Extras
Genre	Situation comedy
Camera setup	Single camera
Running time	approx. 0:29 (per episode)
Creator(s)	Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Developer(s)	{{{developer}}}
Executive Producer(s)	{{{executive_producer}}}
Starring	Ricky Gervais Ashley Jensen
Narrated by	{{{narrated}}}
Country of origin	UK/USA
Original network/channel	BBC Two/HBO
Original run	July 21, 2005 – present
No. of episodes	6
[{{{website}}} Official website]
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Extras is a sitcom about extras working on movie sets and theatre. It is written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The series is filmed in a more traditional sitcom style than the mockumentary style used by Gervais and Merchant's previous award winning series The Office. The series is a BBC/HBO co-production which first aired on July 21, 2005 on BBC Two in the UK and premiered on September 25, 2005 on HBO in the US. The first series DVD was released in the UK on October 31, 2005. Image File history File links Logo for the TV sitcom Extras. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... A single camera setup is used to shoot some studio-produced television programs. ... Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. ... X-FM Promotional Photo Stephen Merchant (born November 24, 1974 in Bristol, England) is co-writer and co-director with Ricky Gervais of the popular British sitcoms The Office and Extras, as well as being a co-host on Xfm London and the ricky gervais podcasts. ... Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. ... Ashley Jensen is a comic performer, born in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway. ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC and the first British television channel to broadcast regularly in colour (from 1967), envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming. ... HBO logo HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... In drama, an extra is a performer in a film or TV show who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street scene). ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. ... X-FM Promotional Photo Stephen Merchant (born November 24, 1974 in Bristol, England) is co-writer and co-director with Ricky Gervais of the popular British sitcoms The Office and Extras, as well as being a co-host on Xfm London and the ricky gervais podcasts. ... Mockumentary, a portmanteau of mock documentary (also fictional documentary or false documentary), is a film and TV genre, or a single work of the genre. ... The main cast of the American version of The Office. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... HBO logo HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC and the first British television channel to broadcast regularly in colour (from 1967), envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... HBO logo HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... It has been suggested that Dual layer recording be merged into this article or section. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A second series is already being planned; Brad Pitt and Madonna are among those reported to be interested in guest starring, Gervais having spoken personally with both of them at the Live 8 event in London. At present Daniel Radcliffe is the only actor to be confirmed for the second series. Brad Pitt at the Incirlik hospital, Incirlik Air Base William Bradley Brad Pitt (born December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) is an American film actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Official Live 8 DVD. Released 7th/8th November 2005 Live 8 was a series of concerts that took place in July 2005, in the G8 nations and South Africa. ... Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor, best known for playing the wizard Harry Potter in a series of films based on the best-selling book series. ...

The series has no traditional opening credits theme tune. Each episode usually begins with a short segment from the production on which Andy and Maggie are working, followed by a fade into the white Extras logo on a black background. Each episode does, however, end with the same music over the closing credits: an excerpt of the Cat Stevens song "Tea for the Tillerman", the title track from his 1970 album. Opening credits, in a television program or motion picture, are shown at the beginning of a show and list the most important members of the production. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Closing credits, in a television program or motion picture, come at the end of a show and list all the cast and crew involved in the production. ... Yusuf Islam Yusuf Islam (born July 21, 1948) was a British singer-songwriter. ... Tea for the Tillerman is an album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens. ...

Synopsis

The show follows Andy Millman and his friend Maggie Jacobs as they work as movie extras. Each episode (except number 4) is based around a different film with Andy and Maggie playing extras. Andy tends to spend a lot of his time looking for ways to get a speaking role, while Maggie is more content with looking among the cast and crew for a boyfriend. Darren Lamb is Andy's agent, who fails to procure Andy substantial roles. Every episode has at least one guest star (a television/movie celebrity), and these guest stars play what Gervais and Merchant have referred to as "twisted" versions of themselves.

