Series 2 - David Bowie

Episode 8
David Bowie: Rock God
Episode no.	8
Original airdate	21 September 2006
Written by	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Directed by	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Guest stars	David Bowie

The second episode of the second series of Extras.

Plot

Pug, pug, pug, pug.

The first episode of Andy’s sitcom, When the Whistle Blows, receives horrible reviews from all the critics, yet it gets 6.2 million viewers. Andy is already feeling the pressures of fame. As he and Maggie walk to get some food, he is recognised by a homeless man and he feels obligated to give him money so he doesn’t slag him off. Andy and Maggie meet Darren and Barry in a bar where Andy gets recognised again by a mental fan. Barry suggests they go to another bar where they can avoid the riff-raff. At the new bar Andy immediately gets led to the VIP area, but he just as quickly gets bumped out when David Bowie arrives. He is then forced to talk to Greg, who is also at the bar, and wastes no time reading aloud one of the reviews to Andy’s sitcom. After a heckler bothers him, Andy pays a bouncer so that he and Maggie can go back to the VIP area with Bowie. Andy strikes up a conversation with Bowie about his sitcom and confesses that he may have sold out. Bowie ends up writing an impromptu song about how pathetic Andy is and the entire bar joins in singing along. Defeated, Andy returns to the previous bar to find his fanbase.

Quotes

• Darren: It’s shit. It’s a shit sitcom.
  Andy: It’s a shitcom. Oh we’ve sorted that out, thanks very much.
• Barry: (reading newspaper) ”Perhaps it’s unfair to judge a sitcom on its first episode, but when a TV programme makes you want to gauge out your own eyes rather than watch one more minute, you know it’s probably not your cup of tea.”
  Darren: Ouch, go on, pop it in the scrapbook.
• Maggie: Bits of it were funny.
  Andy: Doesn’t count, you laugh at anything.
  Maggie: What?
  Andy: I found you laughing at yourself once and I said, “What are you laughing at?” and you said, “My toes.”
  Maggie: Oh yeah, well they are funny though, the way they waggle.
  Andy: It’s you that’s making them waggle.
• Darren: Barry and I were scouring the internet and we found a glowing review of your sitcom.
  Andy: Really?
  Darren: Listen to this: “This charming story of lovable, larger than life characters will please all the family. This is a delightful woodland romp with many of the best scenes featuring a rollie pollie toad.”
  Andy: Give me that. This is a review of Wind in the Willows.
  Darren: What’s yours called? Oh When the Wind Blows, is it?
  Andy: Whistle!
  Darren: Whistle, yeah. I said that was a picture of a frog, didn’t I?
  Barry: It’s got the same throat.
• Darren: Final scenario, listen to this, right: neither of you are interested in Barry so obviously I choose the fit one, no disrespect to you. We all go back to mine. Barry keeps you talking whilst you and I get down to it. It will take, I swear to God, 10 minutes max, I can get everything done in that time. Then you get a cab fare home, anywhere you want to go, up to say a maximum value of 15 pounds. Or you could walk home, pocket the cash, you’ve made a sweet, sweet profit. It’s up to you.

"Pug-Nosed Face" Lyrics

See his pug-nosed face.

“Little fat man who sold his soul
Little fat man who sold his dream
Chubby little loser
National joke
Pathetic little fat man
No one’s bloody laughing
The clown that no one laughs at
They all just wish he’d die
He’s so depressed at being hated
Fatso takes his own life
He blows his stupid brains out

He sold his soul for a shot at fame
Catchphrase and wig and the jokes are lame
He’s got no style, he’s got no grace
He’s benign and facile, he’s a fat waste of space

See his pug-nosed face
Pug, pug, pug, pug

The little fat man with a pug-nosed face
Little fat man, pug-nosed face
He’s a little fat man, pug-nosed face.”

Trivia

• The scene in which Andy gets recognised by a homeless man comes from an anecdote told by Ricky Gervais on his Xfm radio show on 19 October 2002 and 28 June 2003.
• Gervais performed a version of “Pug-Nosed Face” at the Concert For Diana.

Gallery

• 

  Ching Chang Chinaman...

• 

  Recognised by the homeless.

• 

  The wig, the glasses, the catchphrase...

• 

  Darren and Barry work their magic.

• For more images go to: Gallery:Extras - Series 1 Episode 7

External links

• HBO episode guide: "David Bowie"