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S29.E14: Ricky Gervais, Cate Blanchett, Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly


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With musical guest Elvis Costello.  How could he not have been familiar with Cat Stevens's song Sitting back when Gervais asked him to cover it? 

One thing I learned is that Ricky Gervais has a back problem, so I feel kind of bad if my delight at the way he used to sit on the couch, leaning back with his hands on his belly, was based on his discomfort. 

I never thought I'd say it, but this show is working just as well with the chairs.  There was a long stretch were Graham didn't say anything because all the guests were chatting among themselves, asking their own questions. 

I love an engaged panel, and particularly love it when I guffaw when watching a chat show.  A show that devolves into superstar Cate Blanchett wanting a kitchen remodel but complaining that it's going to cost 15,000 pounds, and Ant and Dec saying they'll pay for it if Gervais answers this question correctly, then Gervais complaining, "She's not a charity--what's in it for me?"  And then Gervais knowing that an Oscar statuette is 13-1/2 inches tall AND converting it to centimeters during the discussion.

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7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

With musical guest Elvis Costello.  How could he not have been familiar with Cat Stevens's song Sitting back when Gervais asked him to cover it? 

I'm shocked Costello wasn't listed in my cable guide's episode description, as he's such a big get.

I've read Costello's door stop of a memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, and it's safe to say that Cat Stevens wasn't any sort of influence, so I'm not surprised he was unfamiliar.

7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

There was a long stretch were Graham didn't say anything because all the guests were chatting among themselves, asking their own questions. 

He sat back and enjoyed his wine, hee.

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5 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I've read Costello's door stop of a memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, and it's safe to say that Cat Stevens wasn't any sort of influence, so I'm not surprised he was unfamiliar.

But Cat Stevens's music was all over the place.  I didn't like him (I was a Rod Stewart gal) but I'd heard his music enough that I still recognize Sitting from the first couple of notes.  Then again, I'm not a musician so my brain wasn't being filled with musical influences and possibly shoving aside the the merely familiar.

But this has made me realize that maybe I subconsciously like Ricky Gervais because of music.  He has Rod Stewarts's Handbags and Gladrags at the end of The Office, and Cat Stevens's Tea for the Tillerman at the end of Extras, and as I said, I never liked Cat Stevens but that use of that song turned me into a fan somehow.  And now I find out he had my boy Elvis Costello excellently cover a Cat Stevens song for a movie, giving me a new appreciation of that song.

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He sat back and enjoyed his wine, hee.

I have to say he makes excellent use of his cards, the way he flaps them around.  I think he was using an ipad or whatever on the remote shows, to much less effect.

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12 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

But Cat Stevens's music was all over the place.  I didn't like him (I was a Rod Stewart gal) but I'd heard his music enough that I still recognize Sitting from the first couple of notes. 

I'm an oldz, but I know very little of Cat Stevens's music. It depends on where you were and what you were listening to. "Peace Train" is the Stevens song that immediately jumps to mind when I think of him, and that song was hardly his only hit. 

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I need to rethink my assumptions.  Costello is three years older than I am, and I figured if Cat Stevens's music made it to my small town in Texas, it must have been much more prevalent where Costello was hanging out, and it would be like the Beach Boys or something, where you might not like their music but you'd be familiar with many of the songs.  I definitely didn't like Cat Stevens's music--the vocals were always too jerky for my taste--but I recognize it, perhaps against my will.

I found the cover that Costello made for Gervais, and I like it a lot--it's at least tied with the original.  Although remember, I never liked Cat Stevens's vocals, and I've always found Costello's interesting.  Even then, I mainly FFed through the song he did on the show.

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Gervais just so exceeds my tolerance for smugness that I have trouble enjoying anything in which he appears, including talk shows. I keep wanting to reach through my TV and punch the self-congratulatory smirk off his face.

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On 2/4/2022 at 1:46 PM, Bruinsfan said:

Gervais just so exceeds my tolerance for smugness that I have trouble enjoying anything in which he appears, including talk shows. I keep wanting to reach through my TV and punch the self-congratulatory smirk off his face.

Interesting take, because I see his demeanor as just the opposite. He doesn't take himself seriously and really doesn't give a fuck about anything or anyone. He simply says what's on his mind no matter who it might offend.

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