Cast / Characters

Main cast

• Ricky Gervais ... Andy Millman

Andy used to work in a bank, but quit to pursue his life-long dream of becoming an actor. Sadly, he hasn't made it yet, and he is forced to scrape a living as an extra on the sets of various movie and television productions. Being around far more successful performers has, not unnaturally, made him a bit cynical and bitter about the whole process. Still, he gives it his best shot, though he is usually scuppered in his various attempts to improve his lot - partly due to his agent's utter incompetence, partly due to events and people beyond his control, but mostly due to his own ability to step right in it and then dig a hole for himself when trying to extricate himself.

In contrast to Gervais' other famous role as David Brent, who, through his desire to be liked by those around him comes off as loathsome, Millman makes no attempt to be liked - often being downright rude - but is a much more likeable character than Brent.

• Ashley Jensen ... Maggie Jacobs

Maggie is Andy's best friend and fellow extra. Maggie is a genuinely sweet, well-meaning soul who only wants to help. Unfortunately, her general social incompetence and complete lack of any sort of internal censor means that she's more likely to say precisely the wrong thing to the wrong person at exactly the wrong time, despite her lack of malicious intent - which usually means that she's just as likely to humilate Andy as help him. Maggie is constantly on the lookout for Mr. Right, but her frequent attempts are usually scuttled quite spectacularly.

Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. ... Andy Millman is a character from the BBC/HBO co-production Extras. ... David Brent is the boss and primary character from BBC television comedy The Office played by co-writer Ricky Gervais. ... Ashley Jensen is a comic performer, born in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway. ...

Recurring cast

• Stephen Merchant ... Darren Lamb (referred to in the credits as "Agent")

Darren Lamb is literally the worst agent in the history of acting. Incapable of breaking an act, his usual negotiating tactic is to agree with whatever anyone else says or, more likely, suggest someone other than his client for the part. He's very good at deducting his 12.5% pay deduction, however. His skill at his profession can be summed up by the fact that he once left his office phone unplugged for two days without noticing.

• Shaun Williamson ... Barry (Himself)

Shaun Williamson plays himself as one of Darren's clients. He used to play 'Barry' on the popular British soap opera EastEnders, but left to pursue a multi-million pound contract elsewhere. As Darren is his agent, this was a spectacular failure, and the most recent job his agent has managed to secure for him is changing a lightbulb. It says a lot about Shaun's career prospects that even his own agent doesn't know his real name, but instead calls him 'Barry from EastEnders'. He is, quite naturally, very depressed about his life.

• Shaun Pye ... Greg

Greg is a fellow extra. Unlike Andy, he has often secured a line in various productions; as a result, he possesses an extremely high opinion of himself, and is extremely belittling to Andy and his fellow extras. Underneath this, he's extremely petty, jealous and snide - probably because he wouldn't be doing so well if it weren't for the support given by his wealthy parents.

X-FM Promotional Photo Stephen Merchant (born November 24, 1974 in Bristol, England) is co-writer and co-director with Ricky Gervais of the popular British sitcoms The Office and Extras, as well as being a co-host on Xfm London and the ricky gervais podcasts. ... Shaun Williamson (born 4 November 1965 in Maidstone, Kent, England) is a British actor. ... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera which was first broadcast on 19 February 1985. ... Shaun Pye Shaun Pye is a British comedian. ...

Guest stars

Each week saw one celebrity guest star (excluding the second episode, in which both Ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones appeared) who was usually the star of the production in which Andy and Maggie are working. These celebrities usually played an exaggerated or inverted parody of their famous public personas. The guest stars, in order of original broadcast, were:

• Ben Stiller

• Ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones

• Kate Winslet

• Les Dennis

• Samuel L. Jackson

• Patrick Stewart

Ben Stiller Benjamin Stiller (born November 30, 1965 in New York City) is an American comedian, actor, and film director. ... Ross Kemp (born July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex, England) is an English actor, well known for his portrayal of Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders. ... Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut Vincent Peter Jones (born January 5, 1965 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England) is a British footballer turned actor. ... Winslet in an image from Finding Neverland (2004) Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is an English actress. ... Les Dennis (born Leslie Dennis Heseltine October 12, 1953) is an English television presenter. ... Jackson as The Man Samuel Leroy Jackson(born December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart, OBE, (born July 13, 1940 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England) is an English film, television, and stage actor. ...

