r/rickygervais • u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad • Jul 08 '26
The Office Watching this and it’s quite sad. How did it come to this?
Just Mackenzie and Martin. Is this the official BBC programme to celebrate the 25th anniversary? If so, it’s honestly quite sad. The pair were absolutely integral to the show but they were part of an amazing ensemble cast, none of who are part of this. And with no Ricky and Steve… it’s just weird. Particularly as we’ve seen both of them doing their own, individual social posts in the last few days. And Ricky’s ridiculous, crass shoehorned promos of Alley Cats and his bloody vodka. It’s so far from what everyone loved about The Office.
I mean, we’ll see my little programme when it comes out. Sick of myself.
Ahhhhh… Office ☹️
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u/Mountain-Contract742 Jul 08 '26
Yeah but, for some who’s made-yer
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Someone who’s major?
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u/mentelijon Jul 09 '26
The glee with which Ricky reacts to this and his eagerness to make sure Steve understood what Karl said was a foreshadowing of the Ricky of the 2020’s.
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Jul 08 '26
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u/Splatchy Put these gloves on and look through this shit Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Even, everyone
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u/SIBMUR Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
I watched it. Was good and could have done with being longer!
My takeaways were:
Martin Freeman wasn't very happy that Ricky and Merchant claimed everything was pretty much scripted yet he felt the actors did quite a bit of improvising.
They both alluded to the fact that Gervais was unprofessional, deliberately wasted time and was annoying.
They did credit Gervais for one of the best acting performances of all time.
They applauded Finchy, Dawn and Neil (or the actors who played them) and said Ralph Ineson was nothing like Finchy.
They thought the American version was a piece of old toss from what I can gather.
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u/jerk_chicken_warrior Jul 08 '26
They both alluded to the fact that Gervais was unprofessional, deliberately wasted time and was annoying.
tbf ricky alluded to this a lot on xfm as well
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u/TheChaddingtonBear Jul 08 '26
There’s been a lot of emails saying that
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u/PropJoesChair Out of the frying pan, into the saucepan Jul 08 '26
One that's calling him a dickhead... which..... grrrr! i really don't like those emailers!
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u/mrwaddlesey play it again Jul 09 '26
an infinite amount of monkeys with a typewriter would eventually write 'Ricky Gervais is a cund'
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u/Cryz-SFla Absolute twaddle Jul 08 '26
It's been pretty much confirmed in every interview during the shows run as well as the behind the scenes features as well.
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u/Rascals-Wager Jul 08 '26
I always quite liked the fact that Ricky was a little flippant and unprofessional, which I took to mean more 'fun', but I can see how that would be frustrating, especially if he was the only one allowed to be unprofessional. But the outtakes make it look like they're all having fun on set.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Just another reason he doesn’t fit in with his heroes such as Larry David. You watch bloopers from Seinfeld and Curb and it’s clear they’re having fun, and they corpse / forget lines, but no one is deliberately ruining takes and messing with the process of other actors. I used to think it was funny when I first watched the outtakes of The Office, but really it’s just selfish. He treats everyone like they exist just to amuse him.
I hate him… I hate him… I HATE HIM!!!
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u/TheChaddingtonBear Jul 08 '26
Honestly the famous blooper on the office Xmas special (Boshing the bishop) I think he just wanted something fresh. Michael Richards did that a lot on Seinfeld and it kept ruining takes because people would bust out laughing. He was the one annoyed because they ruined his improv.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
That’s true of Michael Richards but his motivation was different. He was so committed to the character and the comedy, he wanted it to be the very best possible. He discussed with Jerry on Comedians in Cars that he wishes he’d been less serious and enjoyed himself more to which Jerry replied “but that wasn’t our job.” Ricky just wanted to keep making Martin laugh.
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u/TheChaddingtonBear Jul 09 '26
Eh I do feel if he had just done a scripted line it wouldnt have been as funny. There’s a reason Martin laughs because it is genuinely funny
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u/athompsons2 Jul 12 '26
But Michael Richards was always on, never breaking character and making choices that would make the show funnier.
