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Daniel Radcliffe Once Revealed the ‘Weirdest Way I’ve Ever Got a Job’ Involved Ricky Gervais

Daniel Radcliffe Once Revealed the ‘Weirdest Way I’ve Ever Got a Job’ Involved Ricky Gervais
Daniel Radcliffe once teamed up with Golden Globe Ricky Gervais on a satire that was different than anything he’d done at the time.

Being hired for the television series in the first place, however, was a unique process on its own.

Daniel Radcliffe once guest-starred on the Ricky Gervais comedy series ‘Extras’ Daniel Radcliffe | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

The Office wasn’t the only comedy series Gervais had a hand in. The comedian is responsible for several successful comedic projects including his short-lived Extras. Extras was a series created, written and directed by Gervais and Stephen Merchant. As its name implies, the show was about the experiences of the extras often seen in the background throughout movies. It would feature many real-life celebrities in the series, including Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, and Daniel Radcliffe.

Gervais had very little difficulty procuring the celebrity faces that he wanted from the show.
See full article at Showbiz Cheat Sheet »

The Gold Cast: the Actors Playing the Real-Life Brink’s-Mat Cops and Robbers

The Gold Cast: the Actors Playing the Real-Life Brink’s-Mat Cops and Robbers
Neil Forsyth’s The Gold is a true crime drama with a distinctive perspective. As much as it’s about the cat-and-mouse chase between the robbers of £26 million’s worth of gold bullion in November 1983, and the special task force trying to catch them, it’s also about the British class system. Over six episodes (airing weekly on BBC One and available as a box-set on BBC iPlayer), Forsyth tells a story about villains on both sides of the social divide and the entrenched systems protecting those at the top. His London is just as veined with establishment corruption, freemasonry and snobbery as it is with armed robbers, hooky fences and locals who keep their mouths shut for fear of reprisal.

The ensemble drama covers the period from the 1983 robbery, then the largest gold heist in British history, to the investigation and sentencing of select ring leaders. The story, as the newspapers show,
See full article at Den of Geek »

Why The Office Is So Much Longer Than The Original Series

Why The Office Is So Much Longer Than The Original Series
While debates persist over which version of The Office is superior, one thing is certain, the US edition lasted much longer than its British counterpart. The original The Office helped popularize the mockumentary sitcom format in a very short amount of time. But the US adaptation of The Office would subsequently perfect this form over its substantially longer run, evolving far beyond its British origins.

The original UK version of The Office ran from 2001-2003, created by star Ricky Gervais alongside his writing partner Stephen Merchant. It consisted of 2 seasons, each 6 episodes long (a common season length in the UK), and a two-part The Office Christmas special. The US rendition of The Office, however, lasted from 2005-2013 and was composed of 201 episodes across 9 seasons. The Office starred Steve Carell as Ricky Gervais's counterpart, but their characters (and the shows) would eventually drift away from each other.

Related: The Office:
See full article at Screen Rant »

The 25 Best ‘The Office’ Episodes, from ‘Casino Night’ to ‘Beach Games’

  • 07 February 2023
  • by Alison Foreman and Proma Khosla
  • Indiewire
The 25 Best ‘The Office’ Episodes, from ‘Casino Night’ to ‘Beach Games’
Editor’s Note: This article was initially published in August 2022 and has been updated multiple times since.

It’s hard to believe it took network TV audiences more than a full season to pick up on the burning brilliance of Greg Daniels’ “The Office.”

On March 25, 2005, the pilot episode of a mockumentary series about a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania debuted to just over 11 million viewers in the United States. The show wasn’t immediately acclaimed, with numerous TV critics arguing the so-called remake failed to adequately justify itself in Season 1.

Yes, the history-making NBC sitcom seemed at first like little more than a bastardization of the popular U.K. series, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant in 2003. But for audiences lucky enough to binge the show in the streaming age, already knowing what it and its myriad talents (Mindy Kaling! B.J. Novak! Rainn Wilson! John Krasinski!) would become,
See full article at Indiewire »

Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson Once Pitched an ‘Office’ Promotion for Real Offices

Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson Once Pitched an ‘Office’ Promotion for Real Offices
Before The Office became a hit, Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson were worried about its prospects. They shared one idea to ensure viewers in real offices would talk about the show. It wasn’t ultimately required because the show lived for nine seasons on its own merits. Still, it was still a fun idea.

L-r: John Krasinski, Steve Carell, and Rainn Wilson | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Carell, Wilson and creators Greg Daniels and Ben Silverman were on the first Television Critics Association panel for The Office in 2005. Carell shared the proposal and the producers explained what NBC actually planned to do to get the word out. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.

