Extras is a British sitcom about extras working on film sets and in theatre. The series is co-produced by the BBC and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also star in it. Extras charts the lives of Andy Millman, his friend Maggie Jacobs and Andy's substandard agent and part-time Carphone Warehouse employee Darren Lamb, as Millman rises to fame.

Extras has two series of six episodes each as well as a Christmas Special. The first episode aired in the UK on 21 July 2005 on BBC Two and on 25 September 2005 on HBO in the US. The second series premiered in the UK on BBC Two on 14 September 2006 and began airing in the US on HBO and in Australia on ABC on 14 February 2007. The Christmas Special aired on 27 December, 2007 on BBC Two and on 16 December 2007 on HBO. Both series are available on DVD in the UK and the US.

The series is filmed in a more traditional sitcom style than the mockumentary style used by Gervais and Merchant in their previous series The Office. Each episode has at least one guest star; a television or film celebrity, who play what Gervais and Merchant have referred to as "twisted" versions of themselves; an exaggerated or inverted parody of their famous public personas.

Cast and characters

main: Characters of Extras

• Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman
• Ashley Jensen as Maggie Jacobs
• Stephen Merchant as Darren Lamb (credited as "Agent")
• Shaun Williamson as Barry from EastEnders (himself)
• Shaun Pye as Greg Lindley-Jones

First series episode order

When the first series was first broadcast in the UK, the episode featuring Ben Stiller was broadcast first, followed by the Ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones episode the following week. When the series was repeated over the Christmas holiday 2005, the episodes were returned to their intended order, with Ross Kemp first, followed by Stiller. The first series DVD, released in the UK on 31 October 2005, also preserves this same order, along with the Extras script book.

When the first season is shown in North America another order is used:

1. Kate Winslet
2. Ben Stiller
3. Ross Kemp/Vinnie Jones
4. Samuel L. Jackson
5. Les Dennis
6. Patrick Stewart

This episode order was maintained for the North American DVD release, issued on 9 January 2007.

Gervais stated that he could not see himself doing a third series, as he and Merchant believed that more episodes would dilute the quality. They have often cited that Fawlty Towers only ran for two series, and this was also the reason given for ending The Office after two series. However, after the second series had finished, Gervais was quoted in the Mirror as saying that there was "some mileage in it" and suggested there could be a third series,. In December 2006, Gervais announced that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was on his wishlist to appear in "another series", but then denied it a month later. Gervais had also mentioned Bruce Willis, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke as possibilities for the third series. At the Live 8 concert it was reported that Madonna had asked to appear in the series, and in a separate interview Will Ferrell revealed his desire to join the show if Gervais asked him. Gervais had also reportedly been keen for Robert De Niro to appear again, after having only a small role in the last episode of the second series.