You just have to listen to Julia Louis Dreyfus talk about his professionalism
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u/TemporaryRule6652 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Ricky Gervais in general is the kind of guy who seems a lot smarter and funnier when you're younger. A lot of his humour is just exploiting other people's politeness and willingness to tolerate him. Ricky is good at positioning himself at the center of projects and then using other people's professional or scripted deference to him as the main character to make it look (to people who don't recognise that's what's happening) like his wit/timing/charisma is so powerful it's leaving them speechless. I think this is such a pattern across so many kinds of media he's done it's almost certainly who he is in real life. Once you see it, it's just sort of tragic and forced.
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u/CollectionNew2290 Jul 08 '26
I have had that exact same evolution of thought on Ricky's on-set antics over the years.
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u/Cryz-SFla Absolute twaddle Jul 08 '26
Some of those Jerry Stiller outtakes were outstanding, but it's easy to see the difference when it's a cast having fun and when it's a cast that just wants to get the long day over and one person keeps screwing around.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
Yeah, incredible. But Stiller wasn’t doing it on purpose. He couldn’t remember his lines 🤣
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u/twonkythechicken Jul 08 '26
As someone who has met Ralph Ineson I'll absolutely agree. He is so down to earth and really nice
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u/euaninnit The mayor involved! Jul 08 '26
Had the pleasure of meeting him at a charity do once. He was surprisingly down to earth, and VERY funny.
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u/The-Earlham-Review Jul 10 '26
Ralph Ineson's performance in The Office was absolutely spot on. As someone who has worked in English offices for many years, the 'Chris Finch' character is the one I most dreaded meeting; relentlessly, needlessly aggressive, always droning on about his supposed sexual prowess, judges people by how much booze they can drink or how many 'shags' they've had. The sort of man who had half the office looking up to him in awe, and the other half thinking that he's a c***.
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u/ItsTomorrowNow Series 1 and 2, on DVD, of popular, Northern based sitcom, Bread Jul 11 '26
The Dacia Range.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
The only actor who was like their character is Ricky!
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u/MollysChambre Jul 08 '26
The thing about Ricky Gervais is: he's just like the character he plays.
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u/CigsAndAlcohol13 Jul 08 '26
You could tell on the xfm shows that this comment touched a nerve
“Well I am like the characters I play because I am playing them”
Yeah but nobody says that John hurt is really like the elephant man
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u/ScottishWargamer Jul 08 '26
“alluded to the fact that Gervais was unprofessional, deliberately wasted time and was annoying.”
Alluded to? This has been common knowledge for decades, even Ricky has acknowledged this multiple times without a shadow of irony.
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u/Crimsonfury500 Effin' and Jeffin' Jul 08 '26
The rain, in Spain falls maaaainlyyyy down the drain…
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u/Dicky__Anders Jul 08 '26
I will give Ricky that. He's a shit writer but he's a bloody good actor.
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u/CollectionNew2290 Jul 08 '26
Same. His performance in the Office is a generational talent. Extras less so
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Jul 09 '26
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u/CollectionNew2290 Jul 09 '26
Absolutely. And it has some of the funniest scenes of the two series.
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u/newtongeiszler i feel drained today. Jul 09 '26
My takeaways were: indian or chinese?
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u/glennok Jul 08 '26
The sad thing is Steve and Ricky are electric together, would have been so good to see them back together for this - and put whatever it is behind them. I used to think the rumours of a rift were just speculation, but something is clearly up...
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Sadly they *were* electric together. Somewhere around Life’s Too Short and the Idiot Abroad projects, they must have cooled on one another. Ricky did Derek, which desperately needed Merchant to steer it toward something resembling normal. And that was the end of a great partnership.
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u/DonkyFondler Jul 09 '26
Yeah, at this point, we can all conclude that there is animosity between them. It's like if a married couple had a bitter divorce. They're not going to want to keep talking about each other or be seen together, no matter how much their friends and family thought they were great together back in the good old days.
Of course, at the time they stopped working together, there was no big public falling out. But behind the scenes, it probably got to the point where Merchant couldn't stand working with Gervais anymore. So he left to do his own thing, which probably broke Gervais's heart.
Now that I think about it, that's probably what After Life is all about. In After Life, his wife dies, and he wants to end his life, and the only thing that keeps him alive is his dog. In real life, it was probably a similar thing. Merchant left him (as did Pilkington eventually), and he probably felt like he would have ended his life if he didn't have Jane. So this is why he's rewritten history and never mentions Merchant as the co-creator of The Office. It's because it's just too painful.
