Ricky Gervais
Kerry Godliman
David Earl
Karl Pilkington

Created by:
Ricky Gervais

2012-2014
Comedy, Drama
Netflix
TV-14

“Derek,” a dramedy that’s set in a nursing home, is Netflix’s attempt to add a mockumentary-style show by Ricky Gervais to its arsenal. It wasn’t developed specifically for Netflix, though. It airs on British TV, as well.

“Derek” has all of the trappings that you would expect from a show created by Gervais, but the style is too familiar and the tone is a bit off. As I watched “Derek,” I couldn’t stop thinking about HBO’s “Getting On,” a superior improvisational comedy series that’s set in the geriatrics ward of a hospital.

Gervais plays the title character: He’s one of the nursing home’s caretakers. He has an underbite and bounces and shuffles around. Gervais’s characterization just doesn’t work for comedy (he’s not funny), and it’s too broad to take seriously. So, he has no impact. As a result, it’s hard to connect to the show overall.

Unlike the characters in “Getting On,” the characters in “Derek” aren’t the kind of people you’d likely find in the real world. The characters in “Getting On” seem like people you could meet in the geriatrics ward of a hospital, and Niecy Nash’s character is the audience surrogate (the secret to that show’s success). There is no audience surrogate that I could find in “Derek.” But, I must say that “Getting On” and “Derek” have different objectives and tones: “Derek” is gentle, whereas “Getting On” is much harsher.

While “Derek” isn’t bad, it doesn’t work. (The acting’s pretty good, though, despite the failure of Gervais’s characterization.) This kind of show has to really work to be worth the time. It’s great to see Karl Pilkington as part of the cast, though; other than wearing a ridiculous hairpiece, he just plays a version of himself. (Check out “An Idiot Abroad,” if you don’t know what that means.)

“Derek” is fine, I guess; but, again, it’s not really worth watching.

Verdict: Whatever

About: (Source: derek)

Ricky Gervais created and stars in this heartwarming comedy-drama series as a loyal English nursing home caretaker who sees only the good in everyone.