Ricky Gervais: Made in England: The Stand-Up Special (2008)

Ricky Gervais, the genius behind The Office and Extras finally gets his own HBO special. Made in England cements Gervais as stand alone funny. His take on current events and tackling 'taboo' is acerbic and entirely worth seeing.

His everyman attitude belies a sharp wit that kills. Gervais examination of America's obesity epidemic is spot-on. He makes life's little events humorous like you can't imagine and with an occasional British F-bomb for emphasis, Gervais is charming. The fictional conversation between Hitler and Nietzsche hits the spot. As does the coast guard and elephant interaction. He plays to social issues and their respective uncomfortable pauses.

Gervais' technique isn't rapid fire humor; rather it's a gentle story-telling that delivers a hearty laugh. Made In England is a nice outlet for Gervais. With his wonky teeth and disarming smile, Gervais gets to be everyman's best mate.