Steve Carell wanted ‘The Office’ to become a literal watercooler show

Television fans in the DVR and streaming age may not be familiar with the term “watercooler TV.” Back when TV was only live,
See full article at Showbiz Cheat Sheet »

‘The Simpsons’ Episode That Made Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant Approve the American ‘The Office’

‘The Simpsons’ Episode That Made Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant Approve the American ‘The Office’
Now that the U.S. edition of The Office ran for nine seasons and remains a binge-watching mainstay, it’s hard to remember viewers were skeptical at first. This was Hollywood trying to redo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s classic British comedy. The Office creators approved the American version, though, and the U.S. show’s creator Greg Daniels said it was thanks to one of his episodes of The Simpsons.

L-r: John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Steve Carell | Chris Haston/NBC/Getty Images

Daniels was on the very first Television Critics Association panel for The Office before it aired in 2005. Prior to The Office, Daniels worked on The Simpsons and created King of the Hill. Daniels shared Gervais’ affinity for one of his Simpsons scripts.

The original ‘The Office’ creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant loved ‘The Simpsons’

When Daniels pitched Gervais and Merchant on adapting The Office,
See full article at Showbiz Cheat Sheet »

Every The Office Characters Based On The Original UK Version

Every The Office Characters Based On The Original UK Version
Many of the characters in The Office were inspired directly by original characters created for the UK version of the series. Created by comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office premiered on BBC Two in 2001, exploring the mundane workings of the fictional Slough-based paper company, Wernham Hogg, in a mockumentary style that featured the characters performing "talking heads" direct to the camera throughout the series. While the UK's version of The Office ran for only two seasons, it birthed an American adaptation that aired on NBC for nine seasons between 2005 and 2013, focusing on Scranton, Pa's Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

Gervais led the UK's The Office as ignorant and inconsiderate David Brent, hated by his employees while he thinks he's lovable, humorous, and respected by all. Adapted for US television by comedy writer Greg Daniels, The Office provided a strikingly similar mockumentary look and helped to make Steve Carell a household name as Michael Scott.
See full article at Screen Rant »

Netflix has stopped removal of popular title at last moment after outcry from users

Netflix has stopped removal of popular title at last moment after outcry from users
Netflix has reversed the removal of one of its most-watched titles at the last moment.

It was reported in December that sitcom fans would no longer be able to stream the US version of The Office from January 2023, which led to outcry on social media.

The show’s removal had been expected since June 2019 when NBC, the network that originally aired it, announced plans to exclusively host the series on its own streaming service for five years.

This was to come into effect from 1 January 2021, meaning The Office would not have been back on Netflix until at least 2026.

However, What’s on Netflix has reported that, thanks to a last minute deal struck by bosses, The Office US has remained on the streaming platform, and will be available to stream there for another two years.

It is worth noting, though, that this is just in European territories.

The development was
See full article at The Independent - TV »

Netflix UK reversed the removal of one of its most popular titles at the last minute

Netflix UK reversed the removal of one of its most popular titles at the last minute
Netflix has reversed the removal of one of its most-watched titles at the last moment.

It was reported in December that sitcom fans would no longer be able to stream the US version of The Office from January 2023, which led to outcry on social media.

The show’s removal had been expected since June 2019 when NBC, the network that originally aired it, announced plans to exclusively host the series on its own streaming service for five years.

This was to come into effect from 1 January 2021, meaning The Office would not have been back on Netflix until at least 2026.

However, What’s on Netflix has reported that, thanks to a last minute deal struck by bosses, The Office US has remained on the streaming platform, and will be available to stream there for another two years.

It is worth noting, though, that this is just in European territories.

The development was
See full article at The Independent - TV »

Netflix is about to lose The Office US, one of its most-watched TV shows

Netflix is about to lose The Office US, one of its most-watched TV shows
Netflix is about to lose one of its most-watched titles.

Sadly for subscribers in the UK, there are just over three weeks left to watch the US version of The Office, which will be removed from the service on 1 January 2023.

The Office has been one of Netflix's most successful licensed titles for years.

Its removal in the US, in November 2020, saw the streamer lose its most-watched TV show: in 2018, a Nielsen report revealed that subscribers clocked up more minutes watching The Office than any other series.

To put this into perspective, the streaming service once paid a staggering 100m to keep Friends for just one year – and that show didn’t even come close to being streamed in the US the same number of times as the Steve Carell series.

