Line #9 YMMV/Extras


1	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
2	** When Andy brusquely denies Darren an on-stage pass to see him, Maggie lets Darren down gently with a few white lies that paint Andy's refusal in a kinder light. She clearly isn't comfortable doing so, but she pulls it off just fine and Darren accepts it at face value. Her BadLiar tendencies, which invariably result in embarrassment and social disaster for Andy, [[{{Troll}} might have been deliberate]].
3	** Maggie's relaying Andy's complaints about Damon's camp mannerisms -- was it just an example of her usual NoSocialSkills, or did she do it to spite Andy's making jibes about her looks, not realising what an utter clusterfuck would result?
4	** Though they seemingly remain on good terms after Andy's apology in the first season, Damon's infamous changes to ''When The Whistle Blows'' that ultimately harm it and Andy's reputation could be seen as an attempt to subtly spite Andy for his "too gay" comment.
5	* {{Anvilicious}}: The AuthorTract in the Christmas Special is not particularly subtle, and nor is the crusade against the traditional sitcom and sketch show format as the show progresses.
6	* BaseBreakingCharacter: Andy Millman's jerkish moments aren't sugar-coated, but the series still tries to show him in a sympathetic light. Viewers are divided on whether he's an OnlySaneMan who is SurroundedByIdiots and acting accordingly or a buzzkill with an [[SmallNameBigEgo unchecked sense of entitlement]]. His sitcom getting butchered by ExecutiveMeddling is unfortunate, but we don't know exactly how much better his original ideas would have been and his insistence that the CharacterCatchphrase he planned to use [[DistinctionWithoutADifference shouldn't be called a catchphrase]] does call into question how good his writing abilites really are. When it comes to acting his filmography isn't the least bit impressive, but he gets saddled with questionable scripts and directions that even professional actors would struggle with (acting in a play and being told at the last minute he'd have to kiss a man isn't what you'd call professional directing). All in all the debate comes down to who really deserves the blame for all the cringe comedy that happens to Andy.
7	* BrokenBase: Some felt that the second series suffered from becoming something of an AuthorTract about how all sitcoms that don't follow the single-camera ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' / ''Extras'' style are low-brow garbage. Note that the vast majority of critics agreed 100% with this viewpoint of classic {{Brit Com}}s and complimented Creator/RickyGervais on helping point out the flaws in other comedy shows; their main complaint was that it overtook the humour on this show. Conversely, some feel the second series is superior to the first, due to Creator/StephenMerchant and Shaun Williams having larger roles, more varied celebrity appearances [such as the Bafta episode], greater character development for Andy [dealing with success] and the ''When the Whistle Blows'' parody segments.
8	* HarsherInHindsight: In one episode Andy discourages Maggie from trying to date a widower because he'll likely have an idealised memory of his late love that she can't compete with. In ''Series/{{After Life\|2019}}'', two characters played by Ashley Jensen and Ricky Gervais find themselves dealing with this predicament, which ultimately ends with them going their separate ways.
9	* HilariousInHindsight:
10	** Creator/KateWinslet cameoed as herself in an episode, where she announced her intention to star in a [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Holocaust]] film purely because such films [[OscarBait always win Oscars]]. A few years later, she finally won an Oscar for ''Literature/TheReader'', which is, you guessed it, a Holocaust film. The best part is that Ricky was a presenter at the Golden Globes that year - after she won he got up on stage and {{lampshaded}} the episode: "What did I tell you, Kate? A Holocaust film!"
11	** One of the ''Celebrity Series/BigBrother'' housemates in the Christmas Special is Lionel Blair, AdamWesting it up with the best of them. In 2014, he appeared on the show for real. ''Radio/TheNowShow'''s Sara Pascoe pointed out that while the parody episode only had him tapdancing around the house and complaining about being old, [[FreakierThanFiction the real thing had him pole-dancing dressed in latex.]]
12	** The Creator/SamuelLJackson episode features him getting confused with Creator/LaurenceFishburne. Funnily enough in 2014, a local news reporter interviewed Jackson and confused him with Fishburne in a very similar manner. Do note that this has happened to them enough that they'll tell stories about it.
13	** There's a general vibe (especially in Series 2) that people who are easily amused should be a prime target of mockery. In the years since ''Extras'' ended, Ricky Gervais has swung in the other direction and his comedy stylings are now about mocking people who are either easily offended or who simply don't laugh at every single joke they hear. You've got to wonder if Ricky even knows what reaction he wants from an audience.
14	* HollywoodHomely: {{Played with}}. Maggie often gets a number of disparaging comments about her appearance (especially by Creator/CliveOwen), even though Ashley Jenson is quite attractive. Of course, this trope is more justified than usual considering she (by dint of her career in the film/television industry) ''is'' surrounded by extremely attractive women.
15	%%* HoYay: Darren and Barry.
16	* JustHereForGodzilla: The [[CelebrityCameo Celebrity Cameos]] wound up being the main draw of the series for many viewers.
17	* MemeticMutation:
18	** "Are you having a laugh? Is (s)he having a laugh?!"
19	** "I've done it with a girl, intercourse-wise."
20	* MisaimedFandom:
21	** Many viewers during and immediately after the show's initial run considered Ray Stokes to be a genuinely funny character and frequently quoted his "Are you having a laugh?" catchphrase, much to the annoyance of Creator/RickyGervais, who was trying to use Ray to point out how cliched and tired these character tropes had become by the mid-2000s. Though Gervais has lightened up a little in the years since, acknowledging that the catchphrase's still being quoted at least demonstrates the longevity of the show.
22	** Some viewers felt that it was unfair that Andy was forced to give an apology for making remarks about Damon's camp mannerisms behind his back, given that he never intended for Damon himself to hear the remarks and it was actually Maggie who relayed them to him. However, Maggie's reaction during the scene where Andy initially made the remarks makes it clear that Andy is meant to be seen as in the wrong, and what ''really'' compounded the situation was Andy trying to excuse himself by making more remarks about homosexual people behind Damon's back -- to Iain, who is himself homosexual.
23	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Bound to happen given some of the celebrity cast are Hollywood A-Listers. Samuel L. Jackson in particular doesn't ever get to join in on the AdamWesting like everyone else.
24	* TheWoobie: Maggie's life hits the skids after deciding she's had enough of being an extra. Due to having no skills, the only job she's able to get is scrubbing floors and she's forced to move into a dirty cramped flat that the realtor admits has a high crime rate. The clincher comes when Maggie asks Darren if there's any jobs at the Car Phone Warehouse, to which he says no, causing her to break down in tears.
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Context YMMV / Extras