User Reviews

I've always known Ricky Gervais as a comedian. After I finished watching After Life 1 and 2 I discovered who he was as a writer. Now that I've finished Derek I love who he is as a human being. A lovely soul with a brilliant gift as a creator of characters that draw you into their world and make you want to be apart of it. There are no formulatic stereotypes in this place and nothing is candy coated . It's life with all its bumps and bruises, a moments of pure joy. Love and heartbreak, laughter and tears, The actors he uses in all of the series he writes are as talented a cast as you could ever ask for. I'm so glad I got to know them all, even if it was for just a moment

Ricky Gervais is a comic genius the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. His comedy is somehow both universal yet specific, appealing to a worldwide audience yet never losing touch of his English heritage. But enough about that, this is about something more important.... Derek....

The Office was a brilliantly clever comedy, Extras was even better, Life's Too Short was criminally underrated and wasn't given a chance to find it's feet, An Idiot Abroad is a masterful use of a genuinely interesting and captivating idiot and then there's Derek....

Derek is a masterpiece. I have to qualms about stating that. In future years, maybe even five or ten years down the track, Derek will be the sitcom that all other sitcoms are compared to. The sitcom formula of a studio audience and general dumb jokes is already all but dead, and Derek is the nail in the coffin of such shows. In fact, it is the inevitable fresh step forward for sitcoms in general.

Derek lets go of the usual sitcom laughs and replaces them with real life giggles. Sometimes you're not even sure why you're smiling, then you realise it's because of the situation you're watching. Even worse, sometimes you don't even realise you're smiling.

But it's the emotion of Derek that sets it apart from other sitcoms. It's not lame, superficial, meaningless emotion either, it's real emotion, due in no small part to the brilliant supporting cast. In almost every episode I've watched so far I've gotten teary. And thats exactly where the future is for sitcoms. Real emotion. People are getting sick of cheap laughs and emotionless humor. The best comedy comes from tragedy, always has and always will. It's a shame it's taken TV 60 years to realise that. Derek, along with a select few other shows, may very well be the savior of the sitcom. Because if I the future of sitcoms is Two And A Half Men then I might as well kill myself now.

My sons turned me on to this series, and it brings back truly funny, happy memories of working in a forensic mental hospital on Oahu. I had a fantastic time working there and sharing my days with the residents who were great company and very interesting. Even after I moved on, I was able to come back on holidays and share a meal with them in the cafeteria. I still miss them and love 💕 the great heart in this show.

This is one of the most sophisticated, deep, and emotional series ever made. It bittersweet and always brings out the light in the darkness that is life. It takes on heavy subjects and leaves you wanting to become a better person. Not too many shows I can think of affect lives like this. If you think you will like it, watch, if you think you will hate it, watch at least the first two episodes before you criticize it. If it leaves you with nothing, then fair enough, but I promise it will.

It's only flaw is that there isn't enough episodes to satisfy avid fans.

Ricky, you are an amazing writer and producer, and you made me want to be a better person.

I cannot speak higher of this series. It has made me laugh with unforgettable scenes and lines, and it has broken my heart with biting reminders of our society, mortality and reflections of our selfish natures.

I cannot thank Gervais enough for such a beautiful and poignant character.

A very pure and indomitable representation of the only people in our world that will ever know altruism.

Highly recommended for the highest highs and teary lows.

Jack

Recently watched Derek. I can't remember the last time I was so moved by art. Thank you.

I cannot imagine this show getting less than a 10.

Each and every episode is heartwarming and a gift. One moment you are laughing out loud, and the next, tear filled eyes. And, the show stays with you hours after it is over. How many TV shows, or movies, can you claim affects you in this way? How many TV shows or movies have a positive outlook, where people are treated with dignity and kindness?

The characters are so well developed, and unique. The message is loud and clear. No special effects or tricks to please. The script is brilliant, and Gervais is excellent.

This is art.

I'm a 48 year old guy who was dragged up on a council estate where men didn't cry or show their emotions.

On watching this amazing, funny, heartfelt show I must of cried ten times, not teary but actually blubbed. This is the most touching piece of art I have ever watched.

On the flip side I also laughed until I nearly wet myself, a beautifully observed piece of life and Ricky should be proud of the best TV I have ever seen

10 out of 10 does not do this justice.

I have binge watched the series having seen 'After life' and I have to say it is absolute genius stuff.

Ricky Gervais is simply brilliant but the script is so clever. Wonderful characters particularly the revolting Kev. Comedy bliss

Ok I'm not a critic or anything like that I really.did not think much of RG but my God after watching this I have become a different person . . Ricky Gervais is so talented it's so unbelieveable (or believable). . . this series made me laugh..it made me cry. . it maybe me angry. . it made me sad . . it brought back fond memories of the of loved ones that have now departed . . Ricky Gervais You . . ARE THE MAN

To preface: I have high functioning autism, formerly known as Asperger's.