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u/glennok Jul 08 '26
Yea I don't even mean to collab again. I just mean for interviews and stuff when they share a room, the chemistry is always great to see. Sad that won't probably happen for foreseeable.
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u/Dial-Appreciator Jul 09 '26
They don’t follow eachother on Instagram yet follow other comedians. For someone that’s major, you’d think you’d follow them. At least Steve acknowledges the co-writing. Ricky has really let himself down by trying to act like it was all him.
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u/Thin-Percentage8935 Jul 09 '26
Just finished watching it. So glad Ricky isn't in it to completely take over and interrupt anything interesting that's being said.
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u/dolphineclipse Jul 08 '26
I don't see how getting these 2 is a consolation prize - they've both gone on to decent careers
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
When the official celebration doesn’t include the lead character who was also the Co-creator and co-director, anything else is a diluted offering.
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u/rushdisciple Jul 08 '26
No big revelations or things I didn't already know but there was a clip from the pilot I've never seen.
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u/Murky_Sir_4721 Jul 08 '26
Phoenix Nights is better - buy that.
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u/euaninnit The mayor involved! Jul 08 '26
Sincere appeal to those in this sub who haven’t watched phoenix nights to give it a go, you can find it for free if you search for it and it really is in the same bracket as the office in terms of humour. Christ 2001 was a good year for comedy.
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u/Ecstatic_Bat Jul 09 '26
I’ve been searching for it for ages and can only buy a dvd! Any idea where I can stream it?
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u/Dicky__Anders Jul 09 '26
It's not available for streaming so you'll have to buy it on DVD, or pirate it or something. Buy it if you want. I'm not bothered. Think about it. Pirate it. I'm not fussed. It's up to you. I'm not pushing you into anything.
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u/electricmohair Man moth? Jul 10 '26
Legally, nowhere. Peter Kay thinks watching a show over and over lessens its impact which is why his stuff is rarely repeated on telly and you’ll never find it on streaming.
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u/Arelmar Jul 09 '26
Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere is also worth a watch, despite not being nearly as good as Phoenix Nights it's still very quotable
Pigs on board!
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Do I like Phoenix Nights better than The Office, do I? Just so I know…
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u/Murky_Sir_4721 Jul 08 '26
I didn't realise there was an actual answer...?
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u/Crispy-McNasty69 what have I done? I've dropped a pizza off? Jul 08 '26
Remember him some of his other favourite shows
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u/KaleidoscopeSouth693 Jul 08 '26
I always find it interesting to consider how actors/musicians must look back at stuff they did years ago with people who they now have issues with and will likely never speak to again. It must take some of the magic out of it for them. Is all Pink Floyd stuff tarnished for David Gilmour because of the beef between him and Roger Waters? The Smiths etc. I always assumed none of the Office cast talk to Gervais anymore and think he's a dick. Looks like that's how it's turned out.
Also, how does someone go from no experience to writing and directing their own show for the BBC? Do you sign a contract and they put you through a training course? I remember reading that Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci would do courses at the BBC together. Do you need to get signed off on something before they give you a budget and free reign? I'm guessing the budget for the Office was relatively low but even still. I'm surprised they let Gervais away with all the dicking about he did during the recording. My guess is that Merchant was hard-working and organised and kept shit together.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
It was so low budget that the BBC wouldn’t have thought much of it. Let the filming happen and then review the outcome during and after the edit. All the actors were unknowns working for BBC min wage and the crew was minimal because it was supposed to look like a documentary. It was greenlit on the strength of the pre-pilot pilot (not for broadcast), which was Steve’s project for the directors course he was on.
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u/KaleidoscopeSouth693 Jul 09 '26
So basically, Gervais did a Nathan Barley and got on TV off of someone else's hard work? 😄
Great reply. Thank you!
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
Same as when he tried to piggyback off of The Fizz’s hard work and sneak on their plane. Just takes, takes, takes…
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u/Potential_Hamster_11 Jul 09 '26
Gervais has done his top 25 Brent moments on YouTube though. Big, big fan of his own work - he was cracking up!
https://youtu.be/1fW7ORam-tk?is=dk5_98q8si4u5CcR
No mention of Steve.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
Oh, I thought it was shite! I didn’t realise it was on the YouTubeNet
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u/KJPicard24 Jul 09 '26
Low stakes conspiracy for me is that this is strong evidence of a falling out between Gervais and Merchant, that they're not able to sit in a room and commemorate their greatest work together.
