Sitcom September - Extras with Richard Oliver (The Chasing Tone Podcast)

[00:00:14] and welcome to Fandomentals, the podcast that explores pop culture, one conversation at a time.

[00:00:20] I am your host, Harley. Every episode I interview different people from around the world to discuss

[00:00:25] a variety of topics within the world of pop culture. Thanks for joining me on this journey

[00:00:30] and I hope you enjoy the episode. Welcome to the 2024 season of Sitcom September.

[00:00:45] This is one of my favourite seasons to record of the entire podcast

[00:00:49] for two simple reasons. One, who doesn't love alliteration and two, who doesn't love a good Sitcom.

[00:00:56] Each episode for this season sees a returning guest to the podcast and to kick us off,

[00:01:02] I am joined once again by Richard Oliver. Richard is one of the fantastic co-hosts from

[00:01:08] The Chasing Tone Podcast and it's an absolute honour to have him back on the show. Richard

[00:01:13] joins me for a conversation about the legendary BBC Sitcom Extras. Extras is in many ways

[00:01:20] considered the spiritual sequel to the office and was of course a show that I had on my list for

[00:01:25] quite a while. In fact, the inspiration for this episode came from my last conversation

[00:01:30] that I had with Richard Oliver all about the legendary David Bowie. David Bowie had a

[00:01:36] fantastic cameo alongside many many other celebrities in this season and that is of

[00:01:42] course a huge talking point in this show. We also discussed the commentary on Hollywood and

[00:01:47] the industry as a whole which is littered throughout the season, some of our favourite

[00:01:50] moments of the series and we get a surprise guest appearance in the podcast studio which does

[00:01:56] lead to a very interesting and exciting development for the podcast and something that you dear

[00:02:02] listeners can benefit from. So there's that and plenty more to look forward to in this episode.

[00:02:08] One thing to make you aware of just before we go into the episode,

[00:02:11] we did have some technical issues recording on Richard's end. Not quite sure what happened there

[00:02:16] but we managed to save the audio. Just want to make you aware of that before we go into it.

[00:02:20] But it doesn't change the fact that Richard is a brilliant guest and we had an absolute blast

[00:02:25] recording this conversation. So with all that said let's just get to it. This is Extras

[00:02:32] with Richard Oliver. Hello Richard and welcome back to the Fandom Mentals podcast.

[00:02:45] Hello and thanks for having me back. It's been a while.

[00:02:48] It has been a while, yeah I was trying to remember the last time we spoke it was

[00:02:51] I believe Bowie or although actually you were in the Star Wars episode even though we didn't

[00:02:56] speak for that one but you did pop up in there. I did come off in that a little bit

[00:03:00] and that was that was a great show actually I really enjoyed that and I think that was during

[00:03:06] the pandemic. I have a feeling I was in my garden so that might have been like I don't know

[00:03:11] lockdown five whichever what I've lost care of. It was definitely during one of the

[00:03:17] lockdowns because I was at home a lot but how have you been? Good yeah yes we were just saying

[00:03:22] before like it's it's been a manic couple of weeks like we're just recording this kind of

[00:03:26] off the back of my 2000 trees bonanza which was a load of fun and an interesting experience

[00:03:32] doing in-person interviews and yeah putting out a lot more episodes than I normally do

[00:03:38] but that's kind of the nature of those things you know you want to get them out as quick as

[00:03:41] possible and so yeah so it's been fun but yeah it's all good and I'm excited to sort of go back

[00:03:47] to one of my favorite recurring seasons. Yeah if I did my early one before I went seasonal

[00:03:53] which of course is sitcoms right and I had this one banked in my head for ages Richie

[00:03:58] because I'm pretty sure the last time we spoke about Bowie we made a reference to of course his

[00:04:03] infamous episode on extras. So good so I just had like I think I had a mental note in the back

[00:04:08] in my head of like yeah if I ever come back round to it Richard and extras that's that's

[00:04:12] what I've got to do at some point. I mean look I love nearly every good British comedy.

[00:04:20] I'm a huge fan of British comedy extras so in order to kind of prepare myself for the show

[00:04:27] I basically watched both seasons of it in two days flat. I didn't watch the Christmas special

[00:04:33] but I had to kind of refresh. Fair enough. And there were still gags that I hadn't quite picked on

[00:04:38] fully before and right that's the the brilliance and what was really good about extras and we'll get

[00:04:45] into a bit more detail but the overall thing is sure is it was before Ricky Gervais was so famous

[00:04:51] he could do what he wanted unchallenged which is where he is now and I think it was the perfect

[00:04:58] mixing pot for a beautiful comedy show but anyway I don't want to ruin the structure

[00:05:06] of way you want to start that was my hot take. Well I guess my start usually with these

[00:05:11] conversations I like to know what was the person's introduction to the show I mean

[00:05:15] just sort of catch it as it was coming out. Yeah 100% so I was always a huge Ricky

[00:05:20] Gervais fan I remember the 11 o'clock show with Ian Lee, Daisy Donovan of course,

[00:05:27] Sasha Baron Cohen who yeah for Dali G on that and Ricky Gervais and I kind of followed Ricky

[00:05:34] from then loved the office. The office you know was a lot of my life encapsulated I have worked

[00:05:42] for many David Brint absolutely no doubt about that and then when extras came out I thought this

[00:05:52] is the perfect show for me and look you know it was a time when Ben Stiller was also

[00:05:59] incredibly famous so to come out with the opening episode with Ben Stiller and it was like

[00:06:04] what? Yeah no I followed it from the beginning, watched it when it first came out

[00:06:11] and probably about eight or nine times in ten now. Yeah it's definitely one of those I think

[00:06:18] like a lot of the shows you've talked about it has a really good sort of rewatch factor for

[00:06:22] sure and yeah the office is a previous episode of this show and shout out to Josh who was good

[00:06:28] enough to guest on that episode. I really appreciated actually re-watching that series in

[00:06:32] particular because I've got a real fondness for like the American version which you know has a lot

[00:06:37] of heart to it but like you go back and watch the British one and like you said especially in

[00:06:41] the context of when it came out it was so cutting it was so ahead of its time in so many ways.

[00:06:47] It's funny when you pair that up with extras it's like a really nice double bill in a way

[00:06:51] isn't it like they're both short and sweet both pack a punch both have something to say

[00:06:56] and it's just yeah great to watch. I honestly think extras is you of course would disagree

[00:07:02] and hate me for saying it but I think it is the peak of Ricky's career because he poured so much into

[00:07:08] it and afterwards so Derek I think was the show that came immediately I didn't really dig that

[00:07:15] yeah something like that and then he's done Afterlife which he which does tug at the heart

[00:07:20] strings but it's just a little bit too much for me it's just not as funny and it's not supposed

[00:07:26] to be either and it's it's a it's actually a good show in its own right I don't want to play that down

[00:07:32] but there is something about extras that he just got perfect. I do wonder if it appeals particularly

[00:07:39] I mean Ricky is a very similar age to me and a lot of the references in the show are particularly

[00:07:45] gauged at me yeah things like having Keith Cheggwin on it and just making him Keith Cheggwin was

[00:07:51] like people wouldn't get that the jokes about Paul Daniels people wouldn't get that

[00:07:57] that the kind of references to Lenny Henry not being funny again for me that's kind of like

[00:08:06] a huge gag that comes from years of people saying that you know wrong yeah sir Lenny of Henry

[00:08:13] but yeah no brilliant Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are fantastic when on song and

[00:08:21] it's really noticeable as well how much better extras became as Stephen Merchant got a bigger

[00:08:26] role in it oh for sure for sure I mean it's something I like to do is sort of yeah dive into

[00:08:31] talk about the setting yeah the characters especially and you're right man I mean

[00:08:36] it because obviously um Stephen Merchant did cameo very briefly in the office and he has

[00:08:42] a very funny cameo in it yes but you're right I totally agree it's when you get to see the two

[00:08:47] of them together just having so much fun and like just whine each other and the character of Darren

[00:08:52] Lamb is just it's such a pitch perfect like perfectly written perfectly performed character

[00:08:58] for sure I mean it's all fantastically performed and I think that is the groundwork that Ricky

[00:09:05] Gervais did with the writing was getting it completely spot on but also with the casting

[00:09:13] because everyone in it that there's so much to it um you know but certainly the character of

[00:09:19] Darren Lamb is just so well observed but so is Barry for me still and everything Sean does is

[00:09:27] brilliant but yeah so anyway let's um let's start with the sort of setting of it all and

[00:09:35] go down the normal path you would tread no it's fine I'm always open to whatever but

[00:09:42] yeah I just I find it so fascinating I mean it feels like in many ways a spiritual successor to

[00:09:47] the office right because the office is as you said like a slice of life something you can

[00:09:51] identify with most of us if you've ever had an office job where you've worked with those kinds

[00:09:54] of people and it's um kind of an interesting look at sort of what happens when people are aware

[00:10:01] that they're being watched right and like you know not to go too far into the office because

[00:10:05] I've done an episode folks you can go back and listen to it but yeah it was um something

[00:10:10] Josh brought out was you know the way that that uh David Brent's written is this like

[00:10:15] those sort of non-celebrities and like the effect that the reality TV show was having on people

[00:10:21] which again given when it was written super ahead of its time so it kind of makes sense

[00:10:25] that in this case when you have the character of Andy Milman it's like it's almost like a

[00:10:28] spiritual successor in many ways isn't it to David Brent of like what happens to someone who

[00:10:33] is just so desperate to be famous you know and they are in the industry already they're not

[00:10:38] being followed around by a documentary who they are already acting you know so to speak

[00:10:42] what happens to that kind of person when they just chase fame it think is such a great setting

[00:10:47] no it is and also I think the whole kind of idea of uh you know the fly on the wall comedy

[00:10:56] had been done before but not quite in the same way as the office and I feel that was part of

[00:11:03] the groundbreaking uh foundation and as you say I think extras continues this I mean it you would