Episode guide

Episode 1

Guest star: Ben Stiller
First airing: July 21, 2005 (UK) Ben Stiller Benjamin Stiller (born November 30, 1965 in New York City) is an American comedian, actor, and film director. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This episode is based around a film about the life of Goran, whose wife died in the Balkans War. It is being directed by Ben Stiller, with Andy and Maggie playing extras in the film. Andy attempts to getting a speaking part by befriending Goran and, after giving him a £15 Topshop voucher, Goran gets him a line. However, Andy then gets in an argument with Ben and is kicked off the set. The Yugoslav wars were a series of violent conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia that took place between 1991 and 2001. ... Topshop is a clothing retailer in the United Kingdom. ...

Quotations

• Ben Stiller: "A lot of you might be thinking, 'Why am I making this movie?' Sure, you guys look at me as one of the world's most successful comedy actors ... what does that mean? I mean, yeah, I make Along Came Polly, it opens to $32 million, one of the biggest Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday holiday opening weekends ever, goes on to gross 170 million worldwide. Meet the Parents, double that. But what does the money and the success mean in real terms? If I find a little orphan child in a warzone, hiding in a burnt out building. His parents, murdered. Persecuted for his race, his religion. What am I gonna do? Pop on Dodgeball on DVD?
  Goran: "Is funny film."
  Ben: Thanks, and I can put on Dodgeball, and he's gonna laugh for an hour and 32 minutes, you know, escape reality for a while, but what happens when the film finishes? Back to reality. Still an orphan. Still living with fear. How do I help him? Put on Dodgeball again? Sure, he's gonna laugh again. He'll see things he didn't see the first time, it's layered, it was made like that. But, this can't go on indefinitely. All right, at a certain point, you know, after the fifth, sixth, seventh viewing, he's ... still laughing, but it's not getting to the root of the problem. OK? How do I help him?"
  Andy Millman: (quietly, to Maggie) "Make Dodgeball 2?"

• Maggie Jacobs: (commenting on attractive man's high-fibre lunch) "No bowel cancer for you, then!"

• Ben Stiller: "Who are you?"
  Andy Millman: "Nobody."
  Ben: "What's that? Who?"
  Andy: "Nobody."
  Ben: "That's right. Nobody. Yeah. And who am I?"
  Andy: "It's either Starsky or Hutch, I can never remember."
  Ben: "Was that supposed to be funny?"
  Andy: "You tell me, you were in it."

• Ben Stiller: "I've kissed Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore! I, uh, I slapped Jennifer Aniston's butt!
  Maggie Jacobs: "In films."
  Ben: "It still counts! ... It still counts! ... It still counts."

Along Came Polly is a 2004 American romantic/comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg. ... Martin Luther King Jr. ... Meet the Parents (2000) is a comedy film starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. ... Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is a comedy from 20th Century Fox, written and directed by Rawson Thurber and available on DVD or VHS December 2004. ... Diagram of the stomach, colon, and rectum Colorectal cancer includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. ... Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy/action film directed by Todd Phillips. ... Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy/action film directed by Todd Phillips. ...

Episode 2

Guest stars: Ross Kemp, Vinnie Jones
First airing: July 28, 2005 (UK) Ross Kemp (born July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex, England) is an English actor, well known for his portrayal of Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders. ... Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut Vincent Peter Jones (born January 5, 1965 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England) is a British footballer turned actor. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ross Kemp acts in epic period drama and befriends Andy (who is working as an extra). Kemp believes he has had SAS training and is as "hard" as the characters he plays on-screen. This episode introduces Andy's incompetent agent Darren (played by Merchant) who consistently fails to get him any work. Kemp's old EastEnders co-star Shaun Williamson (aka Barry Evans) shares the same agent but the last paid work Darren got for him was changing a lightbulb. Back on set there are rumours that Vinnie Jones is working nearby and looking for a fight with Kemp. EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera which was first broadcast on 19 February 1985. ...

