• Network: BBC-2 , BBC Two
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 21, 2005
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3
Metascore
81 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 24 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 24
  2. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. If you loved "The Office" you may have grave doubts that any followup comedy could be as good and as quote-the-dialogue funny. "Extras" is that - another triumph, and a perfect Sunday-night companion piece for "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
  2. 100
    A looser show [than The Office], another comedy of frustration, but with a feckless sweetness (which is exactly what My Name Is Earl lacks). [17 Oct 2005, p.39]
  3. 100
    The most original and brilliant show on television.
  4. Incisive, fearless and laugh-out-loud funny, "Extras" will appeal to anyone who liked "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
  5. At once more modest and more ambitious than its predecessor; more focused on detail and yet more expansive. It is also excruciatingly funny, with an emphasis on excruciating.
  6. A worthy and exhilarating new HBO companion to "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
  7. Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    90
    Even if Extras never accedes to The Office's heights of comic sublimity, it's still a rare find on American TV: a series that combines the ascendant genre of cringe comedy with Gervais' rich comic gifts, and his trademark humanism.
  8. 90
    It's got edge galore, but it's the kind that sneaks up on you and proves again that Gervais has the subtlest kind of brilliance, hard to categorize but easy to enjoy.
  9. 90
    'Extras" is far less terminally existential than ''The Office," less depressing to watch.
  10. 88
    An instant chucklehead classic.
  11. Reviewed by: Eric Neigher
    88
    Not quite The Office II, not quite a wholly different breed, Extras should nevertheless please Gervais aficionados and newcomers alike.
  12. 80
    [Merchant and Gervais'] meetings are gemlike exchanges of deadpan incompetence and hair-pulling frustration, worthy of the bygone era of comedy teams.
  13. No one can backpedal his way into a ditch quite like Gervais.
  14. Very British, coasting on quiet pauses, subtle digs and ironic discomfort -- a bonus for some, a strong negative for many.
  15. Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    80
    Extras captures the stifling boredom and raging egotism of life behind the camera.
  16. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    80
    Gervais and Merchant excel at capturing scenes of quiet discomfort as well as palpable desperation in the face of near-constant rejection. Those qualities elevate "Extras""Extras" above the surface-deep "Entourage" or often-frustrating "The Comeback."
  17. Mr. Gervais has in no way lost his touch.
  18. "Extras'' doesn't quite rise to the same level [as "The Office"], but it is very funny and Gervais plays another memorable character
  19. 75
    Not that the show will be everyone's English cup of tea, but there are enough "A" list Hollywood stars (making fun of themselves) each week to bring in even the most easily offended, but curious, viewers.
  20. 75
    Though he's playing a smarter, wittier, more self aware character than he did in The Office, Gervais displays the same gift for the social faux pas, and the same inability to extract himself from increasingly improper conversations.
  21. Reviewed by: Tim Whitelaw
    70
    Millman is closer to Gervais than Brent ever was, and Extras teases out compelling tension from his desperate efforts to enter the world of the glitterati.
  22. 60
    Gervais is a comic genius specializing in the art of discomfort, but this new character doesn't have the same compelling anti-charisma as The Office's David Brent--in part because Andy is such a peripheral figure in his workplace, but also because he's a more subtle creation, a mixed bag of the admirable and reprehensible.
  23. 60
    Millman... is kind of an irritating guy, and the conceit of the show wears thin pretty quickly.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. 10
    Smart, hilarious, sad, and heartwarming. A brilliant show. It ended with me wishing for more. Ricky Gervais is absolutely hilarious in this show. Deserved the emmy. Acting is great, the guest performances are hysterical, couldn't ask for more from "Extras." Full Review »
  2. 10
    Another one of Ricky Gervais' genius creations, Extra's is absolutely awesome!! Comparisons to The Office are pointless, its different and deserves to be treated so because its another work of art by the legend that is Ricky Gervais. Superbly well written from start to finish and the guest stars throughout play their parts to perfection. All round it is simply sensational, reaffirming Ricky Gervais' place as one of the greatest comic writers off all time. Full Review »
  3. BRM
    10
    This is one of my absolute favorite series of all time. The great chemistry with the cast and the fact I can watch each episode multiple times makes it special. I can't honestly choose my favorite episode since the are all soooooo good. I just wish there were more seasons to enjoy :( Full Review »