[00:11:10] always almost one that's obviously all drawn from Ricky's own experiences whether or not

[00:11:17] Andy Milman in in when the whistle blows uh or his character is the same as the person he based

[00:11:26] David Brent on originally because there's certainly crossover but it does show you know I mean

[00:11:33] Ricky Gevace has been trying to get famous for years famously by being a kind of knockoff David

[00:11:39] Bowie type act in a sort of prog rock new romantic band I think yeah and you know he'd been knocking

[00:11:47] on the door for a long time so a lot of his personal experiences have gone into both shows

[00:11:51] but there are things universal to extras that I think is an extra level above the office because

[00:11:59] he deliberately goes out to tackle sexism and misogyny homophobia racism and he does it in a both

[00:12:10] sensitive but also hilarious often cringe worthy and quite often a little bit like pointed way

[00:12:20] that makes you think oh I know someone like that and he's right they are you know the worst person

[00:12:26] possible so yeah it was groundbreaking TV times for sure but also just the no pun intended the

[00:12:35] extra people he bought in that all of the different people were just unreal like a cast of

[00:12:42] yeah a list and all of them gave brilliant performances I was gonna say yeah it's one

[00:12:48] that doesn't waste its cameos at all and the thing that I think is the funniest about it is I

[00:12:53] think it definitely leans into a kind of common thing right whenever you meet someone who's famous

[00:13:00] or you'd like let's say you said oh I met so-and-so an actor or a musician or whatever

[00:13:06] the first thing anyone asks you are oh they like yeah you know and it's that it's that

[00:13:11] curiosity isn't it and it's like I love the way that like yeah Ricky Gevace even merchant play

[00:13:16] with that and they're like okay we'll give you celebrities we'll give you cameos but we'll give

[00:13:20] you these heightened versions of these people and we'll get them just to play the worst version of

[00:13:25] themselves and it's just they must have had so much fun all of them just being super awkward

[00:13:30] I mean we'll go through some of my favorites at some point oh please do yeah we can talk about that

[00:13:35] but the other thing is is what they do is they offer little packets of really great advice

[00:13:42] and one of them is you know people want to meet celebrities and as someone who has met a fair number

[00:13:49] of kind of famous people even just recently through my job yeah unless they're your friend

[00:13:55] which they're not going to be unless you've got something in common and become friends

[00:14:00] they generally aren't what you expect I mean obviously there's the old never meet your heroes

[00:14:05] but I think everyone expects to meet a celebrity and like be friends with them and like you know

[00:14:11] it just doesn't happen that way we've all got our own circles they're no different than anybody else

[00:14:18] and if anything being a celebrity I think like the money is great I don't think fame is that great

[00:14:25] if anything no I think fame is a terrible thing potentially so I love how they gave those nuggets

[00:14:33] away there's there is a line where I think Andy Milman says directly to um I've already

[00:14:39] forgotten the name of um his comedy foil in it the the Scottish lengthy I can't believe oh actually

[00:14:48] Jensen that's what I'm looking for yeah so Maggie jake the heart and soul really for sure yeah and

[00:14:53] absolutely for me one of the best performances she's ever given just oh for sure yeah the the

[00:15:01] pathos in her performance is immense you end up just like feeling so sorry for her and questioning

[00:15:11] yourself because of it at times and that's what he does brilliantly and it does the things that

[00:15:17] only fools and horses did which is you will cringe there are things in it that will

[00:15:22] make you go oh I cannot watch this again but you will watch them um and and certainly the

[00:15:29] the sort of racist episode with um Samuel L Jackson oh it's so difficult to rewatch but it's

[00:15:37] still so funny uh yeah yeah but you know again I hate to say the words cancel culture I wonder if

[00:15:47] they'd have made it quite the same these days and again they tackle these subjects head on the

[00:15:52] homophobia it's always tackled from an intelligent perspective of a kind of like can you believe

[00:15:59] people are like this perspective but it was very in your face like I'm tackling this you're gonna

[00:16:07] listen to what I've got to say so I think really progressive but yeah it's all about the it's all

[00:16:13] about the the star turns for sure yeah and I think the the other kind of interesting thing

[00:16:18] about it for me is I feel like a lot of the time when it tackles those issues it also calls out

[00:16:22] Hollywood's hypocrisy in a lot of ways which is it's such a fine line to walk isn't it of kind of

[00:16:29] pointing those things out and getting it just right and a lot of the times like you said some of

[00:16:33] those episodes are great examples of where like yeah Andy Milman basically puts his foot in it

[00:16:38] and you know gets things wrong but you're also like yeah but the people around him also aren't

[00:16:42] great either like they're often doing these things not for the best reasons you know and it's

[00:16:47] very funny again how it me how it just tows that line yeah and it's interesting because you know

[00:16:52] typically you'd look for the difficult third series in any sitcom and he cut this yes two series and I

[00:16:59] felt season one you know Andy Milman the character gets redemption at the end because he gets essentially

[00:17:07] his sitcom season two is all about pushing him down and I felt yeah kind of got a bit depressing

[00:17:14] in parts and you wanted there to be a redemption but I think that's the brilliance that all you got

[00:17:20] was the brilliant Celebrity Big Brother episode with George Michael of course yeah yeah yeah brilliant

[00:17:28] but yeah brilliant comedy well written hugely well cast and produced I do wonder how much of

[00:17:38] the humour translates to people younger than me obviously you're significantly younger than

[00:17:43] me so it's done a reasonable job and also across the pond I don't think Americans will get every

[00:17:50] gag in it I think there are plenty of gags for them but there are some just for the English folk

[00:17:55] oh that's true like you said I mean some of like the local celebrities that they sort of

[00:17:59] stick in it you know for a period of time it's like I mean I guess like Ross Kent for example

[00:18:05] like maybe some people do know who he is because he's done a lot of documentaries and stuff

[00:18:09] like Les Dennis like you know most people I imagine in America have no idea who he is

[00:18:14] no but that's also part of the joke as part of like what makes it really funny and he was brilliant

[00:18:19] as well in it so so yeah definitely the saddest episode I think it is right up there I think

[00:18:28] the saddest episode is the one where Maggie kind of realises her life is awful and is like

[00:18:34] sort of yeah and I just find that heartbreaking to watch that episode it is yeah and Andy's just so

[00:18:41] blind to it all you know he's so like oh what a horrible life and it's like you have no idea

[00:18:46] but again such a great bit of writing yeah just like how somebody gets tunnel vision

[00:18:50] in that kind of moment because and I think we've made it but they're always looking at the next

[00:18:55] mountain and going but I want to be over there and I think that's a great lesson in

[00:18:59] that earlier the toxicity of fame and what it does to people the toxicity of fame and the

[00:19:06] false allure of success because success tends to be measured financially you know we look at money as a

[00:19:14] kind of scoring system in life but if you do that you will never be happy because someone

[00:19:22] always has more than you and if all you care about is I want the most and the biggest

[00:19:27] score there's always going to be people beating you so true you know again it's a very deep show

[00:19:33] and we've gone deep on it without even getting into the gags but it is a deep show without

[00:19:39] like spoon feeding you it's not sickening it's not yeah in any way preachy and again just

[00:19:45] brilliant writing by merchant and jevay's yeah I always maintain that like that the sort of

[00:19:51] the monologue that he has at the final episode is a one of the best performances that Ricky

[00:19:56] Gevay has ever given and be something that's still incredibly relevant today like you kind of

[00:20:02] watch that monologue and what he talks about and like the calling out of reality tv and

[00:20:08] like what we've just been talking about the chasing of fame the chasing of money and success

[00:20:13] in an industry like that and what it does to people and it yeah I think it's still completely

[00:20:18] relevant you know given it's almost 20 years on like it's what it has to say is still

[00:20:26] but it is and it is completely relevant and it looks fresh today um yeah and one of the reasons

[00:20:33] is because of the I guess it's a almost python-esque humor that also permeates throughout and I'm gonna

[00:20:44] jump straight to one of my absolute favorite episodes which is the Patrick Stewart episode

[00:20:50] the characterization of Patrick Stewart as a man who who sees everything is just

[00:20:59] is just ridiculous it's so ridiculous it's brilliant so funny and the kind of confused

[00:21:07] look on jevay's face as he's trying to read the script to him and he's like let me tell you

[00:21:13] about a story I've got yeah brilliant and so well done you know again we've got Ian McKellen

[00:21:21] Patrick Stewart you've got some of the finest English actors ever and they ham it up brilliantly

[00:21:29] yeah and as you say even some of the sort of lesson that there's obviously a cast of

[00:21:33] lesser known actors in it and I think um I forget the guy who plays Greg but he's just

[00:21:39] brilliant in it throughout just constantly uh Sean Pie yeah just constantly like every time

[00:21:47] wins except for in one episode I think brilliant yeah yeah just got that just that smarmy kind of

[00:21:52] look on his face every time you see him but that's also the frustrating thing isn't it and especially

[00:21:56] in the season finale is it's like but he's good yeah he's good and that's where he gets ahead

[00:22:03] and and that's life you know that's life and there's like yeah there's that scene isn't it where

[00:22:06] like uh Andy like confronts him and his agent at a dinner table and he just comes out with it and

[00:22:12] is like you can either like some people can be talented and successful some people could just

[00:22:17] be or be famous and some people can just be famous yeah and like you're not one of those people

[00:22:21] and it's such like and to say in front of his enemy Greg as well it's just such like a cutting

[00:22:26] moment it's a great moment isn't it because it then shows Andy's true colors of like you

[00:22:31] can either go well I'm going to keep my integrity and I'm you know walk away

[00:22:34] but what does he do he just looks like I just I want to be famous and just almost like admits

[00:22:38] defeat and you're like oh such a brilliantly put together moment I think we can recognize that's

[00:22:45] so much in the media today when you look at the proliferation of very simply you know put

[00:22:53] together shows and reality and how popular that is just think oh no this is a stop the

