Charlie Hanson

Enraged at the critical evisceration of his highly rated sitcom "When the Whistle Blows," an irrational Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais) resorts to extreme measures in a desperate attempt to balance respectability with fame. Though television viewers tune in to his show in droves, Andy can't stand the fact that the critics think he's a no-talent hack. Convinced that he'll never achieve a modicum of artistic respectability, Andy does the only thing that seems to make sense in his blind rage: He cancels the show, fires his do-nothing agent Darren (Stephen Merchant), turns down every role he sees as "beneath him," and even lashes out at his best friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen). Before long the reality of what he has done gradually begins to sing in, prompting a depressed Andy to ponder whether success was really worth all the trouble. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of the worldwide BBC hit The Office, return with this dry comedy about a pair of down-on-their-luck movie extras. Gervais stars as Andy Millman, an actor whose ambitions hardly live up to his day-to-day life as a background player. Wry and resigned, Andy attempts to procure higher-profile film gigs by doggedly pursuing his clueless agent (portrayed by Merchant) and befriending the celebrities he meets on set. Ashley Jensen rounds out the cast as Maggie Jacobs, Andy's best friend and fellow extra, whose political incorrectness flies in the face of her good intentions. Each half-hour episode of Extras features at least one big-name actor playing a humorous variation on his or her real self, from Ben Stiller, who bullies his cast and crew while directing a film about armed conflict in the Balkans, to Kate Winslet, who hopes to nab an Oscar by playing a nun on the run from the Nazis. After premiering July 21, 2005, on the BBC, Extras began its American run on the HBO premium cable network. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, the team responsible for the raunchy and irreverent British sketch comedy series Fist of Fun, were the men in charge of this BBC weekender, telecast on Sundays at 12:15 PM. Despite this benign time slot, This Morning With Richard Not Judy trafficked heavily in explicit, single-entendre humor as it spoofed the "daily chat show" genre in general and the popular British daily series Richard and Judy in particular. While most of the series was apparently ad-libbed on the spot, a few prerecorded, carefully scripted sketches were included. One such sketch had to be scrapped at the last moment when the celebrity it was lampooning unexpectedly died. Also known as Lee and Herring in This Morning With Richard Not Judy, the series first aired on February 15, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Allan Arkush knew whereof he spoke in Get Crazy. A longtime employee of Fillmore East, a popular rock-concert locale of the 1960s and 1970s, Arkush brought a great deal of insider's savvy to this comedy about the concert circuit and its denizens. Malcolm McDowell stars as a Mick Jagger-type rocker who is one of several acts lined up for a big New Years' Eve show. If villains Ed Begley Jr., Bobby Sherman and Fabian have their way, however, the show will never get off the ground. The supporting cast is dotted with such cult-flick icons as Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph and Mary Woronov. The musical portion of the program is handled by the likes of Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed (as a Bob Dylan type) and Bill Henderson (as a Muddy Waters takeoff). In case it hasn't been made clear already, the main "joke" of Get Crazy is the presence in the cast of actors as musicians and musicians as actors; it is to the film's credit that this one joke never wears out its welcome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide