Extras notes

Extras is a self-reflexive TV show.

• Non traditional
• Undermined the realism of a text by showing the means of a construction.

Kate Winslet episode

• Kate is seen as upper class which is a media construct
• She dresses in a nun costume whilst giving phone sex advice to two other characters which happen to be dressed up as Anne Franke and a WWll Nazi (Joseph Gobils). After this the Nazi says to Anne Franke 'Maybe keep a journal' They do this on purpose because they have an active audience.
• Religion is used as a meta-narrative, post-modern believe there is no meta-narrative.
• 'I've got cerebral palsy' 'oh good!'
• 'My tap dancing class was cancelled' this was said by the girl with cerebral palsy as a joke.
• Kate Winslet is playing a hyper-real version of herself.
• Nun saying 'Christ that's bloody hot'
• I've got Jeremy Clarkson's clothes' - intertextuality
• Ricky Gervais as John Travolta - Saturday night fever - intertextuality

Some of the things that were said would have been in the past been censored. But in post-modern society it is the individuals choice as to whether they're offended by the statement or not.

See the sit-com 'when the whistle blows' when Ricky Gervais gave the script to his agent in a previous episode.

Orlando Bloom episode

• Barry (Shaun Williamson) is known by his name in TV soap 'Eastenders'.
• See Keith Chegwin (children's TV presenter) in the sit-com doing things wrong. Intertextual playing a hyper-real version of himself. Playing a racist homophobe.
• Picture of Lenny Henry behind Ricky when he's trying to think of  'funny black people'.
• Contrast between traditional media 'when the whistle blows' that relies on puns, double entendre, stereotypes, costume and catch phrases. Where as extras itself is very post-modern. This in itself is post-modern.
• Intertextuality - T-shirts with other funny programs are worn by audiences watching 'when the whistle blows'.
• his sit-com was being made fun of by David Bowie and goes to find his fans, he is about the fame.

Daniel Radcliffe Episode

• David Dickinson intertextuality - tan nearly blew his eyes out
• Daniel Radcliffe is supposed to be innocent yet he is being portrayed as a 'bad boy' however everyone else still sees him as a very young boy. Hence the scouts uniform.
• Lord of the Rings reference - 'what do you think I've got this ring for?' 'I don't know you're a hobbit' - This is said to Verne Troyer who is a dwarf.
• Hyper-reality - The Wright stuff & This Morning.
• Steven Merchant calls a boy with downs syndrome a 'mongoloid'
• Intertextuality - scout boy neckerchief is the colours of Gryffindoor (yellow & red)