I put off watching this for a long time, and when I eventually took the plunge it was an uncomfortable watch, very much so at times. Neurotypical people have a tendency to hear the word "autism" and lump us together into a neat little box - one that often looks a bit like Derek, at least on a superficial level. Autism is a spectrum, I personally know Derek's and people who are Derek adjacent, as well as a fair few Dougie's and even a few Kev's. I personally relate quite strongly to Hannah: her lack of academic success, anxieties, fixations, all or nothing behaviour, social isolation, forthrightness, obsessive need to do her "right thing" even if it could get her in trouble...I wonder if she was written to be "not autistic" as well but neurotypical viewers missed it because they're so used to being presented with the Derek end of the spectrum. Might just be me projecting, but still. There was enough there with all of these characters to make my brain itch.

That said, I appreciate what Gervais was trying to do here. I get the feeling that he's looked at the boxes and also looked at the people who presume to speak for "the autistic community" whatever facile, nebulous void that is, and he's said sod that, people are people. Some are nice and some are not and that's all that matters. It was difficult to watch, but sometimes difficult is good. It's nice to think that somebody, at least Gervais and possibly some of the other neurotypical fans of this show "get it". Someone noticed. It's vindicating.

On a lighter note, once / if you've got past whatever version of discomfort the setting and characters brought on for you personally, this show is just genuinely sweet and funny. It's not wall to wall wisecracking but if you liked the pacing and mockumentary thing The Office did then this should deliver. It was good. A bit dark, dry, blunt, bittersweet, all the things you'd expect out of Gervais really, but if you're into that, definitely good. It deserves a watch.

At first I thought it was nothing more than a take. It's far from that. It's brilliant and as one other critic said, it made me laugh and cry. For all the reasons. Thanks Ricky. I've never watched your stuff but this was good. Bravo

I started watching this show because I was upset, I was angry, I was depressed, and I thought "Hey, it is Ricky Gervais, this has to be funny as hell." I was wrong, it is funny, but it is also sad, it is haunting, and it is beautiful as hell. If you suffer from issues of thinking you no longer have faith in humanity, or wonder why you should even try to be a better person when life is getting you down. This show, this amazing character that Gervais has brought to life will make you realize why it is all worth it. To quote the character from the Season 1 finale "I have met people who do not believe in God, somes good, somes bad. I have met people who do believe in God, somes good, somes bad. So just be good."

I suffer from several medically diagnosed mental illnesses, and this show treated the subject matter with respect, not becoming a blatant parody of the commonly thought stereotypes about mental illness, but becoming a rich three dimensional character who has a mental illness and how it affects his life and the lives of people around him.

It was not an uproarious comedy like I was expecting, but in the end, what it was, was everything I needed at the time, heartwarming and leaving me feeling a good mix of sad and happy.

I laughed and cried and reflected on life, I thought this was going to be a light hearted comedy, it touches you again and again differently each episode. Outstanding;!!!!!!

Firstly, I'm well aware that Ricky Gervais's humour is not at all for everyone, but please, if anyone let's this jewel of a program slip them by because of that reason it's a very great shame! Personally I was always a big fan of Ricky Gervais. I remember when The Office first came out and was thoroughly impressed by, not just the wit and humour, but the direction and three dimensionality of the characters. Extras continued to show just how brilliant he could be as creator of top notch comedy, but with Derek he's pushed the envelope several degrees further and in a strikingly different direction.

It's billed as a comedy but is a difficult program to classify. Some have called it a comedy drama but I'd have to say it's in a genre all of it's own, with more moments that force the viewer into deep reflection than any kind of laughter and few moments that I can honestly call "drama". Though certain films are able to pull at my heart strings enough to leave me with a runny nose and a very sore face under the eyes, this program is one of very few I've seen that's able to do so during most episodes. Perhaps "bitter-sweet comedy" is a better description.

What continuously strikes me most about it is how it draws attention, so vividly and on a weekly basis, to the terrible way we in the western world treat our aged. All of the acting is of an extremely high standard, particularly Gervais' Derek and the superb Kerry Godliman as manager Hannah, with Gervais' particular style of hands off direction (which worked so well in The Office) his actors play their roles in a sublimely naturalistic way. The tenderness with which each of the residents stories is handled is truly breath-taking, with small (what in other shows might be out of place) montages depicting to the audience memories of past youthful days, scattered throughout the series. The music used in the series is also worth a mention adding poignancy to many of the scenes.

I saw an interview with Ricky and Stephen Merchant and he was describing how, in contrast to the Office consisting of in a large part, deception, Derek consists of sincerity. I can't ever remember seeing a more sincere television program, and have seen few films with a similar level of sincerity. If this program doesn't win numerous accolades then there's something very wrong in the world!

