Extras: Season 2 Episode 3

With this, the third episode in the series, we’re treated to the opening credits from When the Whistle Blows. Once again, I’m left hoping for a return of the wonderful movie send-ups we saw at the start of the original series and the first episode of this one. It’s not that When the Whistle Blows doesn’t hit the mark; it’s just that it’s getting further away from the “extras” part of Extras.

The rest of the episode sees a return to the style of the original, with Andy and Maggie working together on the same film, although, Andy does have a bigger part in the movie, thanks to his newfound TV fame.

The film the pair find themselves working on is a fantasy movie starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe enjoys himself, playing against his squeaky clean Potter image. He’s a sex obsessed teenager (so a normal kid then), who tries to use his star power to score with any female he finds on set, with disastrous (and hilarious) results.

Also working on the film is Warwick Davis, who has a scene with Andy’s agent that, in anyone else’s hands, could have been offensive (it’s full of small people jokes). But in Gervais’ hands, it works. We’re not laughing at Davis, but rather Millman’s imbecile of an agent. With friends like this, Andy doesn’t need enemies!

Andy finds the old adage ‘any publicity’s good publicity’ isn’t strictly true when a misunderstanding with a mother and her Down syndrome son in a restaurant results in him being front page news for the tabloid press. Again, this is the sort of fine line between offensive and funny the show walks so well.

This was probably the best episode so far this season, and there’s little doubt in my mind it’s because the show returns to the same kind of format as the original series. The episode’s finest moment features Radcliffe, a condom, and Dame Diana Rigg, who shows what real star power is all about.

October 13th, 2006 Posted by Ian W | TV Reviews | 2 comments