Dereck????

[leelteloo]

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??????

[wintertimeisfun]

*obscure

[tedmundo]

I thought the conversation about Derek being tested for autism was superb. It is not a typical RG vehicle. Very thought provoking.

[wintertimeisfun]

i thought derek came over as being a nice/kind person. him having some kind of learning difficulties i personally didn't think was an issue. actually, i just saw him as a person, i didn't give thought to anything else. as someone on here has already said, it wasn't about him BECAUSE he has a ld but it was just about him. i don't think it was making fun of him, i certainly didn't find him funny, i found him to be lovely :)

[AmberLeaf]

Ive just watched it.

I'll be watching again definitely.

Really didn't like the Kev character though.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

i thought this was showing derek as a thoughtful kind person who all the old people loved

not a piss take at all

[EllieArroway]

Where exactly was it taking the piss out of the elderly? Are you suggesting we can't have comedies set in old people's homes? This determination to be offended on other people's behalf is seriously irritating.

RG's character clearly has SN, but there was no piss taking - and a valid point was made about the value of labels & diagnoses when a person is happy and getting on with their life.

I think it was written as a comedy, but this term is not interchangeable with "piss-take" and I think a few people around here need to understand that.

Oh - and Peanut. Aside from the fact that passing comment on a programme you've never actually seen is a very Daily Mail thing to do - you have gathered wrong. It's not a rip off of Peter Kay or anything else.

I thought it was all a bit "meh", if I'm honest - although Karl Pilkington is seriously brilliant & it's worth watching for him alone.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

My friends child has sn and she watched thinking how fab to have a tv show showing positive role models - as in having a job and a normal life / just eat she wants and hopes for her child when he grows up

[BaconAndAvocado]

Loved your post amberleaf

My 15yo DS with AS loves it!

[BaconAndAvocado]

PS love love love La Pilkington

[qazxc]

Meh. didn't find it funny (not even a little bit) or thought provoking or touching. wasn't keen on the kev character, thought RG didn't make a great job of acting the part it looked a bit laboured and not very realistic.

[AmberLeaf]

Thank you Bacon

[wintertimeisfun]

i love pilkington too. actually i could just sit and watch him. i can't tell if he is either a very good actor or is just playing himself. eitherway he is lovely :)

[LeeCoakley]

I've only seen the trailer (about 5 minutes ago) and it's just something about RG's performance. Why does Derek have to present as unattractive? I.e. lank greasy hair, a hunch and an inane grin?

[TanteRose]

I'm not in the UK so can't watch the recent episodes, but have just watched the pilot on YouTube

I really liked it - by the end, I'd almost forgotten it was Ricky Gervais...
And Kerry Godliman is so good as Hannah

It reminds me of Getting On, with Jo Brand, which was television genius.

[CrapBag]

RG isn't suppose to be mocking people with SEN. He said in an interview that his mum and his sister both work in care homes, for the elderly and people with SEN so he knows a lot about them. He isn't suppose to be taking the mick out of them at all and I don't think it comes across that way. Also RG is very intelligent and I am not particularly a fan of his. I don't find him funny but I loved An Idiot Abroad and you couldn't help but notice that when Ricky talks to Karl about views on the world and other cultures, you can't help but notice that he knows his stuff.

Karl Pilkington on the other hand is fucking hilarious. His character is just him in real life basically which is the only reason I watched Derek, I could imagine him saying that to a council person in real life.

[LadyKinbote]

I thought it was wonderful and the woman who plays Hannah is superb. Not sure why people are talking about whether or not they laughed at it, as it's meant to be a drama with comic moments rather than an out and out comedy. RG is one of the few writers to tackle disability head-on and does it in a mature rather than patronising way. I agree that Kev is irritating but the other day RG said he's there for a reason which is interesting...

[Idontliketoffee]

I found it very touching,and simply cannot understand how people see it as a piss take.

[BlueSkySunnyDay]

I watched this expecting it to be a comedy but realised pretty quickly that whilst it had comedy moments that wasnt actually what it was. I thought it was very clever there were a few times when I looked at DH at went "ouch" like Hannah pointing out how many care home patients die within a year of being "rehomed" and Karl Pilkingtons character talking to the chap from the council about "ticking his boxes"

I dont get at all how you can be offended by his portrayal of Derek, I looked at H and said "ive known people like that" even down to the way he flicked his fringe and asked loads of random questions. I really didnt feel he was mocking him.

If its true RG has family who work in care homes then that totally makes sense, its a very clever way of drawing attention to the issue and giving the decisions made in offices in the name of "cost cutting" a human face.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

thought this weeks was very touching with the bird

also the story with the ring - guess there are lots of children like that

shame he gave the ring back to them and she didnt change her will/write it down before she passed away

[wintera]

I think this series has been lovely. Its not taking the piss out of the elderly or disabled people at all in my opinion. If anything its raising awareness of the way the elderly are treated in homes etc. The thing that was said in the first ep about a huge percentage of the elderly die in the first year when they are re-housed after their homes are closed down is something I never knew about.

Loving the Karl Pilkington character, even if basically he's just playing himself. When he laid into the daughter of the lady who had died I actually felt like cheering. He's great!

[wintertimeisfun]

wintera i agree re Karl, i loved the way he had a go at the awful grabbing vile daughter. i bet this is so true to life for some elderly people. as for the storyline re the young girl, i loved it, really warmed my heart. it was fab' the way you saw her gradually relax, lose the attitude and become part of the family, fab' stuff :)

[TanteRose]

episodes 1 - 3 are now on Youtube, so I am all caught up.

and again, I love it!

it is warm, funny and absolutely heartbreaking in equal measures (hate Kev though, obvs...)

the footage of some of the elderly residents in their youth (and it seemed to really be those particular actors!) was so poignant - made me cry