Trivia

• The joke that Shaun Williamson is so identified with his former EastEnders character that even his own agent calls him "Barry" is carried through to the end credits, which list him as playing Barry (rather than playing himself, which is actually the case).

Quotations

• Andy Millman: "Sorry, the reason I'm here is, I want to know what your plan of action is. What's your strategy, what is your business plan?"
  Darren Lamb: "Well, my plan is, when you get some work, then I can start making some money. 'Cause what I'm no good at, is, you know, breaking an act."
  Andy: "Oh! So, when I'm successful, you can deduct 12.5%, no problem."
  Darren: "15 for adverts. That's what I'm hanging on for, really."
  Andy: (incredulous) "Yeah? You just want someone to call up and give me an advert?"
  Darren: "That would be amazing; that would be brilliant."
  Andy: "Right, OK. Make sure the phone's on the hook, then."
  Darren: "You joke about it; it was unplugged for two days! No one noticed. Tsk!"

Episode 3

Guest star: Kate Winslet
First airing: August 4, 2005 (UK), September 25, 2005 (USA) Winslet in an image from Finding Neverland (2004) Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is an English actress. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Working as extras on the set of World War 2 Holocaust movie, Andy and Maggie meet the star Kate Winslet. Maggie is currently involved in a three-week relationship with a set assistant who wants her to talk dirty with him over the phone. Maggie has no idea what to say and asks Kate for advice. On his finding this out, Maggie gets dumped by her boyfriend. Combatants Allies: • Poland, • UK & Commonwealth, • France/Free France, • Soviet Union, • USA, • China, ...and others• Axis: • Germany, • Italy, • Japan, • ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ...

Meanwhile, Andy is also romantically distracted and takes a liking to Catholic extra. He claims to be also Catholic in order to get closer to her; when invited to a prayer meeting "get-together," his transparent attempt to fit in is foiled.

Quotations

• Andy Millman: "Have you talked dirty back to him? Have you?"
  Maggie Jacobs: "No, no, I have not. I don't know what to say to him, it's too embarassing. What if I say, like, something and he just laughs at me, or something and he, and it's too much and he gets all offended."
  Andy: "Well, no, it's just all stuff like, 'Ooh, I'm playing with myself.'"
  Kate Winslet: "Sounds interesting."
  Andy: (surprised) "Hi. Not me. Her."
  Kate: "Go on."
  Andy: "Her boyfriend likes to talk dirty on the phone and she doesn't know what to say to him."
  Kate: "Oh, yeah, that can be a bit awkward. Well, why don't you just start off with something light, you know, like, um, 'I'd love it if you stuck your Willy Wonka between my Oompa Loompas.' You know, something a bit fun, a bit jokey. And then you can get more hardcore, rattle off the old classics, like, 'I'm playing with my dirty pillows,' 'I'm aching for your big purple-headed womb-ferret,' and then go straight in hard, like, 'Get 'round here 'cause I'm fudding myself stupid and I'm bloody loving it.' Right?"
  Maggie: "Yeah."

• Darren Lamb: (checks computer) "Errm. Do you want to put another meeting in?"
  Andy Millman: "Any point?"
  Darren: "May as well. Errm. And then when nothing comes in just phone you up and cancel it."
  Andy: "That's a plan."

Episode 4

Guest star: Les Dennis
First airing: August 11, 2005 (UK) Les Dennis (born Leslie Dennis Heseltine October 12, 1953) is an English television presenter. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This episode is set around the panto Aladdin in Guildford which stars Les Dennis. Andy manages to get a speaking part as the Genie (since John Thomson fluffed the audition and Christopher Biggins is busy). Les Dennis is current engaged to a 26 year old Simone. The local newspaper describes: Aladdin in the Magic Garden, an illustration by Max Liebert from Ludwig Fuldas Aladdin und die Wunderlampe Aladdin (a corruption of the Arabic name Alauddin/ʿAlāʾu d-Dīn, Arabic: علاء الدين, Chinese: 阿拉丁) is one of the tales from 1001 Nights and one of the most famous in Western culture. ... Guildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region. ... John Thomson on HUWRH John Thomson (born in 1969 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish actor. ... Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948 in Oldham Lancashire) is a British actor well recognised on British television. ...

