Meet Ricky Gervais
Encyclopedia
Meet Ricky Gervais was a chat show written and hosted by the comedy writer and performer Ricky Gervais
. It was produced by Talkback for Channel 4
in 2000 (repeated 2003) and ran for one series on Friday nights.
The show aired throughout the time Ricky Gervais was also writing the first series of the highly successful The Office
for BBC2
.
Guests were supposedly interviewed by Gervais in the original TV studio chairs of famous people. Gervais was seated in Michael Aspel
's Aspel & Co leather chair and guests seated in Ronnie Corbett
's monologue chair, and Grandad from Only Fools and Horses
' armchair. The guests included John Virgo
, Tommy Walsh, Michael Winner
, Wayne Hemingway
, Paul Daniels
, Tony Hart
, Penny Smith
and Sir Jimmy Savile
.
The show regularly featured darts
assistant, Tony Green
who would take his place as the general stooge and gameshow assistant. On the first episode, Gervais claimed that Green came free with the original Bullseye dartboard, which he supposedly found himself whilst building the rest of the set.
Also, the show didn't have a theme tune so at the end of each show, Gervais asked viewers to record and send in their own mixes. Few were received. Two of the episodes used a theme tune co-written and performed by Stewart Ferris
and Emma Burgess.
It was produced by Iain Morris
and co-written by Jimmy Carr
and Robin Ince
with additional material provided by Stephen Merchant
and Stirling Gallacher
(VT clock voiceover).
Gervais admits that this show was an embarrassment and it has since been mocked even by Gervais himself. He was quoted as saying that there was no second series as Channel 4 wanted to see some changes, "ratings mainly". Commenting on the difficulties of securing guests Gervais stated that "either they'd heard of me or they hadn't. Either way it was a problem".
"It was a mistake to use my own name", he says now. "I thought people would understand that I was playing a character. I should have called myself Billy Bigot. Some people really did seem to think that I thought famine was a good thing, and so on."
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
. It was produced by Talkback for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2000 (repeated 2003) and ran for one series on Friday nights.
The show aired throughout the time Ricky Gervais was also writing the first series of the highly successful The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
for BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
.
Guests were supposedly interviewed by Gervais in the original TV studio chairs of famous people. Gervais was seated in Michael Aspel
Michael Aspel
Michael Terence Aspel, OBE is an English television presenter, known for his reserved demeanour and rich speaking voice. He has been a high-profile TV personality in the United Kingdom since the 1960s, presenting programmes such as Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, This is Your Life, Strange But...
's Aspel & Co leather chair and guests seated in Ronnie Corbett
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
's monologue chair, and Grandad from Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
' armchair. The guests included John Virgo
John Virgo
John Virgo is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.- Career :...
, Tommy Walsh, Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
, Wayne Hemingway
Wayne Hemingway
Wayne Andrew Hemingway, MBE is an English fashion designer and co-founder of Red or Dead. He is also chairman of the South Coast Design Forum, and chair of Building For Life .Hemingway is the son of Canadian Mohawk chief and former wrestler Billy Two Rivers...
, Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
, Tony Hart
Tony Hart
Norman Antony "Tony" Hart was an English artist and children's television presenter. He was famous for television shows such as Vision On, Playbox, Take Hart and Hartbeat.-Early life:...
, Penny Smith
Penny Smith
Penelope Jane Smith is an English television presenter and newsreader. She has worked on the breakfast TV show GMTV, for Sky News and for Classic FM.-Early life:...
and Sir Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
.
The show regularly featured darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
assistant, Tony Green
Tony Green
Tony Green is a darts commentator for the British Darts Organisation on the BBC. He is also a former referee and master of ceremonies and was also co-host of the hit darts quiz show Bullseye on ITV alongside Jim Bowen and the show revived in 2006 on Challenge with Dave Spikey.- Darts career :A...
who would take his place as the general stooge and gameshow assistant. On the first episode, Gervais claimed that Green came free with the original Bullseye dartboard, which he supposedly found himself whilst building the rest of the set.
Also, the show didn't have a theme tune so at the end of each show, Gervais asked viewers to record and send in their own mixes. Few were received. Two of the episodes used a theme tune co-written and performed by Stewart Ferris
Stewart Ferris
Stewart Ferris is a British writer and television presenter. He first came to prominence with books based on working holidays busking in mainland Europe; The Buskers' Guide to Europe, Don't Lean Out of the Window and Don't Mention the War, co-authored with Paul Bassett and featuring their friend...
and Emma Burgess.
It was produced by Iain Morris
Iain Morris
Iain Morris is an English writer and comedian. Morris is best known for writing The Inbetweeners with his writing partner Damon Beesley and co-hosting a show on London radio station XFM with stand-up Jimmy Carr...
and co-written by Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
and Robin Ince
Robin Ince
Robin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
with additional material provided by Stephen Merchant
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office, as the co-writer, co-director and a co-star of Extras, and as the...
and Stirling Gallacher
Stirling Gallacher
Stirling Gallacher is an English actress.-Career:Gallacher is possibly best-known for her role as Dr. Georgina Woodson in the British TV drama Doctors from which she left on Friday, 27 March 2009 after 6 years...
(VT clock voiceover).
Gervais admits that this show was an embarrassment and it has since been mocked even by Gervais himself. He was quoted as saying that there was no second series as Channel 4 wanted to see some changes, "ratings mainly". Commenting on the difficulties of securing guests Gervais stated that "either they'd heard of me or they hadn't. Either way it was a problem".
"It was a mistake to use my own name", he says now. "I thought people would understand that I was playing a character. I should have called myself Billy Bigot. Some people really did seem to think that I thought famine was a good thing, and so on."