I know it sounds a bit cliché but it's the truth, and if that's what I feel then this series is very good indeed! I think that 'Derek' is very under rated, if people will give it a chance they will find all of the best that you can get from a TV series. 'Derek' is funny and touching just in the exact amount (I don't find it kitsch as some people may say). Ricky Gervais is doing a wonderful job with all the angles (direction, writing and acting). I personally enjoying mockumentary format such as: The Office (Gervais), Modern Family and I think that he did a great job here as well. The acting of all the cast is very good and authentic - If I wouldn't known any of them I might think it's a documentary show. Karl Pilkington makes me laugh so hard !!! Well... I usually avoid writing reviews because my English isn't the best, but I felt the need writing a review for this series. If you want some thing refreshing and different this is your show.

I give it 10/10. Great job Gervais and the cast (Also the old people! Salute!)

Derek is a comedy drama, about an odd but selfless worker at a care home played by Ricky Gervais, and the rest of his friends who work there.

I admit the first time I watched the pilot for Derek, I didn't think it was that great. I didn't laugh that much and I thought it was boring. However, watching it a second time, and watching the first 2 episodes, I think its fantastic. Like Gervais' masterpiece the Office, its something you have to watch more than once to "get", but once you do, its fantastic. The funny parts truly made me laugh out loud (very loud I may add) and its brilliant as a drama. The characters are funny, believable and likable. The character of Derek's disability is treated in a way that is funny, but still respectful. Karl Pilkington is hilarious (and especially brilliant at the end of the second episode). The episodes are very heartwarming, and each so far has given me a weird feeling of both happiness and sadness at the end.

Its not a blatant laugh out loud comedy like I and many may have expected, but so far its a fantastic comedy drama with a lot to say about whats really important in life: friendship (not trying to sound too soppy).

Definitely give it a chance, and you will be rewarded :)

Derek is a sweet, hero-hearted near-comedy that breaks new ground in the mockumentary/sit-com format and that reveals Ricky Gervais as a dramatic actor of raging powers and infinite nuances.

Seriously, Gervais is that extraordinary in this Netflix-produced 'streambox' series of only 14 episodes.

Would Tom Hanks' performance as Forrest in Forrest Gump have been interesting if all the amazing Time magazine events hadn't befallen his character during the film? The most powerful testimony to how good Gervais is here as a modern day simpleton/mooncalf type is that his character is more watchable, more compelling than Hanks as Forrest was, and nothing exciting happens in terms of MacGuffin or set-up.

Hopefully wide distribution of Derek will stop the 'muppet bad guy' script offers clogging Gervais' post box and start delivering him the serious dramatic and dramedy roles which Robin Williams, Bill Murray, and Steve Carrell earned. Because if Derek is any guide, Gervais could outpower and enquietude all of them.

I am a British born cynic and lover of biting comedy and satire, that is what I love and expect from Misters Gervaise and Pilkington and I must admit that the first episode left me feeling less than impressed. I kept waiting for a knowing wink,the shoe to drop, everything seemed so heartfelt and schmaltzy, surely there was a punch line?

Giving in to sincerity and allowing ourselves to be emotionally exposed in life is where the magic can happen, like falling in love we have to lower our guard and put our cynicism behind us. Derek wears it's heart on its sleeve and if you are brave enough to watch with your heart you will be richly rewarded.

As a huge Ricky Gervais fan, this was the one series, I was unsure could make a great comedy, given the subject matter. Somehow though, Gervais & co, manage to pull off some good laughter, among some really poignant moments

In Derek, the acting is phenomenal, the story is phenomenal, and the characters are...do I need to finish that sentence? It'll make you laugh, and ACTUALLY make you cry. This show is an original (not just a Netflix original). When I first saw a trailer for this, it appeared to me that it was going to be a dumb sitcom that uses a mentally handicapped main-character for cheap laughs. I couldn't be more wrong, the character's are interesting, unique, likable (usually) and very real. The structure and style alone make this TV show unlike any other. I'm shocked that this show actually has a rating below 9 stars, the first four episodes I've seen have been perfect. Derek isn't good, it's not great, it's marvelous.

I only just recently watch this series and oh my goodness, wow. What a ride it takes you on. It's so beautiful to watch, the character Derek is very wholesome and caring.

Ricky Gervais is a great writer, he really knows how to pull your heart strings. Within this series there are messages, some include: It doesn't matter if a person is autistic, I doesn't change who they are. And you should help people because that's what life is about and it brings happiness.

Definitely worth a watch.

Derek may turn out to be Gervaise's greatest creation. It's a subtle exploration of life in an old folks' care home inhabited by nice old folk and a moving cast of unlikely staff that are led by Gervaise as the brilliantly "simple" Gervaise and the played to type Karl Pilkington as the outrageous caretaker.

It's astoundingly sympathetically written and acted. The laughs are massive but it's so much more than that. Only spoiled by the slightly mawkish series ender.

Comedy gold with a real heart. If there's any justice the critics will revisit their early dismissal of the pilot.

Ricky Gervais must be a fricking genius. I want to be a better person after this show. One of the best shows I've ever watched.