[00:23:00] planet I want to get off you know it's like I've had enough of this and he predicted a lot of this

[00:23:06] and he did it accurately um yeah so you know it's um it is funny but yeah Patrick Stewart's performance

[00:23:12] is is right I mean they're all amazing um I think I do you know what I could be wrong but I'm

[00:23:19] fairly certain we even touched upon this last time we spoke because yeah that Patrick Stewart

[00:23:23] like for me like me and my dad just every now and then if we want to make each other laugh

[00:23:27] we'll just look at each other and just say I see it I think we did I might have been rewatching season

[00:23:32] two when we last spoke but it is so you're right so good it's so funny and like you said just

[00:23:39] just the back and forth and like yeah that the look of just disappointment and concern on Andy's

[00:23:45] face as the conversation goes deeper and deep and by the end he's just frustrated isn't he's just

[00:23:49] like he goes and I and you see everything and I see everything yeah all right like this guy's a creep

[00:23:56] but the way Patrick Stewart does it just so like almost innocently like he just like he's so unaware

[00:24:03] like but it's it's such a great moment it's incredible acting and and the way he then goes into the I

[00:24:10] will make it so and just the kind of like dead silence and you know whatever recognizes what is

[00:24:17] clearly one of the most recognizable catchphrases ever and then just the the whole gag like

[00:24:22] you're single and you don't like Star Trek you know that was just like yeah so it's so well good

[00:24:30] so I don't know I love I love that episode a lot I'm writing the screenplay and I find the whole

[00:24:37] process absolutely exhilarating what's yours about if you don't know me asking well uh

[00:24:42] how best to explain it you've seen me in X-Men yeah the character I am professor Charles Xavier

[00:24:48] if you remember he can control things with the power of his mind and make people do things and see

[00:24:54] things so I thought what if you can do that for real I mean not in a comic book world but in the real

[00:24:59] world all right so in my film I play a man who controls the world with his mind right that's

[00:25:07] interesting yeah for instance I'm walking along and I see this beautiful girl and I think I'd like

[00:25:12] to see her naked and so all her clothes fall off all her clothes fall off yes and she's

[00:25:19] scrabbling around to get them back on again but even before she can get her knickers on I've seen

[00:25:23] everything you know I've seen it all okay it's a comedy is it no it's about what would happen

[00:25:32] you know if these things were possible what's the story though what's the well uh I do other

[00:25:37] stuff like I'm riding my bike in the park and this police woman says oh you can't ride your

[00:25:41] bike on the grass and I go oh no and her uniform falls off and she goes ah and she's trying to

[00:25:47] cover up but I've seen everything anyway and I get on my bike a ride off on the grass

[00:25:55] so it's mainly you sort of go around seeing ladies mainly and I do other stuff like um

[00:26:02] I go to the World Cup final and it's Germany versus England and I wish that I were playing

[00:26:07] and suddenly I am and I score the winning goal and they carry me into the dressing room and there's

[00:26:11] Rooney and Beckham and then posh spice walks in and her clothes fall off instantly sure and she

[00:26:17] doesn't know what's happening but uh I've seen everything again not to get too dark on this

[00:26:23] or anything but it kind of again touches on something that's unfortunately very prevalent

[00:26:28] right in um in the wake of sort of me too and stuff like that it's just like oh no there

[00:26:32] are lots of creeps out there like in fame and you feel like that was Ricky Gervais just

[00:26:36] just skirting up to that line and being like very much oh yeah there are people like this and that's

[00:26:42] what we're gonna say about it and just backs away from from that and it's again just ages really

[00:26:47] well like all of the cameos all of the gags the stuff that they have to say that they age so well

[00:26:53] and I think that's a really good insight because in the current climate of me too and you know

[00:27:02] generally of people trying to be more respectful but that's obviously been amplified in every

[00:27:06] direction this has a greater significance and he definitely knew that at the time we didn't know

[00:27:13] how significant but he knew what he was saying yeah but he did it in such a carry on way that you

[00:27:18] know it wouldn't look offensive and that's again how he tackles racism and homophobia

[00:27:23] you know the character the the gay characters in it are kind of so stereotypical at two ends

[00:27:30] of the spectrum which essentially the two bbc um uh producers I guess um yeah yeah that's right it was

[00:27:38] so well done uh but it was done respectfully and funnily and again acted brilliantly the the guys

[00:27:45] who did in fact the guy who plays the um the the sort of senior producer he was the guy Henry

[00:27:52] that's it he did the um uh facial acting for Tarkin in Rogue One that's right I was looking at

[00:28:03] I was thinking like I know this he's a British actor there's been lots of things but yeah that's

[00:28:07] right yeah my Star Wars my Star Wars radar was pinging in a second that's why well is it

[00:28:12] there are a few Star Wars bits and again true the episode with uh Warwick Davis Dame Diana

[00:28:20] Rigg and Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe is again it's just he taps into something that as a

[00:28:28] school child of the 1980s yeah having cigarettes and thinking it was cool and having you know

[00:28:35] a prophylactic they were all they were all things we did 100% on the school bus it's just so well

[00:28:43] done just just Daniel Radcliffe playing with that condom it's just one of the funniest

[00:28:48] like most awkward things and I know interesting as well for him genuinely because like that was

[00:28:53] around the time of like Harry Potter films they were still going I think at that point in 2006

[00:28:59] when he cameoed so it's like but again great bit of casting great little cameo to get like

[00:29:05] yeah the sort of the face of a teen franchise to just be this like grubby little like you

[00:29:10] said awkward teenager it's really funny and also the Warwick Davis is brilliant in it

[00:29:16] so good again it I cannot find an episode that there isn't something I love and that's the mark

[00:29:24] of a great show you know true true totally agree do you know what I even reference like the Kate

[00:29:31] Winslet thing the other day like where she's talking about if you want to get an Oscar you've got to

[00:29:34] play a special or something like that which is just horrendous but but everything that she says

[00:29:40] is still like accurate because like every time Oscars come up I'm sure you think the same right

[00:29:47] you look at it and like you see a film come out and you go that's the most Oscar bait kind of thing

[00:29:51] about it and it is the stuff that Kate Winslet's character talks about in that episode all the

[00:29:56] things she says are just like again 20 years later still relevant still true so commendable

[00:30:02] you know using your profile to keep the message alive about the holocaust I've got to not

[00:30:08] do it for that I don't think we really need another film about the holocaust do we it's like how many

[00:30:12] have there been you know we get it it was grim move on now I'm doing it because I've noticed that if

[00:30:17] you do film about the holocaust guaranteed an Oscar I've been nominated four times never won

[00:30:24] and the whole world is going why hasn't Winslet won one

[00:30:29] death beer

[00:30:31] that's it that's why I'm doing it Schindler's bloody list the pianist

[00:30:38] Oscars coming out of their arse

[00:30:41] you both good luck then it's a good plan thank you I think her cameo and her acting is brilliant

[00:30:51] I think yeah the way she pulls off the the kind of characterization that she does it looks so natural

[00:31:00] it looks so good yeah when she and Ricky are trading doobal on tondras I think Ricky

[00:31:08] talks about going into the garage to give his headlights a quick clean over the weekend or

[00:31:15] something and she talks about polishing her husband's Oscar it was again it could have been

[00:31:21] unscripted it was so natural it just worked so well but yeah she is absolutely brilliant again

[00:31:28] they're all brilliant that is one of my personal favorite episodes though because there are a fair

[00:31:34] few jokes based around the fact that Ricky is dressed in Nazi uniform for most of the year

[00:31:40] yeah but again it taps into that and it's like you can tell it's him just calling out Hollywood

[00:31:45] and like basically saying like Kate's character is playing a nun in Nazi Germany and it's like

[00:31:50] clearly the most exploitative thing that you could possibly do and it's all in the aim of

[00:31:55] getting praise and accolades and you're like yep that still goes on today there are still

[00:32:00] things that that's still a debate that people have amongst very certain films that come out

[00:32:04] of like is this a genuine story that you wanted to tell or are you telling this because

[00:32:09] you know it will get eyes at certain awards and again it's just that fine line he walks again of

[00:32:15] like just like we said like giving fun funny sort of tongue-in-cheek awkward jokes but also having

[00:32:21] something to say about an industry it's like it's really yeah and it was an industry that he

[00:32:26] hadn't cracked at that point you know no are we quite dangerous right to be doing that yeah

[00:32:31] and I think your career yeah it was a risk but it was a risk that paid off because it catapulted

[00:32:38] him beyond superstar well he you know he's obviously a very talented guy there's no doubt about it as is

[00:32:44] Steven and everybody else involved I think the producers are you know top BBC producers I think

[00:32:50] I think it was Asher Tali who did it but I can't be certain about that because

[00:32:54] I can find out for you now I'm just on IMDB isn't this where you need your little Google tune

[00:33:00] oh thanks for calling that out there we go

[00:33:13] have you got a special IMDB one you need like the 20th century fanfare

[00:33:18] I do need an IMDB one I've got to think about that now what do I know

[00:33:23] I knew there was a DVD

[00:33:25] ladies and gentlemen it's time to IMDB

[00:33:44] oh and right on cue here is a really good dog what a beautiful young lady we have here

[00:33:52] there are too many jingles now happening at once

[00:33:56] this is maybe I'll just mash them all together it's just unintelligible

[00:34:35] yes hello you will be fed soon don't worry it's it's not you're not hit right people

[00:34:40] who hear have heard this before so I'm recording this at almost six o'clock we have three minutes

[00:34:44] from six o'clock at time of recording her dinner time is usually around six o'clock

[00:34:48] it's freaky unbelievable freaky you just she is a girl

[00:34:53] he's very cute yeah um I need to put you on the socials more and exploit you you need to

[00:34:59] remind me offline to send you dog products oh I will thank you I don't think I mentioned this last

[00:35:06] time but I have a kind of I hate the phrase side hustle no go on but basically I have a

