In today's column, I talk with Ricky Gervais about his hilarious new HBO stand-up special (the AIDS riff left me gasping for air both times I saw it), awards how hosting, his next project with Stephen Merchant, and more.
In today's column, I talk with Ricky Gervais about his hilarious new HBO stand-up special (the AIDS riff left me gasping for air both times I saw it), awards how hosting, his next project with Stephen Merchant, and more.
Great article, Alan. I do loves me some Gervais. I'm intrigued by this new project.
ReplyDeleteDid Ghost Town come up? Was he happy with it? I heard a rumour he re-wrote the ending...
Also, re: "Out of England": this sounds very much like his "Fame" special from (I think) 2007. Do you know when this special was recorded? (I'm pretty sure the original one was done in London, but it sounds like it's the same material here.)
Some of the material is duplicated from previous specials, but not all.
ReplyDeleteHe taped it sometime in the summer. I saw one of the earliest concerts in the "tour" (essentially, New York and LA) when I was out at the critics press tour in July, and then they actually taped one of the New York concerts a few weeks later.
Oh, and Ghost Town did not come up.
ReplyDeleteCool. Thanks, Alan. New material...very exciting! (Although I'd watch just to see him do the bit with the monkey again).
ReplyDeleteHow much of the material changed from the live show you saw to the taped special, Alan? I saw Chris Rock's latest early in the tour, so several of the political jokes were changed by the time he taped, but most of the rest was the same material.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely looking forward to Gervais' special!
Most of it seemed the same, Dez. I remembered the safe sex/AIDS bit as going on longer than it does in the special, but when I asked Gervais about it, he said he did it the same way both times.
ReplyDelete"awards how hosting"
ReplyDeletei'm guessing the space needs to be moved. (it took me a minute)
I don't get HBO, so there' nothing else to see here (for me)