"Family Fortunes loser Les Dennis is on the comeback trail thanks to a starring role in Aladdin. Things are looking up for Les, 50, who recently announced his engagement to beautiful fiancée Simone Lewis, 26. With an age gap of a quarter of a century, Dennis is clearly punching above his weight again but insists they are very much in love." Family Feud is a popular television game show in the USA that pits two families against each other in a quiz format. ...

Dennis is on the verge of a mental breakdown and, after discovering Simone cheating with a stagehand, stops in the middle of the first night of the panto.

When she comes to visit, Maggie bumps into an old friend whose father is directing the play. Maggie attends the girl's birthday party (the only other guests there are family) but is asked to leave after she suggests to her friend that she stops her father from running her life.

Quotations

• Andy: (prompting him) "Where do you want to go from?"
  Les: "How about 1992?"

• Les: (Genie appears out of a big lamp) "Blimey! What a big poof."
  Andy: (as Genie) "Cheeky!"
  Les: "Who are you?"
  Andy: "Well, I'll be anyone you want me to be but you can call me Genie."
  Les: "How does someone as big as you squeeze into this tiny lamp?"
  Andy: "Don't worry about it. I'm used to squeezing myself into tight holes! Ewwwwgh! No pain, no gain."

Episode 5

Guest star: Samuel L. Jackson
First airing: August 18, 2005 (UK) Jackson as The Man Samuel Leroy Jackson(born December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the set of a police thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson as a maverick American cop in the UK, Andy eventually gets a line with the star and gets to say "Ten to one he's going to pick Sgt. Harris again!". Andy uses lies and excuses to shake off a befriending dullard extra. The man's insistence causes Andy to cave in and have dinner with him. He finally snaps when the dullard presents him with two tickets for the Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You. Ben Elton (born May 3, 1959) is an English comedian and writer. ... We Will Rock You is a musical play, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. ...

Maggie is attracted to the young black actor Danny. Despite some initial racial misunderstandings, she successfully asks him out on a date. All seems to be going well, until she goes too far in trying to smooth over racial differences by simulating sex with a gollywog doll and a Barbie. When she chats with Samuel L. Jackson on set the day after, she mistakes him for Laurence Fishburne. Andy tries to save the ailing conversation , and when this fails, and Andy is asked to leave the set (forfeiting his line with Samuel L. Jackson). Fishburne as Morpheus in The Matrix Revolutions Laurence Fishburne (born July 30, 1961 in Augusta, Georgia, USA) is a notable African-American movie actor. ...

Quotations

• Jobsworth: "...Whoa. Where are you going? You can't come on here, it's actors only."
  Andy: "I am an actor"
  Jobsworth: "No, you're background. Your bus is over there. This is for actors."
  Andy: "I am an actor."
  Jobsworth: "No, your voucher's green, that means you're background."
  Andy: "Right. So you're judging my entire career on the colour of my badge."
  Jobsworth: "No, I'm sure you've had major roles in other things."
  Maggie: "He hasn't."
  Andy: "Shut up."

Episode 6

Guest star: Patrick Stewart
First airing: August 25, 2005 (UK) Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart, OBE, (born July 13, 1940 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England) is an English film, television, and stage actor. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Both Andy and Maggie are working on a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest alongside Patrick Stewart. Eager to get his self-penned sitcom script noticed, he gives a copy to Patrick Stewart who tells him about his own self-penned film starring himself, which is basically just an hour and a half of women with their clothes falling off all the time. Patrick agrees to circulate the script, and BBC Comedy are interested and invite Andy for a meeting. During the meeting, Andy is asked to rewrite his script alongside an extremely camp man called Damon, with a view to a pilot episode being filmed. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

While writing the script, Maggie pops in while Damon is leaving to get some coffee, and Andy talks about how Damon is basically a stereotypical gay and how it gets on his nerves a little. Maggie leaves and tells Damon that Andy is finding his campiness annoying, which greatly insults Damon.