[00:35:15] dog business that is very slow burning I closed it down over the pandemic because

[00:35:22] it was too much work and then I took all of the collars leads and toys

[00:35:26] into my garage and I sell maybe one collar a week at the moment I do no promotion

[00:35:32] this is the most it's just sits there in my head but I have got like every marvel character

[00:35:38] that you could ever want I've got a lead and collar for that would I've got some super psychedelic

[00:35:44] ones that are like made from recycled inner tires and ridiculously luxurious leather collars leads

[00:35:53] blankets toys poo bags I've got the lot for the dog but this this feels like my first ever

[00:36:00] sponsor I'm not mad about it well if by sponsoring you I can just simply send you

[00:36:07] some of the collars and leads from my garage that would make me very happy I will chuck a link

[00:36:12] in the show notes why not let's do it anyone listening yes style up your pet dot com that's the

[00:36:19] that's style up your pet dot com not bad you should definitely do some radio advertising

[00:36:25] so anyway thank you back to the extras um yes I will be talking about producers

[00:36:31] yeah charlie hanson john plowman erwin davis yes yes it was a big name no I mean they're all like

[00:36:38] big bbc produce bbc through the money at this no doubt about it um yeah and it was kind of like

[00:36:46] I remember when it came out it was kind of like a race to see who they'd get each week

[00:36:52] yes so yeah I know I'm a big fan of everything about the show except I would have liked the

[00:37:00] third series I think um yeah yeah but then again I mean did you see the david brent film

[00:37:07] yes I did yeah I think that kind of yeah I think I think that's sort of like do you really want

[00:37:12] extra season three because that's probably the quality you're going to get now unfortunately

[00:37:15] unfortunately I think and look again I watched some of his stand-up recently I think I've seen

[00:37:21] all of his shows I don't know and I think it's fair to say that they've got progressively less

[00:37:26] funny there's always one really funny gag in every one but yeah yeah honestly I I just he's a lovely

[00:37:34] guy from what I can tell but uh yeah although that said he made a great cameo in curb your

[00:37:42] enthusiasm that was pretty funny oh okay okay um but yeah um I am a big rickie javades fan

[00:37:50] but I think he's probably had his moment in the sun so far he may come out with something else

[00:37:56] yeah possibly possibly I mean like we said I think the strength of this right is

[00:38:01] having something to say and definitely taking a risk yeah like you like you said so many times

[00:38:07] already like yeah you're right the cameo the guest list and this is incredible

[00:38:11] but the idea of getting them to all just really play around and not they're not be flattering

[00:38:16] but with you know with the performances and what they had to do like many of them don't come off well

[00:38:22] in this uh you know in the versions of themselves that they get to play the only one arguably

[00:38:26] that kind of comes off alright is maybe Jonathan Ross yeah but everyone else looks pretty awful

[00:38:30] you know especially that Richard and Judy were in it uh as well and oh yeah it didn't do them

[00:38:39] any privacy for sure um but again I love that I love that that's just I mean like you said

[00:38:45] even the first episode you got Ben still like yelling at a refugee you know and like it just

[00:38:50] like whoa okay well done brilliantly written brilliantly performed yeah um interesting no I

[00:38:58] again it is very much a show of two seasons because I'll say you know season one is the

[00:39:02] upwards arc and season two is the sort of made it downwards arc but season two features a huge

[00:39:09] amount more um Stephen Merchant and um yes uh I can't say his name it has to just be buried from

[00:39:17] his then that's to bury from me I'm not saying Sean's real name always will be

[00:39:22] Barry from EastEnders but um and and that really mixed it up I think some of the stuff they did

[00:39:28] was brilliant but when he starts screaming Mustang Sally in the office it's just like

[00:39:34] he's got rain yeah exactly and it's just like mid conversation as well and like Andy's just like

[00:39:40] what are you doing but stop it but that's such great um Mickey taking of yeah his career after

[00:39:49] EastEnders because you know as EastEnders started to fade he was on all the chat shows singing

[00:39:56] and I don't know whether it was Mustang Sally but he was certainly singing those kind of

[00:40:00] commitment style tunes and the fact that he took the Michael out of and then of course is in the

[00:40:07] phone shot with Dean Gaffney late yeah yeah that gag they're like they all end up in the car

[00:40:13] phone warehouse it's just really so so funny I'm playing the lead character are you sure though

[00:40:19] because he's really versus heart do you know what I'm not sure what it is you can do but

[00:40:23] you know Barry can do all sorts do your serious you do love me Janine you do

[00:40:27] I know you do yeah do your comical pack you're trodden before get off he's a singer as well

[00:40:33] Mustang Sally loud isn't it loud he did a gig once without a microphone but there was no microphone

[00:40:38] there was nothing was there no you just turned up for this gig there was no PA system nothing

[00:40:40] tell me what happened they were gonna cancel the gig I said you having a laugh in yeah I don't

[00:40:43] need a microphone I want to say microphones are for whips microphones are for whips and I

[00:40:47] belted it out just like that in front of what 140 odd people yeah and they were really spread

[00:40:51] out because it was a thousand seat a venue a lot of empty seats didn't phase him didn't bother

[00:40:54] him just went for dip gonna do it are you wanna do right around Sally sing with me now

[00:41:00] that's Sally right what are you doing I think a little sing song I'm doing the lead in this okay

[00:41:05] I'm playing the lead character that's it I don't want to discuss it are you sure yes I don't know

[00:41:10] he's not I just you've never struck me as a funny bloke sorry are you always coming here and

[00:41:15] you're really negative in a bit doesn't that tell you something well I know what you're trying

[00:41:19] to say but I don't get Barry anywhere can he's happy I'm not entirely happy all right back on

[00:41:23] there mate giving it all this in front of another client if you've got an issue have a

[00:41:25] private meeting with me but don't you've been hanging around with him too much giving it this

[00:41:29] has a lot to say it will make you cringe like I said I find that I find the episode with

[00:41:36] Samuel L. Jackson really difficult to watch it's genuinely one of the worst ones yeah for sure

[00:41:42] it's very very funny but and again you kind of think and again it's brilliant of how he's

[00:41:48] played it Samuel L. Jackson's only in it for a few seconds at the beginning and you get through

[00:41:54] the whole episode you think oh I've been robbed here you know that he was barely account and then

[00:42:00] he has just the greatest kind of deliverance style set up every brilliant yeah and like they give

[00:42:09] him that the opportunity to do his like thousand-yard stare through Andy Milburn's character at

[00:42:14] the end it's just like you said you just go cold like watching it you're just like oh this is so

[00:42:20] uncomfortable but so brilliantly done they must have had such a good time making this 100%

[00:42:27] 100% I mean yeah like we talked about last time but I think yeah the Bowie one absolutely I think

[00:42:32] is one of the best ones just well the Bowie one is magnificent on so many levels

[00:42:37] it is I learned as well on this podcast that apparently one of the last performances the day

[00:42:44] of Bowie ever did one of the last things he did live was he got to introduce Ricky Gervais on stage

[00:42:51] and like kind of recite quotes from that episode basically introduced him as like a

[00:42:56] chubby little fat man and like sorry little loser like just he got to do all of that

[00:43:02] and like there's clips on YouTube out there of him doing it I will check that out I didn't know

[00:43:06] and me neither and I'm like that's awesome and again like nearly 20 years later

[00:43:10] he could still reference it and people like brilliant love it I mean it was the peak of the

[00:43:15] show for obvious reasons for me I'm a huge Bowie fan we know this yes but yeah even so the way

[00:43:23] Bowie delivers the lines the way he starts off so earnestly listening to him like talk about

[00:43:30] how you know the BBC had turned his show into a bit of a laugh you kind of see

[00:43:37] like Bowie was not known to be the greatest actor he's you know he's had some good acting roles and

[00:43:42] he's had some bad acting roles but in this this is probably one of his best because you kind of

[00:43:48] almost see his brain like look at him going this guy's talking to me but hold on I've got a song

[00:43:53] idea and the way he just turns around and starts singing chubby little fat man and you've got

[00:44:00] chords and you're just like that is and how it all evolves is brilliant and then when you think

[00:44:06] they can't get it any further he comes out with the pug nose like and everyone's doing the puncher

[00:44:12] and it's like what how did Bowie do that with a straight face I mean Bowie was known to love

[00:44:19] comedy and laughter so I'm sure he loved doing this but yeah and for Ricky Gervais what a moment

[00:44:25] that must have been he loved David Bowie who's a huge Bowie fan he tried to sing like him all of

[00:44:30] that good stuff so that must have been huge for him so yeah a really lovely moment for a Bowie fan

[00:44:36] but also funny as hell I don't think any other musician could have pulled that off quite in

[00:44:42] the same way no I think you know I think it's one of those things where like real life and

[00:44:47] art sort of meet in the middle because like you said obviously Gervais yeah famously being a very

[00:44:51] public fan of Bowie's and it's just one of those things where I think the performance is all around

[00:44:57] they're just really sincere like you said if it was any other musician I think it would have been

[00:45:01] hard to kind of fake that whereas just having that like I think his his actual fandom kind of

[00:45:06] creeping into Andy Milman's you know the desperation to just get in front of this guy

[00:45:11] that he in real life admires and admires him for all of the reasons that Andy Milman lays

[00:45:15] out in the episode of like he's sincere he does what he wants he's got this talent like how do I be

[00:45:21] like you and and like you said just to have that moment where it's like it looks like he's about

[00:45:26] to say something really poignant and then he just comes out with this horrible insulting song

[00:45:31] and you're just like it's just the most brutal thing isn't it like because I don't know about

[00:45:37] you the first time we watch it you like you almost feel like oh he's gonna say something

[00:45:41] 100% you nailed it you are so pulled in and then it's just that

[00:45:46] crushing blow like the hammer comes down and it's like you said everybody joining in and

[00:45:51] just the way it escalates it's brilliant it's absolutely brilliant not going down to a ball