The removal from Netflix has been expected since June 2019 when NBC, the network that aired The Office, announced it would
See full article at The Independent - TV »

Mindy Kaling Says The Office Couldn't Be Made Today But The Internet Disagrees

Mindy Kaling Says The Office Couldn't Be Made Today But The Internet Disagrees
The Office star Mindy Kaling says the popular workplace sitcom couldn't be made today, but internet users are proving her wrong. Kaling started as part of the ensemble cast and writing team of the American reboot of The Office, a 2001 workplace sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The Office US, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, has since become a mainstay of the American television landscape and remains extremely popular despite its sometimes subversive humor.

Kaling's heavy involvement in writing, directing, executive producing, and starring in episodes of The Office means that she is often still associated with the series today despite its conclusion in 2013. Recently, Kaling described The Office as "so inappropriate," proposing that a reason for the series' lasting popularity is that it feels "taboo." She has also previously stated that The Office could not be made in modern times due to its problematic characters and offensive jokes.
See full article at Screen Rant »

Mindy Kaling says The Office US was ‘inappropriate’ and its characters would be ‘cancelled’ now

Mindy Kaling says The Office US was ‘inappropriate’ and its characters would be ‘cancelled’ now
Mindy Kaling has reflected on the legacy of The Office (US), claiming that many of its characters would be “cancelled” today.

The series – adapted from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s seminal British sitcom of the same name – ran from 2005 to 2013.

Kaling played Kelly Kapoor in 157 episodes of the show, also serving as a writer, executive producer, and director.

During an appearance on Good Morning America last week, Kaling was asked when she would allow her children to watch the series.

“I kind of think maybe never,” she responded. “That show was so inappropriate. We always talk about – the writers I’m still in touch with – we talk about how so much of that show we probably couldn’t make now.

“Tastes have changed and honestly what offends people has changed so much now. I think that it’s one of the reasons the show is popular because there’s
See full article at The Independent - TV »

John Krasinski Reveals His Kids' First Reactions To Watching The Office

John Krasinski Reveals His Kids' First Reactions To Watching The Office
Actor John Krasinski recently revealed his kids' first reactions to watching him on The Office. Based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original British show of the same name, the mocukmentary comedy series centered on the day-to-day antics of employees at a small paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Krasinski starred as Jim Halpert, a charming and witty salesman who would continuously target his co-worker Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) with harmless pranks and flirt with receptionist and love interest Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer). Through out the show's nine seasons, Halpert came to love his time at the Dunder-Mifflin paper company, developed a strong friendship with Dwight, and married Beesley, starting a family.

During an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Krasinski revealed his children's first reactions to watching him on The Office. The actor claimed that his six and eight-year-old inquired about the show on their own and Krasinski and his wife,
See full article at Screen Rant »

Shetland: Ashley Jensen To Replace Douglas Henshall as New Lead Detective

Shetland: Ashley Jensen To Replace Douglas Henshall as New Lead Detective
Tosh, Sandy and Billy’s new guvnor has been confirmed by the BBC: Agatha Raisin star Ashley Jensen will head up the Shetland investigatory team as new character Di Ruth Calder in series eight of the Scottish crime drama. Calder is “a native Shetlander who returns to the isles after 20 years working for the Met in London.” She’s a fish out of water back in water then, and will presumably come with her own share of personal complications, grudges and history with the rest of the locals.

Jensen’s casting follows Douglas Henshall’s exit in the series seven finale, after the actor decided to leave the role of Di Jimmy Perez behind. Perez wasn’t – as some had predicted – blown up in an eco-terrorism plot, but allowed to walk away intact with love interest Meg on his arm. The Detective Inspector nobly sacrificed his career to save
See full article at Den of Geek »

How Warwick Davis' Improvisations Changed The Willow Series

How Warwick Davis' Improvisations Changed The Willow Series
Soon, the world will be treated to yet another Lucasfilm production in the form of the "Willow" TV series. The Disney+ show will debut on November 30, much to the delight of fantasy fans around the world who've waited patiently since the release of the 1988 movie to see more of Warwick Davis' Willow Ufgood.

Though that original effort failed to meet George Lucas' lofty box office ambitions, there soon developed a devoted cult following for "Willow" in the decades since its release. Now Disney and Lucasfilm have once again flipped through their folder of IP and are hoping that giving this particular one the prestige TV treatment will prove to be the magic touch Willow and his band of enchanted heroes need.

