Derek (TV series)

The pilot episode aired on 12 April 2012 on Channel 4. Filmed in a mockumentary style, the programming is set mostly in a nursing home, and centres on Derek, a helper at the home. The title character made his first appearance in the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe show Rubbernecker,[11] and appears briefly in his Science tour of 2010. In this show, Gervais bemoans the harassment he suffers at the hands of autograph-hunters, adopting a 'Derek-like' persona before denouncing 'them' as genetically inferior and 'a gaggle of mongs'.[12]

Gervais says the programming was inspired by his relatives who work in care homes: "Half my family are care workers. My sister works with kids with learning difficulties. My sister-in-law works in a care home for people with Alzheimer's. And four or five of my nieces work in old people's homes. I always write about what I know."[13]

Gervais plays 50-year-old Derek Noakes, a care worker at Broad Hill, a home for the elderly; he worked there for three years. He likes watching reality television shows and game shows, and is interested in celebrities, YouTube and, above all, talking about animals. The viewer is told he is kind, helpful, and selfless, with good intentions. He is vulnerable because of his childlike naivety and distractions from society. He is ridiculed and ostracised, as well as marginalised by mainstream society because of his social awkwardness and lack of inhibition. Derek says it is more important to be kind than to be clever or good-looking. Many media sources describe him as autistic, although Gervais firmly denies this.[14] Gervais, in fact, remains carefully ambiguous as to whether Derek is intellectually-challenged, autistic, or otherwise.[15]

• Ricky Gervais as Derek Noakes
• Kerry Godliman as Hannah
• David Earl as Kevin "Kev" Twine
• Karl Pilkington as Dougie
• Colin Hoult as Geoff
• Holli Dempsey as Vicky
• Brett Goldstein as Tom
• Ruth Bratt as Mary
• Margaret Towner as Edna[16]
• Joan Linder as Joan
• Kay Noone as Lizzie
• Vilma Hollingbery as Elsie
• Tim Barlow as Jack
• Arthur Nightingale as Arthur
• Tony Rohr as Anthony, Derek's father
• Doc Brown as Deon
• Joe Wilkinson as Cliff Twine

Kerry Godliman plays Hannah, the care home's manager and Derek's friend. Karl Pilkington plays Dougie, the home's caretaker; Derek and Dougie live in Dougie's council flat. David Earl plays Kev, a slobbish and sex-crazed friend of Derek who does not work but spends much of his time there.

On Rotten Tomatoes the first series holds a rating of 53% based on 32 critics, with the consensus reading: "Derek is as irreverent as might be expected from a show starring Ricky Gervais, but this time he brings a surprising amount of depth and empathy to the title character."[21] On Metacritic, the first series of the show earned a rating of 64 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

The show generated occasional controversy due to a perception by some viewers it mocks mentally-disabled people.[23] Tanya Gold, writing for The Guardian, dismissed Gervais's claims in Derek, he was satirising prejudice against the disabled, instead saying it "feels more like lazy cruelty than satire".[14] Jack Seale criticised the show for relying on elements and characterisations from other programming by Gervais.[1] The Guardian's Sam Wollaston found it to be "not very good", and says "the whole mockumentary thing feels tired now".[24][25]

Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent questioned the wisdom of commissioning the programming: "To my mind, the pilot of Ricky Gervais's comedy about an assistant in a retirement home already fully explored its awkward – and testing – balance of comedy and emotion." About the titular character, he wrote "Derek's redeeming qualities are the hardest to take – a sense of self-congratulation at the refinement of its sentiments that has a little bit of the bully in it, too."[26]

Gervais' performance as Derek received mixed reviews. Diane Werts of Newsday reacted positively, saying "Gervais nailed it".[27] Curt Wagner of Red Eye says Gervais "surprises with some tender, quiet acting, and obvious love of the character.[28] Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says "although there could be an ick factor to Mr. Gervais playing a character with developmental issues, that turns out not to be the case. Mr. Gervais creates a character, not a caricature."[29] On the other hand, The Guardian's Sam Wollaston says "Ricky Gervais is out of his depth playing a character that isn't based on his worst foibles."[30] Terry Ramsey of The Telegraph says "There is Gervais's cringe-making performance in the title role. I'm sorry, but Derek is simply Ricky Gervais in a patterned jumper with a cricked neck. Gervais is not a character actor, and what Derek needs to bring him alive is to be more believable. What he really needs is someone else playing him?"[31]

The second series of Derek generated many more positive reviews. The second series currently holds a 67% based on 9 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.[32] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post reacted positively, saying "Derek is an honest and often charming endeavor."[33] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly also praised the show, but says the absence of Karl Pilkington hurt the series, saying: "The second series mostly upholds the first's tricky precedent, but the absence of regular Gervais associate Karl Pilkington means the yuks are a bit less hearty." Terry Ramsey of The Telegraph wrote,"We didn't need a second series of Ricky Gervais's comedy drama Derek."[34] In a review in The Guardian, Sam Wollaston says "That's the other big problem with Derek...it's not very smart. Or very funny. Or very good."[35] Msn.com says "Ricky Gervais' Derek remains a mawkish mess. Where to begin? The mockumentary format is moribund. The ethics are muddy. The tone is all over the place in everything but its consistent condescension."[36] Matt D of Unrealitytv.co.uk agrees, saying "The primary reasons for this are the imbalance in tone and Gervais' central performance both of which stop Derek from a truly enjoyable program."[37] AV Club says "Derek has all the creative ambition of [an online video of little piggies and bunnies doing cute things]."[38] Indie Wire says "Series two is all over the map."[39] Michael Hogan of The Telegraph says Derek is a "saccharine series" and "dreadful".[40] Serena Davies, from the same publication, says "the show seems to have been devised by someone of Derek's limited intelligence... [I will not be] wasting any more of my time watching this rather flimsy, curiously pointless program."[40]

The special was given two stars out of five by The Telegraph. The reviewer, Ed Power, criticised the episode for the "weak performance" from Gervais and the "sub-Forrest Gump sympathy milking". He described it as "glib" and "manipulative".[41] The Guardian reviewer Julia Raeside concurred, adding "I can find no comedy in it, and it lacks the emotional truth required for a drama."[42]

The complete first series of Derek was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 11 November 2013.[43] The complete second series of Derek was released on DVD on 17 November 2014.[44] A two-disc set containing the first and second series on DVD was also released on 17 November 2014.[45] Derek: The Special was released on DVD on 26 October 2015. A complete collection set was released featuring series and the special.

• Derek on Channel 4
• Derek at IMDb