[00:45:57] getting six million viewers I mean it's it's not exactly how I meant it to be because the

[00:46:02] immediacy of it appeared and sort of chased ratings and made it lowest common denominator

[00:46:06] sort of comedy catchphrases and wigs and I think I've sold out to be honest but

[00:46:12] yeah it's difficult in it to keep me integrity when you're going for that first little fat man

[00:46:18] who sold his soul the little little fat man who sold his dream

[00:46:26] chubby little loser

[00:46:33] chubby little loser national joy no not not chubby little loser

[00:46:39] no pathetic little fat man no one's bloody laughing the clown that no one laughed said

[00:46:48] they all just wish he died

[00:46:53] and I've got to say Chris Martin who's another musician that comes into the show

[00:46:58] he pulls off brilliantly as well because you know his character is numbers obsessed

[00:47:05] okay you've paused

[00:47:10] we were talking about um Chris Martin that was the last thing I heard yeah so we were talking

[00:47:17] about Chris Martin before you blew the internet up yeah I might even just leave this in the

[00:47:22] episode my internet died everybody I don't know what happened I presume Jesse pulled the plug

[00:47:26] out the back of the internet I was gonna say your dog has just walked out of your room with a

[00:47:31] really guilty look and an ethnic table attached to somehow but no uh Chris Martin again was

[00:47:40] brilliant because he played the worst version that we think Chris Martin is of himself yeah

[00:47:46] you know he was just this soulless number crunching um celebrity well how many views

[00:47:55] will this get me again yeah a portent to the new world of internet click farming really

[00:48:04] 100% yeah again aged very well definitely um but he was very very funny in it as well

[00:48:12] it's the reveal where like they're on about not having merch in the in the shot and then

[00:48:18] he just takes the hoodie off and he's just wearing the t-shirt he's like oh my goodness

[00:48:22] yeah no it's such a fun it is also exactly what the industry is like so

[00:48:30] yeah yeah no that was uh he was he surprised me actually I always thought that would be

[00:48:35] the one I hated uh in it but no I didn't he really you know I want him I think another

[00:48:41] of my favorite episodes though is also I mean there are there's 12 episodes so I'm gonna

[00:48:45] list them all but of course Orlando Bloom uh thinking he's God's gift is so good

[00:48:52] I forgot about that yeah then like he fully like goes up to Maggie and like just makes out with her

[00:48:58] it's exactly it's just like she's just like nah I don't feel it there's nothing he's like what

[00:49:04] like you can't believe it but you know and he's always continually checking his position

[00:49:09] against Johnny Depp he's like ah Depp is higher than me but you know that that's how shallow

[00:49:14] people are unfortunately and the more you get in Sconston in that industry I think the worse it

[00:49:22] becomes for everybody so um yeah yeah for sure I mean even like like Clive Owens kind of like a

[00:49:29] sort of pretty uh sort of another like shadow of that right in a similar vein of yeah yeah just

[00:49:35] absolutely full of himself and that bit with the extras and like my Maggie size she's had enough

[00:49:40] and the other one comes forward he just goes I'm Clive Owens and like just it's like I'm not doing

[00:49:47] this it's like he's just so full of himself it's brilliant yeah and again a great get because he

[00:49:52] that was when he was like kind of the height of his powers yeah I think he was probably being

[00:49:57] touted to be the next bond around that sort of point you know was I believe so yeah yeah I learned

[00:50:02] just actually about him like because he kind of dropped off hollywood's radar sort of

[00:50:10] just wanted to keep his family in London and like didn't want to move all the way to LA and pursue

[00:50:14] all these opportunities and yeah I agree I was like fair play man that's good for you good for you

[00:50:20] again I think we always find it quite heartwarming when we discover that actors or celebrities are

[00:50:26] actually decent people I remember reading about Rick Moranis who was huge in the 80s as part of

[00:50:33] you know he was in Little Shop of Horrors he was obviously in Ghostbusters but his wife had

[00:50:38] an illness I think she passed away and he just decided I'm gonna give up acting and take care of

[00:50:42] my kids and just think it's heartwarming when that happens yeah so I didn't know that about Clive

[00:50:48] Owens yeah only find out recently because yeah I was listening to um shout to sequelize as

[00:50:54] a no talk about sort of actors that you could see having a resurgence and that was one they picked

[00:50:58] on and and yeah the bond conversation and yeah I think he's openly admitted that yeah there were

[00:51:03] times around then that it was being floated so yeah just for all of those reasons like a perfect

[00:51:09] person to cast in that special and just really really yeah great bit of casting great bit of fun

[00:51:17] and I imagine all of these people just had the best time just playing like the worst most

[00:51:21] hammed up versions of themselves and just leaning into these things like an actor's dream to do

[00:51:26] this show it has to be literally like you are going to do all the stuff you did at drama school

[00:51:32] that really kind of got you into acting yeah times you know 100 absolutely so yeah no it was um

[00:51:43] really well and of course the big pull-in season two acting wise was obviously the

[00:51:49] satire mckelin episode which again was just so brilliantly done with his acting tips

[00:51:58] where he literally tells you everything that actors do because it's true that's all they have to do

[00:52:06] literally yeah you're confused

[00:52:14] it's so funny it's so so funny how do I act so well what I do is I pretend to be the person

[00:52:26] I'm portraying in the film or play yeah you're confused no definitely simple case in point

[00:52:34] lord of the rings little Peter Jackson comes from New Zealand says to me

[00:52:37] sir Ian I want you to be Gandalf the wizard and I said to him you are aware that I am not really

[00:52:44] a wizard and he said yes I'm aware of that what I want you to do is to use your acting skills

[00:52:52] to portray the wizard for the duration of the film so I said okay and then I said to myself

[00:53:02] how would I do that and this is what I did I imagined what it would be like to be a wizard

[00:53:12] and then I pretended and acted in that way on the day yeah and how did I know what to say

[00:53:25] the words were written down for me in a script how did I know where to stand

[00:53:31] people told me if we were to draw a graph of my process of my method something like this

[00:53:39] sir Ian sir Ian sir Ian action was it you shall not pass cut sir Ian sir Ian sir Ian

[00:53:48] and even like the name reveals and stuff and like like you said commenting on the homophobia

[00:53:52] side of it interesting like the reveal that yeah that Andy sort of doesn't quite realise

[00:53:57] what's going on with his characters and I think there's even just like a little gag isn't there

[00:54:01] where like a female actor turns around and has like a man's name you know in quotes and like

[00:54:07] just the little things like that like it's just pulling on the ignorance and stuff it's just

[00:54:12] yeah that episode is full of so many things I mean the fact that it ends with Ian McKellen

[00:54:17] like grabbing his head and trying to shove him into the other actor it's just really funny

[00:54:22] like just off stage just the look of like intense anger in his eyes as well as he's doing it

[00:54:28] it is and oh you've just reminded me of the other episode the one with um oh um

[00:54:36] is it in the Finney Jones one no oh yes with Finney Jones and Ross Kemp yeah

[00:54:43] or is it no it's the pantomime one with Les Dennis where you've got um Bunny the um

[00:54:50] played by Jared Kelly uh who is brilliant in it and and again tackling the kind of

[00:54:59] homophobia thing but also just looking at the um incredibly sad life of somebody

[00:55:07] his daughter who you know he has thrust into the limelight but she doesn't want to do it

[00:55:12] but think she doesn't just think again this comes from personal experience everybody

[00:55:17] yeah has who's worked in show business must know somebody whose parents are living vicariously

[00:55:25] through their career 100% like that awkward dinner party thing where like Maggie goes and it's just

[00:55:31] like a couple of old nannies they're all like 70 yeah yeah you're just like oh this is depressing

[00:55:39] but again that that's actually I mean it's a funny episode but that's actually uh one of the

[00:55:46] I mean that's the les Dennis episode and as you say Les's character which you know it is really bad

[00:55:52] because in a way les is kind of mocking himself and the whole Amanda Holden thing like incredibly

[00:55:58] well throughout that and I think that's probably before they broke up so not sure how that worked

[00:56:03] but it yeah um that's a sad sad episode but funny as hell um and again aged really really well

[00:56:12] but again Americans will not get when he refers to Russ Abbott's Madhouse in fact I doubt you even

[00:56:18] know what Russ Abbott's Madhouse I must admit I don't know for my generation that was Saturday night

[00:56:23] TV on ITV and it wasn't great it had its moment it was a um a kind of slapstick comedy skit show

[00:56:34] Russ Abbott was the main guy in it but Les Dennis was like one of his number two kind of

[00:56:40] stooges and he had Bella Emberg who was a sort of larger lady who played all these funny

[00:56:45] larger lady roles because it was funny to point at larger people back then you know it wasn't a great

[00:56:51] show uh but it was an institution in the UK and Russ Abbott became one of the you know top light

[00:57:01] entertainers not to steal one of Vic Reeves catchphrases of of that period but it was

[00:57:08] universally considered by most people into comedy is the broadest unfunniest comedy show

[00:57:16] there could be but you know I could say the same it is true about Mrs Brown's boys because

[00:57:23] I personally don't find that funny at all I respect the talent that went into it but it seems to be

[00:57:31] incredibly popular people love that show so again comedy is a weird one so yeah I mean that's

[00:57:39] kind of the interesting sort of central thing of it all right is I feel like I don't really know

[00:57:45] this I've not looked into any interviews about this but I feel kind of like Javais and Merchant

[00:57:51] are having a little bit of fun with the whole when the whistle blows thing of it all right and

[00:57:55] kind of going almost a bit like this is what the office could have been if the wrong people got

[00:58:01] their hands on it and it's definitely like you said shining a light on like the Mrs Brown's boys

[00:58:05] slapstick kind of but also I mean again when were you born remind me you'd 94 my friend

[00:58:11] so the 1980s the late 1980s was a period of terrible comedy generally on tv yeah we had we had

[00:58:22] like these sitcoms like ever decreasing circles which actually in parts was hilarious with Richard