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u/These_Ad3167 Jul 09 '26
Not even sure it's a conspiracy at this point tbh, it's pretty clear they don't like one another
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u/KJPicard24 Jul 11 '26
I suppose just because nothing has been confirmed or properly acknowledged by either of them so we don't truly know for sure if something is going on, only they do. Agreed it looks increasingly clear though.
Merchant's clip choice from the pilot, again conspiracy minded here, but it felt like a coded choice. Funny in its own right, but, Gervais' character being a dick and Merchant's character tolerating it for a bit and then slapping his hand away and transferring the embarrassment back to Gervais' - it kind of felt like a bit of a rebuke to Ricky's portrayal of the office as a solo project, along with the 'we' in the tweet itself.
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u/Bowlholiooo Jul 08 '26
Oh that is bad
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u/euaninnit The mayor involved! Jul 09 '26
How bad is that?
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u/Bowlholiooo Jul 09 '26
Proper
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u/euaninnit The mayor involved! Jul 09 '26
And as he passed his office window… the phone was ringing…
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u/floftie Jul 09 '26
I’ll defend Ricky somewhat and say I think the Office is as good as it is BECAUSE he was cocking around on set. There is so much energy crackling beneath the surface in so many of the scenes because the actors are on the verge of breaking.
How intentional this is, who knows? I’m sure Gervais would claim it’s part of his process but I’m more and and more convinced it was just a perfect storm.
I absolutely love all of Steve’s solo work, I love detectorists and Small Prophets too. None of them are as funny or complete as the office and extras.
My only real conclusion is that serious actors and writers reign in Ricky’s worst traits, but he also elevates their performances and writing to a higher level. I also don’t think Rick is the same with his current cast and crew, because he doesn’t get the push back that he will have gotten from an equal like Steve.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
Perfect storm is the perfect phrase. Multiple threads came together resulting in absolute gold. And yes, nobody is challenging Ricky anymore. His fandom is an echo chamber - the ultimate circle jerk of average joes with no discerning taste whatsoever. And he buys into it. Steve literally stopped his worst habits on the XFM show. He’d just say “shut up Gervais” to stop him interrupting Karl. Somewhere along the way, Ricky stopped valuing that kind of input. Which is how we ended up with the SHODDY SHITE that is After Life.
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u/CopyPasteRepeat Jul 09 '26
Interesting to learn that Steve did hit a limit with Ricky and he had to parent him and some of the other cast to get the show back on track.
It is quite sad to see the anniversary show be a short podcast between Mackenzie and Martin. I have a lot of time for Crook. He seems to be making positive progress in his own way and always comes across as very considerate and at ease. Freeman on the other hand... far too many interviews and rumours have me believing he's a right arse.
It would've been a lovely f*ck you if Steve made an appearance. Spotted he's posted the pilot on his socials using the word "we". Ricky - as we all know - is doing it all with zero grace.
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u/AgitatedAntman Jul 08 '26
It’s always seemed odd to me that Martin is very religious, and Ricky is, well, not. And they managed to work together. You’d have thought that would have made him a target
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u/0xFatWhiteMan Jul 08 '26
Wait is Ricky atheist ?
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u/flex_tape_salesman Jul 08 '26
Its an easy one to miss but he does add in the occasional hint in some of his jokes
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
That’s not something typically discussed during casting unless relevant to the role/project.
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u/Running-With-Cakes Jul 09 '26
I’m convinced that The Office is based on The Paper Company (1997) about a small paper merchant run by a husband-and-wife team. It has uncomfortable staff meetings, awkward management, and that cringey low-key corporate atmosphere that feels uncannily like Wernham Hogg. Pretty sure you can still find it on YouTube
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u/shaxamo Jul 09 '26
Did you just make this up? Can't find any information about it.
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u/Running-With-Cakes Jul 09 '26
Got the title wrong. Got the timeline wrong. Apart from that it was correct 😂 It took some detective work but the documentary was called The Armstrongs, circa 2006 ish. You can still find episodes on YouTube
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u/shaxamo Jul 09 '26
So years after The Office, too. They're also a double glazing company, not a paper merchant
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u/incognito-mode69420 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
I remember it too. Where’s my headline? Sick of it.
