Funny, sharp and poignant -- it’s that third rail that seems to trip up American sitcoms these days, even faves as perceptive as “30 Rock” and “The Office.” The American version of the latter, anyway. The original British “Office” from writer-actor Ricky Gervais pulled off that tough triple-play with grace. And Gervais is doing it again in HBO’s ever-better “Extras.”
Sunday night’s new episode (Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. on HBO) is raucous, pointed and sweetly sad, and it’s got Coldplay’s Chris Martin, too. Plus Brit wits Stephen Fry and Ronnie Corbett. Finally having tasted stardom on a dim-witted wig-and-glasses sitcom, Gervais’ hapless ex-extra Andy Millman still stumbles into daily disses and missteps that deliver equal measures of hilarity and humbling -- a tricky mix at which Americans so rarely excel.
Andy actually gets a nod this week from the BAFTA awards, the Brit equivalent of the Emmys, drawing critical slams for his “inexplicable appearance” among the nominees. But his ineptly grinning agent (stringbean co-creator Stephen Merchant) thinks he just might win: “It’s all crap this year, so you’ve got as good a chance as anyone.” The agent is also OK-ing a doll that spouts Andy’s tiresome tube-hit catchphrase (“Are you having a laugh?”). The justly embarrassed actor wonders who’d buy it. “Same people who watch your show,” the agent blurts naively, “the thick kids and their thick parents.”
The doll sets off the half-hour’s most convulsive laughs with its inexplicable appearance at the BAFTAs, where shows like “The Women Who Gave Birth to Herself” are taking home trophies. But ROTFL moments are everywhere, from Chris Martin’s album-shilling guest shot, to Andy seeking a “celebrity discount” at a high-end boutique, to a climactic three-men-in-a-stall embarrassment in the awards show bathroom. Corbett and Martin beautifully lampoon themselves with straight faces, right past the end credits.
And “Extras” keeps getting sharper this second season. Next week, Andy shoots for respect in Shakespearean theater under the gay guidance of Ian McKellen (Feb. 11), and longs to work with his hero, Robert De Niro, in the season finale (Feb. 18).
HBO On Demand subscribers can catch all three previous second-season episodes anytime. (Sunday’s Chris Martin outing is available now on-demand.) The first season of “Extras,” already out on DVD, repeats nightly starting March 3 on HBO Comedy at 11:30 p.m.
Plus, Gervais’ sublime original run of “The Office” is encoring on WLIW/21 Fridays at 10:30 p.m.
[Chris Martin and Ricky Gervais in HBO “Extras” photo by Ray Burmiston.]