[00:58:26] Bryas who appears in the Oscar's episode or the BAFTA's episode we had things like Never the Twain

[00:58:34] which was a terrible sitcom about two antique dealers who lived next door to each other

[00:58:39] we had things like Terry and June from the 70s you know all of these shows were just patently

[00:58:45] unfunny and poorly produced and they all had a catchy theme tune generally written by Bonnie

[00:58:50] Hazelhurst and a poor animated intro so he very lovingly recreated that with yeah when the whistle

[00:58:58] blows but there were like I could name five sitcoms that looked exactly like that but were less funny

[00:59:05] his when the whistle blows was actually funny compared to some of the sitcoms of the 80s

[00:59:11] they were just bleak they would honestly they were depressing so again brilliantly done brilliant

[00:59:18] casting for the kind of meta cast as well I think it's Lisa Tarluk isn't it um yeah that's great playing

[00:59:25] the sort of main female protagonist and the guy who plays Godpa I think which again was I think

[00:59:32] was it Godpa what did he call him because Godpa was porridge but he was it was in reference to

[00:59:38] that sort of name I will find it for you now Gobler Gobler which again was was just literally

[00:59:45] referencing you know the great sitcoms of Ronnie Barker etc yeah brilliant the episode where they have

[00:59:53] that the the Japanese businessmen come and and they've prepared a song and it's the most racist

[01:00:02] song you can do but again it harks back to what was happening in 1970s 1980s British playgrounds

[01:00:12] those stupid rhymes and things were things that were commonplace and again it's just so well done

[01:00:21] you know I might actually have to watch it for a third time this week

[01:00:25] that episode oh yeah me too I've full disclosure I've not had the chance to go back and re-watch

[01:00:29] all of it I was picking up clips earlier and um just I mean they're all so brilliant but

[01:00:34] yeah it's something that I always find interesting that that's like the central

[01:00:38] rule thing in the in the entire series and like you said that you absolutely spot on with

[01:00:43] with the way the series arc works of like series one is he's an air quotes made it

[01:00:48] I think the show's getting made it's brilliant and then obviously season two as you say is

[01:00:53] the downfall and like careful reality kind of thing yeah yeah and it reminds me of um did

[01:00:58] you ever watch screen wipe sort of Charlie Brooker stuff yes yeah I love Charlie

[01:01:02] yeah there he does a really fantastic episode you can again you can find the segment on youtube

[01:01:07] where he talks about how a tv show is made and again it's it's it's basically the blueprint of this

[01:01:15] show in extras of like how things can get away from you and producers and people like

[01:01:20] will put their aura in and say you should do this and you should have this character and

[01:01:23] oh this person's popular and you do this and he's like by the end of it the thing that

[01:01:27] you've lovingly crafted and wanted to make is just unrecognizable and you're now stuck with it

[01:01:33] and that's what you're known for and I feel like that was javais just exploring that idea

[01:01:38] but across two seasons and a special and it's yeah again like we keep saying

[01:01:45] it's still relevant today I'm sure that that happens to lots and lots of people in the

[01:01:49] industry where you have an idea and you're like on paper it could be really really good

[01:01:54] but then that once the train starts moving you're like well I don't want to lose this opportunity

[01:02:00] and you go quiet and then it just before you know it it runs away and you no longer recognize it

[01:02:05] I mean I think it's true of all creative industries it's definitely true of the design world

[01:02:12] because we quite often put ideas to clients and they're like this would be brilliant but it

[01:02:18] would be even more brilliant if we added our bits and by the time they've added your bits

[01:02:22] it's ruined and your artistic integrity is in the gutter but you've been paid so you don't care

[01:02:29] but I feel that is common throughout all creative arts and I guess yeah you know writing something

[01:02:36] is the purest of all creative arts that's just communicating direct from your brain with words

[01:02:42] writing and acting are you know so pure compared to like graphic design where there's a medium

[01:02:48] involved or anything like that I guess it hurts even more but yeah the way the arc is spun out

[01:02:54] is brilliant but the meta show when the whistle blows is so well done and very few shows are capable

[01:03:01] of having that there are some that do it for sure but yeah no he did a great job on that it was

[01:03:09] very good and also going back to the BAFTAs the little cameo with Ronnie Corby wanting drugs

[01:03:16] in the toilet was just just brilliant and and the height related gags that they throw out there

[01:03:23] just because they can yeah you know and again you wonder how much of that is going to be lost on

[01:03:30] an international audience because again in this country 70s and 80s Saturday nights before

[01:03:36] Russ Abbot was the two Ronnies you know it was ubiquitous comedy and we only had three channels

[01:03:42] and I know it sounds like an old man and all that but everyone would talk about it because that's

[01:03:47] all that was on TV and he's tapped so well into one of that yeah he certainly did and yeah that's

[01:03:56] again one of my absolute favorite no the Ronnie Corbyt moment is brilliant

[01:04:01] like I say I think I mean we've basically covered every episode because we've done Ben Stiller

[01:04:07] then then you've got the Ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones episode which by the way I think is one of

[01:04:14] the funniest things ever like the phrase super army song I was literally just about lives in my

[01:04:19] head read free it's so good the way Ross Kemp turns around says it actually means super

[01:04:24] and the thing is is again he's tapped into what it was like to grow up in England

[01:04:32] in you know 70s and 80s and you know have action men as your toy and think that soldiers were all

[01:04:39] heroes and blah blah blah but it's exactly how kids in the playground work you know it's very much

[01:04:46] my dad's bigger than your dad that's very much what he's doing there brilliantly done

[01:04:53] I've talked to actual SAS people they've told me what it stands for

[01:04:57] what does this stand for then super army soldiers

[01:05:07] you sure yeah I mean actual SAS people have told me that the actual guys themselves and they should know

[01:05:14] they're winding you up they wouldn't do that to one of their own no I thought it's such a

[01:05:22] special air services on a special air services I mean that sounds like FedEx or something doesn't

[01:05:27] register delivery or whatever do you think a postman needs arms like these did I get these

[01:05:32] muscles lifting jiffy then definitely not but then of course you've got the Kate Winslet episode

[01:05:43] which is absolutely brilliant and like her doing the things she does with a certain I'm trying to

[01:05:50] keep it clean a part of her body a bit behind the boyfriends about is brilliant then you've got

[01:05:56] um Francesca Martinez in it who plays the uh who has cerebral palsy and plays the girl therefore

[01:06:04] with cerebral palsy and again another set of boundaries tackled and you look at the career

[01:06:11] of someone like Rosie Jones who's been incredibly successful and has bought you know ableism

[01:06:16] very much into focus and has been the subject of some terrible things and you think again this

[01:06:23] is something that Javais sees and calls out straight away so yeah uh no no stone uncovered

[01:06:30] then it's the les denis episode with the pantomime which is so brilliant and again you've got to give

[01:06:37] Javais this the faces he pulls when he's trying to play the camp Aladdin where he kind of

[01:06:44] pukes his lips and crosses his eyes are just brilliant and he couldn't do it now because

[01:06:50] he's lost too much weight but because he was carrying a tiny bit of extra padding

[01:06:55] you look so funny uh then you've got the Samuel L Jackson episode which is brilliant

[01:07:04] especially just just everything about but the fact that they use um we will rock you

[01:07:11] as a kind of final kicker to why the friendship with the weird guy was never gonna work yeah

[01:07:18] yeah um then Patrick Stewart which is definitely one of the greatest episodes of any show ever

[01:07:27] just just watching him describe his thing then you've got the Orlando bloom we're into season two

[01:07:33] then Bowie which is just ridiculous then Radcliffe then Chris Martin

[01:07:40] then Ian McKellen of course it ends on Jonathan Ross but honestly you could not have picked

[01:07:46] a better spectrum of British stars I know there's a few international ones littered throughout

[01:07:51] and um unbelievable and of course the Robert De Niro um yeah yeah pen thing is just pure

[01:08:03] genius because again going back to the 1970s and 80s you know in this country things like that

[01:08:11] those saucy seaside gifts they were a rare treat for for a young man to find and we used to find

[01:08:18] those things funny that's genuinely what kids of my age were doing back then but yeah it's it's grim

[01:08:26] but the bit where like um yeah uh what's his name Stephen Merchant like just drops down under the

[01:08:33] desk is just so that whole I get I won't go into it but that whole conversation is just

[01:08:39] talk about cringy and just but again amazing performances by all of them absolutely absolutely

[01:08:45] brilliant so childish so so childish it is and and again I think that's probably what appeals to me

[01:08:51] for them still child oh I'll say me this is what I love about the show again genuinely is like

[01:08:56] you said it has all these really intelligent nuanced things to say and then every now and

[01:08:59] then it will just throw a really stupid childish gag like that in and it just yeah doesn't take

[01:09:05] itself too seriously and again I think that is what the partnership of Jvay's and Merchant bring

[01:09:10] they are both very intelligent writers and and probably both had quite a hard route to fame

[01:09:18] because neither of them are the sort of typical Hollywood or even else tree material you know

[01:09:25] they're normal people let's just say uh but their observations are just spot on but together

[01:09:34] they amplify each other yeah and also I forgot but the first time we see Carl Bilge is on screen

[01:09:42] he gets a teeny weeny little cameo he's one of the photographers outside the ivy and he when I

[01:09:48] think Ricky's yeah Andy Milman's like oh do you want a photo and he looks and goes now you're

[01:09:53] which is wild to think about like where Carl Pilkinson is now and like you know

[01:09:57] his his own little journey when we were talking earlier and I was sort of saying I thought extras

[01:10:01] was the peak of Ricky Jvay's uh TV career it was but I do think the podcasts he did was Pilkinton

[01:10:08] and Merchant are brilliant in fact the animated series they turned it into is also brilliant

[01:10:15] and and that is if you've never if any of the listeners have not heard any of those original

[01:10:19] um Merchant Jvay's and Pilkinton podcasts they are hilarious they are ridiculously funny