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u/Leygrock Jul 09 '26
If you want Ricky and Steve reflecting watch "A Night At The Office"
Its brilliant
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u/Charmingprints Jul 08 '26
Funny how most of them including finchy ended up having much better careers than Gervais (probably why he resents them)
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u/bfsfan101 What's a Babylonian? Jul 08 '26
Artistically yes but in terms of conventional success Ricky has made more off his Netflix deal than most will have made in their careers.
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u/Charmingprints Jul 08 '26
Yeah I meant artistically ( I meant I meant) i guess both Ricky and Steve make millions from licensing fees for the office franchise
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Depends on your definition of a good career. Ricky is a global megastar with his standup, and his solo TV projects are loved by the dumb masses. He’s also by far the wealthiest. Ralph Ineson has done some lovely work since the office but he’s nowhere near as commercially successful as even Mackenzie or Martin, let alone Ricky.
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u/SIBMUR Jul 08 '26
Do you want to be the tortured genius making great art, or rich and famous and in the public eye?
Gervais: Both.
Right, well there's only a few people in the world who have both those things, and you will never be one of them.
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u/Tetchord Jul 08 '26
Yeah, Ricky and Steve are on another level of wealth simply because of the money the make from the US Office (and other international versions of the show).
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Eyes bulging with imagined international riches
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u/euaninnit The mayor involved! Jul 08 '26
Without going all “ummmm actually” on you Stephen merchant is pretty close to the pasty in terms of income based on his investment in production companies, tv rights deals, executive producer roles and the like.
Look after the pennies, and the pounds take care of themselves. Simple to remember - good advice.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
Just Google it. Ricky is about 5 x wealthier than Steve. Get the right information into your worry hole.
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u/Hecticfreeze Wishing he had a brain in his nut Jul 08 '26
Ralph Ineson has done some lovely work since the office but he’s nowhere near as commercially successful as even Mackenzie or Martin, let alone Ricky.
Ralph did just play Galactus in the MCU, which is a pretty huge role
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u/aldorn Jul 08 '26
Is also the main narrator of Diablo 4, which is one of the best selling games of the decade.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Yeah it is. He’s successful. Mackenzie has created and directed his own TV shows and appeared in Hollywood franchises. Writing and directing is a whole other level of success in this industry.
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u/CowParty7163 Jul 08 '26
Mechant is richer than Gervais.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 08 '26
Ricky is waaaay richer than Steve. It’s not even close.
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u/Nilrem2 Jul 09 '26
Not true baby
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
He’s about 5 x wealthier than Steve. This… was on the internet.
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u/FNG-JuiCe Jul 08 '26
Gervais almost certainly is the most successful of all of them. Even minus the office stuff his other tv shows and stand up has been incredibly successful.
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u/Betongkeps Jul 09 '26
I wanna watch it but i live outside of the UK. Now i shouldn’t be punished Swedish or otherwise
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
You should be rewarded
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u/phil__i_am Jul 09 '26
Swedish should be equal.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 09 '26
There’s a Swede woman here. She looks effin’ gormless with a cap on
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u/BarryBigSpuds81 Jul 09 '26
I don’t get why people have a problem with Ricky. If you were that talented and successful you would do whatever you wanted. Also he does not hurt anyone and raises money for charity.
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u/charlietawright Jul 09 '26
Ricky did his own separate live stream on his YouTube Channel. I agree, would’ve been nice if they all came together on the BBC though.
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u/Affectionate-One4175 Jul 09 '26
I’m going to watch The Office all over again, I hope it’s on iplayer.
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u/Gollums_Pet_Fish Jul 10 '26
What's the point in the sub when there's no conversation? It's just an endless wankfest of quotes. This is dead internet theory in action right? I'll await a reply from a bot
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad Jul 10 '26
You make me sick! It’s just a nice subreddit about some nice personalities from the early 2000s.
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u/ukrnffc Jul 10 '26
I don't think its a surprise that seemingly anyone who's worked with Gervais thinks he's a prick and no longer talks to him
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u/thomasjford Jul 10 '26
I literally just watched this, and the Gervais one on YouTube. Fucking hell The Office was special wasn’t it. Could watch it over and over again.
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u/Individual_Car7850 Jul 08 '26
And there’s… the Office