Andy is called into the BBC to talk about this, and finds out that Maggie told Damon his feelings about him and Damon is upset with him over his apparent homophobic attitude, and the producer (who reveals that he is also gay) warns Andy that there's a chance the plug could be pulled on the pilot.

Andy goes over to see Maggie and is furious with her for telling Damon that he didn't like him and that her attempts to help could demolish what might be his big break. He tells her that she needs to sort her own messed-up life out before interfering with his before storming away. Maggie is shaken, and this simply reinforces feelings she's already having about her grotty lifestyle. She cleans up her flat, removes her toys and posters, and straightens her hair.

At the BBC, Andy gives his sincerest apologies to Damon, and stresses he is not homophobic. Damon accepts his apology, and the pilot is back on.

Maggie leaves the set of yet another job, to find Andy with Patrick Stewart on his mobile phone, who tells Maggie that Andy is sorry and wants to be friends again. He starts to ask Maggie to star in his film when Andy quickly cuts him off. The two reconcile, and all is well again.

Trivia

• Jude Law was originally lined up to appear in this episode, Patrick Stewart stepped in at the last minute. The final shot of the episode is dominated by a poster for Law's film Alfie.
• The initial scene, featuring Patrick Stewart as Prospero, is a nod to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Emergence, the initial scene of which features Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard coaching Brent Spiner as Data in the exact same scene.

Law in The Wisdom of Crocodiles (US title: Immortality) David Jude Heyworth Law (born December 29, 1972, in Lewisham, South London, England) is an English actor. ... Alfie is a 2004 American-British comedy romance film starring Jude Law as the title character. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Brent Spiner as the android Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation Brent Jay Spiner (February 2, 1949) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television and movie series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ...

Quotations

• Patrick Stewart: "You're not married, you don't have a girlfriend, you live alone... and you've never seen Star Trek? Good Lord..."

• Patrick Stewart: "Hello Maggie. This is Patrick Stewart. And the reason you're hearing my rich, sexy voice is that Andy isn't man enough to apologise himself, so he's asked me to do it."

Star Trek collectively refers to a science-fiction franchise spanning six unique television series, 726 episodes and ten feature films in addition to hundreds of novels, computer and video games, fan stories and other works of fiction all set within the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry in the...

Influences

The HBO series The Larry Sanders Show is a big influence; it also had celebrities guest star as exaggerated versions of themselves, mocking their public image. In addition, TLSS showed what happens behind-the-scenes of producing a talk show; Extras does the same for movies. HBO logo HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... The Larry Sanders Show was a satirical television series that originally aired from 1992 to 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the USA. It starred former stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as the shows vain, self-obsessed, neurotic host, Larry Sanders. ...

Another HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, is another influence, and Gervais has said as much in interviews. The show follows the everyday life Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, with comedy often coming from friction that develops between David and others. These others often include celebrity guests like Ted Danson, David Schwimmer and Ben Stiller (who has appeared as himself in The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Extras). Gervais also lists another comedy series David co-created, Seinfeld, among his chief influences, most notably in the similarites between the friendships of Maggie and Andy in Extras and Jerry and Elaine in Seinfeld. Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American television sitcom starring Seinfeld writer & co-creator Larry David. ... Seinfeld is an U.S. television sitcom set in New York City that ran from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998. ... Larry Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American actor, writer, producer, and film director born and raised in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, New York. ... Ted Danson in the TV sitcom Becker Ted Danson (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor, most notable for his television work. ... David Schwimmer David Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, born in Astoria, New York, USA. He is best known for his role as Ross Geller in the television sitcom Friends. ... Ben Stiller Benjamin Stiller (born November 30, 1965 in New York City) is an American comedian, actor, and film director. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Extras

• Extras guide at TV.com
• BBC - Comedy
• Extras at Ricky Gervais' official website
• British Sitcom Guide
• Extras at The Internet Movie Database
• Extras at the TV IV wiki