Mumsnet Talk

Not getting it at all. We are supposed to be laughing at grans & granddads? Then at some poor chap with social communication difficulties and learning difficulties. I feel sad and completely humourless. Am I alone or is everyone else rolling in the isle??????

Watched the first 15 mins and thought it was awful. Not even because it's tasteless - it doesn't particularly push any boundaries - it just feels like it was written by a bunch of 14 year old boys drunk on cheap cider. With any other name on the script, it surely wouldn't get past the first hurdle at C4??

Unless it got a LOT better in the second half?!

I don't think it's meant to be laugh out loud. I might be wrong, I just thought it was about relationships. The council man was unable to the genuine care and love the care home residence were receiving, which is very adapt for how things are at the moment

He didn't write it as a comedy, it's actually rather touching.

I thought it was lovely. Sad but very touching and sweet. Loved the bit when Karl Pilkington's character gave the man from the council what for!

Not sure about the drunk character or how he fits in but I imagine we will learn more about him as the series goes on.

I really enjoyed the pilot last year too.

Can't stand Ricky Gervais (actually have an irrational hatred of the prick) so I didn't watch but judging by what I saw in the ads its a rip off of Peter Kay's 'That Peter Kay thing' which revolved around reality type following of characters who would be classed as 'odd' to many in society today.

Not seen this one, but I watched the pilot one last year.

I liked it, I know many hate RG now and I think lots were dubious about it, but I liked it.

It wasnt a piss take at all as some were expecting.

It was touching.

I need to watch tonights one though.

I thought it was lovely, I loved the pilot and couldn't wait for tonight

It was touching, thought provoking and sad as well as being funny ('it's not wee, it's tadpoles!') and I think it was incredibly brave and clever to produce something like that especially when the world is against you like it is with Ricky Gervais

Maybe I missed the point then; thought it was a piss take and don't like the idea of the elderly or disadvantaged being made fun of.
Still not a fan though

I liked the pilot too, and will be watching this series. It is not making fun of disadvantaged people IMO.

I think it's awful too. I don't find it touching, doing impressions of people with special needs/communication difficulties is not okay and in a similar vein to 'blacking up' to impersonate a black character.
I actually like Ricky Gervais and loved the Office.

This is icky though.

I find it a complete pisstake, just a subtle one. I can just imagine RG and his pals sniggering over the script and characters.

I think people expect it to be a pisstake because of how they percieve RGs comedy.

Having a character with special needs doesn't automatically mean its a pisstake though. IMO the character is not being mocked, he is being shown as a real person with real feelings, not just the subject of ridicule.

Should people with special needs never be featured in drama?

How should someone with SN be depicted on TV?

There are lots of people in the world with SN, I think it is groundbreaking to have them as a main character in a programme and not just as a side character, not just someones relative being patted on the head sympathetically.

Also as the Mum of someone with SN, the pilot was incredibly moving, particularly the dereks mum references.

I identified with lots of it, was very moved and didnt find it offensive in the slightest.

I agree with you Amber but I was concerned that it was mocking. I turned it off as I felt uncomfortable but happy to accept that it was actually not meant to be "funny" like that.

I think it's in very poor taste but I think Ricky Gervais is a self serving prick.

I can see where your coming from leel, but I dont think its Derek whos being mocked, hes the hero in this.

Ive been thinking about this and I think its possible that the way individuals view people with special needs is a big factor in how they perceive this programme.

I think some people find watching people with SN uncomfortable.

It can be very much that way in real life, its the whole 'dont look/dont stare' thing.

So its as if by default watching a person with special needs is seen as rude.

I think this programme makes people feel uncomfortable, but Im not sure if its purely because its RG and they assume its a pisstake.

I don't think that it was mocking- in fact Derek's character was described as being "the most popular"- and indeed, there was no need to test Derek for autism, as it wouldn't change who he was. I am a RG fan- and I liked this too- but for very different reasons to The Office, Extras etc.

I thought it was lovely and very touching.

It makes me uncomfortable as I have a son with special needs and I have perceived the programme to be mocking how he could potentially grow up to be.

See my son has Aspergers and I don't see it as mocking at all. It's made very clear what a lovely person Derek is and how highly everyone thinks of him.

I do loathe the character of Kev though.

I thought it was really sweet and not at all mocking of the characters.
I am not a fan of rg at all but this has the potential to be a very ground breaking show.its about time tbh.

I loved it. I found it political and touching. I loved how Derek responded to the LA worker who asked him to get tested by "an expert".

I found it very thought provoking.