In the time it took Lucasfilm to come around to the idea of revisiting this particular fantasy saga, star of the show Davis has had a lot of time to branch out.
See full article at Slash Film »

The 75 Best Comedies of the 21st Century, from ‘Neighbors’ and ‘Frances Ha’ to ‘Jackass Forever’ and ‘Borat’

  • 13 November 2022
  • by Samantha Bergeson, Christian Zilko and Alison Foreman
  • Indiewire
The 75 Best Comedies of the 21st Century, from ‘Neighbors’ and ‘Frances Ha’ to ‘Jackass Forever’ and ‘Borat’
With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced any number of great comedies that you can fire up any time you need a serotonin burst, thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services. The pandemic may be starting to recede but the specter of war and a tortured economy have occupied our minds instead: so, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017 (and last updated in August 2021), a rethink.

We’ve added 25 new films to the Top 50 list we unveiled in August. At that time, we dropped a number of titles from the original list that are funny, but not necessarily comedies. And we’ve added some
See full article at Indiewire »

Rock bottom: Unpacking the perplexing appeal of Dwayne Johnson

Rock bottom: Unpacking the perplexing appeal of Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson wasn’t always a rock. It was shortly into his career as a WWE (then WWF) wrestler that the actor adopted his famous sobriquet, having initially been named “Rocky Maivia” – a combination of his father and grandfather’s wrestling names. But “The Rock” has always seemed like a suitable aptronym. He’s hard, yes. Chiselled, sure. “Rock” might even conjure some sense of natural majesty – like a great cliff face, perhaps. But when have rocks ever been fun?

The man many tip as a legitimate contender for future US president – in the pop culture mould of Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump – is now starring in what could be his highest-profile film role to date. In the DC Comics adaptation Black Adam, Johnson plays a fearsome antihero, a gnarlier, kill-happy Superman. It’s already been savaged by reviewers – The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey dubbed it “bewildering” and “stubbornly monotonous
See full article at The Independent - Film »

The 20 most defining moments of the BBC, from Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview to The Office

The 20 most defining moments of the BBC, from Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview to The Office
The BBC is 100 years old. It was formed back in 1922, the same year that the Soviet Union was founded. And while the Ussr perhaps shaped the course of 20th-century history more than any other entity, it also collapsed in 1989 – whereas the BBC is going strong to this day. So who’s to say which has the more profound legacy?

It would’ve been hard to predict in 1922, when Lord Reith was tasked with putting together a consortium of British wireless providers, the way that the corporation would develop. The past century has seen the BBC grow from a small-time radio organisation to a global media superpower. The BBC has become one of the world’s biggest digital news sources, it has broadcast coronations and weddings and funerals, Olympics and Euros and World Cups. All to millions of viewers. It has won Oscars and Emmys, broken stories that have rocked governments,
See full article at The Independent - TV »

Why Florence Pugh's Performance in Fighting With My Family Is So Good

Why Florence Pugh's Performance in Fighting With My Family Is So Good
Having portrayed a grief-stricken woman caught up in a cult, a literary icon, and even the sister of Black Widow, Florence Pugh’s acting range knows no bounds. As fans eagerly await the release of her latest project, Don’t Worry Darling, we turn our attention back a few years. 2019 saw Pugh sporting jet black locks and a lip piercing as the feisty professional wrestler, Paige. Stephen Merchant’s Fighting With My Family is the true story of this retired WWE star’s rise to fame. From her humble beginnings in Norwich, England, where she spent her days quite literally fighting with her family, to her record-breaking career on wrestling’s most prestigious stage, Pugh perfectly embodies Paige every step of the way. But while this may be a sporting movie, don’t expect an overload of Rocky-inspired montages. At its core, it is an exploration of the tolls relentless ambition
See full article at Collider.com »

Dwayne Johnson brings his own meals to eat at restaurants

Dwayne Johnson brings his own meals to eat at restaurants
Director Stephen Merchant has shared that Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson brings his own meals to restaurants for ‘regimented’ diet’.

Merchant, who worked with Johnson on ‘Fighting with My Family’, described the actor’s “regimented” diet while speaking to Jim Norton and Sam Roberts on SiriusXM, reports foxnews.com.

“I do remember having a meeting with him just in Texas just before WrestleMania and we were having a meeting about the movie and his alarm would go off at like 3:17 p.m. and he would go to the fridge and there would be turkey and rice with ‘3:17 p.m.’ written on it and he would microwave it,” Merchant recalled.

“It was so regimented. It’s extraordinary,” he added.

The director went on to say he was once told Johnson has even brought his own meals out to restaurants.

“I think someone told me, maybe he told me, that when
See full article at GlamSham »
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