[01:10:28] again another thing me and my dad bonded over yeah all I'll say is Carl Pilkinson trying to

[01:10:33] understand why a frog has enough poison in it to kill like a thousand men it's just one of the

[01:10:39] funniest conversations you'll ever hear it's absolutely brilliant but yeah you're right

[01:10:43] and yeah it's just interesting that again looking back on the history of these people's careers

[01:10:47] retrospectively you're like oh yeah that's a weird thing that like this would have been around

[01:10:52] the time that you know they would have done the podcast and stuff so it would have just been a

[01:10:56] blink and you miss it kind of cameo that I'm sure like one or two people

[01:11:01] may be caught but probably didn't and like yeah now you look back and you're like oh yeah

[01:11:06] all right okay that's the thing and yeah just brilliant absolutely brilliant yeah now I

[01:11:11] I think this came yeah because of course he was in Derek as well um but um I think this came out

[01:11:17] before the podcast definitely um and so in you know in the first time I saw this and I would have

[01:11:25] seen him I wouldn't have recognized it but again the brilliance is is he became famous after like on

[01:11:30] the third watching of of experts and I saw him I was like oh right yes he's been he's been there

[01:11:35] all along I just didn't realize it so yeah because I mean I think he was a producer of some kind

[01:11:40] he was like the rate I think he was their radio ex-producer when Ricky Gervais had a show that's

[01:11:46] right and I think that's how they sort of started because I think the original podcasts were on radio

[01:11:51] it that's right yeah but yeah great you again just great use of people's talents dropping these

[01:11:57] people in I mean yeah it's so much but again like you said the thing I was come back to with

[01:12:03] this show very much like at the office is not only is it very very funny and it has all

[01:12:08] these great gags and casts in it it's got something to say yeah and I think they're like especially when

[01:12:15] you look at fame and you look at like we've talked about you know the industry of Hollywood and

[01:12:19] acting and so forth I just find it fascinating that yeah 20 years on it's aged remarkably well

[01:12:25] like a lot of things it has to say like like we said you can go back to any episode and go

[01:12:30] yeah that still holds up that's that's still relevant today which is interesting

[01:12:34] and not every comedy does I mean I'm a huge fan of Matt Lucas less so of David Walliams but

[01:12:43] I really enjoyed Little Britain and Come Fly with me but they definitely at the time felt a little bit

[01:12:49] on edge and now when you sort of go back and look at them you think oh just a bit too cringe in

[01:12:57] fact probably the best bit about it is the tombaker voiceover but again extras hasn't

[01:13:03] gone down that trap because it did everything it was just intelligently written this sounds like a love

[01:13:10] letter to Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant it isn't but you've got to recognize quality when you see it

[01:13:16] oh you do you do yeah for sure and again it's something that we always talk about with these

[01:13:20] shows is anything that has a good rewatch factor in it I think definitely helps helps us

[01:13:25] sit calm to age well for sure yeah I'm always fascinated by that yeah which parts do you

[01:13:30] look at and go oh that's good and which parts do you sort of yeah think maybe not so much these days

[01:13:36] yeah like I said yeah surprisingly extras has way more than you need to think yeah and again you

[01:13:41] talk about like the cast in both this and the office you think about where some of the cast

[01:13:47] came from and then went after these vehicles so yes obviously with the office you've got

[01:13:54] Mackenzie Crook who started off on the Friday the 11 o'clock show with Ricky Gervais and

[01:14:01] Martin Freeman who've kind of got some of the biggest careers in acting since and writing

[01:14:08] and directing in the case of Mackenzie Crook and of course Mackenzie Crook went on to write

[01:14:13] and star in The Detectorists which is again one of my favorite comedies of all time it's just

[01:14:18] so well written and well observed it's a people comedy it's not quite the same with extras because

[01:14:27] the main character they're already fairly famous but it definitely propelled Stephen Merchant out of

[01:14:32] the the sort of back room he became for sure you know for me the biggest kind of star out of this

[01:14:39] and of course the other thing that Ricky has done very well in every series is the use of music

[01:14:43] um yes and again it's so depressing but in the final episode where Maggie's deciding to give up

[01:14:50] acting and you've got uh Kate Bush this woman's work being played it's such a beautiful use of that

[01:14:56] song it's like ah you're you know what you're doing they know how to write a tear jerker

[01:15:03] and a thought-provoking piece so yeah if any of the listeners haven't heard it you've

[01:15:08] probably heard enough of it in this show to understand it but it is absolutely yeah and again

[01:15:14] I think similar to the office perfect ending yeah I just wrapped it up quite nicely like like you said

[01:15:20] the as much as you go I would like to see more but the sort of two episodes two seasons and a

[01:15:25] special you're like yeah it it works and of course the special is a you know an absolute kind

[01:15:33] of brilliant piece of pulling in all kinds of names like bringing Hale and Pace back into it again

[01:15:39] you're too young to remember but in the 90s Hale and Pace were like the biggest comedy act for like

[01:15:47] late night channel four mainstream comedy I don't know who you you maybe French and Saunders were

[01:15:53] kind of like the female equivalent at the time but they were web maybe that could be a kind of

[01:16:00] but again Hale and Pace were famously not that funny they had about three funny jokes

[01:16:06] and they spun it out over season over season and the fact they come back on recognizing the fact

[01:16:12] that they weren't funny and kind of spoofing off themselves is just so brilliantly done

[01:16:19] and he pulls his signature stonk face in it uh garylale it's it's so so well done um yeah I

[01:16:29] honestly it's I don't think I think you're right I don't think they could have done a third season

[01:16:34] much as I'd like when I don't think they could have done one I don't know who they'd have got to

[01:16:37] to talk yeah I don't know how much there would have been left to say as well like because as

[01:16:43] we said like the kind of arc of Andy Milman's character very similar to the David Brent thing

[01:16:48] of again the careful what you wish for yeah kind of mentality that it approaches I think

[01:16:54] it just makes sense that landed where it is it definitely is way more optimistic than the

[01:16:58] office I think in terms of the way it ends like the whole again I think the Andy Milman speech

[01:17:02] is brilliant the fact that he just walks out and leaves and you know he has that moment where

[01:17:09] his agent suddenly it's like oh you're back on top and you've got this platform and it's this

[01:17:13] idea of being able to uh you know tap into in air quotes sincerity but he just chooses

[01:17:20] to leave and just go and go off in you know a little car with his with his best mate and

[01:17:26] just leave it all behind you like that's a beautiful ending it is it is so well done I do

[01:17:31] think though if you weren't going to do a third series then maybe now would be a better time to

[01:17:41] do it than at the time because having some kind of I'm not saying he should but having some kind

[01:17:46] of modern take on on extras wouldn't be a bad thing I was just thinking though

[01:17:53] trying to think of some of the actors that did get a bit of a springboard the guy who

[01:17:57] plays his superfan in in the bowie x episode oh what's his name he does the podcast doesn't he with

[01:18:04] them Joe Wilkinson I think I think that's the same guy you could be right do you know

[01:18:10] this is going to be some investigation here we go I'm terrible with names that's right it's why

[01:18:15] I've got MDB obsessive fan David Earl that's it David Earl oh yes yes yes yes yes yes and he has

[01:18:26] gone on to be in one of my favorite independent films of all time um have you seen uh the film

[01:18:36] Brian and Charles I have not um let me have a look it's bizarre you'll wonder why I've referenced it to

[01:18:44] you but you should watch Brian and Charles it's one of my favorite films he was in um Derek that's

[01:18:53] right he was a big part and in afterlife as well yeah he's good he's very yeah I do you know I've

[01:18:59] heard nothing but good things about Brian and Charles to be fair so I will seek this out

[01:19:04] I will see where I can watch it the first time you watch it you'll be watching it going I think

[01:19:08] it's on um I think it's on Netflix at the moment I will find out now second google

[01:19:15] it's time to google again Brian and Charles I just watch let's see what's available go away cookies

[01:19:25] um oh it's on Netflix apparently yeah there you go um you don't need google um but it is

[01:19:32] it's one of those when you're like I'm not sure how funny this is and then after you

[01:19:35] finished watching it again it's actually quite emotional in a weird way you come back and think

[01:19:41] that was some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen so I really like David Earl I loved his character in

[01:19:48] in extras but again I think that was his springboard uh and he doesn't really get much credit

[01:19:53] in extras he was very young I think when making it but uh he is probably the uh the sort of

[01:20:01] standout discovery in that I think um obviously Stephen Merchant as well but that's like different

[01:20:08] yeah I've added that to my watch list on Netflix I will check it out yeah I've genuinely heard great

[01:20:14] things about it and yeah fascinating absolutely fascinating this has been brilliant thank you

[01:20:21] so much for doing this Richard I sincerely mean that it's been nice to go back over this and

[01:20:26] yeah well I hope I've at least given you some recommendations oh you have I've got lots

[01:20:30] of stuff to check out including styleyourpet.com styleupyourpet.com style up your pet dammit okay

[01:20:36] sorry I'll redo it fix it in post fix it in post and have you been uh playing much guitar

[01:20:43] buying many of our pedals that sort of thing oh well uh not as such I mean since we last

[01:20:49] spoke I know well actually that's not true let me show you the last guitar I bought um

[01:20:54] maybe I'll keep this in maybe I won't who's who knows

[01:20:58] I will this thing so if we know gear for music yeah they have their own little

[01:21:03] yes I saw you've got the sub zero um my phone stand because I was thinking about buying that sub zero

[01:21:12] well see I needed to buy a little personal monitor uh so I ended up going for the bearing

[01:21:19] but I went and looked at the sub zero stuff as well

[01:21:23] it's decent I mean gear for music is the biggest music retailer in the UK so yeah I mean I bought

[01:21:31] this second hand off eBay uh that's ebit now stop um and I changed up the the tuning pegs and

[01:21:40] we're playing instead this is in drop b drop yeah I love my drop tunings dude I don't even

