still appeared at the end. Other celebrities Gervais initially claimed would appear but never did include Madonna, Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise. Keith Harris rejected the role after reading the script, calling it "pure filth" to The Independent, so Keith Chegwin took the part instead.

Awards and nominations

The British comedy series Extras earned significant critical praise and award recognition. In 2006, it received three BAFTA TV Award nominations: Best Comedy Performance for Ashley Jensen, Best Writer for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and Best Situation Comedy. The following year, Gervais and Merchant were both nominated for Best Comedy Performance, with Gervais taking the award. Across the Atlantic, the show also garnered attention.

At the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006, it received four nominations. Ben Stiller and Patrick Stewart were nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, Kate Winslet for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and Gervais and Merchant for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode featuring Winslet. At the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2007, Gervais won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Ian McKellen was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Gervais and Merchant received nominations for Outstanding Writing for the "Daniel Radcliffe" episode and Outstanding Directing for the "Orlando Bloom" episode. The series made the Top 10 list for Outstanding Comedy Series but did not break into the final five nominees. In 2008, the finale earned five nominations at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards. The special was nominated for Outstanding Made for Television Movie.

Gervais was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and Jensen received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Gervais and Merchant also received nominations for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special.