Merchant Ivory

Extras - Season One (2005)
directed by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
rating: 3 out of 5 cravats
on DVD at JL's

So much of the poignancy in The Office came from a central anonymity in its characters' lives, a smallness that enlarged small actions towards revelation. But because "Extras" depends, in part, on upending the public's perception of recognizable celebrities, the funny parts stay separate from instances of real emotion. Warm, yes, and often very funny, but only sporadically sincere.