[01:21:48] so yeah it was great fun putting that together and yeah I've just looking at it it needs a string

[01:21:53] change but um now the other thing I bought was um I got the tonics pedal oh yeah no I will stop I will

[01:21:59] stop now it's a um I hear very good things about it it's very good for what it is yeah it's just

[01:22:05] a little amp sim did you get the net one or the the big one I got the the normal one uh yeah the big

[01:22:12] one it's currently plugged in so I won't lift no don't lift it out I don't want to I've just

[01:22:16] got it on my pedal board which is a few bits and bobs and um yeah it's just a bit of fun but

[01:22:22] yeah I've had a lot of fun sort of playing around with gear and messing with stuff and

[01:22:26] especially since especially since doing like the songwriting season and all that stuff it's

[01:22:30] yeah it's been I've been very inspired you know as we were saying before we started recording

[01:22:34] like it's yeah some interesting things are happening amazing the the funniest thing about it though

[01:22:39] of music is the most that I do and I joke about this all the time but it's true the most like

[01:22:43] output I've ever done actually the only thing I've put out yet musically has been on the podcast

[01:22:48] I've either written jingles for other people or jingles for this podcast there's absolutely

[01:22:53] nothing wrong with that at all if you could write jingles your entire life the good thing

[01:22:59] about jingles is they only have to be like 20 seconds long you don't have to think about

[01:23:02] too much at all and you can go and you can do parodies really nice parodies so

[01:23:08] there's a bonus episode in the songwriting season thanks to Ian Harries from the podcast

[01:23:13] nobody asked for and we just talked about jingles for an hour and a half and we filled the episode

[01:23:17] with them it's brilliant awesome and I ended my Steven Spielberg episode with wait for it

[01:23:23] a cover of smash maths all-star because of course you do when you're talking about Steven

[01:23:28] Spielberg that's the only logical conclusion to that conversation and I won't lie Richard it was

[01:23:35] one of the funniest things and the most fun I've ever had like making something was doing a sad

[01:23:40] piano version of that song and I had a lot of people messaging me after was going I actually

[01:23:46] really liked that version it's just wild but yeah yeah that's the silly things I've been up to

[01:23:53] but enough about me Richard speaking of music what have you been up to my friend

[01:23:57] where can the good people find you you know a thing or two about guitars don't you?

[01:24:01] A little bit I mean so full-time job is doing everything that Brian and the team aren't doing

[01:24:08] at one plopaddle so nice and then of course we do the chasing tone podcast which you can find

[01:24:15] on all good podcast providers that's been a lot of fun we're just about I'm actually about to

[01:24:21] put today's episode live after this we have Ryan Birkon from 60 cycle hum and he is so funny

[01:24:26] I was just cracking up throughout the whole episode difficult to stay focused with him on

[01:24:31] so that's that was nice so that's been good and then yeah I have my little side hustle with

[01:24:38] the pets I have a new band that I'm in that is a lovely a little 80s covers band which is

[01:24:44] so much fun it's like I bet not my comfort zone at all but that makes it even more fun

[01:24:50] and yeah um you can if you need a website go to amplify creative.net which is my business but

[01:24:58] I'm not sure many people listening to this will want a website never know you do never know

[01:25:04] but definitely buy my collars from styleupyourpet.com because I've got a garage full of them

[01:25:09] and I need to put guitars in the garage if you get what should we say give the list as 10%

[01:25:15] off there you go shift some units I tell you what I will definitely I will give 25% off to

[01:25:22] whoa all of your listeners if they use the code Harley 25 how about that

[01:25:31] I actually love that that's awesome do you know what I'm going to plug the absolute crap out of

[01:25:36] that when I drop this episode in a few weeks I'm just going on to add that code to make sure

[01:25:40] I don't forget that's amazing there you go folks it's genuine it's 100% genuine and we'll

[01:25:45] get Jessie in one and we'll do a picture because she is the cutest dog in the world and that's me

[01:25:50] being objective no it's actually true she is an incredibly cute dog I would like one I'm not

[01:25:58] going to lie if you can get me one of those that would be amazing I don't think you can

[01:26:03] well you never know I mean we've picked up from a rescue um center so there's a lot of them

[01:26:08] knocking around the the jack russell pug uh yeah breeds they're great but yours has the

[01:26:13] exact right blend of jack russell and pug I would say right so because we're even going more off topic

[01:26:20] we were out for a walk the other day I'm good and um it's nice I love it we were we were out and um

[01:26:25] there's a couple jack russells came out from the farm that we were walking past and they were

[01:26:28] really lovely and friendly and like one came and stood next door next to Jessie and we were like

[01:26:33] oh yeah you're definitely jack russell it was at the exact same height and build it was just

[01:26:37] obviously she's got more of a little bit of a pug face and a snaggle tooth but we love her

[01:26:41] I know a song about pug faces um and hey put it back around my brother's got a jack russell

[01:26:48] they are fantastic dogs but I think the jack russell cross is is absolutely spot on well yes I will

[01:26:54] definitely send you some stuff uh you mean send me the neck size of your dog uh and if it's too

[01:27:00] big I'll assume you want the collar for yourself and I'll send you one of the leather ones

[01:27:09] seriously I think I should go into that business I'd sell more

[01:27:13] you probably would that's the way

[01:27:17] cool well it's been an absolute pleasure my friend uh and on that um that bomb show

[01:27:24] terrible note I think it's time we end the episode before it gets worse

[01:27:30] I think you get that's that's an extra special discount code for those but we'll cross

[01:27:34] the way onto it I think yeah absolutely but Richard thank you so much and sincerely yeah

[01:27:39] people check out Chasing Tone I mean I've I've had Blake on a couple times like a genuinely

[01:27:43] loves the podcast I think it's great I think it's one of those even if you don't know a lot about

[01:27:47] guitar it's just three people having fun so you can just enjoy it we never talk about guitar

[01:27:51] hardly ever hardly ever exactly you know and you've had some great guests on like you said

[01:27:55] the podcast is I'll give a shout out to the Chris Schiffler episode you guys did a while ago

[01:27:59] that was brilliant that was amazing actually he is a very funny dude I don't know whether

[01:28:04] you've seen it but we did a birthday roast of Brian he was 50 last week or two I've got that one

[01:28:09] saved yeah I forgot to get around to it honestly it's very funny and I make a cameo as Bob Ross at

[01:28:14] the beginning but Chris Schiffler fantastic we didn't know right until literally the last minute

[01:28:19] whether we would get Chris's video and he just he was on tour with the foos and it's just

[01:28:24] in brushing his teeth in the morning sending a message to Brian it's brilliant so funny

[01:28:28] oh what a guy he is a great great guy um there you go guys that's the kind of stuff you can

[01:28:34] you can get if you head over there I'll put links in the show notes of course awesome thank you well

[01:28:37] thank you so much Harley it's been a real pleasure to be back on likewise my friend cheers all right

[01:28:42] dude a massive thank you there to Richard for coming on to the podcast once again and joining

[01:28:48] me the sitcom September 2024 I could not think of a better way to kick things off not only do

[01:28:55] we have a great time talking about an amazing show had lots of laughs plenty of city jingles and

[01:29:01] references but we also got a sponsor I cannot believe it this is the first ever affiliate link

[01:29:07] sponsorship deal whatever you want to call it for the podcast and I could not be happier

[01:29:12] about it make sure you head to the show notes right at the top you'll see 25 percent off 25

[01:29:17] percent that is absolutely mad but yes 25 off any of your orders on stylerhillpets.com

[01:29:25] just use the link in the show notes there's some really cool stuff on there I cannot wait to show

[01:29:30] you all how stylish Jesse the podcast dog looks in her new gear from that website you can check

[01:29:36] that out when you head over to the instagram page for the podcast that is fundamentals pod

[01:29:41] on instagram make sure you give me a follow and stay up to date with that and some other

[01:29:45] cool stuff that will be happening with the podcast very soon also you should check out

[01:29:50] chasing tone it's a wonderful podcast Richard is just one of the three hosts on that show

[01:29:55] which explores the guitarist never-ending obsession with tone it's a wonderful podcast

[01:30:01] the chemistry between him lake wyland also a previous guest of this podcast and the incredible

[01:30:07] pedal maker Brian Wumpler is truly wonderful I absolutely love listening to it every single

[01:30:12] week I think even if you're not that bothered by guitar gear you will enjoy the conversations

[01:30:16] they're just that much fun so make sure you check that out after this episode again links are in the

[01:30:21] show notes for you to do so thank you so much for listening to this episode I really do appreciate

[01:30:26] your support if you are brand new to fundamentals welcome aboard love to have you here there are

[01:30:32] plenty more episodes for you to check out including a whole other season of sitcom

[01:30:35] september and a sitcom summer which I did a few years ago so there's loads of episodes

[01:30:39] there for you to jump on board if you enjoyed this there's also another episode featuring

[01:30:44] Richard Oliver there's actually two it's David Bowie and the star wars episode which you can

[01:30:48] check out there are episodes of course with lake wyland from chasing tone there's also some episodes

[01:30:52] that I did recently from a couple of independent music festivals anything you can think of in

[01:30:57] pop culture I've explored it and will continue to explore it so make sure that you subscribe

[01:31:02] and follow if you haven't done so already so that you do not miss out on even more coming

[01:31:06] as I say there's plenty for you to explore you haven't already please go through and have a look

[01:31:10] I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy if you are enjoying the podcast and you'd like to help me

[01:31:15] along in my journey as an independent podcaster then please can I ask you to do a few simple

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[01:31:26] or how you go about telling them just so long as you do because I am an independent

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[01:32:06] will greatly appreciate it thank you so much for checking out this podcast sitcom September

[01:32:11] continues I will be back on the following Monday the 16th bright and early with two returning

[01:32:17] guests of the podcast discussing a modern classic there's plenty of good stuff to get into in

[01:32:23] that episode so make sure that you are here for that thanks again for listening and I'll see you then